An almost human prosthesis for those who lost a leg

According to a report recently published on the New York Times, war veterans who have lost a limb due to wounds, or patients who suffered an amputation after an illness such as diabetes, might soon be able to come back to an almost normal life.

This would happen thanks to a prosthetic knee, called X2, which is equipped with an array of high profile technology, which allows for more realistic movements, and most of all allows the bionic leg to react properly when it encounters obstacles, such as stairs, uneven terrain or stones, all things that have always posed a serious threat to those who are forced to walk with an artificial leg.

In fact, the X2 prosthetic knee is equipped with an array of motion sensors, gyroscopes and micro processors, which give the patient the opportunity of enjoying a wider variety of movements, helping him to distribute his weight more evenly between the artificial leg and the real one, which for obvious sensitivity reasons tends to be overloaded. Thanks to X2 it will then be easier to walk down a slope, up a flight of stairs and, in general, enjoy a higher precision of movement.

Compared to similar models, X2 is lighter and smaller in size, and the battery that powers it is capable of a longer life. The cost that the Department of Defense should cover is of approximately 30000 dollars for each item; they are planning to supply some 200 pieces within the next year to veteran in need.

This figure is just a drop in the sea if compared to the 5000 new cases of people finding themselves in this situation every year, and to the 45000 who are already suffering, but certainly it is a first step forward, most of all under the point of view of morale.

A video camera to see discreetly at night

When you find yourselves in absolute darkness, and at the same time in need of providing documentation of whatever happens around you, for example during a police operation, using a normal video system or an ordinary digital video camera, no matter how advanced and professional, might not provide the desired results.

In situations of this kind, video surveillance technology can provide a solution thanks to thermal cameras, which are capable of generating images with no need for additional lighting such as a flashlight or so, which would certainly not allow for a discreet recording.

On the contrary, as the name might suggest, these cameras can do their job by working on the thermal image of objects or people within their range, thus being able to deliver a clear image even in the darkest night and in less illuminated areas, such as for example on open seas, when in conditions of total darkness it may not be possible to notice a potential incoming threat.

On the contrary, thanks to the usage of a thermal camera, it is also possible to protect yourselves from this kind of threat, while attacking pirates would not be aware of the fact that they are being observed even while approaching with their lights off. And when they try to attack, they will be the ones to be actually caught by surprise!

Images recorded with a thermal video camera can easily be downloaded on your PC thanks to an USB cable, and they can prove very useful especially for police operations, to be used as evidence before a court of law. Their rugged design makes them suitable to be used I the middle of the action, on the outside or in harsh weather conditions.

For more information about features, operation and price of night vision cameras, we recommend that you visit the Endoacustica website and contact our specialized consultants.

NASA bidding for a night-operating lunar rover

As we all know, on the Moon temperatures can change dramatically between day and night, and they may go as low as 200 degrees below zero. Extremely low temperatures have therefore contributed, at least so far, to making a complete exploration of our satellite in all conditions more difficult. To be able to explore it better even during the night, NASA is now searching for a solar powered lunar vehicle, which should be capable of storing energy during the day, and then using it during the night to provide juice to its electric engine and to the technology on board.

To do so, they have placed a bid on their official site, inviting anyone capable of supplying such a vehicle to formulate their proposals.
Currently, space rovers in use at NASA are able to carry out their tasks only during the day, which does not allow them to completely use their full potential; on the contrary, NASA has to choose vehicles according to operating range, thus losing something in terms of amount of instruments available for each rover, with an effect on analyses and discoveries that these vehicles can perform.

The bidding devices will be tested at the NASA simulator, where temperature and terrain conditions similar to the ones that the rovers would find on the moon are available. The winner will be the one that covers the longest possible distance during a series of day/night cycles, while improving significantly the performances of already existing vehicles.
Obviously, since the weight of anything that is flown to the Moon must be trimmed up to the gram for cost reasons, adding up battery packs would not be considered as a cost-efficient manner to reach the target, but an energy-saving method would do the job instead.

Whoever wants to give it a try might be lured in also by the 1.500.000-dollar prize.

Silk and gold for an implantable biosensor

Silk and gold are two valuable materials that one hardly associates with the idea of medical care, as they rather bring to mind images of wealth and luxury, at least for those who are not aware of results of a research project going on at the Tufts University.

In fact, a team of researchers from the prestigious Massachusetts-based athenaeum have just created a biosensor, which is made up exactly of these two materials, and can be implanted inside the human body to detect a wide range of elements. The sensor is capable of analyzing the presence and level of certain proteins, or measuring the level of glucose in the human body to monitor a diabetic patient’s health conditions.

In this case, as soon as it detects a level below the minimum value, the sensor might for example be used to transmit an alert signal via wireless network or Bluetooth, to the doctor or directly to the patient, in order to take the proper measures in time and avoid further trouble.

