Tag: var-caption

Rubbery coating prevents machines from freezing over

Add / Remove Winter weather can wreak havoc with flight schedules. We recently wrote about a de-icing concrete that could be used at airports to prevent cancellations, and now researchers at the University of Michigan have developed an ice-repellent spray , which could be applied to airplanes — and other machinery — to prevent them from freezing over. The “icephobic” coating is made of common synthetic rubbers and could provide a green alternative to chemical melting agents or costly defrosting systems. When sprayed onto a solid surface, the substance, because of its rubbery texture, uses interfacial cavitation to repel the ice. As a result, it is significantly easier to remove ice that forms on the surface because the two materials do not bond to each other. The researchers envision the spray being used on freezers, wind turbines or oil rigs. What other applications are there for the “icephobic” coating? Website: www.ns.umich.edu Contact: gcherry@umich.edu The post Rubbery coating prevents machines from freezing over appeared first on Springwise .

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Rubbery coating prevents machines from freezing over

Name-your-price hotel rooms

Add / Remove Hotels are often left with unfilled rooms, which is why we have seen websites offering to cancel and rebook rooms for customers, and make the most of fluctuating room prices. Polish startup Findbed reverses the booking process by enabling customers to name their ideal price, leaving the hoteliers to decide whether or not to accept their offers. We have already seen taxi and private jet services use the ‘name-your-price’ business model. Now, FindBed enables customers to book a room at a rate of their choice. To begin, customers declare their desired price and the platform sends out the offer to all appropriate venues. Then, the manager of the hotel has three hours to decide whether or not to accept the offer. Finally, the customer is sent a list of all the places that will offer a room at that price and the user chooses their favorite. What other industries could integrate this model? Website: www.findbed.pl Contact: rafal@findbed.pl The post Name-your-price hotel rooms appeared first on Springwise .

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Name-your-price hotel rooms

Neuro-headsets for under USD 500 could help market research

Add / Remove EEG headsets are invaluable devices, used in hospitals and labs to aid researchers’ understanding of brain activity. Previously, their cost has made them unaffordable to smaller teams, but now Emotiv have developed a range of headset that cost under USD 500. This means that schools, small research programs and individuals can experiment with brain monitoring functionalities. Emotiv’s devices — including the EPOC and the Insight — are both worn on the head. Each wireless headset has multiple channels — the EPOC has 14 EEG channels, while the Insight has five. They can be used for anything from emotion tracking and creating brain maps, to controlling games and smart objects with the wearer’s brain. Additionally, the devices could be used by people with physical disabilities to communicate and interact with their surroundings. Market researchers could also find the headsets useful. EEG works by translating brain activity and facial expressions into readable emotions, so by getting subjects to wear the headsets, the process of screening a new advert or campaign could be streamlined and made more accurate. The Emotiv Insight was crowdfunded on Kickstarter and is now available from USD 358.95. How else could the headsets be used to advance research and experimentation? Website: www.emotiv.com Contact: hello@emotiv.com The post Neuro-headsets for under USD 500 could help market research appeared first on Springwise .

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Neuro-headsets for under USD 500 could help market research

Candle-powered heater runs on 10 cents a day

Add / Remove With both gas and electric power getting evermore expensive, efficient heat sources are in great demand. We have already seen an indoor bed-tent from Room in Room , and now Italian designer Marco Zagaria has created the Egloo — a candle-powered heater that is both cheap and ecologically friendly. The Egloo consists of a base, a grill and two terracotta domes. Candles can be placed on the base, and will warm up the domes when they are lit. The grill supports the domes and makes a space in which the candles can combust. The inner dome is thinner and stores a high rate of heat, while the outer dome takes in cooler air from its surroundings — this results in thermal exchange, pushing the warm air out into the room. After 30 minutes the Egloo will begin to heat the room, increasing the temperature by 2-3 degrees for up to five hours with only four tea candles. The Egloo was successfully crowdfunded on Indiegogo in December, raising over USD 260,000 — almost five times its initial goal. The device is now on sale in various colors from USD 50. Could a larger model be used as a safe, eco-friendly alternative on a mass scale? Website: www.eglooinfo.it Contact: zagariamarco@gmail.com The post Candle-powered heater runs on 10 cents a day appeared first on Springwise .

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Candle-powered heater runs on 10 cents a day

Tool translates sentences into a picture

Add / Remove Artists and creatives have always been able to translate imaginative ideas into physical visuals using skills such as painting and sculpturing, but technology such as 3D printing has been democratizing some of the modes of creating. We have already seen ThinkerThing — a system that uses neurosensory tech to enable users to 3D print physical manifestations of their imagination. Now, WordsEye is an incredibly accessible online tool, which enables users to experiment with digital art by turning their words into surreal images. To begin, users register on the Beta version of the program. They can then create an image through language by inputting sentences that include nouns, adjectives and measurements. The program automatically recognizes the different elements of speech and translates the description into a visual. For example, if the user types ‘the small striped elephant is 3 feet in front of the red house,’ WordsEye uses speech tagging and analysis to produce that image, filling in any missing details itself. WordsEyes stores a vast database of language and its corresponding imagery and will eventually be built out with suggestions from users too. Initially conceived as a fun, creative tool for self expression, the program could also be used as an educational tool to assist with literacy, teaching new languages or to empower those with physical disabilities. WordsEye is expected launch as an app for iOS and Android in the near future. How else could the tool be used? Website: www.wordseye.com Contact: type-a-picture@wordseye.com The post Tool translates sentences into a picture appeared first on Springwise .

