Month: July 2014

Building 3D Products in Space: Printing the Metals of the Future

Pooja Kashyap

One of the major drawbacks of 3D printing is its lack of ability to use varied types of materials in printing a particular product. The same inability has been hindering 3D printing in space travel as well, where at times, situation demands fabrication of certain parts from several different materials. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) space scientists in collaboration with researchers from Caltech and Penn State University have been working closely to resolve this problem of bringing 3D printing closer to space travel. They developed a process that allowed for…

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Damaged Robot learns to Hobble Quickly: Coping with Limb Loss

Pooja Kashyap

Last year, a set of researchers at the Sorbonne University, Paris created a hexapod that was able to figure out how to walk even after one of its legs was malfunctioned, just like animals do. The robot was very much dependent on an experimental discovery to carry out the best gait to surmount the caused damaged. This meant that it analyzed then entire stuff that has been programmed into it to figure out the best possible way. Although, this worked fine but it consumed nearly 20 minutes every time it…

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Flexible and Enduring Rechargeable Battery: Reshaping landscape for Wearable Devices

Pooja Kashyap

In an effort to reshape the battery landscape, Imprint Energy, a California based startup is fabricating flexible and rechargeable batteries, which can be printed using the very common industrial screen printers. The firm envisions to market the ultrathin zinc based polymer batteries to wearable electronics manufacturers and pitch the same in medical field, robotics and military for environmental sensors and smart labels.

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Black Holes morph into White Holes: Space-Time Loops cause Big Bounce

Pooja Kashyap

As per a recent theory, supernova explosions could be the dying throes of black holes that were formed soon after the Big Bang. The phenomenon called black holes have been the most flabbergasting observable fact of the universe and until now, there has been no concrete evidence as to what is on its other side and what happens to the matter that it engulfs. However, two physicists have gone ahead and postulated that these black holes have an expiry date too and that they morph into ‘white holes’ explosively dispersing…

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DARPA’s Guided Bullets: Revolutionizing Rifle Accuracy or Developing Tools for RoboSoldiers

Pooja Kashyap

In an interesting ammunition research development program, DARPA has come about with a technology that could change mid flight direction of bullet only to hit the target down. Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance program under DARPA brought about the first live-fire tests showing the in-flight guidance of .50-caliber bullets. EXACTO is able to demonstrate the maneuvering of bullet’s direction while it’s in mid flight only to counter balance the aim that is being set by the sniper. Agency released the following video depicting the test flight of 0.50-caliber bullets that were…

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US military to develop a Reusable Unmanned Spacecraft: The Experimental Spaceplane project

Pooja Kashyap

The US military is looking forward to create an affordable and efficient robotic space plane that has an ability of embarking payloads directly into the orbit. DARPA has already granted the design contract to three firms namely, Boeing, Masten Space Systems and Northrop Grumman. For the initial stage of the Experimental Spaceplane project, also called the XS-1, the firms have collaborated with similar other aerospace companies. For instance, Boeing is working with Blue Origin, Masten is teaming up with XCOR Aerospace and Northrop Grumman is collaborating with the Virgin Galactic.…

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World’s Largest Wind Solar Hybrid: Saving Over $2 Million in Energy Costs

Pooja Kashyap

Lately, in Jamaica wind-solar array has been installed, which happens to be the world’s first such arrangement. This hybrid array boasts of providing the maximum renewable energy density of any technology on the market. Energy limit of more than 106,000 kWh is expected to churn out yearly. WindStream Technologies, the renewable energy tech firm envision that the longevity of the project is around 25 years and the energy cost savings is graphed to go beyond $US 2 million. However, the return on investment will start showing itself within the consequent…

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Sleep Deprivation leads to Memory Errors: Getting Brainwashed

Neha Shukla

We already know the importance of a good night’s sleep. Taking around 8 hours of sound sleep is considered essential for the body, as it is the time when the brain gets rid of its toxins. But in today’s fast paced life, people often have to give up on their sleep to catch up with other work. This lack of sleep has been already reported as a public health epidemic by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Habitability is Dependent on Ocean: Water bodies Influence Climate Stability

Neha Shukla

There is a lot of research work going to find traces of life on other planets and to find elements that are essential requisites for sustaining life on other Earth-like planets. All the research done so far using computer simulations were more focused on the atmosphere of these alien planets with Earth-like habitable climates. 

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Baxter Research Robot: Ideal Platform for Collaborative Robotics

Pooja Kashyap

Baxter Research Robot is an interesting and affordable concept for the corporate and academic robotics research across the world. It would help teaching fifth graders how to code on a real robo machine. Targeted towards academic and corporate R&D departments, it would assist in human-robot interaction and collaborative robotics to the next level. Safe and reliable hardware platform The humanoid robot platform is worth $25,000 (USD). It consists of two 7-axis arms, embedded cameras, sonar, torque based sensors and direct programming access through standard Robot Operating System interface. It makes…

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An Affordable method of growing Food in Space: Plants with Life Support Systems

Neha Shukla

With the advancement in science and technology, the day is not far when humans will settle on distant planets or may plan a luxurious holiday on the moon. But arranging enough food supplies for a longer stay is the most challenging part as it occupies considerable room on the spacecraft and sending another spaceship loaded with supplies would be not cost efficient. To tackle the issue, researchers around the world are trying to develop a cost efficient method to grow food in space. This would definitely make future space travel…

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MosquitoMate comes to Other Insects Rescue: Controlling the Mosquito Population

Neha Shukla

Mosquitoes all around the world kill more people than any other animal. They are the carriers of many fatal diseases. To control mosquito population, there are chemical pesticides available that are sprayed in mosquito breeding areas using trucks, airplane or backpack sprayer. But these pesticides, along with mosquitoes kill other insects as well. So researchers are busy finding alternate methods to keep a check on these deadly creatures.  

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Rotten-egg smell of Farts helps in attenuating Cell Damage: Healing powers of the putrid-smelling

Neha Shukla

We may not really appreciate someone releasing a fart publicly, but experts from the University of Exeter, suggests that these stinky farts potentially offer great health benefits. Researchers say that hydrogen sulfide gas found in human flatulence and in the foul smell of rotten eggs might be helpful in attenuating cell damage caused by certain diseases. However, one should be careful as the gas in large quantity can be fatal. 

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Odor Receptors in Skin Cells would facilitate Healing of Wounds: Smelling Therapy

Neha Shukla

After the nose and lungs, experts have found odor receptors (similar to one in the nose), present in skin cells and thus enabling our skin to sense different odors and surprisingly these help in the speedy healing of wounds. Researchers have found nearly 350 distinct varieties of olfactory receptors in the human nose. These receptors detect different odors and begin a signaling process which sends messages to the brain. Apart from nose, 150 olfactory receptors are also located in other internal tissues as heart, gut and liver. Using these receptors,…

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Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Pooja Kashyap

Very aptly, Walter Isaacson has been able to depict the lives and times of the celebrated genius, Steve Jobs. The book talks about the emergence of Silicon Valley and the contemporary tech aficionados as well. It begins with his rebellion attitude towards life and his contemptuousness towards his biological parents who left him for adoption. Right from Steve’s first job at Atari, perfectionism could be seen as one of his major character trait. One probable reason could be his father’s influence who was very particular even about the look of the…

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