A round-up of the latest technology news from around the globe.
TANKTOP: Military laptops have to withstand rain, explosions and even fungus. Your regular off-the-shelf laptop just isn't good enough for that, even if it calls itself tough. VT Miltope, suppliers to the US military, are introducing a new line of bomb-proof computers this week. The specs are pretty decent, but I bet the price isn't. Details at Dvice and video of an older model on YouTube.
BAG HAND: When it comes to gripping objects, robots don't do too well. It's hard to construct a robotic hand with fingers and an opposable thumb. A new approach replaces the hand with a rubber membrane bag. The bag wraps round an object, the air inside is removed and the grains of sand, glass beads, or ground coffee beans inside it lock together to hold the object in place. It's in the bag. More at DiscoveryNews.
LIGHT MARK: French scientists have found a way to store optical data so it can be hidden from conventional view. Different wavelengths of light change the properties of polymers, allowing data to be written or read. A specific imaging technique, called second-harmonic generation must be used to read the data. This technique could mark items as genuine and deter counterfeiters. High-tech invisible ink. More at Physorg.
GROWING GREEN: Australian and Chinese scientists are growing a special strain of Giant Napier Grass to clean up toxic waste, and then making electricity from the biomass. The roots of the plants extract minerals and metals from contaminated soils, cleaning them up. They don't say if they recover the minerals extracted by the grass. Sometimes plants are the best tech for the job. More at CRCCare.
MALIBU EMILY: Emily's a lifesaving robot. The Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard powers through rough surf 12 times as fast as a human to bring aid to swimmers in distress. Sensors map water currents and detect people in the water. The foam core can support up to 5 people. Propulsion is by a water impeller, similar to a jet ski. Not so much a robot as remote-controlled though. More at CNN.
- Miraz Jordan knowit.co.nz
