In Research: Computer Systems With Capabilities Of The Human Brain
Scientists are using nanotechnology to build such computer
SyNAPSE, a program by U.S. military research outfit at DARPA is aiming to develop a neoroporphic machine technology that roots to the biological levels. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of new technology for use by the military. DARPA was established during 1958 in response to the Soviet launching of Sputnik during 1957, with the mission of keeping U.S. military technology more sophisticated than that of the nation’s potential enemies.
“Basically, we have demonstrated that electric charges flowing through a mixture of an organic semiconductor and metallic nanoparticles can behave the same way as neurotransmitters through a synaptic connection in the brain,” Dominique Vuillaume, a research director at CNRS and head of the Molecular Nanostructures & Devices group at the Institute for Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN) tells Nanowerk.
The initial phase of the SyNAPSE project is to develop nanometer scale electronic synaptic components capable of adapting the connection strength between two neurons in a manner analogous to that seen in biological systems, as well as, simulate the utility of these synaptic components in core microcircuits that support the overall system architecture. Data and image source: Military Technologies
New Technologies Expected In 2010
A technologically-rich year awaits us
Our civilization is entering a new phase of time, year 2010, just two years closer to 2012. Ok, stupid jokes aside. The year 2010 coming along with many technological advancements and plans for a more techie future. From USB 3.0, 3 – D television sets to the upcoming Xbox console, all are expected to be witnessed in the year 2010. I am personally looking forward to the 3 – D television. When this becomes a part of our everyday lives, it will surely change the way of home entertainment.
An illustration of 3-D TV, without the need to wear glasses
I have assembled a list of the upcoming techs in 2010 from various sources. Check them out:
So which of these upcoming techs is/are your favourite? What are you expecting?
Have Happy And A Peaceful New Year !
Converting Airflow Into Electricity
A Piezoelectric device will do the job
A piezoelectric device inside a small motor
Piezoelectric materials are special classes of ceramics and crystals, which have the ability to generate electrical potential when mechanical pressure is applied on them. They currently provide the basis for a large number of applications, including powering up guitar pickups, making for fuses in rocket-propelled grenades, or making up the basis for doorbells. But now, scientists at the City College of New York are working on a method of using the materials to produce electricity out of air flows.
The team basically plans to convert the kinetic energy of motion into power, especially for planes and automobiles. The investigators will present their brand-new concept between November 22-24, at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society’s (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics. The gathering will take place at the Minneapolis Convention Center. “These devices open the possibility to continuously scavenge otherwise wasted energy from the environment,” CCNY Professor Yiannis Andreopoulos, the leader of the research team, explains.
The new instruments, the team reports, are a half-inch by one inch in size, and they could easily be mounted on supports such as the roof or tail of a car, or the fuselage of a plane. Because they would be located directly into the path of air flows, they would vibrate accordingly, potentially producing very large amounts of energy during their life span. The current thus obtained will most likely not be enough to replace the power provided by current internal combustion engines, the experts add.
However, these amounts of electricity could be used to run secondary systems, such as batteries, or could even be used to charge GPS stations, CD players, mobile phones and other minor devices. At this point, Andreopoulos and his team are working on modeling the physical forces the new materials would be subjected to. These results would allow them to design the piezoelectric devices in a way that would ensure a maximum efficiency, while at the same reducing drag and ensuring the fuel consumption remains low.
Source: Softpedia News
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