Acutely aware of the massive waste in the textile industry, material development company PANGAIA (pronounced Pan-guy-ya) uses plants to make natural fabric dyes, skipping the need for harsh, synthetic additives. One of these natural dyes is sourced from the petals of the Japanese Sakura tree, which only blooms for a few days each year. The result is a gorgeous, light […]
Natural Cherry Blossoms Dye
Can Robotic Ships Talk In The Future?
The US Navy is not only developing robotic warships, but it also wants to teach them how to speak. In a request for proposals, the Navy has outlined how it wants its autonomous surface vessels to be able to have back-and-forth verbal radio communications with the crew of other ships to avoid collisions. If Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) are ever […]
New Ultrasound Tech Makes Any Surface Touch-Sensitive
A new type of ultrasound technology promises to make a touch-sensitive surface out of just about any common material – metal, glass, wood, plastic – which could open up a number of new ways to interact with our gadgets. UltraSense Systems, the company behind the tech, says its ultrasound system-on-a-chip (about the size of a pen tip) is cost-effective, ready […]
IBM’s Lithium Battery Uses Seawater Materials
Lithium-ion batteries are seen as a vital technology in our pursuit of sustainable energy, but there is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to their impact on the Earth. The construction of these devices involves sourcing of heavy metals like cobalt, which are expensive and come at significant environmental and humanitarian cost. IBM has this week unveiled a […]
Google AI Breast Cancer Detector
A new artificial intelligence system is proving more effective at detecting breast cancer in mammograms than trained radiologists. The software, developed by researchers from Google Health, is not designed to replace human radiologists but instead assist and speed up current diagnostic processes. Although mammograms are the best diagnostic tool for uncovering breast cancer clinicians currently have at their disposal, they […]
Phone Friendly Heated Gloves
Although heated gloves have been around for some time now, the things are generally pretty thick and bulky – best-suited to activities such as skiing. Vancouver-based Candle Apparel has designed a more dextrous alternative, in the form of its “city-oriented” Candle gloves. The basic gloves themselves are made of a sleek, stretchable, breathable, water- and wind-resistant blend of milk silk, […]
This Helps To Identify Viruses Easily
Ordinarily, when biological samples are being tested to see which (if any) viruses are present, it can take up to several days to get results. An inexpensive new tool, however, is claimed to capture and identify viruses within minutes. Developed by scientists at Pennsylvania State University and New York University, the handheld VIRRION device is just a few centimeters in […]
Golf Trolley Matches User’s Walk
Not all golfers enjoy pushing or pulling a trolley around for hours, which is why there are now powered models that move on their own. A new one, known as the S-Walk, actually keeps pace with its user as they walk across the greens. Designed by Swiss startup Hit the Green, the S-Walk utilizes a rear-facing LiDAR sensor to measure […]
Dome Sleeping Units To Help The Homeless
A lockable wardrobe and twin-sized bed figure in this modular sleeping unit, which was conceived by architecture firm Perkins and Will in response to the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles. The prefabricated Dome unit is meant to offer a heightened level of privacy for people staying in temporary housing facilities. US homeless shelters typically contain rows of beds in open […]
What To Expect From A 5G Smartphone
With the deployment of the first 5G networks in the U.S., hype for the next generation of wireless technology is hitting fever pitch. AT&T says 5G “will be a whole new kind of network,” Verizon promises “a spectacular impact on how we live, work and play,” T-Mobile believes 5G “will change the way we live,” and Sprint goes so far […]