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Lobster's eyes inspire hand-held detection device
The crustacean’s impressive ability to see through dark, cloudy, deep sea water is guiding scientists in developing a ray that could be used by border agents, airport screeners, and the Coast Guard
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Budget cuts threaten Fermilab's viability
Fermilab’s 2008 budget will be 17 percent smaller than the 2007 budget; 200 of its 1,900 scientists will be laid off next month; NOνA’s neutrino experiment, Tevatron collider, other programs to be halted; one scientist says: “Effectively, Fermilab is put on a glide-path to shut down after 2011”
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iRobot wins $286 million Army robot contract
iRobot signs contract to supply the U.S. Army with 3,000 of the company’s PackBot military robot platform; contract marks Army’s intention of increasing role and missions of robots in battle
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Adding bellyflaps to blended-wing aircraft increase their manoeuvrability
Blended-wing aircraft generate less drag, are quieter, and use far less fuel; they are also less maneuverable because the aerodynamic surfaces that control an aircraft’s pitch are located closer to the aircraft’s center of gravity than those on a conventional aircraft; the solution, adding bellyflaps
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New, quick test for dehydration
In-the-field exertions by soldiers and first responders may cause dehydration, the result of fluid loss of only a few percent of body weight; Philips offers a transducer which measures how much the skin deforms when sucked — a clear indication of dehydration
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Robotic device to help first responders
UC San Diego graduate engineering student designs Gizmo — a robotic device which can be sent to dangerous areas to collect and transmit information that emergency personnel need
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Existing biotechnology would save energy, cut CO2 by 100 percent
A major — and surprisingly overlooked — contribution to reducing greenhouse gasses: New analysis shows that use of existing biotechnology in the production of bulk chemicals could reduce consumption of nonrenewable energy and carbon emissions by 100 percent
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Innovative nozzle protects firefighters against flashover
Firefighters face not only the immediate fire, but also the risk of flashover — this is when fumes seeping out of walls and furniture get so hot they spontaneously ignite; innovative nozzle from an Austrian company addresses this risk
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Shape-memory rubber developed
University of Rochester researchers develop shape-memory rubber which allows designers to make products as diverse as biomedical implants, conformal face-masks, self-sealing sutures, and “smart” labels; material made from shape-memory polymers, once stretched into a new shape, stay in that form until heated, at which time they revert to their initial shape
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Enjoying the benefits of GPS technology without giving up on privacy
The proliferation of location-based services raises the specter of an Orwellian Big Brother society in which a citizen’s every move is monitored and tracked; two computer scientists offer a way to enjoy the benefits of location-based services, while avoiding the more sinister aspects of the technology
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Photonic crystal fiber creates broad spectra of light
Bath University researchers explain the ability of photonic crystal fiber to create broad spectra of light, opening the way for developments in various technologies
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Boeing installs high-energy chemical laser aboard a C-130
The laser, which includes a 5,400 kg integrated laser module, has been installed in a rotating turret on the aircraft’s belly and aligned with the previously installed beam control system
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U.K. government promotes commercialization of innovative technology
The U.K. government and a couple of research associations are seeking bids from universities interested in hosting new Innovation and Knowledge Centers (IKCs); each center will be funded with £9.5 million spread over five years
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New siren for emergency vehicles shakes the ground
If the flashing blue lights, ear-piercing sirens, and blazing headlamps of a police car or an ambulance do not manage to attract your attention, then shaking the earth under your feet surely will
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Low-cost killer robots may replace soldiers
Robotex, a Silicon Valley start-up, combines engineering skill and innovative weaponry to create robot soldiers; system developed with no government funding
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More headlines
The long view
Autonomous Vehicle Technology Vulnerable to Road Object Spoofing and Vanishing Attacks
Researchers have demonstrated the potentially hazardous vulnerabilities associated with the technology called LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, many autonomous vehicles use to navigate streets, roads and highways. The researchers have shown how to use lasers to fool LiDAR into “seeing” objects that are not present and missing those that are – deficiencies that can cause unwarranted and unsafe braking or collisions.
Tantalizing Method to Study Cyberdeterrence
Tantalus is unlike most war games because it is experimental instead of experiential — the immersive game differs by overlapping scientific rigor and quantitative assessment methods with the experimental sciences, and experimental war gaming provides insightful data for real-world cyberattacks.
Prototype Self-Service Screening System Unveiled
TSA and DHS S&T unveiled a prototype checkpoint technology, the self-service screening system, at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, NV. The aim is to provide a near self-sufficient passenger screening process while enabling passengers to directly receive on-person alarm information and allow for the passenger self-resolution of those alarms.
Falling Space Debris: How High Is the Risk I'll Get Hit?
An International Space Station battery fell back to Earth and, luckily, splashed down harmlessly in the Atlantic. Should we have worried? Space debris reenters our atmosphere every week.
Testing Cutting-Edge Counter-Drone Technology
Drones have many positive applications, bad actors can use them for nefarious purposes. Two recent field demonstrations brought government, academia, and industry together to evaluate innovative counter-unmanned aircraft systems.
Strengthening the Grid’s ‘Backbone’ with Hydropower
Argonne-led studies investigate how hydropower could help add more clean energy to the grid, how it generates value as grids add more renewable energy, and how liner technology can improve hydropower efficiency.