Filed under: Peripherals

Well, wouldn’t you know it? That PlantSense prototype we peeked around this time two years ago has seemingly found the fundage to start up production, and at long last the revamped product is available for you to purchase. Now christened EasyBloom, this USB stake sensor analyzes important data when stuck in soil for 24 hours, after which it uploads the data to your PC (via USB) for determining whether or not a flower / tree / etc. should be planted there. Additionally, it can “diagnose what is wrong with an ailing plant,” and it can even dole out a recommended list of which plants would be suitable for your environment. Sure, $59.99 may seem like a lot of green to toss out for something such as this, but it sure beats purchasing new flora every fortnight after you murder yet another round.

EasyBloom USB stake sensor now shipping, plants celebrate originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wireless

Remember when RFID was the next big thing? When the world couldn’t wait to have their luggage easily tracked at every airport? And when supply chain managers were all set to kick back and let these little tags do all the dirty work? Outside of a few exceptions, the wireless tags haven’t really lived up to the hype thus far, but GE Global Research is doing its darnedest to change that by eliminating a few of the biggest drawbacks. Reportedly, the outfit has developed a battery-free RFID sensing platform — one that can provide a highly selective response to multiple chemicals under variable conditions — which could enable a “wide range of low-cost wireless sensing products in industries like healthcare, security, food packaging, etc.” Put simply, the tags get their power from the sensor reader, which activates the tag’s antenna and the RFID chip to collect meaningful data. There’s no word on when these will leave the lab, but the sooner the better, we say.

[Via Gizmag]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Thanks, MIT. Why don’t you just make the rest of the world feel a little more useless. Every week or so, we’re forced to stare at yet another amazing invention coming from your doors; to be frank, it’s just downright unfair. All childish angst aside, the latest idea to come from the institution is one that could certainly be put to good use: a self-sustaining sensor network that taps into trees for power in order to continuously monitor forests for threats of fire. Moreover, the concept could be applied in other scenarios as well — to detect potential threats such as smuggled contraband along a nation’s borders, perhaps. Testing of the wireless sensor network (developed by the appropriately named Voltree Power) is scheduled to begin next spring, and we’re hearing that pot-sniffing turtles may even be brought in to create a completely natural self-policing environment.

[Via Inhabitat]

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Filed under: Wearables

This won’t mark the first time the US government has looked into other means for helping soldiers communicate on the battlefield, but it’s one of the first instances where vocal cords aren’t even necessary. The US Army has recently awarded a $4 million contract to a coalition of scientists, all of which will soon start developing a “thought helmet” to enable voiceless, secure communication between comrades. In theory, at least, the helmet will boast a litany of sensors that will hopefully “lead to direct mental control of military systems by thought alone.” According to Dr. Elmar Schmoozer, the Army neuroscience overseeing the program, the system will be like “radio without a microphone.” Oh, and don’t think for a second that they aren’t considering civilian applications as well — passing along jokes on the boss via telekinesis? Yes, please.

[Via Slashdot]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

In the never-ending quest to make even the smallest devices on Earth a touch smaller, a talented team of MIT engineers have developed a method for creating and installing microbatteries, which could eventually power a plethora of diminutive devices including “labs-on-a-chip and implantable medical sensors.” It’s bruited that this is the first time in which “microcontact printing has been used to fabricate and position microbattery electrodes and the first use of virus-based assembly in such a process,” and while you’d likely have to be a colleague to even digest that, the take away is that these gurus are one step closer to generating battery-powered Scrubbing Bubbles. And your shower could use ‘em.

[Via PCMag]

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Filed under: Wearables

Mama always said you’d regret slouching one day, and while you’ve still got a few decades left before ultimately determining whether the sage-like advice was right or wrong, why take chances? The iPosture does the same thing as wearable posture reminders that we’ve seen in the past, but this one does so in a much more discrete fashion. The diminutive nano-sensor detects when your angle deviates just three degrees from the optimal position for greater than a minute, after which it emits a warning to straighten you out. Users insistent on keeping it crooked can turn the device off by powering it down, removing it or flinging it furiously into a wall. Life’s next big nuisance will be shipping soon for $99.95.

[Thanks, Eric]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Far from being the first LED-infused floor we’ve seen hipsters and hippies break dance and boogie down on (respectively), Sensacell’s latest contraption still manages to stand out by bringing back memories of when mouse trails really were the coolest thing about an operating system. Flashbacks aside, the installation — which is currently at the entrance to the Comunitat Valenciana in Spain — possesses over 1,000 interactive modules, each of which include capacitive sensors and a LED lighting system. The integrated tech enables it to recognize when someone is walking over it and consequently light up as if to leave an eye-catching LED trail of their path. Can you imagine how many hours days you could entertain an ageless kid with this? Video after the jump.

