Tactical UAV patrols the skies of Afghanistan

Aug 19th, 2008 | Filed under: Military, Robotics | 0 Comments

A new tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), is being used by British troops to patrol the skies of the Upper Sangin Valley in southern Afghanistan, helping to identify enemy threats and protect soldiers as they go about there work.

The Desert Hawk III is one of many assets that are employed to help seek out enemy fighters and one of the newest UAVs that the Royal Artillery use. The UAV provides an over-watch capability for soldiers patrolling from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Inkerman near Sangin.

Lance Bombardier Ricky Talbot, explained: “It’s a mini UAV; it provides reconnaissance for the FOB and over looks patrols. If the FOB wants us to check any vulnerable points or firing points we can easily check them with the Dessert Hawk.”

The Desert Hawk can be launched by just throwing it into the wind, but the gunners have learnt that for the best take off it is beat to gain speed before launching and so they launch it from the back of a quad bike. The UAV flies itself by inputting a route onto a digital map and a GPS within the aircraft follows that route. An operator can also fly the UAV using a simple games console hand controller.

At the end of the flight, the reconnaissance vehicle lands itself and, when it hits the ground, intentionally breaks into nine parts to minimise the stress on the aircraft. Different payloads can be bolted onto the UAV which gives the user alternative cameras and views to look at. The footage can be viewed live on the screen of a conventional laptop and also recorded to allow playback for commanders.

Miniature snake-arm robot

Aug 19th, 2008 | Filed under: Military, Robotics | 0 Comments

OC Robotics has developed a snake-arm robot that is only 12.5mm in diameter. The arm is the smallest snake-arm robot to date and uncoils out of a briefcase-sized box where it is stowed.

The arm is 610mm in length, with longer arms under development, and was designed for the US Department of Defense who needed a way of inspecting and working inside confined or cluttered spaces.

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Physicists step closer to creating switch for ultrafast computers

Aug 18th, 2008 | Filed under: Electronics | 0 Comments

University of Utah physicists successfully controlled an electrical current using the “spin” within electrons – a step toward building an organic “spin transistor”: a plastic semiconductor switch for future ultrafast computers and electronics.

The study also suggests it will be more difficult than thought to make highly efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using organic materials. The findings hint such LEDs would convert no more than 25 percent of electricity into light rather than heat, contrary to earlier estimates of up to 63 percent.

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Nano-material is key to clean drinking water

Aug 18th, 2008 | Filed under: Electronics | 0 Comments

Scientists at the University of South Australia, have discovered a simple way to remove bacteria and other contaminants from water using tiny particles of pure silica coated with an active nano-material.

The water treatment process is a new concept, not used anywhere else in the world, which has the potential to make a significant contribution to the health of nations worldwide.

A recent UNESCO report reveals that more than 6,000 people die every day from water-related diseases, and the availability of quality drinking water, especially in the developing world, is fast becoming a major socio-economic issue.

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New robot scouts best locations for components of undersea lab

Aug 15th, 2008 | Filed under: Robotics | 0 Comments

Like a deep-sea bloodhound, Sentry, the newest in an elite group of unmanned submersibles able to operate on their own in demanding and rugged environments, has helped scientists pinpoint optimal locations for two observation sites of a pioneering seafloor laboratory being planned off Washington and Oregon.

Successful selection of the two sites is a crucial step in developing an extensive sensor network above and below the seafloor on the Juan de Fuca Plate, according to John Delaney, University of Washington oceanographer and chief scientist for a two-week mapping expedition.

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Scientists overcome nanotech hurdle

Aug 15th, 2008 | Filed under: Electronics | 0 Comments

When scientists make a new material on a nanoscale how can they see what’s been made? A team lead by a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences research Council (BBSRC) fellow has made a significant step toward overcoming this major challenge faced by nanotechnology scientists.

A team from the University of Liverpool, The School of Pharmacy (University of London) and the University of Leeds, show that they have developed a technique to examine tiny protein molecules called peptides on the surface of a gold nanoparticle. This is the first time scientists have been able to build a detailed picture of self-assembled peptides on a nanoparticle and it offers the promise of new ways to design and manufacture novel materials on the tiniest scale - one of the key aims of nanoscience.

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Self-healing wires

Aug 14th, 2008 | Filed under: Aerospace, Design | 0 Comments

A University of Dayton Research Institute chemist who identified a plausible cause for the explosion that downed TWA flight 800 in 1996, has developed a self-healing wire designed to prevent a similar kind of explosion.

Bob Kauffman and his colleagues at UDRI were part of a team hired to determine the cause of the centre-wing fuel tank explosion that brought down TWA 800 killing all passengers and crew on board. The researchers determined that frayed fuel sensor wiring was to have played a significant role in the explosion.

Research showed that frayed wires exposed to moisture in a fuel tank cause conductive fuel residues to form. Kauffman explained: “If those residues are exposed to DC electricity from faulty wiring, they become red hot and can ignite the surrounding fuel.”

Kauffman’s solution if a PATCH – Power-Activated Technology for Coating and Healing – for wire insulation. The inexpensive and non-toxic formula draws on water and electricity to chemically transform itself into a permanent coating.

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Nanotubes act as resilient shock absorbers

Aug 14th, 2008 | Filed under: Electronics | 0 Comments

Electronic devices get smaller and more complex every year. It turns out that fragility is the price for miniaturization, especially when it comes to small devices, such as cell phones, hitting the floor. Wouldn’t it be great if they bounced instead of cracked when dropped?

A team of Clemson University researchers, led by Apparao Rao, professor of physics, has invented a way to make beds of tiny, shock-absorbing carbon springs which possibly could be used to protect delicate objects from damaging impacts. With collaborators at the University of California at San Diego, the team has shown that layers of these tiny springs called coiled carbon nanotubes, each a thousand times smaller than a human hair, can act as extremely resilient shock absorbers.

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Physiotherapy for the eye

Aug 14th, 2008 | Filed under: Bio Tech, Design | 0 Comments

Researchers at the University of Aberdeen have designed an interactive program that can help sufferers of partial vision loss (hemianopia), which is caused by damage to the visual pathways in the brain after a stroke.

The Neuro-Eye Therapy (NeET) uses a medical device called the Vision Rehabilitation Program to repeatedly stimulate blind areas of vision using on-screen patterns.

Dr Arash Sahraie, University of Aberdeen, explained: “The basic principles behind Neuro-Eye Therapy are similar to those of physiotherapy following a stroke. If muscles are affected following a brain injury, patients are asked to repeat a pattern of limb movements in order to improve their mobility.

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