This week on WDD’s HotSpot, researchers are stuffing bras with actuators and sensing technologies; Berkeley engineers are building organic optoelectronic sensors that can be slapped on like a Band-Aid; Wii’s are rehabbing stroke survivors; and a new technology is significantly lowering UAV costs.

• Researchers at the University of Wollongong in Australia have developed a bra with actuators and sensing technologies that automatically tightens in response to breast movement. According to Professor Julie Steele, Director of Breast Research Australia (BRA) based at the university, who has investigating the movement of women’s breast during physical activity for more than 15 years, without the right breast support, long-term damage can be done, including numbness in the fingers caused by compression of nerves on the shoulders, as well as neck and back pain. BRA research has found that 85 per cent of women are wearing bras that do not fit or support their breasts correctly, so there is a need for a bionic bra.
• At nearly 600 pounds, bathymetric lidars are large and heavy, and they require costly, piloted aircraft to carry them, so a team at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has designed a new approach that could lead to bathymetric lidars that are much smaller and more efficient than the current full-size systems.
• Engineers at UC Berkeley are developing a new organic optoelectronic sensor that can be slapped on like a Band-Aid during that jog around the track or hike up the hill. Using a solution-based processing system, the researchers deposited the green and red organic LEDs and the translucent light detectors onto a flexible piece of plastic. By detecting the pattern of fresh arterial blood flow, the device can calculate a pulse.
• According to research led by Lancaster University, the popular computer remote from Nintendo Wii could be customized to offer bespoke physiotherapy for stroke survivors. A preliminary study showed that playing specially adapted Wii games improved the arm movements of stroke patients, with a threefold increase in their ability to pick up and put pegs in holes.

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