Continue reading Video: Sensacell’s interactive floor shows trail of LED footprints

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

The latest in nanowire research has a crew at the University of California, Berkeley creating the very first integrated circuit “that uses nanowires as both sensors and electronic components.” By utilizing a so-called “simple” printing technique, the researchers were able to create a batch of uniform circuits that could one day serve as image sensors. According to Ali Javey, an electrical-engineering professor at the institution, the goal is to “develop all-nanowire sensors” which could be used in a wide array of applications, and the benefit of using ‘em is their exceptionally high level of sensitivity. In due time, the gurus would like to make everything on the circuit printable, though we have this strange feeling we won’t be seeing any actual results from all of this for years to come.

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Filed under: Transportation

Though we’re hesitant to believe something this fantastic could actually be implemented in real life, word on the pavement has it that Audi is currently running a pilot program that informs motorists “how fast to drive to catch a green light.” Over in Ingolstadt, Germany, 50 traffic lights have been equipped with sensors that beam information to specially equipped whips; the network of “smart” signals not only “adapts to traffic patterns to deliver optimum light switching,” but gives drivers a heads-up in order to get ‘em through lights and cut down on idling / pollution / road rage. We can just hear those red light camera appeals now: “But judge, my car told me to do it!”

[Image courtesy of NOLA]

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Filed under: Transportation

Apparently not everyone at General Motors is toiling away in an attempt to get the Volt ready for its 2010 debut, as another sector of the outfit’s R&D division is busy creating a windshield that will, at its core, enable us to stop running stuff over. The futuristic glass would utilize lasers, sensors and cameras in order to help drivers see the road’s edge better, recognize obstructions and enhance things ahead of us so we’ll theoretically react faster. Truth be told, the device is being designed with older drivers in mind, though we don’t see why younger motorists won’t benefit all the same. Unfortunately, it sounds as if you’ll have to keep those toothpicks in your eyelids for a few more years, but at least we’re one step closer to full-on autopilot.

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Filed under: Robots

Robotics have come a long way, but they still often miss that innate, nervous sense of reluctant touch. Intel researchers have achieved something similar with a robotic hand that uses electrolocation to create a robotic hand conform to the shape of an object before interacting with it. Shown at Research@Intel Day, the hand uses fish-like electrolocation to bounce electric fields off of objects and then conform the hand to that shape in real time. They call the dynamic “Pre Touch,” and it could prove useful for configuring robotics before they interact with objects without, say, damaging them or missing the interface completely. We’ve been aware of the technology for some time, but as you can see in the video after the break, Intel finally has something to show, and the results are what can only be described as a strangely nervous robotic hand.

Continue reading Intel shows off robotic hand with “Pre Touch” object conformation

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

There’s no shame in admitting that shape-shifting creatures are a touch frightening, but we’ll go ahead and warn you — those spooked by petite bots will be utterly terrified by this. The SkinForm Project has arisen from the University of Technology Sydney, and while there aren’t any elaborate details available just yet, it’s described as an “intelligent pneumatic structure that transforms dynamically in response to socio-physical context.” Additionally, it seems to utilize a plethora of sensors and rely on a good bit of software programing in order to become the transforming architecture that it is. If all goes as planned, the initiative will be completed on June 12th, but you can take a look at a number of in-progress videos right down there in the read link below.

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Filed under: Gaming

Just when you think Pong can’t be played any other way, yet another creative soul emerges to prove the notion wrong. Mike McCracken has managed to remove all visual aspects of the game yet still maintain the core goal by enabling one’s head to make the motions typically assigned to the hands. Essentially, a sound is emitted from the headphones on one side or the other, and the gamer has to tilt his / her head just so until the noise is centered. This back-and-forth sequence speeds up to intensify the challenge, and if you can’t manage to keep the ringing front and center, an unpalatable buzzer sounds and a light turns on to alert you of your defeat. Really, it’s way more clear how all this works in the video below, so have at it.

[Via MAKE]

Continue reading Audio Ping Pong lets your ears, noggin do all the work

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Filed under: Handhelds

Surely you’re not content with just multi-touch and built-in accelerometers, right? Microsoft Research is expecting not, as it’s already working towards integrating force-sensing technology that will enable gestures to twist on-screen imagery without crafting UMPCs out of flexible material. Essentially, the gurus behind the idea feel that implementing said tech would “turn an otherwise passive component that just holds the device together into an active input surface.” In the future, it’s likely that auditory cues would enable users to know when they’ve applied enough pressure to cause a change, and of course, they expect it to work hand-in-hand with existing human-computer interfaces. Yeah, who needs keypads these days, anyway? [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via BBC, thanks Joe]

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Filed under: Handhelds

It’s not like the modding community at large hasn’t shoved accelerometers within vehicles before, but conjuring up projects that utilize acceleration sensing just got a whole lot easier thanks to the USB TiltStick. Reportedly, the minuscule device features a two axis acceleration sensor and emulates a USB joystick in order to play nice with any USB-equipped host. In particular, a standard PC or Nokia’s N810 makes for the perfect comrade, and what you do from there is really only limited by your imagination. Granted, only the DIY veterans in attendance should give this one any serious consideration, but feel free to jump on through the break to catch it interfacing with N810.

