While contact lenses have been around for a long time, this new product actually replaces the cornea, repairing vision problems permanently. Quite a few scientific advancements came together for this product, such as the ability to prevent biofilms from forming on the lens (which cause clouding/fouling) and biofriendly, strong and forgiving materials.
http://www.fraunhofer.de/fhg/EN/press/pi/2007/10/ResearchNews102007Top ic3.jsp via engadget
A conventional DVD drive has been modified to scan laboratory samples through some simple hardware and software modifications. The huge cost savings this provides seems to suggest that there may be much cheaper ways of making this type of laboratory scanning equipment WITHOUT all of the hardware hacking.
http://www.hackaday.com/2007/09/25/convert-a-dvd-r-drive-into-a-lab-sc anner/
Facial recognition seems like it has been that science fiction technology which is always ‘right around the corner.’ You see it on Discovery Channel specials, and hear about scientists doing all kinds of cool things with it in the lab, but rarely see it in real products. Recently, this technology has finally been brought into some new products for average consumers. First, some new consumer cameras incorporated this technology to improve focusing on the faces of the subjects, and to check and make sure everyone is smiling.
Then, Lexus created this system which employs facial recognition for a much more practical use. It uses a set of cameras, remote controls, and computer-run algorithms to make sure you are paying attention to the road. The driver-facing camera is coupled with a camera which looks in front of the vehicle for upcoming obstacles. When both an inattentive driver and an upcoming are sensed, the system kicks into action, sounding a buzzer, pre-tensioning the seat belts, and even applying the brakes.
Applications such as these show that facial recognition may finally be turning the corner, and may be giving the average consumer some cool new functions on a wide variety of products.
via gizmag
A couple of decades ago, hypercolor shirts which changed color according to your body temperature were all the rage. That is, they were until people started getting brightly colored armpits and other embarrassing side effects. This wallpaper exploits the same theory to unveil a ‘hidden’ design as the heat is turned up. This technology has been in a bunch of different applications, but I think it still holds a lot of untapped potential in other settings (color changing frying pans, anyone?)
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/decorations/heat+sensitive-wallpape r-changes-patterns-when-you-crank-the-heat-307747.php
This new touchscreen from Sharp incorporates an optical sensor at EVERY pixel of the display. These photodiodes work together to create a digital image of a fingerprint, and can also provide multitouch control of a device. This paradigm of an array of optical sensors for tactical control could provide cheaper and much more accurate control of devices. In addition, the fact that the screen is also a camera could be extended into much more useful functions than fingerprinting and control alone. Maybe there’s an opportunity to create better imaging from these displays, even to a point where your cell phone is able to take pictures by using the screen as a lens! It would definitely improve conventional webcams, which do not connect the remote users eye-to-eye, due to the screen-focused gaze being away from the camera, which is on or next to the monitor
The Engineer
