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views:18023
00:10:10
20/02/2011
Artificial Intelligence: Thinking Big
With artificial intelligence, the intelligence lies less in the hardware and more in the software, and writing the code (algorithms) to make machines
smarter. The computer algorithms really lie at the heart of making robots smart enough to carry out all the tasks that scientists – and eventually customers such as homemakers, will want them to do. Implementing these algorithms often requires that these programmers have a deep understanding both of computer science principles as well as robotic principles – how to move things around, and what different sensor readings are telling the robot about what’s out there in the world. Engineers building robots can often endow them with extra senses which people don’t have – for example a laser scanner that allows the robot to figure out what’s in front of it.
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Keywords:terrametrics, artificial intelligence, intelligent robots, Andrew Ng, cognition, reasoning
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views:10178
00:02:16
27/01/2011
Concentrated Solar Power
When the light of the sun is reflected against a mirror and focused all on one area, it generates tremendous heat which can used to generate electrici
ty. This is called Concentrating Solar Power, or CSP.
There are many types of CSP technologies – towers, dishes, linear mirrors and troughs. A parabolic trough is a large mirror, shaped like a giant U. These troughs are connected together in long lines, and track the sun throughout the day. The curved shape of the mirror sends most of the reflected light onto a receiver which is filled with a fluid (oil, molten salt). This super-hot liquid heats water in a heat exchanger and the water turns to steam. The steam goes to a turbine, which spins a generator, which generates electricity. Once the fluid transfers its heat, it is recycled and used over and over.
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Keywords:Solar Power, EERE, Renewable Energy, DOE, Steven Chu, Department of Energy, Cathy Zoi, concentrated solar power, csp
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views:8956
00:03:23
23/01/2011
Google Car: It Drives Itself
Google, the internet company, has been secretly working on a sophisticated combination of hardware and software that could revolutionize the feasibili
ty of a self-driving car. The Google car uses cameras inside to spot traffic lights and other items, and has an exterior scanning laser to “see” the road.
The passenger tells the car where he or she wants to go, it plots a route. It is aware of speed limits, traffic patterns and known obstacles. It’s not intended to replace drivers, but rather to help them. For example, a driver can safely text or make a phone call, because the car drives itself.
Google’s goal is safety. They have no plans to bring this car to the consumer market anytime soon.
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Keywords:Google, search engines, Google car, automated driving, test drives, self-driving control, Sebastian Thrun, scanning laser, driverless car, car of tomorrow
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views:8582
00:01:56
20/01/2011
What is 4G?
4G is the name given to the 4th generation of wireless technology. 4G is essentially the successor to the 2G and 3G networks of mobile technology that
mobile devices use to communicate with each other and the internet. Everything from telephone calls to emails to internet access to GPS signals - all use one of these networks. 4G does all these tasks faster and more effectively. These high speeds are made possible by two types of technology standards, LTE and WIMAX. All the mobile providers will use one or the other of these standards.
With 4G, a user is able to access the internet from a mobile device in a way that has never before been possible – streaming high definition movies or playing graphics intensive games to tiny mobile devices that use the 4G network.
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Keywords:4g, wireless technology, LTE, Wimax, streaming HD video
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views:8083
00:01:49
17/01/2011
Corning's Gorilla Glass
Scrapes, bumps, and drops are a fact of life, but Gorilla Glass enables your device to resist damage from the abuses that come with everyday use. Gori
lla Glass also has strong aesthetic appeal. It’s thin, lightweight, and cool to the touch – enabling the sleekest designs.
The unique composition of Gorilla Glass allows for a deep layer of high compressive stress (created through an ion-exchange process). This compression acts as a sort of “armor,” making the glass exceptionally tough and damage resistant. Ion exchange is a chemical strengthening process where large ions are “stuffed” into the glass surface, creating a state of compression. Gorilla Glass is specially designed to maximize this behavior. The glass is placed in a hot bath of molten salt at a temperature of approximately 400°C. Smaller sodium ions leave the glass, and larger potassium ions from the salt bath replace them. These larger ions take up more room and are pressed together when the glass cools, producing a layer of compressive stress on the surface of the glass. Gorilla Glass’s special composition enables the potassium ions to diffuse far into the surface, creating high compressive stress deep into the glass. This layer of compression creates a surface that is more resistant to damage from everyday use.
