Important Innovations

World First:  Noninvasive Brain Computer Interface that Mind Controls Robotic Arm Source:  Carnegie Mellon and University of Minnesota Breakthrough Technological Innovation A team of engineers from Carnegie Mellon and University of Minnesota have invented a breakthrough piece of technology.  A non-invasive, brain-computer interface that works to the level that human thoughts control sophisticated robotic arm functions on the computer. The system is an EEG external cap on the person's head and doesn't require any surgery to place a brain implant in the human.  This is a first.  For a great news blog with more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Noninvasive Brain Computer Interface : World 1st:  Mind-Controlled Robotic Arm Continuously Tracks & Follows Computer Cursor Source:  Carnegie Mellon & University of  M...

Pelebox Smart Locker  Digital Wall Enables Rapid Dispensing of Medications The Pelebox Smart Locker system is designed for rapid dispensing of medications.  The digital wall created by a South African innovator just received the Royal Academy of Engineering 2019 Africa Prize. It's estimated that nearly 5 million patients in South Africa alone could benefit from this innovation.   For a great new blog, go to Important Innovations Collection: Pelebox Smart Locker : Award Winning System for Rapidly Dispensing Medication Source:  Innovator Neo Hutiri and his Pelebox Innovation from South Africa Th...

New Micro-Sub Delivery System Source:  UNSW Artist Concept International Team of Engineers Invent New Nano Drug Delivery Vehicle The new invention is very promising technology for targeted, in body drug deliveries to attack diseases like cancer.  The new, nano-drug delivery technology is powered by bubbles and nano-motors.  It appears to be a breakthrough.  For a great news blog on it, go to Important Innovations Collection: Micro-Sub Drug Delivery Vehicles : Powered by Bubbles and Nano-Motors Source:  UNSW Artist Concept Very Promising Targeted Drug Delivery System Researchers at the Un...

Your Personal Air Mobility Vehicle with No Emissions Source:  Alaka'i Technologies  Skai - Engineering and Avionics from Massachusetts & Design Input from BMW The inventors call this the fuel cell powered aircraft of the people to get above traffic jams.  The drone-like aircraft is hydrogen fuel cell powered and has zero emissions.  This model, pictured above, was just unveiled in southern California.  It's a collaboration between US based Alaka'i Technologies and BMW's design group in southern California.  It is sleek, powered by 6 rotors, a hover craft,  needs a lot of testing, but the inventors say it's practical and affordable.  For more, go to Important Innovations Collection: 1st Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Aircraft : People Mover - Air Mobility for the People Sleek Looking and Ready for Testing The world's first hydrogen fuel cell powered flyi...

An ADIFO - All Directional Flying Object Source:  Bucharest Polytechnic University Not a UFO This aircraft was developed by a Rumanian aviation expert more than ten years ago.  Now a new team of Rumanian engineers have created a prototype of the flying saucer like aircraft and just successfully completed its first test flight.  It may look like a UFO but it's actually an ADIFO, an all directional flying object. Highly Mobile and Dexterous According to the engineers, the aircraft can change direction and angle in mid-air with great agility and even fly upside down.  They say the original aircraft is an extraordinary aerodynamic concept with the backing of thirty years of research behind it. Future of Aviation The prototype is a combination of motors to push it forward and rotors to rise in flight.  It's an award winning piece of innovation.  The Rumanian team behind it believe it has the potential to revolutionize aviation and has application to both manned and unm

Flexible Robotic Fingers with Human Touch Source:  Cambridge Consultants' Hank Big Applications like eCommerce Cambridge Consultants, the UK's "breakthrough innovation consultants" have created Hank.  The new robot has flexible robotic fingers inspired by the human hand.  Hank is expected by the inventors to have a big application in eCommerce operations that are under pressure to deliver goods cheaply and quickly. Breakthrough Sensory System The robot can hold and grip delicate objects using just the right amount of pressure.  It does so by using a pioneering sensory system embedded in its pneumatic fingers.  The fingers are soft and controlled by airflow that can flex the fingers and apply force. Grand Challenge The company says Hank could prove very valuable in agriculture and warehouse automation.  For those sectors, as well as eCommerce, the development of robots able to pick up delicate, small and irregular objects has proved to be a "Grand Ch

Shape-Changing Wing that Adjusts to Flight Conditions Game-changing Aviation Technology and Fabrication Engineers at NASA and MIT have created a radical, new airplane wing that changes shape for optimal functionality during takeoff, landing, cruising and maneuvering.  Behind the innovation is a new fabrication process that holds promise for other engineering construction such as bridges and blades for wind turbines.  This is important new innovation.  For more details go to Important Innovations Collection: NASA-MIT Radical Airplane Wing : Shape-Shifting in Flight Source:  NASA New Way of Fabricating NASA and MIT engineers have created a radically new kind of airplane ...