This is possible thanks to the fact that the meta-material used by the researchers can pick up the frequency of terahertz magnetic resonance of any chemical agent present in the patient’s body. Once this resonance, unique for any material, has been picked up, its characteristics are analyzed and it will be possible to determine whether the presence and level of these chemicals poses a threat, and send the relevant alert in case of need.

The next test run on its antenna will be carried out with different proteins, implanting the sensor deep below several layers of muscle tissue, to verify that all works well and follow chemical reactions in real operating conditions

A motor boat, a submarine or…. a shark?

Underwater surveillance is generally performed with the most advanced and diverse technological tools, from remotely controlled micro submersibles to others driven by a human, with or without sonar, GPS receivers and so on. Instead, in the personal submersibles field, the latest novelty comes from Innespace, and it is called Seabreacher X.

It si a vehicle which, in fact, looks much more leisure-oriented than suitable for a professional use, but that could have its advantages in this field as well, to scare away any possible offender. In fact, Seabreacher’s shape closely reminds of that of a shark, including a transparent panel beneath the pilot’s feet resembling an open mouth, and if looks are not enough, it can even jump out of water!

Thanks to its 250 horsepower engine, in fact, this submarine, approximately 3.60 meter long, can reach a top speed of 80 km per hour on the water, and 40 while submerged. Its high underwater speed allows it to jump out of it, just like a predator of the seas. If a bad guy is silently creeping in on his boat and suddenly finds this sort of monster jumping out of water right before him, the deterrent effect would be 100% guaranteed!

As easy to maneuver as a jet ski, it is also equipped with the requisite technology pack, including a GPS locator, a video camera on the top fin and an on board stereo, as well as the requisite leather seats which make it look more like a luxury toy than a vehicle for professional use, also because of the not exactly cheap price tag: its 10 exemplars, in fact, will be sold at 85000 dollars each.

Is your home totally protected during holidays?

We are in the middle of the holiday season, when most of us have their mind completely focused on sea for some, mountains for others, countryside or monuments to visit, but certainly, not on office, work or on their home. But still, there are some people who certainly are very interested in homes of those who are carelessly going on holiday, and this thought does not certainly have a friendly intention.

We are obviously talking about burglars, for whom summer season is a real godsend, and unlike most normal and legal businesses, it is also the most profitable time of the year. Experts in taking advantage of a window not properly sealed, a scaffolding left standing waiting for September, an anti theft system switched off or, worse, not present at all, thieves are holidaymakers’ biggest fear, capable of spoiling the memories of a nice holiday with a bitter surprise when coming back home.

To be able to sleep tight and enjoy holidays without having to constantly think about security conditions at home, the best advice is certainly to provide yourselves with an anti theft system, which keeps the bad guys at bay or catches them red handed allowing police to capture them.

To achieve this result, technology comes to the rescue with a set of security devices, which not only can give a loud alarm with the good old siren, but are also capable of detecting movements inside the area to protect, and function actively, with a phone call or by recording video footage of what is happening around them.

For example, DVR Sensor is a device for home surveillance which, thanks to an infrared sensor, can detect any movement within its coverage area. On the inside, it contains also a miniature video recorder, therefore, as soon as the sensor picks up something wrong, the video recorder would start working and tape everything that happens, while an external alarm may set the siren off, thus causing burglars to leave the place, with your belongings untouched and unharmed.

Another interesting option is for example a real spy telephone to be used at home, which apparently looks just like your ordinary landline home phone. Actually, just like the DVR Sensor, this phone contains a motion sensor with adjustable sensitivity levels, which can pick up any movement within a 10-meter area.

Thanks to this sensor, as soon as something suspicious is detected, the telephone would immediately be activated, and it would automatically start a phone emergency call towards a preset telephone number, which may for example be your mobile number, or the number of the local police station.

At that point, it will be possible to listen in real time to what is happening, and try to identify the source of any noises and sounds around the phone, and in case of need, police forces will be able to intervene. The phone call would be started in a completely invisible way, so that any burglars would not realize that they are being monitored, and will be caught completely by surprise in case the police decide to pay a visit.

These are just a few examples of the several options that modern technology gives us when it comes to protecting our home during our absence, be it short or long, for work reasons or to enjoy a well deserved holiday.

For more information about audio or video surveillance systems for our home or office, we recommend that you visit the Endoacustica website, and contact our specialists for a tailored advice.

A robot sentry for active defense. Maybe too active?

Just while we are talking about domestic surveillance, for those who think that using an electronic protection system, advanced and efficient, but still a passive defense, may not always be enough, there are also active protection systems capable of attacking and being the ones who give the first blow to any potential offenders, making them harmless, without having to use closed circuit television, without having to call the police or wake up the neighbors with a loud siren.

