Sunday, August 21, 2011

5 Cool Inventions You Probably Didn't Know Exist

These inventions are more like science fiction than real life, but they do really exist in our present life....

Interactive 360º 3-D Holographic Displays
The Graphics Lab at the University of Southern California has come up with a cheap way to create images in 3D space (as opposed to planar space) by using a spinning mirror called a light-field display. Basically high speed video is projected onto a quickly spinning mirror, which then "reflects a different and accurate image to each potential viewer." The system uses an algorithm to figure out the correct shading and occlusion for the image.



Self-Inflating Tires
One of the things that causes us a great deal of annoyance is the sight of a flat tire just as when we have an urgent task at hand, right? Well, its time these worries were brought to an end. Coda Development has already come up with a tire design that.
This self-inflating tire, developed in the Czech Republic, takes this out of your hands by inflating automatically through a device called a peristaltic pump which inflates the tire as it turns, keeping it at a constant, safe pressure level. This technology, if adopted widely, will not only make the roads safer, but will have a positive environmental impact by way of savings on fuel (cars with under-inflated tires use more fuel), resulting in a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, and an increase in the lifespan of tires.

Military exoskeleton prototype
 

The HULC is a completely un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton that provides users with the ability to carry loads of up to 200 lbs for extended periods of time and over all terrains. Its flexible design allows for deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting. There is no joystick or other control mechanism. The exoskeleton senses what users want to do and where they want to go. It augments their ability, strength and endurance. An onboard micro-computer ensures the exoskeleton moves in concert with the individual. Its modularity allows for major components to be swapped out in the field. Additionally, its unique power-saving design allows the user to operate on battery power for extended missions. The HULC’s load-carrying ability works even when power is not available.

Dress Reacts With Lights In Response To Air Quality
The Danish design firm Diffus created a dress equipped with LED lights and a carbon dioxide detector that glows as the CO2 level rises. It’s called the Climate Dress:

"The embroidery becomes functional conveying electricity and computer information and thereby give “power to the dress”. The dress senses the CO2 concentration in the air, then accordingly creates diverse light patterns varying from slow, regular light pulsations to short and hectic.[...]"


"The Climate Dress also contributes to the necessity of creating more awareness about environmental issues trough an esthetical representation of environmental data. Different light patterns are thereby staged as dramatic “micro events” embedded into clothes. They diligently and without concession tell us disturbing stories wrapped into a comfortable and reassuring cocoon de luxe." Source

Contact Lenses That Change Color To Alert Diabetics of Glucose Levels
Jin Zhang, a professor at the University of Western Ontario, is developing contact lenses that change color with the user’s blood sugar level. This could allow diabetics to monitor themselves without frequent blood samples. The technology:

” …uses extremely small nanoparticles embedded into the hydrogel lenses. These engineered nanoparticles react with glucose molecules found in tears, causing a chemical reaction that changes their colour.”

Credit : www.uphaa.com

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