Héctor Ricardo Macías Hernández, a  Mexican entrepreneur, came up with the idea of generating electricity from the force of gravity. His system consists of small ramps, made from a material that is much like the polymer used in manufacturing tires, being  placed about 2 inches above the street. When passing cars compress the small ramps, air flows into a tank that moves air into an electricity generating turbine. The system generates a huge amount of electricity that could supply a house using the weight of only one car. Not only does this apply to cars, but it can also be designed to generate electricity from pedestrians walking down the street.

Even though the idea of generating electricity from moving cars is not new, it is more efficient the earlier proposals. One of the earlier systems suggest the use of piezoelectric materials, which converts stress caused by vehicles to electricity. This system is way too expensive compared to Hector’s system. It is also hard to implement in developing countries that will benefit greatly from such a system. Therefore, Héctor Ricardo Macías Hernández provided the world with an easy to apply system of generating electricity. However, we still have not seen it being tested and still do not know what kind of flaws that may show up.

Sources:

http://www.gizmag.com/vehicle-road-weight-electricity/29990/

http://www.techietonics.com/futuretech-tonics/gravity-the-next-genesis-of-electricity.html

http://revolution-green.com/gravity-power-mexican-style/

A medical research group at Columbia university in the city of New York has successfully been able to convert human stem cells to a functional lung. This comes as a medical and engineering breakthrough to the world. The idea stands out because scientist and engineers have been trying to develop a fictional organ out of stem cells and were able to create cells such as nerve, retina, and blood cells. However, not only was the research group at Columbia coming up with something new, they actually faced a great deal of challenges until reaching a result. Hans-Willem Snoeck, professor of medicine (in microbiology & immunology) and affiliated with the Columbia Center for Transnlational Immunology and the Columbia Stem Cell Initiative says,  “When an embryo develops, it first makes three layers of cells, or germ layers – ectoderm, which will become the skin and nervous system, mesoderm, which will become the heart, muscle, connective tissues, blood vessels, blood and kidney, and endoderm, which will become the intestine, liver, pancreas, stomach, esophagus, thyroid, thymus parathyroids, and lung,” “The endoderm forms last which is probably one reason why it is harder to specify from stem cells,” he continues.

This research has set a foundation for a new method of dealing with issues concerning  lung diseases and transplants. Even though the research has not come up with anything that is 100% usable, it still offered the possibility of something significant developing in the future. “Now, we are finally able to make lung and airway cells. This is important because lung transplants have a particularly poor prognosis. Although any clinical application is still many years away, we can begin thinking about making autologous lung transplants—that is, transplants that use a patient’s own skin cells to generate functional lung tissue,” asserts Hans-Willem Snoeck.

One may argue that this research is still young and still needs pursuing. I believe that is is still a great approach to solving many medical issues we face,not only in the respiratory system, but also in various parts of the body that may benefit from this type of research. That is why making these kind of approaches in science and engineering is what makes us come closer to bigger discoveries in the future.

Sources:

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/publications/in-vivo/vol4_iss1_mar_apr_05/stem_cell.html

http://newsroom.cumc.columbia.edu/blog/2013/12/01/human-stem-cells-converted-functional-lung-cells/

http://www.gizmag.com/convert-human-stem-cells-lung/30041/

In a recent research presented by the Chinese Academy of Sciences the possibility of recycling rare earth metals was proposed. Rare earth metals are a vital component in producing numerous devices in modern technology such as magnets and superconductors. It was know that nano magnesium hydroxide is able to extract rare earth metals from wastewater. However, due to rare metals being extremely diluted in wastewater, the process of eliminating them was a kind of a challenge. Nonetheless, after excessive research done in the Chinese Academy of Sciences labs, a method of extracting rare metals was made possible using (nano-MgOH2). During research, scientists used a flower-shaped nano particle of  (nano-MgOH2) to extract rare metals that were 99% diluted in wastewater. Experiments showed that 85% of the diluted metals were extracted from wastewater.

This new technology provides great benefits both in an environmental and economic point of view. Rare earth metals are rare and expensive. Therefore, being able to extract rare metals from wastewater acts as a new source for earth metals other than mining. It also provides a method of sustaining, or should I say increasing the amount of earth metals present for manufacturing. These two reasons are crucial to the industrial world. Nonetheless, are the materials being extracted 100% pure and 100% reusable? No one can say for sure until the material has been reused over and over again to know if the quality changes or not.

sources:

http://www.recyclinginternational.com/recycling-news/7474/research-and-legislation/china/rare-earth-recycling-breakthrough-china

http://www.gizmag.com/rare-earth-element-wastewater/29630/

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/am4027967

This new wristband produced by AIRO Health is considered the first of its kind according to the company. Not only does it monitor one’s stress level and heart rate, it actually able to track calorie intake, monitor sleep patterns, display work intensity,  and provide instruction for its user. It does that through a embedded spectrometer that reads the bodies vital signs. What is impressive about this wrist band is the fact that t uses light to read the type of food that is consumed by a the body. Abhilash Jayakumar, co-founder and CEO of Airo Heath, says: “As your body breaks the food down, the sensor can detect the amount of light that passes through the blood based on green, red and infrared patterns.” However, the sensor does not distinguish between specific types of foods such as: saturated fat and unsaturated fat or high fiber carbohydrates and high sugar carbohydrates. Jayakumar asserts:” “We might be able to see a difference in waveform, that would show you whether something is better or worse for the body.”  The AIRO wristband also uses heart rate detector to track  sleeping hours and patterns as well as stress levels.