For example, this is the case with SentryBot which, as the name goes, is a robotic sentry, that is, some sort of micro helicopter which can monitor your house and protect it against any unwanted attacks or intrusion.

As soon as it detects the presence of uninvited guests within its range, SentryBot would activate its rotors and start floating in the air, approaching the potential threat and observing it with its camera. At this point, its Intruder Recognition software can determine whether the person in question is a real threat, or maybe it is just the old lady living next door, back from the market after shopping.

In this latter case nothing would happen, but instead, if SentryBot detects a real threat, it would activate its weapon equipped with Solid-Plasma ammunition, capable of rendering the intruder harmless, of course without causing permanent damage, in order to chase him away and make sure that, next time that he wakes up with the insane idea of visiting someone’s home without being invited, he thinks at least twice.

Certainly, it makes you wonder if it’s REALLY the case of delegating defense of our assets to an electronic device which, software or not, has a finger on the trigger. Maybe good old cops can still play their part in such cases.

Want free WiFi? Use a drone!

Seeing people, toting their laptop computers or smartphones, and walking or driving around while looking for a free wireless Internet connection has become a common sight in our cities (and your humble blogger has to admit to having done it more than once with his mobile phone…). For those who do not want to waste too much time looking for the right airwaves, two American hackers have created WASP.

WASP stands for Wi-Fi Aerial Surveillance Platform, and is nothing else than an UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), no longer in use with the US Army and that our friends have rigged to turn it into a Wi-Fi detector. On the inside, it features am Arduino motherboard, connected with a WiFi card pointed downward, which turns it into a flying hotspot capable of coverina approximately 100 square meters from a height of 120 meters.

Basicall, from that height WASP can pick up several wireless network signals, process them and send them to the ground with its hotspot, providing free coverage within its range, This is achieved by mounting on the drone, along with a WiFi card, also a 3G phone and a camera, in order to see any interesting spot and guide WASP towards is thanks to the phone’s GPS receiver programmed remotely from the ground.

Alternatively, this drone can float in the air above a certain area as soon as it picks up a wireless network, happily “sucking” connections from those who have inadvertently left it open or without security protection.
The only question that might come to mind is: how long would a trick like this last before it catches attention either from nosy neighbors or, worse, from suspicious air traffic control authorities?

Global Observer completed its maiden flight

A few days ago we had the chance to report about Global Observer, the UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) developed by AeroVironment in cooperation with NASA, and about how its wing load test, last step before finally taking the air, was successfully passed.

The first test flight has been successfully completed just a few days later, and Global Observer has taken off from the Edwards Base in California, which has seen several landings of space vehicles such as Space Shuttle. After approximately one hour of flight in the California skies, including a sequence of basic maneuvers, and after reaching a maximum altitude of approximately 1300 meters, the vehicle has smoothly landed in the same place where he had taken off.

During the test, Global Observer was controlled from the ground by a real Air Force pilot, thanks to the remote controlling module called LRE (Launch and Recovery Element). This first flight is obviously a simple stem towards a series of tests which will get increasingly difficult, aimed at demonstrating its endurance characteristics, and reaching its maximum flying time.

As already explained, Global Observer is capable of flying at altitudes between 17000 and 2000 meters, above the heights reached by conventional commercial airliners, and above any disturbance caused by weather. Thanks to its high altitude flight capabilities, it can cover a surface of 280 thousand square kilometers, and by alternating two such aircrafts in continuous flights, it is possible to cover any point on the Earth once a week.

Once its video, communication and surveillance systems are integrated, and flight tests at longer ranges are completed, Global Observer will finally be able to live up to its name and monitor our planet from above.

Take your doctor with you: wear it!

For health fanatics, who would like to know their conditions at any time during the day, but also for patients in need of a constant and continuous monitoring, for example after going through a surgery, but would like to try and live a normal life without having to spend their days waiting outside the doctor’s door, a solution might come from Germany, where designer Olga Epikhina has created HealthPals.

HealthPals is a monitoring system that you can take with you by wearing it. It is made up of a few wearable devices, in the form of a bracelet, a cool-looking collar or some sort of headphone. These small devices contain a small energy generator, which would harness body heat and use it to power itself thanks to a thermoelectric generator.

On the inside, they are equipped with microscopic sensors, which would gather data such as respiratory frequency, heartbeat rate, any relevant variations in body temperature and so on. Via a Bluetooth connection, the data is sent to a portable computer or to a smartphone, such as for example an iPhone, which in turn would transmit it via WiFi or Internet directly towards a processing center, where it can be viewed and analyzed by medical personnel.

At that point, doctors will be able to decide whether or not it is the case to call up the patient for a checkup, or determine that the post-surgery process is satisfactory, and the patient can keep living normally, taking his daily activities, seeing friends and so on.

For now, HealthPals is just a concept, but a potentially great aid for doctors and patients alike, who could see their life greatly improved.