Grid-Inspecting Robots

As demands for power and communication increased during the westward expansion of America, the necessity of a well developed power grid became much greater. The planning and construction of the power grid was grueling, tedious work that took several years to complete throughout the country. However, as proven is recent years, the maintenence and repair of the power grid can be even more dangerous and risky. Currently, breaks in the power lines are repaired during manned helicopter inspections. According to The Daily Beast, this is the eleventh most dangerous job in America (about 30 fatalities and 3 injuries per 100,000 workers). Andrew Phillips, director of power transmission at the Electric Power Research Institute, beleives he has the solution.



Phillips, along with other researchers at the institute, has developed a 140-pound, six-foot-long prototype of a robot that will be able to slide along power lines for inspection. The robot can even maneuver past towers along the lines using cables that are either built on to or retrofitted to the tower. Using high definition cameras and sensors, the robot will be able to provide clear digital images to various inspection locations via satellite. The robot can detect a problem by recording an image at millions of points on the line. If the image is altered at the same exact point during the next inspection, a problem will be reported. This is highly important for reporting possible risks such as overgrown trees, which are the numer one cause of line breaks. The robot will move at about 3mph and make about two 80 mile trips during the span of one year. The solar panel design of the robot was originally constructed for the robot to run off the sun's energy. However, researchers found it more efficient to use solar energy as backup power, and have the robot run on the energy it absorbs from the wires through electromagnetic induction.

This new robot has sparked the interest of various power companies in America. For instance, George Juhn, director of investment planning and asset management at Ontario transmission giant Hydro One, stated that "[The new robot] would definitely be of interest to us." Field testing for the robot will begin in 2014.



http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/25502/

Solar Fuel

The sun is the ultimate source of all energy. Throughout the years, scientists have been studying and developing methods in which the power of the sun can be used to power houses, cars, and even entire cities. However, the sun has never been used to create fuel. Noubar Afeyan, CEO of Flagship Ventures and founder of Joule Biotechnologies, believes he has created a form of solar fuel that could effectively compete with fossil fuels.

Joule, using gene manipulation and design, has created photosynthetic mociroorganisms that use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into ethanol or diesel. According to Joule, such organisms have never been created before. Their method is considered more effective than biomass approaches because Joule’s photobioreacters in which the microbes grow are significantly smaller and require no fresh water. Afeyan has also created a genetic switch for the microbes that will be used in order to limit their growth. This will allow for the energy of the process to be used toward fuel production rather than the organisms’ growth. According to Afeyan ,the process will yield 100 times as much fuel per hectare as fermenting corn to produce ethanol, and 10 times as much as making it from sources such as agricultural waste.

While the development seems immensely promising, Afeyan and other supporters are fully aware of possible setbacks and difficulties. For instance, the International Energy Agency estimates that by 2050, biofuels will only account for 26% of the world’s demand for transportation fuel. Also, Afeyan understands the huge financial risk of bringing biofuel production to a massive scale. However, he will carry out his plan on a smaller scale by running an outdoor pilot plant, which is currently under construction, in Leander, Texas. Afeyan sees a great promise in Joule’s current project and urges the company to stay innovative. Regarding his solar fuel development, Afeyan maintains, “We have the elements of a potentially transformative technology.”

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,790669,00.html

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/25077/page2/

TR10: Mobile 3-D

The new Samsung B710 phone is just like any typical smart phone, except for one amazing feature. Once you turn the phone from vertical to horizontal mode the images on the screen jump from 2-D to 3-D imaging. The founder of this amazing feature to be used on a smart phone is Julien Flack, CTO of Dynamic Digital Depth, who spent more that a decade trying to perfect the software to convert 2-D images to 3-D. The truly amazing part about this form of 3-D imaging is the fact that you dont need special 3-D glasses to see the images, this is just an amazing part of the new smart phone. The way the software works is by synthesizing 3-D secnes from existing 2-D video by estimating the depth of the objects using cues. This form of technology will be used in televisons to be announced in Janurary but these televisons require glasses to see the 3-D images. Mobile 3-D is far better than on televisons because of the fact that only one person at a time uses a phone while televisons are seen by multiple people so projecting the 3-D images is harder of t.v than mobile phone. Flack's software has led to Dynamic Digital Depths leading role in the 3-D imaging world. The Samsung B710, released in south korea in 2007, has liscensed 3-D content generated by Dynamic Digital Depth for its latest 3-D phone. The most interesting thing to me is that they will be able to project video games on the phone. This new form of smart phone is amazing and will be soon in the united states so look out for this one because its simply amazing.

technologyreview.com/communications/25081/

The Future...Will Humans be able to Read Minds?

