Impact Lab – Page 282 – A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience

WEBEX HOLOGRAM: TAKING VIRTUAL MEETINGS TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL

July 13, 2022

Holograms have previously been mainly restricted to the sci-fi scene, but now that Cisco is introducing them into Webex, they are indeed on the cusp of moving into the real world.

At a recent presentation held at Cisco Toronto’s Innovation Lab, a group of media experienced the Webex Hologram in action, as work on the product continues to the point where there will be a full-fledged launch that delivers what the company describes as “photorealistic, real-time holograms of actual people.”

Aruna Ravichandran, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Webex, said that “with this particular technology, we now have the ability to basically hologram a live person in regardless of where they are located on the planet. It’s not an avatar, you actually see a live person.”

According to the Webex Hologram fact sheet, a presenter can “share both physical content and digital content that allows users to co-create and truly collaborate.

Medical Breakthrough

Israeli-developed smart fabric uses electricity to fast-track repair of nerves

July 12, 2022

Silicone-based invention being tailored for human use after proving itself on rats; it wraps damaged nerves and electrically stimulates them using energy from light shone on skin

By NATHAN JEFFAY

A magnified image of the Israeli-developed material which speeds the repair of damaged nerves using electricity (courtesy of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology)

Israeli researchers say they have developed a material that speeds the repair of damaged nerves using electricity.

The ultra-thin material — a high-tech fabric of sorts — can be wrapped around damaged nerves inside the body and then enable electricity derived from light to flow there after the wound is closed up.

Its inventors, from Haifa’s Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, have tested the material on rats and documented its effectiveness in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Materials.

The material speeded up nerve repair in rats by 33 percent, and now heads to development and testing on humans.

3D Printer

AI SpaceFactory Presents 3D Printing Lunar Outpost LINA in Collaboration with NASA

July 12, 2022

By Michelle Codiva

AI SpaceFactory announced its first lunar outpost LINA designed to blend with the moon’s terrain. The outpost would keep the astronauts safe on the moon as it could protect them during moonquakes, cosmic radiation, lunar dust contamination, and cold nights.

The project is a collaboration between NASA Kennedy Space Center and AI SpaceFactory. It is part of NASA’s 2020 Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity (ACO).

ACO aims to partner with different companies for the moon and space technology mission. It has selected 17 companies that proposed relevant topics in the area of technology, such as small spacecraft technologies, sustainable power and intelligent system robotics. The total estimated resources to fund the projects cost $15.5 million.

3D Printer

3D-PRINTED NASA SATELLITE MARKS ‘GAME-CHANGER’ FOR SPACE EXPLORATION: MICHIO KAKU

July 12, 2022

American physicist Michio Kaku says CAPSTONE mission overcomes ‘the cost of space travel’

By Kristen Altus

American physicist and author Michio Kaku says 3D-printed rockets has lowered the cost of space exploration ten-fold.

NASA’s mission to the moon has returned – but this time, with a modern tech twist.

A 3D-printed satellite the size of a microwave oven was launched into space Tuesday, embarking on a new path around the moon in hopes of retrieving new information for future astronaut exploration.

American physicist and author Michio Kaku called the CAPSTONE CubeSat launch a “game changer” for spaceflight on “Varney & Co.” Thursday.

“Space travel has been haunted by a dirty four-letter word: cost,” Kaku told FOX Business’ Stuart Varney. “It costs $10,000 to put a pound of anything into orbit around the Earth. That’s your weight in solid gold. That’s the cost of space travel.”

Cancer

A Sensor Sniffs for Cancer, Using Artificial Intelligence

July 11, 2022

Biomedical engineer Daniel Heller leads the Cancer Nanomedicine Laboratory at MSK.

Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) have developed a sensor that can be trained to sniff for cancer, with the help of artificial intelligence.

Although the training doesn’t work the same way one trains a police dog to sniff for explosives or drugs, the sensor has some similarity to how the nose works. The nose can detect more than a trillion different scents, even though it has just a few hundred types of olfactory receptors. The pattern of which odor molecules bind to which receptors creates a kind of molecular signature that the brain uses to recognize a scent.

