Special Technique For Turning Sunshine In To Power

A new technique developed by a University of Colorado Boulder team converts sunshine and water directly into usable fuel. The technique involves concentrating sunlight in a solar tower to achieve temperatures high enough to drive chemical reactions that split water into its constituent oxygen and hydrogen molecules. In this way, the team says it should be able to cheaply produce massive amounts of hydrogen fuel.
The team's solar thermal system concentrates sunlight off a vast array of mirrors into a single point at the top of a tall tower to produce very high temperatures. When this heat is delivered into a reactor full of metal oxides, the oxides heat up and release oxygen. The reduced metal oxide now gains a chemical composition that makes it ready to bind with oxygen atoms. Introducing steam into the reactor, which can also be produced by heating water with sunlight, causes the compound to draw oxygen atoms out of the water molecules, leaving behind hydrogen molecules that can be collected as hydrogen gas.
While the concept of using an array of mirrors to concentrate sunlight into a single point at the top of a tall tower is nothing new, being the same technique used in solar thermal tower power plants, there are certain key differences here. Typically, sunlight is concentrated about 500 to 800 times in standard solar power tower designs to reach temperatures of about 500º C (932 º F) and produce steam that drives a turbine to generate electricity. However, splitting water requires temperatures of around 1,350º C (2,500º F), which is hot enough to melt steel.
"You need this high temperature both to give you the driving force to drive the chemical reactions and also the kinetics to make the reactions go fast enough to make the process practical," says Charles Musgrave, Professor of Chemical and Biological engineering at CU-Boulder.
To get those kinds of temperatures, the team added additional mirrors within the tower to further concentrate the sunlight onto the reactor and the active material. While it isn't too different in principle from using a magnifying glass to focus sunlight onto a piece of paper to get it to burn, this setup allows the reflected sunlight to be concentrated by up to 2,000 times. "We are trying to use sunlight to drive chemical reactions that require higher temperatures than combustion," says Musgrave.
The big breakthrough came about when the team discovered certain active materials that allowed both these chemical reactions (reducing the metal oxide and re-oxidizing it with steam) to occur at the same temperature.
Though there aren't any working models, conventional theory dictates that a change in temperature is necessary to make the two different reactions occur – a high temperature for reducing the oxide and a low temperature for re-oxidation. Instead, the introduction or the absence of steam is used to drive the different reactions and certain unique properties of the metal oxide compounds used makes this possible.
"We determined that both reactions could be driven at the same temperature of about 2,500° F (1,371° C)," Musgrave told us. "Even though we run at a constant and lower temperature we still generate more hydrogen than competing processes."
Alan Weimer, the research group leader at CU-Boulder says that eliminating the time and energy required for temperature swings lets them make more hydrogen in a given amount of time. To produce even more hydrogen fuel they'd only need to increase the amount of material in the reactor. "In many respects, our approach is out of the box where prior work was inside of the box using the temperature swing," he adds.
According to the team, huge solar plants spread across many acres could produce much more fuel per acre than biofuels for the same amount of acreage. Another advantage that this process has over other renewable technologies, such as wind and photovoltaics, is that it directs sunlight to directly drive chemical reactions to produce fuel for use in combustion engines or fuel cells. In contrast, photovoltaic processes first convert sunlight into electricity, reducing overall efficiency.
"Our objective is to produce hydrogen (H2) at $2/kg H2," Weimer tells Gizmag. "This is equivalent to about US$2/gallon (3.7 L) of gasoline based on mileage in a fuel cell car versus a combustion engine today." With the aid of a solar thermal plant, the team believes that on a land area of about 48,500 ha (120,000 acres) they can generate 100,000 kg (222,460 lb) of hydrogen per day, which is enough to run over 5,000 hydrogen-fuel cell buses daily.
Though the technology has the potential to be a game-changer in pushing the hydrogen economy forward, commercialization might still be several years away thanks to continuing stiff competition from fossil fuels.

Neuromorphic Chips Used For Reverse engineering

Researchers at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich have designed a sophisticated computer system that is comparable in size, speed and energy consumption to the human brain. Based on the development of neuromorphic microchips that mimic the properties of biological neurons, the research is seen as an important step in understanding how the human brain processes information and opens the door to fast, extremely low-power electronic systems that can assimilate sensory input and perform user-defined tasks in real time.