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Tool translates sentences into a picture

Soft thermometer sticker monitors temperatures remotely

Add / Remove The digital thermometer market is worth USD 800 million, so it is no wonder we have seen devices such as the Kinsa Smart Ear Thermometer trying to break into it. However, while most offerings simply rework the classic thermometer design for the smart era, Fever Scout from VivaLnk is an innovative new product that offers continuous temperature monitoring for parents of sick babies. Fever Scout is a wearable thermometer in the form of a soft patch. It is reusable, rechargeable and connects to a companion smartphone app via Bluetooth. To begin, parents attach the patch to their poorly child and launch the app. Then they can monitor their child’s temperature on their smartphone and receive customized notifications if they develop a high fever. The device is particularly useful during the night, when checking the child’s temperature is likely to disturb them and do more harm than good. Fever Scout is currently available to preorder for USD 59, it is expected to ship in early 2016. How else could health monitors be adapted to be more child-friendly? Website: www.vivalnk.com/feverscout Contact: inquiries@vivalnk.com The post Soft thermometer sticker monitors temperatures remotely appeared first on Springwise .

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Soft thermometer sticker monitors temperatures remotely

Plant lamp powered by soil bacteria

Add / Remove After recently seeing the development of literal ‘power plants’ , with circuits that use plants as organic generators, researchers at the University of Technology and Engineering in Peru present another example of organic energy production, which uses soil bacteria to power lamps. The researchers developed an energy capture system that can power a lightbulb for two hours. The ‘plant lamp’ boxes contain electrodes buried within the soil, out of which a plant takes root. As the plant grows, it releases nutrients that bacteria in the soil metabolize, producing free electrons that are captured by the electrodes to power the lamps. In partnership with FCB , an advertising agency, ten prototype models have been produced for families living in the rainforest village of Nuevo Saposoa. The plant lamp is another demonstration of the increasing use of organic engineering to provide alternative energy solutions. Who could the plant lamps be marketed to? Website: www.utec.edu.pe Contact: abonnard@utec.edu.pe The post Plant lamp powered by soil bacteria appeared first on Springwise .

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Police support via Skype

Add / Remove Police forces are often overstretched and have to balance neighborhood patrols with emergency situations and ongoing investigations. Now, officers of Peterborough in the UK are trialling a Skype service that enables members of the public to speak to the police remotely through video chat, rather than arranging a home visit, which can be very time consuming. The service will be offered to those who dial 101 rather than the emergency number 999. It provides another communication option for victims of crimes and exists alongside other emergency response procedures. Police officers will still visit people’s homes if that is necessary, but it is hoped the Skype option will improve response times and enhance communication between law enforcement and the public. Telephone and Skype appointments will provide flexibility for victims, with appointments available seven days a week from 8am-10pm. The initiative echoes similar movements in the health service, which enable patients access to health professionals via Skype and telemedicine platforms. What other public services could be enhanced through remote video technology? Website: www.cambs.police.uk/Peterborough Contact: www.twitter.com/PboroCops The post Police support via Skype appeared first on Springwise .

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Police support via Skype

An unmanned restaurant where guests cook for themselves

Add / Remove Pushing the idea of the ‘restaurant’ to its absolute limit, Foodsy is a new DIY Amsterdam eatery that does away with staff altogether. Instead, patrons cook, serve and even pay themselves using the food, equipment and instructions provided. Foodsy was created by chef Edwin Sander, and will open in a temporary location this week. Guests will be provided with a menu of recipe cards that they can use to cook for themselves easily in under 20 minutes — diners simply use the raw ingredients, or in some cases pre-prepared soups or stews. There are also instructions for how to tap a beer and the best setting to make their own coffee. Once they have eaten, guests simply pay for their meal using an iPad app. Because there is no staff, most of the meals are significantly cheaper than they would be elsewhere. Of course the unmanned restaurant experience is very unlikely to replace the pleasure of being waited on, but the concept could definitely thrive in busy areas where the trade of casual lunches are prevalent. We have already seen a pop-up restaurant that serves only food cooked by individuals in their homes. How else could eating out be adapted to suit different locations? Website: www.foodsy.amsterdam Contact: info@foodsy.amsterdam The post An unmanned restaurant where guests cook for themselves appeared first on Springwise .

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An unmanned restaurant where guests cook for themselves

Invisible 3D barcodes prevent counterfeiting

Add / Remove Counterfeiting is believed to cost companies trillions in annual profit and is a source of public health concern. We’ve covered an edible barcode to combat counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical industry, and now researchers at the University of Bradford have developed an undetectable 3D barcode designed to mould into a variety of products. Developed with Sofmat and SME UK , the barcodes use a series of pins to create 3D patterns moulded onto a small plastic surface. By varying the heights and spaces between pins, millions of unique configurations can be produced. The barcodes are virtually invisible to human eyes and touch, ensuring that products can only be verified by a laser scanner and preventing copycatting. Barcodes can be built into or stamped on to products, making successful tampering very near impossible. Phil Harrison, Sofmat Director, explains: “For the first time the same technology and coding can be used on bulk packaging, individual packaging and on the actual product, making it much harder to create and ship fake products.” In industries such as pharmaceuticals and electronics where counterfeiting is a major safety concern, making hard-to-fake materials protects people as well as profits. Can the technology be used in other counterfeit prone consumer goods? Website: www.sofmat.com Contact: phil@sofmat.co.uk The post Invisible 3D barcodes prevent counterfeiting appeared first on Springwise .

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Invisible 3D barcodes prevent counterfeiting