Gallery: Sneak peeks at 8 emerging technologies

By david grober October 12, 2009, 12:08 AM PDT

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Gallery: Sneak peeks at 8 emerging technologies

LEGO toys and Shrinky Dinks aid in development of microfluidics

From transparent aluminum to billion-year memory chips to household pest-eating robo-furniture, these are some of latest technology trends that promise to affect our lives.

nAbove, Johns Hopkins engineers are using LEGO pieces shaped like pegs to visualize the behavior of particles, cells and molecules taking place inside lab-on-a-chip devices at a scale that can more easily be observed. (Credit: Will Kirk/JHU)n

nThe full story: LEGO toys and Shrinky Dinks aid in development of microfluidicsn

n(Credit: Will Kirk/JHU)

Pediatric dentists create Game Boy with nitrous oxide feed

A medical device consisting of a colorful, toy-like headset that connects to a game component and distributes nitrous oxide, an anesthetic gas to a preoccupied child. n

nThe full story: Pediatric dentists create Game Boy with nitrous oxide feedn

n(Credit: PediSedate)

Nanorobot for Brain Aneurysm

A figure illustrating how nanorobots could be used to detect brain aneurysm: (a) the nanorobots enter the vessel and flow with the bloodstream (b) the nanorobots are moving through the vessel with the fluid (c) the aneurysm saccular bulb begins to become visible at the vessel wall (d) nanorobots move closer to the vessel deformation (e) mixed with the plasma, NOS (nitric oxide synthase) signals can be detected as the chemical gradient changes, denoting proteomic overexpression (f) the same workspace viewed without red cells (g) the nanobiosensor is activated as the nanorobots move closer to the aneurysm, emitting RF signals sent to the cell phone (h) as the nanorobots keep flowing, the chemical signals become weaker, deactivating the nanorobot transmission (i) red cells and nanorobots flow with the bloodstream until they leave the vessel. n

nThe full story: Nanorobot for Brain Aneurysmn

n(Credit: Adriano Cavalcanti)

'Flight simulator' for flies sheds light on visual processing

A group of German scientists created a u201cflight simulatoru201d to investigate what goes on in the brains of flies while they’re flying. Specific flight patterns are simulated by controlling optical “flux fields” presented to the fly. nn

nThe full story: ‘Flight simulator’ for flies sheds light on visual processingn

n(Credit: Max-Planck Institute for Neurobiology

Scientists create 'transparent aluminum,' call it a new state of matter

Oxford scientists claim to have created a transparent form of aluminum by bombarding the metal with the world’s most powerful soft X-ray laser.nn

nThe full story: Scientists create ‘transparent aluminum,’ call it a new state of mattern

n (Credit: University of Oxford)

Billion-year ultra-dense memory chip developed

UC Berkeley researchers developed a nanoscale electromechanical memory device that can pack a trillion bits of data into one square inch of medium and retain that data for a billion years. It writes/reads data based on the position of an iron nanoparticle in a carbon nanotube. The memory devices here are displaying a binary sequence 1 0 1 1 0 nn

nThe full story: Billion-year ultra-dense memory chip developedn

n(Credit: Zettl Research Group)

Advancing the prosthetic aesthetic

Jonathan Kuniholm, an engineer at Duke University, wears a prototype of the prosthetic arm created by the DARPA Revolutionizing Prosthetics project. nn

nThe full story: Advancing the prosthetic aestheticn

n(Credit: Mike McGregor)

Robo-furniture eats household pests

This household lamp is actually a robot inspired by carnivorous pitcher plants. Insects are lured into the shade by ultraviolet lights – which are lit only at night – and become trapped. nn

nThe full story: Robo-furniture eats household pestsn

n(Credit: Auger-Loizeau)

By david grober

David Grober has worked a variety of editorial roles in the technology media since 1982, when he joined the copy desk at IDG's Computer Business News. He served as managing editor for PC Week (now eWeek) and, later, Digital News. David made the leap

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