Neuromorphic engineering

The human brain is a remarkable machine: with a power consumption of only about 20 W, it can outclass the fastest supercomputer in most real-world tasks – particularly those involving the processing of sensory input. Researchers believe that the brain's astounding abilities aren't down to mere processing speed, but rather to the highly efficient way in which it elaborates information.
Though we lack the tools to fully investigate the brain's "computing architecture," we know that unlike your standard CPU the brain uses a mixture of analog and digital signals at the same time; that information is processed on a massively parallel scale at relatively slow speeds; that memory and instruction signals are often seamlessly combined; and that continuous adaptation and self-organization of its neural networks play a crucial part in its function.
Established in the late 1980s, neuromorphic engineering is an interdisciplinary amalgam of neuroscience, biology, computer science and a number of other fields that attempts first to understand how the brain manipulates information, and then to replicate the same processes on a computer chip. The goal is the development of new, powerful computing architectures that could be used to model the brain and, perhaps, even serve as a stepping stone to a sophisticated, human-like artificial intelligence.
Most attempts at replicating a human brain involve simulating a very large number of neurons on a supercomputer; the neuromorphic approach, however, is quite different because it involves developing custom electronic circuits that simulate the neuron firing mechanisms in the actual brain and are similar to the brain in terms of size, speed and energy consumption.
"The neurons implemented with our approach have programmable time constants," Prof. Giacomo Indiveri, who led the research efforts, told Gizmag. "They can go as slow as real neurons or they can go significantly faster (e.g. >1000 times), but we slow them down to realistic time scales to be able to have systems that can interact with the environment and the user efficiently."
The silicon neurons, Indiveri told us, are comparable in size to actual neurons and they consume very little power. Compared to the supercomputer approach, their system consumes approximately 200,000 times less energy – only a few picojoules per spike.
A neuromorphic chip uses its most basic components in a radically different way than your standard CPU. Transistors, which are normally used as an on/off switch, here can also be used as an analog dial. The end result is that neuromorphic chips require far fewer transistors than the standard, all-digital approach. Neuromorphic chips also implement mechanisms that can easily modify synapses as data is processed, simulating the brain's neuroplasticity.

Soft state machines

Promising as they may be, neuromorphic neurons have proven difficult to organize in cooperative networks to perform a user-defined task. The Zurich researchers have now solved this problem by developing a sort of elementary structure – what they called a "soft state machine" (SSM) – that can be used to describe and implement complex behaviors in a neuromorphic system.
In computer science, a finite state machine (FSM) is a mathematical model similar to a flowchart that can be used to design computer programs and logic circuits. FSMs can implement context-dependent decision-making, "if-A-then-do-B" clauses, and use a short-term memory of sorts.
SSMs are neuronal state machines similar to FSMs that combine analog and digital signal processing. As such, they can be used to describe a complex behavior in a neuromorphic chip. The behavior can be first described in terms of a standard finite state machine, and then automatically translated into a SSM that can be implemented on a neuromorphic chip.

A smarter silicon retina

The researchers tested their findings on an advanced electronic camera known as silicon retina with a visual-processing-based task inspired by those used to evaluate the cognitive abilities of human subjects.
"The subject (our neuromorphic system in our case) is presented with a cue at the beginning of the experiment which specifies the rule to use for the task," Indiveri explained. "The subject is required to look at a screen in which a horizontal bar and a vertical bar are moving, and depending on the initial cue, the subject is supposed to report if and when a vertical bar crosses the middle of the screen from left to right, or if a horizontal bar crosses it from right to left."
Aside from real-time visual processing, the task also requires memory and context-dependent decision making, elements that are commonly accepted as signs of cognition. Interestingly, the neural structures that form as this visual test is performed has shown a remarkable similarity with neural structures in the mammalian brain.
"The recurrent neural circuits implemented in the system have the same type of connectivity patterns found in the visual cortex of the cat," says Indiveri. "In particular, they implement soft winner-take-all circuits that are based on descriptions of canonical microcircuits found in the visual cortex."

Applications

This work sheds light on how the neural networks in the brain implement the higher cognitive functions, and offers some valuable insights as to how future neuromorphic chips could go about increasing performance even further.
"One of the goals of our work, and neuromorphic engineering in general, is to use this technology as a medium for understanding the principles that underlie neural computation. So my hope is that our work can contribute to the task of reverse engineering the way a brain works," says Indiveri.
In the more immediate future, the researchers will combine the chips with several sensory components at once, such as an artificial cochlea or retina, to create complex cognitive systems that interact with their surroundings on multiple levels, all in real time.

Bluetooth Technology Next Generation

Tooth fillings acting as radio receivers may be nothing more than a myth, but scientists at the National Taiwan University are developing an artificial tooth that would send rather than receive transmissions. They’re working on embedding a sensor in a tooth to keep an eye on oral goings on, along with a Bluetooth transmitter to transmit the data and tell your doctor what your mouth's been up to.
Our mouth is our most multi-purpose orifice. We breathe with it, we taste with it, we use it for eating, for talking, for expressing emotions, for making love and even foolishly trying to open the occasional beer bottle. But scientists think it's also an untapped resource for monitoring people’s health. With this in mind, National Taiwan University researchers reasoned that if they could hook up the mouth with some sensors, it could help to better understand people’s habits and identify potential health problems, such as if a person is smoking or drinking too much.

