This week on WDD’s HotSpot:

• Researchers at the University of Bristol’s Department of Computer Science are playing with bubbles. This multi-sensory technology, which will be unveiled at the Association for Computing Machinery, creates soap bubbles that can have images projected onto them or release a scent when popped. This research could be used in areas such as gaming or education, and encourage a new way of thinking about multi-sensory technologies. SensaBubble, is a chrono-sensory mid-air display system that generates scented bubbles to deliver information to people using different senses. The bubble-based technology creates bubbles with a specified size and frequency, fills them with an opaque fog that is optionally scented, controls their route, tracks their location and projects an image onto them.
• Researchers at Washington State University Spokane have developed a new way to detect when drivers are about to nod off behind the wheel. The technology is based on steering wheel movements—which are more variable in drowsy drivers—and inexpensive, easy-to-install parts—including a sensor that measures the position of the steering wheel—and could be included as part of a factory installation or as an aftermarket accessory.
• DARPA’s new Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces (HAPTIX) program seeks to deliver naturalistic sensations to amputees, and in the process, enable intuitive, dexterous control of advanced prosthetic devices that substitute for amputated limbs, provide the psychological benefit of improving prosthesis “embodiment,” and reduce phantom limb pain. The program builds on neural-interface technologies advanced during DARPA’s Revolutionizing Prosthetics and Reliable Neural-Interface Technology (RE-NET) programs that made major steps forward in providing a direct and powerful link between user intent and prosthesis control. According to DARPA, HAPTIX aims to achieve its goals by developing interface systems that measure and decode motor signals recorded in peripheral nerves and/or muscles. The program will adapt one of the advanced prosthetic limb systems developed under Revolutionizing Prosthetics to incorporate sensors that provide tactile and proprioceptive feedback to the user, delivered through patterned stimulation of sensory pathways in the peripheral nerve.  One of the key challenges will be to identify stimulation patterning strategies that elicit naturalistic sensations of touch and movement. The ultimate goal is to create a fully-implantable device that is safe, reliable, effective, and approved for human use.
• And finally, Saelig has introduced inflatable AirFrame Enclosures  for quick set-up Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) shielded, Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) shielded, or Chemical Biological Containment (CBC) enclosures, configured to rapidly deploy and provide an instant and uncomplicated state-of-the-art environment. These inflatables can be as small as 7×7-feet or as big as an aircraft hangar.  Applications may include many types of EMI-RFI compliance testing, embassy or field military security, RF or radar interference shielding, EMI-RFI tolerance testing including HERO testing, secure TEMPEST communications, and field hospital or CBC uses with internal anti-microbial or other specialized fabric in place of the EMI-RFI shielded material. 

For more information visit www.recom-power.com.