According to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, based on their new research, technological advances are being made that bring us closer to better understanding how the brain works and how people think. Though we are rather limited in our abilities , we are now quite a few steps further than people ever imagined regarding our abilities to read people’s minds. Scientists report that they have developed the ability to reliably predict which noun ( from a group of 60) that a person is thinking of, based entirely on brain activity patterns. The researchers discovered that the brain identifies objects by what they can do for us, in terms of their relationship to humans and not through encoding or representation of physical properties. The nouns that they were able to identify were all simple concrete nouns ( generally tangible objects). It was concluded that human brains analyze objects by determining whether a person could take shelter in it; how a person could hold or manipulate it; and what it would be like to eat it. This experiment was the first time humans were able to identify thought patterns using concepts and ideas and not images. These developments would provide tremendous aid in advancing research and understanding of many psychological disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Magnetoencephalography (MEG), is the technology that is used to study brain function. This is a new and upcoming field of experiemental research that could truly lead to ground breaking changes.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_661844.html

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25430/?a=f

Dual Action Antibodies

Genentech, a pharmaceutical company based in San Francisco has recently made huge pushes towards the development of dual action antibodies. Dual Action antibodies combine the action of multiple antibodies so that a greater benefit can be obtained, financially, physically, and mentally. Two of Genentech’s primarily produced drugs include Herceptin, a monoclonal antibody that shuts down HER2, a growth accelerator in about 20 percent of breast tumors and Avastin, an antibody that blocks a protein that stimulates the formation of tumor- feeding blood vessels. The starting cost for each of these drug treatments is at 43,000 dollars. Scientist Germaine Fuh and his team created a modified version of the Herceptin antibody that not only shut down the HER2 receptor in mice but also locked onto VEGF, Avastin's target. This is incredibly relevant in man kind’s strides to develop better cures for cancer. Designing such "dual-specific" antibodies could help solve a major problem with chemotherapy drugs: cancer cells can become resistant to them, mutating in ways that allow them to dodge the medication's action. It is not uncommon for doctors to mix various chemotherapy drugs to try and kill cancers before they can exploit this escape mechanism (resistance); which is why having a single drug that can hit the cancer from multiple directions would simplify treatment. Having a dual action antibody would be beneficial to patients affected with cancer because of its superior performance but also from a business/ financial standpoint. It would lower manufacturing costs for companies and also create a more affordable and accessible treatment for cancer patients. Tests are still being conducted regarding the effectiveness of using dual action antibodies , but due to financial concerns, are progressing somewhat slowly
At the tip of each branch the antibody is an active site, which grabs a specific molecule on an invading microbe or cancer cell. Many of the antibodies have the ability to weakly bind to a second antigen. By exploiting this ability and making the bonds tight and functional Fuh’s team was able to create a dual action antibody that was somewhat successful. Their experiments t have fueled interest in the overall potential of such drugs and their effects can be phenomenal. If the concept proves successful, antibodies that stick to two targets might be used to treat infectious diseases as well as cancer--offering the promise of drugs that work better and cost less.

http://technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25087/

http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/vnl.cfm?id=4672

The Future for Fusion

Today, when chemistry classes teach nuclear chemistry, students learn that fusion reactions release more energy than fission reactions, are inexpensive, and produce non-radioactive products. Yet, fission reactions which hold environmental concern, such as where to dispose its radioactive waste, are currently used. The major setback with fusion is the high temperatures needed which cannot be contained.

However, emerging technology has not only begun the creation of fusion reactors but is now trying to build a new fusion reactor that can achieve ignition, “the point where a fusion reaction becomes self-sustaining instead of requiring a constant input of energy.”MIT physics professor, Bruno Coppi, is the principal investigator for Ignitor; a tokamak reactor. Italy and Russia are in agreement with building this new reactor which will be constructed outside Moscow.