The tooth sensor is a first step in this direction. Designed to fit into an artificial tooth, it includes a tri-axial accelerometer that monitors mouth movements to figure out when the patient is chewing, drinking, speaking, or coughing, with the readings transmitted to a smartphone via Bluetooth.
Currently, the scientists are still at the proof of concept stage, so their first design dispensed with the James Bond-style artificial tooth embedded with a radio transmitter in favor of a small breakout board that’s been coated with dental resin. This makes it saliva-proof and able to be anchored to the subject’s dental work with dental cement while the transmitter’s job is done by a wire running out of the mouth. This may seem a bit low tech, but it does prevent the subject from swallowing the device if it comes loose.
Eight subjects, five men and three women, had a sensor installed and were then asked to carry out a series of tasks, such as coughing, chewing gum, drinking water or reading out loud. According to the team, the sensor was able to correctly identify the particular oral activity with a 93.8 percent success rate when it combined the data from all eight subjects, with 59.8 percent accuracy rate when using the data from seven subjects to figure out what the eighth was doing.
The team is now working on the next prototype, which will transmit wirelessly and be powered by a rechargeable battery. After that, they will improve the system’s accuracy and address safety issues.

TRASH AMPS JAM

We’ve seen big glass speakers and we’ve seen smaller models, but Trash Amps’ Jam takes the whole glass speaker thing down to a new level – it’s a speaker and amplifier, housed in a Mason jar.
Electronics do-it-yourselfers have been making glass jar speakers for a while now, perhaps most notably Sarah Pease with her audioJar. Like some of those DIY efforts, the Trash Amps Jam has its guts attached to the underside of the lid, with holes in that lid acting as a grille. In the case of the Jam, however, the jar’s tin lid has been replaced with more acoustically-friendly Baltic birch plywood.
An included curly cord with 3.5-mm plugs at either end allows users to play music from their mobile device through the Jam. An included adapter plug also allows them to use it with an electric guitar – an input switch lets them choose between MP3 and guitar line-in levels.

Little in the way of specs are available, although the device does apparently run for about 20 hours on one charge of its integrated battery.
Should you be nervous about breaking its glass body, Trash Amps also makes a speaker/amplifier that’s housed in a beverage can.
The Trash Amps Jam is currently available for about US$70, via the link below.

Motorola Next Generation Mobile Device

Google-owned Motorola is going after the middle of the smartphone market in a big way with its new Android flagship, the Moto X. At the heart of the device is Motorola's "X8" chipset, made up of a dual core Qualcomm S4 CPU, a quad-core Adreno GPU and two more cores that the company calls its "contextual core."
While it may sound nerdy, Moto X's ability to understand its role in the world around it at any given time is something that Motorola hopes will be a major selling point to consumers who might otherwise opt for an iPhone or the latest name brand Android handset from the likes of Samsung.
A key part of Moto X's hyper-awareness is its ability to constantly listen for its owner to say "OK, Google Now," which wakes up the phone and activates the Google Now voice-activated personal assistant.

Gizmag was on hand at the official unveiling of the Moto X in New York this week and I was given a walk-through of the phone's "touchless" features and overall contextual awareness. Watch the video below from that event to see a demonstration by a Motorola rep, as well as the low-down on the customization options for the Moto X

New Trainer To Help Toilet Train

A new toilet-training device developed by researchers at the University of Rochester combines a wearable sensor pad, Bluetooth technology, an iOS device and accompanying app to help toilet train intellectually disabled children. Rather than just providing entertainment like the iPotty, the Quick Trainer issues an alert the moment the child starts to pee, so adults can take them to the toilet and encourage them to use it. If all goes well, they are rewarded with treats to encourage them to head to the toilet the next time the need arises.
Similar to the Huggies TweetPee concept, the device features a disposable sensor resembling a panty liner that fits into the child's underwear, and a Bluetooth transmitter that snugly snaps onto the sensor. The sensor pad is made of soft fabric that is embedded with conductive thread that forms a circuit when exposed to moisture, while the Bluetooth module is battery powered and reusable. So when the child has an accident, a circuit is formed and the Bluetooth module sends a message to the parent's iOS device which sounds an alert and records the incident in a log.
Taking care of the child at that point becomes a simple four step process. The parent or caregiver lets the child know that it's potty time and takes them there. Then there's getting them to sit on the potty and encouraging them to go if they still need to. Next comes a five minute wait during which they hopefully do their business.
If the child does do the deed, they get a reward through a personalized picture-based reward menu on the iOS device (in addition to effusive praise). These rewards can include the playing of a favorite video, YouTube clip, game, song or even the option to choose a picture of a snack they'd like to receive. If the child has already done their business before making it to the toilet, they are thanked and reminded they'll get a reward next time and the sensor pad is removed and replaced with a fresh one.

