There’s a reason you don’t drink out of the toilet. It’s gross. Even if you got a super toilet that only flushed diamond rain water, it’d still be disgusting. But that’s the thing. The only thing keeping you from drinking cleansed pisswater is you. More »
At Design Tokyo 2011 held earlier this year we came across an interesting piece on display from a team from Osaka University working under Dr Kazuo Kawasaki, the illustrious Japanese designer well known amongst other things as the designer of the glasses chosen by Sarah Palin. The “Vaccine Refrigerator” is a backpack style unit and parachute built in one, and part of Kawasaki’s Peacekeeping by Design (PKD) series which features a number of concepts aimed at “maximizing the power of design in a concrete tangible way”.
The pack itself is a small refrigerator designed to hold different types of vaccines. The unit houses a built-in battery capable of keeping it refrigerated for three days. The whole piece weighs no more than 6 kg and the casing is built to be particularly durable so that it can be dropped from an airplane deploying the built in parachute in areas where there is conflict and disease is rife.
Kawasaki has been Design Director in the past at a number of companies such as Apple, Fujitsu and Sony and his designs have earned him a place as one of “Japan’s most influential 100 people” according to Japan Newsweek. After being confined to a wheelchair for a period in his life following a traffic accident at the age of 28, he has focused a lot of his efforts since on designs that aim to benefit human life,. In 1989 Kawasaki designed a titanium framed folding wheelchair that was a revolutionary design of its time and now part of the New York MoMA’s permanent collection.
Another of the concepts born out of Kawasaki’s experiences and designed for the Peace Keeping Design series is a folding disposable vaccine injection syringe kit. Helping to produce vaccines for kids in poverty stricken and remote areas. The simplicity in the design and the packaging itself are particularly striking, and shows Kawasaki’s awareness of not just form but function.
Similarly simplistic in design but fantastic in concept are the set of triage tags that are color coded to rapidly identify patients’ treatment priority. The tags can be changed easily and are designed to be worn by patients where doctors are working in areas of severe pressure and tension in times of crisis.
It is interesting that with the recent events in Japan this type of innovation that Kawasaki originally designed for use in third world areas can actually be established to just as much effectiveness within his own country. Kawasaki himself noted that, “the designer must be a witness to the end of industrialism by placing oneself on the cutting edge of the times, foreseeing the future”.
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We recently came across an article in Ginza Magazine regarding a new beauty buzz that has people chattering about it – “teeth art tattoos”. Having been available in other countries before it is only now that teeth art is starting to creep onto the fashion scene here in Japan also. The most popular global designs tend to be diamond shape or any glittering rhinestone, giving wearers a ‘blinged’ up smile.
Of course, Japan has taken the fad and added its own twist, offering personal designs and outfit combinations, rather than just going for the sparkles. The idea is to express a more individual fashion statement, and as ever in Japan, usually combined with a certain cute charm. There are plenty of combinations to reflect the seasons as any good fashion item has including red ladybug characters or marine look anchor tooth art giving the necessary summer charm, or a golden heart or shining star design tooth look for a night on the town.
Another way the Japanese girls are putting their twist on things is matching their nail art and teeth art, both in the design and the colors. For example; red lipstick and nail polish with same rhinestone pattern on both.
The process of the teeth art is simple and safe enough according to the magazine, chosen items are attached to the tooth by a special glue, using LED light which simply fastens and dries the glue. The “tattoo” is easily removed after a few days (according to the information given at “Heart Dental Clinic” in Minato Ward in Tokyo) and in this way, you can freely design your personal combination and display different and unique smiles whenever you want.
Not sure how much of a mainstream trend this will become in the Japanese beauty world, but there is market a market for the unique trends among Japanese youngsters searching for individual identity and self expression.
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Using RFID to store medical records, ultimately making the jobs of paramedics and doctors that much easier, is hardly a new concept. But, for the most part, such devices have been limited to clinical trials. Asahi Kasei Corp. is hoping to change that with the debut of a tiny, 3cm-square charm that can be read by a computer or smartphone. In addition to basic info, such as name, birth date, and blood type, the chip could transmit links to more storage-intensive data like X-rays images. Instead of building out a proprietary system, the company is relying on established technology called FeliCa from Sony. That means the device will enjoy broad compatibility with existing products, and should be inexpensive to produce. Asahi Kasei hopes to begin selling the medical amulets to cities and hospitals within a year, for as little as ¥2,000 (around $25).
