Tag: #173

The lamprey fish has already inspired gripping technology. Meanwhile a Japanese research team has taken its lead from the tip of an elephant’s trunk (similar to others before) and equipped its automatic gripping arm with an internal eye in the form of a fisheye camera, embedded directly into the gripper. Upon contact with sensitive objects, the camera not only...

A lamp recognises epilepsy attacks. But WiFi light bulbs can be used for different purposes. Enter a US-based IT security technician and his prototype for an online library. His vision? To grant users access to banned books (recently forbidden in America: a children's book by a Hollywood icon). By adapting the software, he made the lamp into a WiFi...

Coffee grounds have much to offer. So too waste from fruit, vegetables or nuts, as shown by the female founder of an American startup. Using specially developed refining technology, waste from agricultural farms and food plants is put to good use. Key to the enterprise is the polarity of water, along with pressure and temperature changes. The process enables...

Donor blood could soon be in greater supply. When patients bleed heavily - like during heart operations - they need additional blood platelets. Currently platelets are stored at room temperature and enjoy a 5-7 day shelf life. Enter a university research team’s four-year study across 27 different sites in the US and Australia. While the team investigated whether the...

Environmentally-friendly pesticides rely on plant scents or pheromones produced by female insects. With its automatic sensor solution, meanwhile, an Australian startup is focusing on fungal infestation so that agricultural firms can react to the issue in good time. The team's solar-powered system is installed in fields and operates autonomously for up to 2 years. A small fan directs ambient...

Internet browsing is possible without becoming an advertising target. But AI firms use any online content available to train their systems. Now, resourceful designers in Amsterdam and Denmark are aiming to curb this practice with their new smart typeface. Machines read websites’ programming code, and in order for humans to decipher the intended content, the code is converted into...