Like the nose, the cancer detection technology uses an array of multiple sensors to detect a molecular signature of the disease. Instead of the signals going to the brain, they are interpreted by machine learning — a type of computer artificial intelligence.

MSK researchers led by Kravis WiSE Postdoctoral Fellow Mijin Kim and biomedical engineer Daniel Heller, head of the Cancer Nanomedicine Laboratory at MSK, built the technology using an array of sensors composed of carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes are tiny tubes, nearly 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. They are fluorescent, and the light they give off is very sensitive to minute interactions with molecules in their environment.

Each nanotube sensor can detect many different molecules in a blood sample. By combining the many responses of the sensors, the technology creates a unique fluorescent pattern. The pattern can then be recognized by a machine-learning algorithm that has been trained to identify the difference between a cancer fingerprint and a normal one.

In experiments conducted on blood samples obtained from patients with ovarian cancer, the researchers found that their nanosensor detected ovarian cancer more accurately than currently available biomarker tests. (A biomarker is a particular chemical produced by tumors and spread through the blood circulation that indicates the presence of disease. In this case, the biomarker tests were ones for the ovarian cancer-related proteins CA125, HE4, and YKL40.)

The hope for patients is that researchers will develop the technology further so that it can eventually be used in the clinic to rapidly screen for early-stage ovarian cancer and many other cancers.Molecular Pharmacology ProgramOur research program serves as a conduit for bringing basic science discoveries to preclinical and clinical evaluation.

new technology

SCIENTISTS INVENT “PROFOUND” QUANTUM SENSOR THAT CAN PEER INTO THE EARTH

July 11, 2022

“THIS IS AN ‘EDISON MOMENT’ IN SENSING THAT WILL TRANSFORM SOCIETY.”

A major breakthrough in quantum sensing technology is being described as an “Edison moment” that could, scientists hope, have wide-reaching implications.

A new study in Nature describes one of the first practical applications of quantum sensing, a heretofore largely theoretical technology that marries quantum physics and the study of Earth’s gravity to peer into the ground below our feet — and the scientists involved in this research think it’s going to be huge.

Known as a quantum gravity gradiometer, this new sensor developed by the University of Birmingham under contract with the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense is the first time such a technology has been used outside of a lab. Scientists say it’ll allow them to explore complex underground substructures much more cheaply and efficiently than before.

While gravity sensors already exist, the difference between the traditional equipment and this quantum-powered sensor is huge because, as Physics World explains, the old tech takes a long time to detect changes in gravity, has to be recalibrated over time, and can be thrown off by any vibrations that occur nearby.

This new type of highly sensitive quantum sensor, on the other hand, is able to measure the minute changes in gravity fields from objects of different sizes and compositions that exist underground — such as human-made structures buried by the eons, tantalizingly — much faster and more accurately.

Space

MIT proposes using a ‘space bubble’ shield the size of Brazil to cool the Earth

July 11, 2022

A radical new form of solar geoengineering.

By Chris Young

A team of MIT researchers is investigating a radical method for countering the effects of climate change, a press statement reveals.

They propose to use a fleet of “space bubbles” to reflect sunlight away from Earth.

As we all know, such crazy ideas wouldn’t even be on the table if humans had drastically curbed their use of fossil fuels years ago — but here we are.

While some scientists warn that geoengineering is a dangerous distraction from the true work needed to cut emissions, others say we need to assess all options. That’s where the MIT team’s space bubbles come in.

Automobiles

Hyundai revealed a futuristic electric car with cameras instead of mirrors — see the Ioniq 6

July 10, 2022

By

Tim Levin

Hyundai unveiled its latest electric car on Monday: the Ioniq 6.

It’s a weird-looking, ultra-curvy electric sedan.

Hyundai will reveal more details about the Ioniq 6 in July.

