Gloves that can turn hand gestures into sound (YouTube)
By · CommentsHand gestures can add a lot to a conversation. They can convey excitement and help you describe a scene or object. And, of course, the simple act of lifting a certain finger can quickly let someone know you’re not too happy with them. In all, gestures are an effective form of communication, and now, researchers in Vancouver have found a way to take them to the next level. A team of engineers from the University of British Columbia has developed a pair of gloves that read hand gestures and convert them to speech and song, potentially giving those with speech and/or hearing disabilities another way to communicate. The project, called Digital Ventriloquized Actor (DIVA) and led by UBC professor of electrical and computer engineering Sidney Fels, tries to replicate the movements of real vocal cords through the use of hand gestures read by a system of sensors. The right glove features 3D motion sensors that can detect whether your hand is open or closed. When open, DIVA produces vowel sounds (much like real life, where vowels require the throat and lips to be open), while closing your hand creates consonant sounds.
Tongue Drive System – operate computer or wheelchair
By · CommentsMany with ALS or high-level spinal-cord injuries have been relying for years on the old sip-and-puff technology to operate wheelchairs and computers. This tech requires the user to sip or puff precise amounts of air pressure into a straw, and it is anything but subtle. The operation of wheelchairs and other devices could soon be far less conspicuous, thanks to a prototype dental retainer developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology–for those who don’t mind getting their tongues pierced, that is. Featuring a small retainer that fits along the roof of the mouth, the Tongue Drive System uses sensors to track the movement of a tiny magnet on the user’s tongue, thereby allowing the user to issue commands by pointing his or her tongue in different directions. The researchers presented the prototype, which improves on an earlier version whose sensors were mounted onto a headset, at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco.
Nokia Tablet with AMOLED Display
By · CommentsWe’re dealing with a Windows 8 device here, that uses a 12 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution and it’s based on AMOLED technology. There’s also an 8 megapixel front camera for HD video calls. At the back there’s a 12 megapixel Carl Zeiss optics camera with autofocus and dual LED flash and you must know that this Nokia concept tablet comes with 4 surround sound speakers and a kickstand for better movie viewing on any surface. There’s also a HDMI port on board and an USB 3.0 port bundled here. The slate has rounded edges, a metallic area around the bezel, as shown in these images and might make a pretty good product some day. The thing is that Nokia will have to make this product light, or else it will become too bulky or heavy, especially with that 12 inch screen.
New GoldenEar Technology Aon 3 Speaker
By · CommentsFirst a confession: a lot of audiophile speakers can’t rock out. They’re “voiced” to sound best with acoustic jazz or classical music. Nothing wrong with that, but when you want to party some of them can’t cut loose. The new GoldenEar Technology Aon 3 is very much an audiophile-oriented design, so sure, it sounded clear and clean playing Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue.” GoldenEar speakers don’t use dome tweeters, in their place you’ll find a lower distortion alternative, a “Folded Ribbon” tweeter. The Aon 3 also features a 7-inch cast frame bass/midrange driver and 8-inch, mass-loaded, low frequency radiators mounted on the speaker’s side panels. Clearly, the Aon 3 is not your typical bookshelf speaker. The Aon 3′s truncated pyramid shaped cabinet reduces internal standing waves, and its wraparound black cloth grille covers the sides and front of the speaker. The top and bottom surfaces are finished in gloss black. The rear panel hosts a pair of sturdy, all-metal binding posts that accept speaker cables terminated with banana plugs, pins, spades, or bare wires.
Floating solar concentrator system
By · CommentsAn engineering company in Italy has thought of a way to boost solar panels‘ production with concentrators while not taking up valuable land: put them on rafts. Scienza Industria Tecnologia (SIT) detailed the solar generating system called Floating Tracking Cooling Concentrator, which is being tested in Italy and South Korea. The research company’s hope is that these solar concentrators will be used on small lakes or artificial reservoirs on farms and quarries. There are already solar arrays put on ponds, including a winery in California. But SIT is trying to use the water as an advantage for cooling panels coupled with concentrators. Reflecting light with mirrors onto standard silicon solar panels can significantly boost the output of the panels. But high heat caused by concentrating light actually cuts silicon solar cells’ efficiency. In its design, SIT has water circulating over the panels, which will increase the output by about 10 percent on an annual basis. Marco Rosa-Clot, a professor at Florence University who spearheaded design of the floating solar concentrator, said that if 10 percent of the artificial reservoirs and lakes in Sicily were covered with solar plants, it would generate 1 gigawatt of power at peak times. The cost of the system, meanwhile, would be 20 percent less than ground-based solar arrays, he told AFP.
Fujitsu quad-core phones concept
By · CommentsLike cosplay and Hello Kitty, Fujitsu phones are big in Japan. If you’re wondering why you’ve never seen one of their phones that’s because they aren’t currently on sale in the UK. All that is set to change though, as the Japanese giant is planning to shake a tail feather and export its smart phone smarts to Europe — imminently, if an FT report is on the money. So what can you expect from Fujitsu’s phones when they land on our shores? Plenty of power, for starters — I snapped this Fujitsu prototype being demoed at Mobile World Congress which boasts a quad-core-plus-one chip (and runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich). Most of Fujitsu’s Arrows line of smart phones also pack dual-core chips. Lashings of Android Gingerbread is another Fujitsu theme, but it’s not pure Droid — there are more than a few of Fujitsu’s own software sprinkles on top.
Nutri – Blending Unit Concept
By · CommentsThe system which comprises blender and nutritional scale.
AOC portable USB display concept
By · CommentsThe E1649FWU has a 5-millisecond response time, a 500:1 (50,000,000 dynamic) contrast ratio and a typical brightness in the order of 200 – 250 cd per meter squared. This is a portable 15.6 inch 16:9 LED display with a maximum resolution of 1366×768 at 60 Hz. It has a built in, rotatable stand for both landscape and portrait orientations. This is solely USB 2.0-driven, which means a single cable, connected plug and play to your computer, for video signal and power. As an added draw, the display knows which way round it is and adjusts the picture accordingly. AOC recommends retailers price the E1649FWU at US$139.
Bridgestone’s airless tires concept
By · CommentsThe Non-Pneumatic (Airless) Tire Technology – on display at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. The tires’ solid design doesn’t require air, and consequently can’t be punctured – so, no more flat tires. The 9-inch wheels have thermoplastic-resin spokes that radiate from the rim to the tread, curving to the left and right for maximum structural support. Also interesting is the material the tires are made of, which is entirely recyclable. Bridgestone is pursuing this technological development with the aim of achieving a “cradle to cradle” process that proactively maximizes the cyclical use of resources from worn tires into new tires and the use of recyclable resources.
Invisible Fan Concept
By · CommentsThe fans almost never agree with seasonal de’cor schemes and can be really difficult to decorate around when one needs to throw a party. To counter the problem of unsightly fans ruining your interior de’cor scheme, Ukrainian designer Michael Samoriz has come up with a fantastic new concept that allows user to tuck the fan away out of sight when not in use, and pop it out just as easily when required. With an LED outline, the fan can be easily located, and a simply push would pop the fan out of the wall and allow it to draw air in from its side cracks while it moves air into the room via its face. The Wall-mounted Invisible fan is essentially a fan that can be fitted inside the wall unit and covered up out of sight using the same material as the wall. A neat way to keep your fan discreet, the Wall-mounted Invisible fan can also be installed in the bathroom and the kitchen underneath tiles.