Relevant Link1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLXaCR6_0U0
Relevant Link2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0MhSIFgW9U
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Keywords:Corning Incorporated, Gorilla Glass, Ion-Exchange Process, Soda Lime Glass, Damage Resistant
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views:6738
00:00:40
16/01/2011
Eskin
Philips Research has developed a ground-breaking e-paper technology that opens up new design opportunities for personalizing electronic devices. It wi
ll, for example, enable people to change the color and appearance of an MP3 player or a mobile phone to match their clothes, mood or environment, at the touch of a button.
Larger applications including using e-paper as wallpaper, so that the color of walls can be changed, as well, or it can be used to change the amount of light coming through a “smart” window.
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Keywords:Philips Research, e-paper technology
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views:5865
00:03:25
15/01/2011
Nano Water Filter
At least one billion people in the world lack access to clean water. Researchers at Stanford university are creating a filter which they hope will be
able to allow these people to avoid the illnesses contracted from drinking or utilizing contaminated water. A filter is needed that will rapidly clean the water, and not require a lot of power to use. A filter is created by combining two inks. One ink consists of carbon nanotubes in water, and the other is nanowire ink in methanol. It is a two step process. The ink is applied onto a fabric, which deposits nanotubes onto the fabric. It has great electrical resistivity at this point. Then the nanowire ink is applied. The filter is then rolled into a glass funnel, and electrodes are connected to it. Only about 20 volts are needed. The water is poured through this device, and pure water drips out the other end.
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Keywords:nano water filter, Stanford University, David Schoen, rapidly killing bacteria
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views:5356
00:03:19
02/01/2011
Telepresence Robot
Anybots, a company in California, is a telepresence robot. A telepresence robot is made for communication. The operator can be anywhere in the world,
and as long as he or she has an internet connection and a keyboard, can “teleport” his presence into the robot. The telepresence robot, called QA, is mobile, standing 5 feet high and 2 feet wide. A camera and microphones are installed in the robot. The user, therefore, can send the robot anywhere it can move, and the operator, wherever he is, can see and hear whatever the robot sees. The robot also has a touchpad. An individual interacting with the robot can write on the touchpad and send that to the user, wherever the user might be. As of 2010, the cost of the robot is estimated to be $15.000. It weights 35 pounds, and can travel at a speed of 3.5 miles per hour, to keep up with a person walking beside it.
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Keywords:robots, telepresence, Anybots, CES, QA, consumer electronics show
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views:5031
00:01:28
31/12/2010
Stretchable Electronic Skin
The stretchable bioelectronics group at University of Cambridge is developing integrated circuits, or sensory circuits, which are placed onto a substr
ate that can be deformed, like a rubber band. One of the key materials they are working with is a clear elastic material – silicone rubber – that is very stretchable.
The potential application is in the communication industry. They are working on devices such as a mobile telephone that can be worn around the wrist. (In other words, “electronic skin” is a misnomer. The material does not replace skin; it merely conforms to the hand or wrist like a second skin.
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Keywords:Dr Stéphanie Lacour, University of Cambridge Research Centre, electronic skin
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views:7333
00:06:33
30/12/2010
Brain Fingerprinting
A new type of lie detector may soon be brought into use in courts around the USA. The technology makes use of brain waves rather than physical cues su
ch as pulse and breathing rate. This technology is already available for use in some courts. The technology is called Brain Fingerprinting.
Developed by Harvard-trained Doctor Lawrence Farwell, brain fingerprinting uses brainwaves to measure what Farwell calls the “ah ha!” of recognition. When the brain recognizes a word or picture, it releases an involuntary wave called a P300 murmur. It’s now being used to ascertain whether a suspect was ever at the scene of a crime. If the person knows the specific details about the crime, he gets a recognition response, which we can be measured in the brain waves, when the correct details about the crime are flashed on a screen.
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Keywords:Lawrence Farwell, Brain fingerprinting, brainwaves, P300 murmur, lie detector technology
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