3D Printer

REVO FOODS’ FIRST 3D-PRINTED VEGAN SALMON FILETS WILL LAUNCH IN STORES IN 2023

July 10, 2022

Revo Foods’ first whole-cut vegan salmon filet, made from algae and pea protein, will be available in stores next year.

by NICOLE AXWORTHY

Vienna-based vegan food technology company Revo Foods recently unveiled its first “ultra realistic” whole-cut plant-based salmon, which is expected to launch in stores in early 2023. The new product is made using 3D food printing technology and aims to replicate the eating experience of whole-cut fish filets without the need to harm a single fish.

While the majority of conventional fish is consumed in whole-cut filets, few alternative seafood products have been able to mimic the experience. Revo Foods’ scientific team worked for more than two years researching new process technology and ingredient compositions to develop its first whole-cut vegan salmon filet, dubbed “generation 2.0.” Unlike the products of the first generation, which were mostly made with tofu, the new whole-cut salmon uses pea protein and algae extracts, making it rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. It was developed using 3D food printing technology to create a taste and texture that mimics conventional salmon and can be prepared (fried, cooked, and steamed) just like conventional fish. The startup has already filed two patents for new technologies to produce such whole-cut vegan fish products.

Last year, Revo Foods unveiled its first 3D-printed vegan smoked salmon product during a tasting event that took place at Budapest Bagels in Vienna. Called “Salmon With Attitude,” the product looked just like real smoked salmon and was also developed using 3D food printing to recreate the texture and appearance of seafood. Similarly, ingredients such as pea protein, algae extracts, and dietary fibers are combined to create a base that is high in protein, omega 3, and B12. Revo showcased its revolutionary vegan fish in a creamy smoked salmon spread. These first products are already available in 16 European countries, including supermarkets in Austria and Germany.

Driverless vehicles, Science & Technology News

Einride’s Driverless Electric Pod Approved for US Public Roads

July 10, 2022

The Swedish startup’s electric trucks will carry out a test on public roads in Q3 this year.

By Stephanie MlotStephanie Mlot

Swedish transport company Einride got the green light to operate autonomous electric trucks without a driver present on US public roads.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved the company’s “Pod” for public roads, which counts as an industry first for this type of driverless truck.

A sleek black-and-white box on wheels, the Einride Pod doesn’t have room for a human driver. Instead, a remote operator monitors and can step in to control the vehicle if necessary. As these are effectively electric trucks and will be transporting heavy goods, it comes as no surprise that the range is estimated to be 124 miles on a fully-charged battery.

Medical Breakthrough

Novel Tissue Model May Help Harness the Liver’s Regenerative Abilities

July 9, 2022

If up to 70% of the liver is removed, the remaining tissue can regrow a full-sized liver within a couple of months. MIT engineers sought to take advantage of this regenerative ability to help treat chronic liver disease. The team reported that they have created a novel liver tissue model that allows them to trace the steps involved in regeneration more precisely than seen before.

Their findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(PNAS) in an article titled, “A vascularized model of the human liver mimics regenerative responses.”

“The new model can yield information that couldn’t be gleaned from studies of mice or other animals, whose biology is not identical to that of humans,” explained Sangeeta Bhatia, MD, PhD, the leader of the research team.

Science & Technology News, Space

JHU Applied Physics Lab’s Dragonfly drone is heading to Saturn’s largest moon

July 9, 2022

A rendering of JHU APL’s Dragonfly on Saturn’s moon Titan.

By Stephen Babcock

NASA’s next bold mission: To put a drone on a moon — the largest moon of Saturn, to be precise.

This week, the U.S. space agency picked a project led by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL) that would send a rotorcraft lander to Titan as the next mission for its New Frontiers Program.

The 10-ft. by 10-ft. robotic lander, called Dragonfly, will have eight rotors and fly like a large UAV. The mission is the first of its kind for NASA, both in the type of vehicle being used to land on another world, and its approach to landing at multiple sites.

Dragonfly will be tasked with exploring dozens of locations across the moon. Titan holds special appeal for scientists, as it’s considered to be the world in our solar system that’s most like Earth, especially the planet’s early development. So with Dragonfly, they’ll look to take measurements and samples with an eye toward exploring how what’s happening there could improve understanding of how life came to inhabit our own planet.