03/28/2014 Weekly Tech Article

Elephant Trunk Robot Learns like a Child

• Four years ago, German engineering firm Festo came up with a concept for a robotic arm. Somewhere between an iron snake, a mechanical claw, and a sci-fi tentacle, the Bionic Handling Assistant is functionally most similar to an elephant's trunk.
• But what should a robot arm grab? For inspiration about learning what to do with hands, the scientists turned to babies. The arm remembers movements that have been guided by a researcher, much like how a baby grabbing onto a parent's finger will let his arm be moved when the adult moves. The programming behind the robotic trunk teaches it to remember positions that worked for grabbing.
• http://www.popsci.com/article/science/elephant-trunk-robot-learns-child?dom=PSC&loc=recent&lnk=6&con=elephant-trunk-robot-learns-like-a-child

              

03/21/2014 Weekly Tech Article

How it Works: An Electronic Cigarette (Are They Safe?)

• Since electronic cigarettes hit the market in 2007, yearly sales have reached $1 billion in the U.S. Although they're popular, it's still unclear how safe they are. Last year, a study from an international group of scientists showed that the toxins in e-cigarette vapor are 9 to 450 times lower than in tobacco smoke. The Food and Drug Administration is still determining its regulatory stance. It's sponsoring more research while sorting out its position.
• Labled Parts: A. LED, B. Sensor, C. Battery, D. Heating Element, E. Nicotine Liquid, F. Mouthpiece.
• http://www.popsci.com/article/technology/how-it-works-electronic-cigarette?dom=PSC&loc=recent&lnk=8&con=how-it-works-an-electronic-cigarette

03/14/2014 Weekly Tech Article

Slug-Inspired Glue Can Heal a Broken Heart

 

• When it comes to mending a broken heart, researchers say they may have found the key. And it comes in the form of a slug-inspired glue. Most heart defects today are fixed via surgeries that involve stitches or staples, but these sutures can do damage to the heart's fragile tissue, especially because the heart still has to stretch and strain to pump blood as it heals. And while surgical glues do exist, they are mean to close up skin wounds---some are toxic while others simply can't stick to a wet, beating heart.
• The slug-inspired glue could lead to less-invasive surgeries and faster healing times, which is good news for the 40,000 babies born with congenital heart defects in the U.S. each year. The researchers say it could be used on other slippery moving parts like the intestines, as well as emergency surgeries where quick sutures are necessary to take care of trauma.
• The paper, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggest this stuff could be ready to roll out to market in two to three years, assuming long-term trials and human testing prove successful.
• http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2014/01/09/slug-inspired-glue-can-heal-a-broken-heart/#.UyIiYvldUpY

03/07/2014 Weekly Tech Article

This Pacemaker Membrane can Keep a Heart Beating Perfectly

• You're looking at what might be the pacemaker of a decade from now: a custom-made membrane, developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Washington University in St. Louis, that slides over a heart and keeps it regulated by a network of sensors and electrodes.
• This is a rabbit's heart, but the building process would be similar for people: a team computer-modeled the heart, 3-D printed a mold, and created a membrane tailored to the organ. The sensors make sure the heart stays beating at a proper rate, and the the electrodes automatically correct any discrepancies, like an arrhythmia. And, yes, unlike this one, a real one stays inside your chest.
• http://www.popsci.com/article/science/pacemaker-membrane-can-keep-heart-beating-perfectly