Tiny RFID amulet stores medical records, makes paramedics’ lives easier originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 04:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Because all you ever really wanted was an $800 bracelet that counts calories… enter the Bite Counter. It’s the retro-lookin‘ lovechild of two Clemson University researchers that helps its hosts approximate caloric consumption by counting how many bites they take. Color us skeptical, as the meatbag wearing the gizmo has to — gasp! — actually remember to both start and stop the device each time they feast. The duo is hopeful it’ll glean useful data for future research, as the contraption can be used “anywhere, such as at restaurants or while working” — you know, places where scribbling how much you eat in a secret diary is frowned upon. Best of luck fellas, but until it hits a sub-century price point, we’ll just stick to eating salads. PR after the jump.
Continue reading Bite Counter knows how many donuts you devoured, shames you into eating less
Bite Counter knows how many donuts you devoured, shames you into eating less originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Getting tested for STDs used to mean a doctor’s visit, vials of blood, and days, weeks, or even months of anxiously waiting for results. mChip aims to change all that, while simultaneously ridding your brain of viable excuses not to get tested. It works as such: one drop of blood goes on the microfluidics-based optical chip, 15 minutes pass, and boom, the AmEx-sized device will confirm whether or not you have syphilis and / or HIV. The bantam gizmo is practically foolproof, as reading the results doesn’t require any human interpretation whatsoever. Plus, it’s cheap — cheaper than a coffee at Starbucks. One dollar cheap. Researchers at Columbia University claim the mChip has a 100 percent detection rate, although there’s a four to six percent chance of getting a false positive — a stat similar to traditional lab tests. As you’d likely expect, there’s hope that the inexpensive mChip will help testing efforts in places like Africa to detect HIV before it turns into AIDS. Next stop: the self-service pharmacy at CVS?
$1 chip tests for HIV in 15 minutes flat, fits in your wallet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
RIKEN’s original RIBA healthcare robot was already fairly adept at lifting patients while not completely terrifying them but, as is the case with such things, it’s now been succeeded by a new and improved model. While its outward, bear-like appearance hasn’t changed, the new bot boasts a series of upgrades that now lets it bend over and lift patients up directly off the floor, not just off a bed or wheelchair. It’s also now able to lift patients that weight up to 176 pounds (41 pounds more than before), and it packs an array of new sensors that let it more accurately gauge a person’s weight and carry them more comfortably — not to mention some touchscreen controls on its back for when it needs a bit of direction. Hit the source link below for a video.
[Thanks, robotbling]
Continue reading RIBA-II healthcare robot now stronger, smarter — still a bear
RIBA-II healthcare robot now stronger, smarter — still a bear originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tablets and smartphones might rule the present, but if you ask the folks at WIMM Labs, the future of data consumption is a one-inch by one-inch square. The Palo Alto startup just revealed its new, wearable computing platform, developed, in part, through a partnership with Foxconn, that it hopes will change the way we look at computers. Currently known as the WIMM wearable platform, this new modular device packs a full-color 160 x 160 touchscreen, WiFi and Blutetooth connectivity, an accelerometer and magnetometer, and runs on good old Android. What’s more, it’s waterproof. Basically, it’s a tiny, multifunctional computer, packed with “micro apps” that can make it anything from a smart watch to a health monitor, from a mobile payment device to an all-in-one remote. As of now, the company doesn’t have plans to market it direct to consumers, but says it has a few partnerships in the works that could bring a WIMM-powered something to market by year’s end; a developer kit will go on sale in the next few weeks for an undisclosed price. If you’re itching to ditch that tired old diamond-encrusted nano watch, check out the galleries below and hop on past the break for our first impressions, video, and full PR.
Continue reading WIMM Labs introduces tiny wearable computer platform, we go hands-on
WIMM Labs introduces tiny wearable computer platform, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 06:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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In the rough and tumble debate surrounding the mobile phone’s ability to cause cancer, both sides agree that our young ones — indeed, some of the heaviest users — could be at an increased risk for cellular-induced tumors. According to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the radio emissions from mobile devices penetrate much deeper into the brains of children, and in the case of little tykes ages five to eight, their noggins will absorb twice the energy of the average adult. This, combined with their developing nervous systems, has brought concern for the welfare of our youngest mobile-savvy citizens, and led to a European study of nearly 1,000 (informed?) participants. Data was gathered over a four-year period, which relied upon self-reporting methods, where youngsters were found to not talk very often, and typically sent text messages instead — big surprise, right?