According to the Rochester University researchers who developed the Quick Trainer, children who've been wearing disposable underwear for years were toilet trained in 45 days or less using the device. That's good news for parents of children with intellectual disabilities, autism and Down Syndrome for whom the toilet training process can be a nightmare.
"One study suggests that it takes about a year-and-a-half to train children with autism, and many do not use the toilet independently even through their school age years and beyond," Daniel Mruzek, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, told Gizmag.
Most parents and teachers tackle the problem by scheduling trips to the toilet, rewarding kids when they do go potty but they are stopgap solutions at best. "Consider two to three 10-minute diaper or pull-up changes during each school day across entire school years," Mruzek says. A watchful eye doesn't help either since these kids often don't do a potty dance or display any outward signs when they need to go. Fear of potty accidents is a quality-of-life issue for both parents and children that severely affects all their daily activities.
Mruzek, along with bioengineer Stephen McAleavey, set out to create a wireless wearable sensor system to tackle the problem. Earlier versions of the Quick Trainer featured bulkier components, which the team scaled down to a two part system consisting of a sensor/transmitter combo to fit in a child's undergarments and a receiver/pager unit consisting of an iOS device and a potty training app, to be carried with the parent or placed nearby.
McAleavey states that the device can operate at a range of 150 ft (45 m) outdoors and at least 30 ft (9 m) indoors, through walls and doors. It can also monitor several children at once and records the date and time of the accident for follow-up analysis, with parents able to send the data to a clinician via email. Additionally, they can manually log and email their child's successful trips to the bathroom.
Initial results show a lot of promise. An 11 year-old female child with severe intellectual disability began using the toilet without accidents after 40 days and a 15 year old boy with the same condition needed only 26 days. Both had histories of repeated, unsuccessful training attempts and were using disposable pull-ups before using the Quick Trainer.
Being trained with the Quick Trainer doesn't mean having to use it forever. According to the team, even children showing no outward signs of wanting to potty begin to develop clear signals such as rocking, pacing, vocalizing and grabbing the iOS device when they need to go. Parents can use these behaviors to initiate potty trips, gradually reducing their child's dependence on the device until they don't need it any longer.
After larger clinical trials, the team plans to develop the technology further to assist individuals with other types of disabilities as well as the elderly receiving care to help them become as independent as possible. Initially funded through the crowd funding site, Innovocracy, the project is currently being supported by the Autism Treatment Network.

Lamborghini Most Extreme Car

Lamborghini has announced that the latest model in its Gallardo line-up will make its world premiere at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. Based on Lamborghini’s Super Trofeo track cars, the new LP 570-4 Squadra Corse sports a 570 hp, V10 engine that will launch it from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a prompt 3.4 seconds before hitting a top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph).

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The Italian manufacturer with a penchant for angular carbon fiber describes this latest model as the most extreme yet in the Gallardo line-up. In essence, it's a track racer with street going personality traits.
To break down the car's moniker, 570 refers to the 5.7 liter engine while the 4 refers to the all-wheel drive setup. Squadra Corse refers to the recently-founded division within Automobili Lamborghini that manages all of the company’s motorsport activities.
The new Squadra Corse comes standard with carbon ceramic brakes, Lamborghini’s 6-speed paddle driven transmission and, like the Trofeo series model, carries with it a rear wing capable of generating three times the downforce of the Gallardo LP 560-4. A removable engine cover, with a quick release system is also a carryover from the race versions. Both the cover and rear wing are made from carbon composites to reduce weight.
Speaking of weight loss programs, the new Gallardo tips the scales at a svelte 1340 kg (2954 lb), 70 kg (154 lb) lighter than the LP 560-4. Carbon fiber and aluminum architecture is used throughout, resulting in a stiffer, lighter chassis.

Aesthetically, beyond the big honking rear wing, there’s the usual array of limited edition add-ons. Door panels, racing seats, center console cover, part of the steering wheel and other various bits are composed of carbon fiber with a dash of Alcantara used throughout to soften the harsh, industrial feel. Buyers also have the option of replacing the Squadra Corse’s racing seats with standard seats should they wish.
The LP 570-4 Squadra Corse will make its world debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor next month where Gizmag will be on hand for a closer look. The Squadra Corse will be available in Giallo Midas yellow, Bianco Monocerus white, Grigio Thalasso grey and of course, Rosso Mars red. Pricing is to be revealed later this year.