This new reactor uses “powerful magnetic fields to produce fusion by squeezing superheated plasma of hydrogen isotopes”. The plasma is heated to extreme temperatures when an electric current and high-frequency radio waves pass through the plasma. However, the heat is confined by electromagnetic fields through high pressure. Both the pressure and the heat will than cause hydrogen nuclei to fuse and form helium. This process is what will release the enormous amount of heat that will then be used to power an electricity-generating turbine.

Unlike the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a reactor being built in France which had hoped to reach ignition, Ignitor might be able to be used “within a few years”. Yet most scientists in the field agree that practical fusion power is at least two decades away which is unfortunate because it would be free of greenhouse-gas emissions – a big concern for environmentalists. However, all is not in vain; “the whole point of Ignitor is to find out how a burning plasma behaves, and there could be pleasant or unpleasant results coming from it. Whatever is learned is a gain. Nobody knows exactly how it will perform, that is the point of the experiment." The future for fusion, although not as close as some may wish, is still bright.

Sources:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100512145348.htm

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/25379/?a=f

Green Concrete

Walk up to a friend and ask them what the effects the production of concrete has on the environment. Most people would probably not be aware. However, now is the time to educate ourselves. The fact is that in 2009, the production of concrete contributed to five percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. As the effects of pollution and human population continue to take a toll in our world, it is vital to recognize and encourage emerging green technologies.

Nikolaos Vlasopoulos of Novacem, discovered a way to create concrete without its harmful effects. While working as a grad student in Imperial College, he experimented adding magnesium oxides to a Portland cement mix. Vlasopoulos realized that the Portland cement mix was not needed and that with the addition of water he could “still make a solid-setting cement that didn't rely on carbon-rich limestone”. This green concrete is an improvement from the cement currently used in several ways.

First, the green concrete actually absorbs carbon dioxide. Although it does produce carbon dioxide, it absorbs more than it created during setting. In comparison of Portland cement which creates 700kg per tone of carbon dioxide and absorbs 100-500kg per tone, the green concrete creates 200-400kg per tone of carbon dioxide and absorbs about 2.5 times more than Portland cement.

Another benefit of this new technology is that it is possible to be recycled if a building is torn down. It can be mixed with waste material such as glass or plastic. Portland cement cannot do this. Lastly, Novacem will use the same processes as Portland cement. This means that construction firms will not need to change the way they operate, thereby making a transition to green concrete much smoother.

Unfortunately, the green concrete is not in the market. Vlasopoulos states he should be done refining the product “within a year”. Some problems that this green cement is facing is the necessity to produce in industrial levels and match the price of other cements like Portland. However, with large industrial partners such as Laing O’Rourke, WSP Group, and Rio Tino, Novacem hopes to prevail forward. This green concrete will certainly be a step towards creating a healthier earth.

Sources:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6255962.ece

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/25085/

Renewable Fuel

The CEO of Flagship Ventures in Cambridge, MA, Noubar Afeyan set out to invent the first ideal renewable fuel. "What we wanted to know is [if we] could engineer a system that could convert carbon dioxide directly into any fuel that we wanted" says Afeyan. According to Joule Biotechnologies, they say yes. For the first time ever, they have created photosynthetic microorganisms that use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into ethanol or diesel, quickly and efficiently. Each microorganism is equipped with their own genetic switch that will limit their growth. The switches allow scientists to multiply the microorganisms for a few days, and with a flip of a switch change the organism’s growth into fuel production. Both the Startup Synthetic Genomics and an academic group at the BioTechnology Institute at the University of Minnesota are looking to make fuels directly from carbon dioxide as well. If Afeyan is right in his experiments and studies, biofuels could become an alternative to petroleum and meet at least 26% of the worlds demand for transportation fuel. “I'm not saying it's easy or around the corner, because I've done this for a long time," Afeyan says. Afeyan is confident and believes that Joule is onto something big. They could create renewable fuel that could compete with fossil fuels on both cost and scale. He says, "We have the elements of a potentially transformative technology."

http://technologyreview.com/energy/25077/#afteradbody
http://eon.businesswire.com/portal/site/eon/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100421006860&newsLang=en

