A team of NASA engineers has been working on a new type of Thermal Protection System (TPS) for spacecraft that would improve upon the status quo. Having seen success in the laboratory with these new materials, the next step is to test in space. The Conformal Ablative Thermal Protection System, or CA-TPS, will be installed on a small probe flight article provided by Terminal Velocity Aerospace (TVA) and launched on Orbital ATK’s seventh contracted commercial resupply services missio...

There is boundless potential for robotic technology to address environmental catastrophes. Recognizing this, Colin Angle, chairman, chief executive officer and founder of iRobot and Erika Angle, chief executive officer of Science From Scientists, have founded Robots in Service of the Environment (RSE). RSE is an independent non-profit organization, not affiliated with iRobot, that is focused on developing robots to solve environmental problems. Started with initial funding from the Anthropocene ...

Swedish industrial designer Mehrdad Mahdjoubi took inspiration from Nasa to create a filtered sustainable-use shower.   The Space Foundation's international Space Certification program has added a new technology. ORBITAL SYSTEMS' "Shower of the Future" shares the same water purification technology that NASA uses in space. As one of many components in a larger closed loop system, ORBITAL SYSTEMS has modified and brought forward a new solution that makes the system commercially suitable...

Crosstex International Inc. and its subsidiary, Accutron Inc., have launched Axess Mask, a single-use, lightweight, and low-profile nasal mask that is contoured to fit comfortably over the patient’s nose. The Axess Mask and scavenging circuit are constructed of slender, lightweight tubing to reduce drag that can lead to mask displacement. The mask and circuit combined are designed to provide patients with a comfortable experience while offering clinicians easy and unobstructed access to the o...

TempTraq is the first and only 24-hour intelligent thermometer that continuously senses, records, and sends alerts of a child’s temperature to your mobile device. TempTraq can monitor multiple patches assigned to multiple children at the same time. You can set specific alert temperatures and notes for each child. The value TempTraq offers is priceless, as it’s the only intelligent, wireless way to continuously monitor and track a sick child’s temperature. Unlike other thermometers, TempTraq an...

NeuroStar TMS Therapy is an FDA-cleared safe and effective non-drug depression treatment for patients who are not satisfied with the results of standard drug therapy. This novel treatment option provides benefits without the side effects often associated with antidepressant medication. What is NeuroStar TMS Therapy (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation): Is similar to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Uses precisely targeted magnetic pulses Stimulates key areas of the brain that are...

The brake lights on your motorcycle work okay. But they're mounted low on your bike and don't account for different types of braking. The new Wireless motorcycle helmet has beend evloped with smart brake light that shines at motorist eye level. Motorcycle helmets are beneficial safety gear, but only in a "In case of emergency, break glass" sort of way, when things are already bad. California startup Brake Free wants to make your helmet useful in preventing the emergency in the first place, bu...

DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office (TTO) focuses on conceiving, designing, developing, and testing advanced technology platforms that provide U.S. forces with overwhelming tactical and strategic advantage, including vehicles, weapons, and other full-scale, potentially field-deployable systems. Whether designed to operate on the ground, at sea, in the air, in space or across domains, TTO platforms and supporting technologies have a common origin: as innovative ideas generated by program managers ...

The Human Support Robot (HSR) is being developed to assist people in their everyday activities. In the future, the HSR will coexist with family members in the home, providing support to improve living conditions and the overall quality of life. Features Three key features make it possible for the HSR to operate in indoor environments around people. 1.Compact, Lightweight Body To better accommodate a wide variety of households, the HSR needs to be lightweight and maneuverable. An ar...

Biomedical engineers have developed a way to deliver drugs to specific types of neurons in the brain, providing an unprecedented ability to study neurological diseases while also promising a more targeted way to treat them. Drugs are the tool of choice for studying the connections between neurons, and continue to be the mainstream treatment for neurological disease. But a major drawback in both endeavors is that the drugs affect all types of neurons, complicating the study of how cell recepto...

Researchers have shown how to modify commercially available silicon wafers into a structure that efficiently absorbs solar energy and withstands the high temperatures needed for “concentrated solar power” plants that might run up to 24 hours a day. The research advances global efforts to design hybrid systems that combine solar photovoltaic cells, which convert visible and ultraviolet light into electricity, thermoelectric devices that convert heat into electricity, and steam turbines to genera...

