Hasta La Gadget!

Scientists from the Imperial College London were able to develop an ultra-sensitive sensor that will allow doctors to detect the early stages of diseases with their naked eye. The newly developed sensor, which is still a prototype, is reportedly ten times more sensitive than the current methods today. This allows doctors to detect the onset of diseases such as prostate cancer and other virus infections, and even HIV.

Essentially, the sensor works by analyzing serum, a protein-rich liquid that separates when blood coagulates. Positive and negative reactions can then be viewed easily by the naked eye. The scientists believe that the new sensor will greatly help other countries without the necessary equipment and technology to treat its patients. So far the sensor was able to detect a biomarker called p24 in blood samples, which actually indicates HIV. In another series of tests conducted, the sensor was also able to detect a biomarker called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), which is an indicator for Prostate Cancer.

“We have developed a test that we hope will enable previously undetectable HIV infections and indicators of cancer to be picked up, which would mean people could be treated sooner. We also believe that this test could be significantly cheaper to administer, which could pave the way for more widespread use of HIV testing in poorer parts of the world,” said Dr. Roberto de la Rica of Imperial College London.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Spectral Instruments’ 1100-series 112 megapixel camera is one of a kind, Paper sensor performs malaria and HIV tests,

While the whack of two helmets might be an unavoidable part of some high intensity sports, knowing a little more about what’s going on during those impacts can mean the difference between a time out, and time in hospital. Reebok-CCM Hockey and electronics form MC10 have just announced that they are developing a wearable cap that will register the strength and severity of head impacts during games. The project is actually aimed at all sports and age-groups, and uses high-performance electronics reshaped into an ultra-thin, breathable, flexible system that technology partner, MC10, expects to also be much more affordable. The cap will allow quick analysis through the use of different colored readouts, illustrating the strength of impact. The product won’t be commercially available until next year however, but we’re already thinking of potential worthy collaborations.

Continue reading Reebok-CCM partnering on impact-sensing flexible sports cap, hopes to improve real-time injury analysis

Filed under: Wearables

Reebok-CCM partnering on impact-sensing flexible sports cap, hopes to improve real-time injury analysis originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Oct 2012 04:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There are a number of wearable devices on the market these days which can monitor your activity when you exercise, but they’re all pretty much glorified motion sensors, which extrapolate your activity level based on movement. Now, a team of engineers from MIT is working on a new kind of wearable sensor which could not only monitor motion, but vital health statistics.

The Amiigo wearable sensor is not only capable of detecting movements and gestures, but also your heart rate, blood oxygen levels and skin temperature. All of these data points can help you monitor the effectiveness and safety of your workout routine. In addition, the Amiigo monitor is waterproof, so it can even go in the swimming pool, making it a great gadget idea for triatheletes and winter sports buffs.

The device will come with two sensor components – one worn on the wrist, the other clipped onto the shoe. A companion smartphone app will track all of your workouts and physical activities in detail, as well as enable competition and sharing with friends. A set of proprietary discrimination and machine learning algorithms can even discern exactly what sort of activities you’re partaking in and record these automatically. For instance, it could identify the difference between a bicep curl and a pull-up.

The guys behind the Amiigo also plan on offering an SDK for the device, which would allow for the creation of custom software which could leverage the data from the sensors – whether for other fitness or health applications, or even for gaming.

The Amiigo will be launching a crowdfunding campaign at the end of October, and you can sign up to be notified about it over on their website.

Microsoft had hinted that there were big things in store for its update to the Kinect for Windows SDK on October 8th. It wasn’t bluffing; developers can now tap a much wider range of input than the usual frantic arm-waving. Gadgets that move the Kinect itself can use the accelerometer to register every tilt and jolt, while low-light fans can access the raw infrared sensor stream. The Redmond crew will even even let coders go beyond the usual boundaries, giving them access to depth information beyond 13 feet, fine-tuning the camera settings and tracking skeletal data from multiple sensors inside of one app. Just where we use the SDK has been expanded as well — in addition to promised Chinese support, Kinect input is an option for Windows 8 desktop apps. Programmers who find regular hand control just too limiting can hit the source for the download link and check Microsoft’s blog for grittier detail.

Filed under: Peripherals, Software, Microsoft

Kinect for Windows SDK gets accelerometer and infrared input, reaches China and Windows 8 desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First they invaded our factories, and now it’s our hotel rooms. Is nowhere safe from the robots? In truth, Ibis’ upcoming Sleep Art project is very slick, even if it smacks of robot voyeurism. Ibis hotels in Berlin, London and Paris will let 40 successful applicants sleep on beds that each have 80 sensors translating movements, sound and temperature into truly unique acrylic paintings by robotic arms connected through WiFi. You don’t have to worry that the machines are literally watching you sleep — there’s no cameras or other visual records of the night’s tossing and turning, apart from the abstract lines on the canvas. All the same, if you succeed in landing a stay in one of the Sleep Art hotel rooms between October 13th and November 23rd, you’re a brave person. We all know how this ends.

Continue reading Ibis hotels to have robots paint art while they track your sleep: no, that’s not creepy at all (video)

Filed under: Robots, Alt

Ibis hotels to have robots paint art while they track your sleep: no, that’s not creepy at all (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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