INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
Blue Origin hopes to propel tourists in capsules on fourminute space rides, while SpaceX already launches satellites and space station supply missions. Both companies need reusable rockets to improve the economics of spaceflight. The two companies bring their rockets down on fold-out legs, a technology that requires onboard software to fire thrusters and manipulate flaps that slow or nudge the rockets at precise moments.
EXOSKELETONS
Exoskeletons are powerassist suits used for tasks that require physical strength, such as moving things and making deliveries, public works, construction, agriculture, and forestry.
Japanese company Panasonic announced that it will start selling an exoskeleton designed to help workers lift and carry objects more easily and with less risk of injury. It weighs just over 13 pounds and attaches to the back, thighs,
and feet, enabling the wearer to carry 33 pounds of extra load..
Exoskeletons are also being developed for rehabilitation and as walking aids. A company called ReWalk Robotics, based in the US, has come out with a version for people with spinalcord injuries. The device enables people who normally require a wheelchair to walk with the aid of crutches.
BIOSTAMP
The BioStamp is a big step forward in medical wearables. It is an electronic device that sticks to your skin for up to a week, like a temporary tattoo. Thin sensors and circuits embedded in the adhesive-backed stamp measure biometrics like body temperature, movement, muscle activation, heart rate, and exposure to ultraviolet light. The device then relays this data to a wearer’ s( or a doctor’ s) cellphone via Bluetooth.
The BioStamp weighs just under 6g and uses a 3-axis accelerometer and a gyroscope to track movement, and comes loaded with sensors to monitor muscle performance and heart activity. It also has a Bluetooth radio and a tiny 15mAh battery that keeps it running for up to 36 hours before needing a charge.
HUMANOID ROBOT
The University of Science and Technology of China has unveiled an interactive and extremely human-looking robot named Jia Jia. It took the research team three years to develop a robot that can move arms, make different facial expressions, and even respond to human conversation.
Humanoid robots or androids will be increasingly used as‘ workers’. In Japan, Toshiba created a realistic looking android named Junko Chihira which works in a tourist information centre in Japan. The robot can speak Japanese, Chinese, and English, greets visitors and provides information on events. Junko Chihira is the successor to another Toshiba android named Aiko Chihira, which served as a receptionist in a department store in Japan. – Inforeach
SOURCE
www. tesla. com www. washingtonpost. com www. technologyreview. com www. popsci. com www. time. com www. livescience. com www. marketwatch. com www. thescienceexplorer. com www. madeinspace. us
18 VOL 68 OCTOBER- DECEMBER 2016