Mimicking human disease; Stem Cells

James ­Thomson's, director of regenerative biology at the Morgridge Institute at the University of Wisconsin, first isolated human embryonic stem cells in 1998. Isolating these cells, which are capable of maturing into any other type of cell, marked a landmark in biology. Although it was a landmark, it caused much controversy because the process destroys a human embryo. Then, in 2008 another milestone was reached. Thomson and Junying Yu developed a way to make stem cells from adult cells by adding four genes that are normally active only in embryos. iPS cells, or induced pluripotent stem cells may contain the function of replacing damaged or diseased tissue. Thomson thinks their most important contribution will be to provide an unprecedented window on human development and disease. Also, iPS cells may revolutionize toxicity testing for drugs. If their studies succeed, researchers hope to use iPS cells to study other disorders and develop drugs to treat them. These disorders include ALS, Down syndrome, spinal muscular atrophy and more. iPS cells also have the ability to become the go-to source of stem cells for modeling diseases more realistically, testing drugs and designing future therapies derived from cell lines matched to a patient’s immune system. Recently, Thomson and his team reached a milestone, they created iPS cells without using c-myc, a gene that promotes cancer. Of 26 mice in Yamanaka’s study derived from iPS cells, none died of cancer after 100 days, compared with six of 37 generated with c-myc.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=potent-alternative
http://technologyreview.com/energy/25082/

3-D Mobile Phones

The Samsung B710 Phone looks like a typical smart phone. However, turn it to the side, and the image changes from 2-D to 3-D. A technologist spent over 10 years creating software that converts 2-D content into 3-D content. This, fortunately, can solve the problem of always having to wear 3-D converting glasses. This software works by changing depth perception based on estimations. This is very similar to the 3 dimensional TV’s released in January. However, this will be used in smart phones, in the palm of your hand. This software was built into the Samsung B710, and was released in 2007 in South Korea. The applications that will be released can consist of mobile games and video. At the moment, there is very little 3D content available. This extraordinary phone contains a TV tuner, and a full 3D camera, as well as a normal camera, and even Picture in Picture feature, which allows you to watch two TV channels at once on one screen. Nobody knows if this phone will be released in other places around the world, however, it wouldn’t be surprising if this unique phone is released in the US as well as other countries.




http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/25081/
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/28072/samsung-sch-b710-3d-mobile-phone

Implantable Electronics

The next gen of implantable medical devices will rely on a high-tech material forged not in a factory, but in the belly of a worm. this new device is being developed at Tufts University by biomedical engineer Fiorenzo Omentteo, it is a flexible silicon electronics held together by a silk film. the devices would incorporate antibodies or enzymes into the film which will allow other medical devices to detect biomarkes; and the best part over time, the array will just dissolve away, eliminating the need for surgery to remove the implants. the implated electronics could provide a clearer picture of whats going on inside the body' like monitoring chronic diseases or progress after surgery, but there are still some problems with the biocompatility restrict their use because the materials used may cause a immune reactions when implanted.

Today's implantable devices must be surgically replaced or removed at some point, so its only worth using an implant for important devices such as pacemakers. Silk is biodegradable and soft, can carry light like optical glass or made into transistor or wire. this means that silk can sit right on top of tissues without irritation for years or just a instance.Soon we may have are health charts in our arm or legs. and our doctors can montior our health wireless and our own bodies tells us of a problems well bofore it happens.



http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25086/

Keeping Medical Data Private

People have always been concerned about the quite common, practice of storing thier medical information on computers into "private databases". "The problem is, stuff that's considered anonymous really isn't," says Michael Swiernik, director of medical informatics at the University of California, Los Angeles. Patients are wary of whether or not they are truly protected and with the development of a new algorithm, we may be on the way to better ensuring that medical data can be securely stored on computers. Researchers at Vanderbilt University have created an algorithm designed to protect the privacy of patients while maintaining researchers' ability to analyze vast amounts of genetic and clinical data to find links between diseases and specific genes or to understand why patients can respond so differently to treatments. The increasing availability of electronic medical records makes it easier to group patient files into huge databases where they can be accessed by researchers trying to find associations between genes and medical conditions--an important step on the road to personalized medicine. Though the patient records in the databases are "anonymous", they still have a numerical code called the the ICD, which can easily be tracked by a hacker. Bradley Malin and his colleagues found that they could identify more than 96 percent of a group of patients based solely on their particular sets of diagnosis codes.Researchers want to combine their clinical-code-protecting algorithm with other security mechanisms already in place, like protections for demographic information, to keep patient data as safe as possible. They also want to reach out to use more data outside of Vanderbilt, according to Grigorios Loukides, the study's lead author. "Generating data is expensive, and it's both good science and good etiquette to reuse data. The challenge is to do it while protecting people." says study author Malin.