The product it self essentially provides useful data for consumers and may act as a companion for people who are trying to loose weight or just like to keep track of their nutrition and health habits. Nonetheless, AIRO claims that they have figured a way to keep track of calorie intake during the day. How accurate is the nutrition value provided if the wrist band cannot tell the exact type of food. In this part I am not sure if I want to trust the wristband. The CEO of AIR said that this application is still under experiment and that we might figure out a way to make the calorie intake calculator more accurate. I guess we will just have to wait and see when the product is released in 2014.

AIRO WEARABLE WRISTBAN

The new Z series space suit is among NASA’s projects in creating a more efficient space suit for both micro gravity and EVA,  extra-vehicular activity. NASA displayed their first prototype, Z-1 space suit, that has an efficient  rear-entry hatch. The  rear-entry hatch allows astronauts to slide in the suit as if they are entering another space craft. Not only does sliding into the suit using  rear-entry hatch save time, but also allows the space suit to hang on the surface of the spaceship without having to store it inside. As for mobility, the Z-1 features a greater flexibility in the shoulder joints and it is considered a soft suit that is appropriate for both space and planet surfaces.

Another fascinating feature of the Z-1 space suit is the Portable Life Support System (PLSS). The system relies on both the Variable Oxygen Regulator (VOR) and the Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) swing bed. First we have the VOR that essentially provides 84 pressure settings that range between 0 and 8.4 psid (A measure of the difference between two pressures) as opposed to earlier suit models that had only two pressure options. This variation in pressure could be really helpful in space and increase exploration efficiency in, decompression sickness treatment, freedom to interact with different vehicles, and allows astronauts  to begin with a higher internal pressure that will result in a shorter pre-breathe time. Second we have the RCA which is a system designed to get rid off the excess CO2 in the astronaut’s suit. The RCA is really a good replacement for the formally lithium hydroxide that was used in older suits to eliminate CO2 because lithium hydroxide can only be used once and when it is over one would need a whole crew to get more.

(PLSS)

NASA have really outdone themselves in their design of the Z series space suits or extra-vehicular unit (EMU). The fact that crews that actually go to space will have more time and freedom to explore space and planets will open the door for new findings and results from outer space missions. Nonetheless, the Z series have not yet been tested and one could never predict the type and intensity of failures that could happen. Therefore, if the Z series proved itself of being actually real not just a prototype, then we might understand a little more about the universe that we know nothing about.

Sources:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57560557-1/step-into-nasas-next-generation-spacesuit/

http://www.space.com/18998-nasa-z-1-spacesuit-graphic.html

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacesuits/careercorner/david-carek.html

http://www.gizmag.com/z-1-prototype-spacesuit/23408/

SolidWorks have been coming up with easier more user friendly versions of their software. If one is familiar with the SolidWorks 2012 and switch to the 2013 update, he/she would know that something is somewhat different. First we have the new view manipulator that did not exists in the older versions. This feature allows users to view the object from a very distinct and specific angle (1). Another facilitating feature is the SolidWorks Forum tab which is located in the task pan and allows users to both access the discussion forum instantly and keep track of the ongoing discussion (2). Not to mention the other modeling improvements such as: Copy & Paste From DraftSight to SolidWorks, Conic sketch tool (3), Hole Wizard Dowel Holes & Dowel Annotations in Drawings, thin extrudes of open and closed objects, and finally the intersect feature that is used in creating complex forms (4).

(1)              (2)

(3)               (4)

SolidWorks have made great improvements to their old version of the software that serves many people. However, does the path they are heading towards clear? Or are they just trying to satisfy users?  The way I look at it is that the company itself is considered about customer and developer satisfaction more than innovation. Although these new features serve as a step ahead, they most of them can be achieved with longer time using previous versions of SolidWorks. It is only a matter of time when consumers find other flaws in the 2013 SolidWorks.

Sources:

http://solidsmack.com/cad/solidworks-2013-and-the-promise-of-solidworks-v6/

http://rocksolidperspective.com/tag/solidworks-2013/

http://www.develop3d.com/reviews/solidworks-2013

This new device powered by android is a peace of work. It functions as a bartender with many facilitating features. The idea was initiated by a mechanical engineer right outside Georgia tech, Barry Givens, the CEO of  the Monsieur company of Atlanta, Georgia. The design went through many prototypes until its final one “The Monsieur,” that has a touch interface screen and has space and refrigerators to store drinks and bottles in eight containers. It has a list of cocktails that are organized in terms of themes and moods up to 300 cocktails and drinks. ” Over time its intelligent machine will learn an individual’s taste to automatically per-adjust their drinks, as well as making them to order,” says the Monsieur company.  So if one is having a formal dinner the Monsieur would act like a robotic bartender for the gathering. Not only does the Monsieur preform tasks one asks it to, but also has some artificial intelligence in it. It notifies its user when drinks are about to finish and capable of providing a local grocery and liquor store a list of the ingredients that are missing. It also  has an application that allows its user to order drinks remotely through their cell phone with the desired strength, double or single. What about safety? Well it has a feature that alerts the consumer when  their current alcohol blood level is high and provides taxi company numbers if needed. That is done through entering gender and weight before ordering.

The Monsieur is worth$ 2700 and will be available for purchase on November 15th, 2013. However, is it worth it? The idea of a robotic bartender facilitates numerous people who are extremely socially active and especially benefits venues and restaurants. On the other hand, ordinary people would not benefit much from of this product. The idea itself is highly marketable  for people who are interested in luxurious facilities or just find a need in having a bartender at home.. Nonetheless, the product does not provide anything that is needed or solves any real problem except maybe for the fact that it notifies consumers of their current alcohol blood level.

Resources:

http://www.gizmag.com/monsieur-robot-bartender-interview/29266/

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/monsieur-bartender-kickstarter,3651.html

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/monsieur/monsieur-the-artificially-intelligent-robotic-bart

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2449569/Robotic-bartender-learns-users-preferences-mix-cocktails.html