Leave your phone behind when you run and experience the smartwatch that lets you run, track and listen untethered. With NB RunIQ, you can GPS track your course and pace, bring your music along, monitor your heart rate and even receive and reply to notifications from your phone. Plus, this activity tracker syncs with Strava, the social network for athletes, so you can share your workout with a community of runners worldwide. https://youtu.be/9Y5fhknWOO8     New Balance RunIQ...

Mabu the personal healthcare companion is the face of Catalia Health’s platform for patient engagement.  We’ll be talking more about the backend software algorithms and medical best practices that drive her conversations with patients in the future.  She’s designed to help patients with the myriad challenges of chronic disease management and will be first rolled out this year to help a particular group of patients manage the medication portion of their treatment.  The video that is part of this...

NASA Invests in 22 Visionary Exploration Concepts Montage of innovative concepts selected for 2017 NIAC Phase I and Phase II funding Credits: Joel Sercel, Jay McMahon, Siegfried Janson, Adam Arkin, Jonathan Sauder, John Lewis and background, Chris Mann NASA is preparing for a future that could include soft robotic spacecraft with flexible surfaces that can anchor to an asteroid, and an artificial gravity device for long-duration, deep space missions, along with other t...

University of Utah Department of Bioengineering is developing device (Electrode Array) that will allow amputee’s arm to read signals from the brain and then tell the prosthetic hand how to move. Researchers, led by Clark, are further developing the Utah Slanted Electrode Array, a neural interface that uses 100 electrodes which connect with nerves in an amputee’s arm to read signals from the brain - telling the hand how to move. The Utah Slanted Electrode Array was first developed by Departmen...

Medical Realities is an innovative group offering medical training products, specializing in virtual reality, augmented reality and serious games. By using consumer-level virtual reality devices such as the Oculus Rift, Medical Realities can reduce the cost of training, reach a wider audience & provide a completely safe learning environment for medical students. Combining 360 video, 3D and interactive content, The Virtual Surgeon™ puts you inside the operating theatre overseeing an op...

Engineering students Seth Robertson and Viet Tran of George Mason University in Virginia have invented a revolutionary device that uses low-frequency sound waves to extinguish fire instead of water, gas or foam. The young engineers used $600 worth of equipment, including a speaker, amps and a collimeter, to starve the flame of oxygen, thus putting it out. The fire extinguisher uses low frequencies between 30 and 60 hertz ranges to blast the fire, separating oxygen from the fuel. New typ...

The plant’s immune system can recognize whether a piece of RNA is an invader or not based on whether the RNA has a threaded bead-like structure at the end, say University of Tokyo researchers. Their finding provides an answer to the quarter-century-old question of why RNAs belonging to the plant escape its self-defense mechanism, paving the way for future biotechnological techniques to modify crops. Our immune system protects us from diseases and infections by fighting off viruses and other f...

IKEA has introduced smart functionality into its new Trådfri lighting range, as it takes its first major step into the Internet of Things. The range consists of bulbs, LED panels and cabinet doors that can be controlled using a remote or app. Sensors are an optional extra, allowing the lights to switch on and off automatically when someone enters or leaves a room. As well as turning the lights off and on, users can select their optimal brightness and warmth, and using the app, create p...

Folding Kayak - HYPAR. In few minutes, HYPAR transforms from compact, light Box into a sleek Kayak that has excellent speed and control ability. HYPAR folds back into a compact box, designed to be carried as a light-weight backpack - making it incredibly easy to handle, transport and amazingly convenient to store. The modular design of HYPAR ensures easy reconfiguration from kayak to canoe, sailing boat or dinghy - even a solar boat and more! The perfectly streamlined, graceful hull des...

Inspired by the structure of wood, engineers at the University of Maryland have used modified wood as a unique architecture for the negative electrode of a lithium metal battery, seeking to prevent some of the key factors that lead to battery failure. Lithium ion shuttling in rechargeable batteries provides energy to power phones, laptops, and even light bulbs. When the battery is charged, the lithium metal expands; and when it is discharged, the lithium metal deflates. This rapid c...

GoSun Stove is a portable, tube-shaped solar oven that's billed as being powerful enough to cook a full meal, even on cloudy days. Much like the Solar Kettle, this solar cooker uses parabolic mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto a glass cylinder and cook the contents inside. But while the Solar Kettle was built for heating up beverages and boiled eggs, the GoSun Stove sports a slightly larger set of mirrors and a stainless steel tray for food, allowing it to act as a portable convection oven for...