Gold Nanosensors

Gold Nanosensors can now be implanted into the body to continuously monitor for blood clots. Gold Nanosensors are injected directly into the patient, allowing the doctor to measure protein concentrations by shining a laser light through the skin. This new technology will allow scientists to directly examine proteins and how they interact within a cell. Some of these proteins include ones that are involved in viral infections. 120 nanometers in diameter, the sensor consists of a silica core, encapsulated in a thin layer of gold. On top of the gold shell, are aptamers, or short strands of nucleic acids to bind to a specific molecule. When shining a laser on the aptamer, the molecule absorbs the light and will emit a characteristic spectrum allowing the doctor to view many different things. This new technology is not only cheap but it would provide easy monitoring for high-risk individuals and prevent clot-related deaths. Currently, research is being done at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Colin Campbell, a chemist at the University of Edinburgh leads the research. Researchers in Scotland have shown that the novel particles can accurately detect thrombin in blood samples, a biomarker for blood clots. For the time being there are not very many known aptamers that effectively target specific proteins. This is an area of medicine that would have to be further explored for the technology to gain more widespread application.

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25031/page2/

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-04/gold-nanosensors-continuously-monitor-blood-clots

Robotic Planes Chase After Climate Data

NASA has newly begun to fly an unmanned aircraft, controlled completely by a robot and outfitted with scientific instruments that observe Earth's atmosphere with extensive detail. These newly fitted robo planes will help scientists and researchers on Earth to collect and analyze an even greater amount of data to help predict our climate and weather, more accurately. The three aircraft, have been named the Global Hawks, and can fly for up to 30 hours and travel for huge distances and at high altitudes; they can also gather more precise data than satellites and can be stationed to monitor an area for extended periods of time. They are able to obtain certian tymes of atmospheric and earth science data critical to helping us better understand nature's weather patterns. According to Robbie Hood, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration committee, "they could fly over a hurricane to monitor its intensity changes or fly over the arctic to monitor sea ice changes in higher detail". The planes will be equipped with 11 different instruments to take measurements and map aerosols and gases in the atmosphere, profile clouds, and gather meteorological data such as temperatures, winds, and pressures. The instruments onboard for the first mission include: a LIDAR instrument that uses a laser pulse to measure the shape, size, and density of clouds and aerosols; a spectrograph that measures and maps pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and aerosols; an ultraviolet photometer for ozone measurements; a gas chromatograph to calculate greenhouse gases; a handful of other instruments that can accurately measure atmospheric water vapor and ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons ; and high-definition cameras to image the ocean colors and learn about their biological processes. NASA acquired the aircraft from the U.S. Air Force in 2007. They were originally developed for surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Now researchers are modifying them for their first extensive earth science missions. The researchers will also be able to sample parts of the atmosphere that they have not been able to reach or monitor for long durations--the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. That part of the atmosphere is "a crucial region that responds to and contributes to climate change at the surface, and we have come to realize that it is highly undersampled," says David Fahey, co-project scientist and a research physicist at NOAA's Earth Science Research Lab in Boulder, CO.
The planes are really robotic satellite-aircraft hybrids thatwill hopefuully revolutionize the way we do science. One of the eventual targets will be to study hurricanes in the Caribbean, and will include a new suite of instruments for the planes. These may be a critical component in helping us to better predict and prepare for future weather disasters.

Fingertip Bacteria Helps In Forensics

Sometimes on a crime scene, a fingerprint can be only partial or can't identify a person. Scientists have discovered a new way to identify a person from the DNA of the bacteria on a person's fingertip.

In an experiment to test the effectiveness of bacteria analysis, scientists took swabs from three computer keyboards and compared bacterial gene sequences with those from the fingertips of the keyboard owners. There findings concluded that even with a small surface such as a computer key to test from, the correct person could be found.