[Via Internet Tablet Talk]

Continue reading USB TiltStick opens up new world of accelerometer projects

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Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Transportation

Sure, we’ve seen cellphones intermingle with traffic data before, but Nokia’s looking to up the ante in a big way by utilizing a large network of GPS-enabled handsets to actually predict traffic patterns and help you avoid congestion before you even leave for that afternoon appointment. In a recent trial involving 100 volunteer drivers (and an equal amount of N95s), the handset maker teamed up with UC Berkeley to test the effectiveness of using a device most people already own (read: cellphones) to beam out traffic data rather than installing permanent sensors in roadways. Eventually, Nokia hopes to expand the experiment to over 1,000 folks, and just in case you privacy junkies can already feel your heart racing, you can rest assured that all “personal identifying information” was stripped before being sent back for analysis.

Read - Nokia turns people into traffic sensors
Read - Video: Nokia test drives traffic monitoring system

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Transportation

Usually you can’t tell that there’s a problem with one of your tires until you’ve already swerved off the road and crashed into something stationary, but thanks to a group of scientists from Purdue University, the next generation of wheel wraps may be able to detect problems before you’re face-to-face with the base of a telephone pole. Led by Gary Krutz of the school’s Electrohydraulic Center, the team was able to produce a multi-layer design that can sense damage or defects anywhere on the tire, and which immediately alerts the driver to danger via an embedded chip. First up to adopt the new tech will likely be race car sponsors, who have a high incentive to protect their expensive investments against flats; unfortunately, this safety improvement for drivers will come at the expense of the nation’s rabid NASCAR fans, as the likely decline in crashes will only serve to direct their blood-lust at fellow spectators.

[Image courtesy of Purdue University]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Creating minuscule devices that can mimic olfactory systems is nothing new, but an international team of researchers are reportedly working to improve an existing design by basing it on metal oxide nanowires. Granted, the actual technology is a bit above our noses, er, heads, but according to Dr. Andrei Kolmakov, the team’s aim was to “demonstrate the excellent performance of a practical device made by combining bottom-up fabricated SnO2 nanowires / nanobelts as sensing elements with a multi-electrode KAMINA [e-nose] platform.” More specifically, these gurus decided to implement a “completely new morphology of the sensing layer” composed of tin oxide nanowires rather than the traditional thin-film sensing element. Not surprisingly, those working on perfecting the device are hoping to one day have it installed in areas where intelligent sensor systems are used, but we wouldn’t overlook the possibility of finding these things embedded in shirts of the future for those paranoid about their freshness.

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

The referees at the upcoming Club World Cup in Japan will likely be taking a little less flack from the fans if a ball manages to come dangerously close to slipping into the net, as FIFA is deploying a type of “goal-line” technology that more precisely indicates whether debatable shots really crossed the line. At the heart of the system are four sensors that are placed around the goal and a single microchip within the so-called smart-ball; if the ball does indeed cross over the goal line, an encrypted message is instantly beamed out to a referee’s watch, leaving no doubt as to whether or not a point should be awarded. Apparently, the system will be widely used at the 2010 World Cup if testing proves successful, but unfortunately, this same technology can’t be used to embarrass the multitude of players who will inevitably take a dive in order to draw a card.

[Via AFP / Yahoo, image courtesy of FIFA]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Displays

While you may not think a 4+ minute clip involving a monotone narrator, flashes of light and lots of sensors could hold your attention (okay, so maybe that came off a bit more riveting than we’d hoped), we’d bet the one posted after the jump could. The video demonstrates a fairly svelte automatic projector calibration system, which relies on very little hardware (and time) to work its magic. Essentially, the low-cost method utilizes rear-mounted optical fibers wired into light sensors, which can channel gray-coded binary patterns through a USB connection. From there, a PC determines precisely how the projection should be outputted for the target surface to be completely filled with an undistorted image. We know, it’s tough to wrap your head around, but all the enlightenment you could ever want (on this subject, anyway) is just a mouse click away. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via HackADay]

Continue reading DIY’er gets busy with automatic projector calibration

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!