While long-term risks remain unknown, the researchers conclude that “a large and immediate risk of cellphones causing brain tumors in children can be excluded.” In other words: little Suzy won’t begin sprouting cancer cells overnight. While you doting parents may find comfort in the latest research, you might consider stopping short of giving the mischievous rascal an unlimited voice plan. After all, gossip still spreads best at the school yard.
[Image courtesy Derek Olson (flickr)]
Cellphones are dangerous / not dangerous: little tykes under the spotlight originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 04:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Bioengineering doctoral student Kate Balaconis shines the iPhone reader against her tattooless arm.
Maybe tattoos aren’t just for Harley riders or rebellious teens after all. In a few years, diabetics might get inked up with digital tats that communicate with an iPhone to monitor their blood.
Instead of the dye used for tribal arm bands and Chinese characters, these tattoos will contain nanosensors that read the wearer’s blood levels of sodium, glucose and even alcohol with the help of an iPhone 4 camera.
Dr. Heather Clark, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Northeastern University, is leading the research on the subdermal sensors. She said she was reminded of the benefits of real-time, wearable health monitoring when she entered a marathon in Vermont: If they become mass-produced and affordable for the consumer market, wireless devices worn on the body could tell you exactly what medication you need whenever you need it.
“I had no idea how much to drink, or when,” said Clark, reflecting on her marathon run. “Or if I should have Gatorade instead.”
Clark’s technology could spell out the eventual demise of the painful finger pricks required for blood tests — assuming users have an iPhone, which Northeastern bioengineering grad student Matt Dubach has customized to read light from the tiny sensors to collect and output data.
Here’s how it works: A 100-nanometer-wide set of sensors go under the skin, like tattoo ink — as for the size, “You can spot it if you’re looking for it,” Clark says. The sensors are encased in an oily agent to ensure the whole contraption stays together.
Within the implant, certain nanoparticles will bind exclusively to specific blood contents, like sodium or glucose. Thanks to an additive that makes the particles charge neutral, the presence of a target triggers an ion release, which manifests as a florescence change. The process is detailed in an article published in the journal Integrative Biology.
Dubach designed the iPhone 4 attachment to use the phone’s camera to read the color shift and translate the results into quantifiable data. A plastic ring surrounding the lens blocks out ambient light while a battery-powered blue LED contrasts with the sensors. The software uses the iPhone camera’s built-in RGB filters to process the light reflected off the sensors.
Why blue? Initial trials with lights that projected other colors were hindered by Apple’s built-in optical filter, but blue light uses the iPhone’s built-in RGB setup to process the data accurately. That blue light, powered by a 9-volt battery attached to the phone, works with the sensors’ red-shifted florescence because red shines well through skin.
As of now, the data collected with the iPhone still requires processing through a secondary machine, but Duboch says using the iPhone to do all the work is not far off, and that an app is likely on the way.
Clark hopes to see the work of an entire clinical analyzer done by nanoparticles interacting with smartphones, which would mean a major step forward for personalized medicine. Diabetics and athletes alike could adapt and measure their own statistics without dependence on big, pricey, exclusive medical equipment.
The testing is still in early stages, and hasn’t been tried on humans yet. Research on mice, who have comparatively thinner skin than humans, has shown promising results.
Readings of blood concentrations show up like this, with different colors indicating different sodium concentrations. Photo Courtesy of Matt Dubach.
When Apple’s next iPhone comes out, the project will benefit, said Dubach, citing rumors that the iPhone 5 will include a more powerful camera sensor.
“I’m holding out for the iPhone 5,” Dubach said. “More megapixels gives you more for the average,” meaning the higher-resolution camera provides more data for analysis. Even bioengineers are waiting for Steve Jobs’ next move.
The technology is still years off, but Clark and Dubach’s developments are bringing medicine closer to a time when diagnostics are minimally invasive. Real-time feedback through subdermal circuits and smartphone cameras means you could know exactly when to slug that water.
Researchers tested the iPhone attachment on this plate reader, which determines the nanosensors' response to the reader. Photo courtesy of Matt Dubach
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