Could this new and innovative way of identification be as trusted as blood or an actual fingerprint? Time and further research will tell.

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24793/?a=f

http://www.governmentsecurity.org/latest-security-news/identifying-people-by-their-bacteria.html

IKAROS: The First Step to Interplanetary Travel

Fuel is not only a problem for travel on Earth. In order to successfully propel a rocket into space, enormous amounts of fuel are needed. In fact, 95% of a rocket's weight at launch is from fuel. The Solar Sail concept, which has been discussed as early 400 years ago, seems to be the clear solution to such an issue now that the technology has finally been developed.

In layman's terms, solar-powered spacecrafts use the energy of the sun in order to propel through space. This eliminates the need of an engine. These spacecrafts only require three things: a continuous force exerted by the sun, an enormous, ultra thin mirror, and a separate launch vehicle. The electromagnetic radiation contained within light exerts a force on the sails. The photons given off by the sun reflect off of the giant mirror. In the vacuum of space, even a small collision will cause something to move. The bigger the mirror, the more collisions and the faster the spacecraft moves. This method causes the spacecraft to move about 5x faster than a traditional one, all while using significantly less energy.

The next step in solar sail travel is contained in the IKAROS project. The IKAROS (Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun), will use a Solar "Power" Sail. The difference between this and a solar sail is that the "power" sail collects electricity in the solar cells of its membrane. But, like the solar sail, it still gets accelerated by the radiation of the sun. The advantage of the "power" sail is that it creates (to a certain extent) a "hybrid" engine. Space missions with such sails will be much more flexible as the engine can rely on both photon acceleration and ion-propulsion engines driven by solar cells. Hopefully, scientists believe, the continuation of research on solar "power" sails will yield much longer space travel missions that would ultimately result in interplanetary travel.

The IKAROS will launch later in 2010 in order to test the effectiveness of the sails. The shape of the membrane is square, with a diagonal distance of 20m. It is made of polyimide a mere 0.0075mm thick. In addition to the thin film solar cells, the steering devices and dust-counter sensors are fitted to the membrane. The sail will rotate at 20rpm for several weeks in space in order to generate solar power with a minimum success level. Within a year, sail navigation and acceleration will occur at full success level.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/solar-sail1.htm
http://www.jspec.jaxa.jp/e/activity/ikaros.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_sail

New Possibilities with Optogenetics

Recently, researchers and scientist have been working with genetic light switches that have the capability of switching neurons on and off. It was only five years ago that scientists at Stanford University discovered that through the injection of a photo-sensitive gene from algae, neurons could be controlled through a simple light switch. The relatively young field of optogenetics continues to blossom as scientists observe the roles of specific neurons in the brain. They can examine brain function, depression, Parkinson’s disease, memory, addictions, and spinal cord injuries.

Karl Deisseroth has created new tools and techniques to advance the study of diseases through optogenetics. The molecular technique used is able to control whole circuits of neurons instead of only a single cell. This technique will allow scientist to study specific neural networks in the brain. Another improvement in this field is the use of a near-infrared technique which will allow noninvasive procedures to occur while still reaching the brain cells in the deep tissue. Currently, a fiber-optic cable is implanted into an animal’s brain to deliver the light activation to the cells. Lastly, the “off switch” has been improved to make “target neuron more sensitive to light [which] allows for tighter neural control”.
The new off switch is twenty times more responsive than yellow light used in previous generations. Also, the future looks prosperous since red and near-infrared light in known to be able to penetrate deeper into tissue. In one study, Jerry Silver used optogenetics to explore bladder control after spinal cord injuries. He turned off the nerves located in the lower spine that relax the bladder. However, he has noted how, in the past, the use of so much light creates too much heat. The new tools, he believes, seem to need less light which would produce less heat while being able to invade farther into the tissue. He is extremely hopeful of the future.
Another application of optogenetics is being led by Richard H. Kramer who believes that restoration of sight can be achieved through the use of labels. Kramers technique is different because he uses photosensitive compounds which will attach to cells through chemical means rather than using genetic engineering. He and his colleagues focus on potassium channels and manipulate the activation or inhibition of neurons through these channels. Next, “to attach the label, the researchers simply bathe cells in a solution containing the molecule.” A molecule called azobenzene, a photoisomer, changes its physical but not chemical composition when exposed to light. The label will actually allow the neuron to be illuminated continuously. This connects with Kramer’s goal to restore sight because he says, “The long-term hope is that something like the compounds we've developed might be able to restore sight using cells that aren't normally light sensitive." Therefore, although cones or retina’s rods may have been damaged, other nerve cells can be made to pick up photons which normally do not. However, this is still in the early stages and the side effects of such actions have yet to be observed in animals. Regardless, the new field and technology of optogenetics seems promising and capable of benefiting a broad range of problems from depression and Parkinson’s disease to the loss of sight.

Sites Used:

http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/a-light-switch-on-cells

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24870/page2/

NASA’s Mars Rover

The software update on the Mars Rovers, called Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science(AEGIS), allows the rovers to make their own choices. This means that instead of transmitting the post-drive navigation camera images to earth first and then waiting for ground operators to check for points of interest and being able to examine them another day, the rovers can detect their own targets and examine them themselves, while sending pictures down to earth for scientists to examine. The new system gives the rovers the ability to examine images, and identify them based on shape, or color. In addition, these rovers can now figure out how to get around objects and to calculate the distance between its’ arm and a rock, so it can pick it up. Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science(AEGIS) lets scientists highlight types of places that could be of interest to the rovers’, for example dark places. This new software update will better help scientists hoping to know more about the planet Mars.

http://www.roboticstrends.com/service_robotics/article/nasas_opportunity_adds_autonomy

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/images/pia12980.html

http://marsrover.nasa.gov/spotlight/20100222a.html

http://www.tgdaily.com/space-features/49057-nasa-upgrades-mars-rover-with-advanced-autonomous-capabilities

http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/NASA_Mars_Rover_Getting_Smarter_As_It_Gets_Older_999.html

Touch Bionics

Patients who have lost one or more finger will soon have the opportunity to use artificial ones. A company called Touch Bionics founded in1988, dedicated their work on finding a solution for those who lost, arms, shoulders, wrists and hands. Touch Bionics has launched three key products, the i-LIMB Hand, ProDigits, and LIVINGSKIN. The i-LIMB Hand is the world’s first commercially available multi-articulating bionic hand. ProDigits, are the fingers that are individually powered. They are given to patients with partially severed fingers. LIVINGSKIN was created to resemble human skin by mimicking real human skin, containing three dermal layers. Each finger contains a miniaturized motor at the base of the finger, each being individually controlled using myoelectric impulses. Myoelectric impulses use the electrical signals created by the muscles in the remaining portion of the patient’s limb. Lastly, Touch Bionics offers tanning products that allow the patient to match the color of the prosthetic limb to the color of their skin making it look more natural.

http://www.touchbionics.com
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24578/?a=f

The Future of Urban Mobility

Concerns for the future continue to alter how we apply and use technology. As cities become more crowded and polluted, new methods of transportation need to be developed and implemented in order for cities to continue normal operation. In order to cope with such issues, GM, alongside its partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group, has developed a two-wheeled car system for city transportation.
The two-wheeled concept, known as the Electric Networked-Vehicle (EN-V) concept, involves many unprecedented vehicle technologies. In each of the two wheels, there is an electric powered motor. The motors not only provide power for acceleration, but also bring the vehicle to a stop. GM has also worked aside Segway in order to create a drivetrain platform and an efficient energy source for the car. The platform for the car is an evolution of the platform Segway developed for the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility (P.U.M.A.) prototype. The companies have worked together to develop and deliver multiple copies of the platform that can connect to multiple EN-V’s.
The EN-V cars are powered with lithium ion batteries and can be charged in standard wall outlets. The car is able to communicate with the electric grid in order to determine optimum charge times. One charge can power the car for over a 40km distance.
GM has combined GPS, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and distance sensing technology in order to develop an autonomous driving option. Vehicle based sensor and camera systems enable the EN-V to decelerate and stop before reaching an unexpected pedestrian. Also, these systems allow the car to maneuver through traffic and perform other difficult driving tasks such as merging, passing, and parking. Alan Taub, Global VP of GM Research and Development, claims, "The EN-V concept represents a major breakthrough in the research that GM has been doing to bring vehicle autonomy to life."

http://www.gizmag.com/gm-en-v-concept-vehicle/14617/

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