Brain Inspired Control Systems for Self Driving Vehicles DOD Funded Research Led by Boston University's Team of International Scientists The US Department of Defense has funded $7.5 million to an international team of experts in neuroscience, robotics, computer vision, algorithms and control systems to develop the next generation in autonomous driving. The focus is precision control systems and they are utilizing neuroscience to make this happen.  The team is led by a leading expert at Boston University.  For a great news blog on this, go to Important Innovations Collection: Bioinspired Control Systems for Self-Driving Vehic... : New Autonomous Paradigm on the Ground, Underwater, in the Air - Based on Brain Research Source:  Stock Image of the Brain Boston Univ...

Small Home and Office Water Generator Source:  Watergen's GENNY GENNY By 2025, 2/3rds of the world will face drinking water shortages.  Watergen, based in Israel, says it has a solution.  GENNY is a small home and office water generator.  It can produce up to 8 gallons of clean drinking water a day from the humidity in the air. Tech for a Better World At the CES 2019, the company won the prestigious Tech for a Better World award for GENNY.  Watergen says it is revolutionizing the way water is delivered around the world by pulling it out of thin air.  Watergen is expanding operations into the US where it plans to open three manufacturing facilities.

Expands and Monitors Stomach Health MIT E-Pill MIT has developed an ingestible e-pill that is jello-like and expands just like a pufferfish.  It stops in the stomach in place to take readings overtime. This new e-pill overcomes the limits of other e-pills that just past through the system. New, Expanding E-Pill  Monitor This is a medical device at the cutting edge.  Composed of two types of hydrogels, the pill expands to take stomach readings for thirty days.  It's a quickly expanding pill to monitor your stomach health.  It's been tested in animals and its sensors stay in place for 30 days to monitor the stomach. Other Potential Use The MIT team believes several e-pills expanding in the stomach could serve as a weight loss system.  The jello like substance would make the stomach feel full and reduce appetite.  This cutting edge innovation is under development and testing for commercial applications.

Robotic Hand with Rhythm Source:  University of Cambridge Piano:  Very Challenging & Complex Test for Robotic Passive Movement Systems Engineers at the University of Cambridge in the UK have developed a robotic hand that can play the piano by just moving its wrist.  This is a passive movement robotic system.  The fingers don't move independently.  Because of the complexity of playing the piano, the roboticists believe it was the ideal test for their new innovation system. PianoHand The hand is 3D printed.  It replicates all the bones and joints in a human hand.  It doesn't include replications of the tendons and muscles.  Because the fingers don't move independently of the wrist (passive movement), the robot is able to achieve different styles of piano playing without changing the material or mechanical properties of the hand.  That's important new robotics. More Natural Moving Robots Experts believe this passive movement concept may lead to the design

Novel, Tiny Robot Has Big Applications for Drones DelFly Robot - Image Courtesy of Delft University New Robot Mimics Insect Flight Researchers at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands have developed a novel flying robot that mimics the flight control and dynamics of insects.  Its flying wings beat 17 times per second.  And it generates enough force to stay airborne and controls the flight by slight changes in wing motion. DelFly Nimble The engineers have named it DelFly Nimble. The tiny robot is autonomous.  It can hover on the spot,  do 360० flips and fly any direction with agility like an insect.  Right now it has top speeds of 15.5 mph and excellent power efficiency with a flight range of 1 km on a fully charged battery. Important Applications DelFly Nimble has exceptional flight qualities which open up new drone applications.  Scientists say it's also exceptionally well suited to advance biological and engineering research into insects and their fli

Brand New Material thru New Tech Treatment Process  University of Maryland Engineers and Their Breakthrough Wood  Researchers at the University of Maryland have produced a type of wood that's as tough and strong as steel. And, it's inexpensive.  The wood is 12 times stronger than natural wood and 10 times tougher.  It's a strong competitor to steel.  A new tech treatment process developed by UMD engineers created this brand new material. Super Wood Steel Replacement This treated wood can replace steel and titanium alloys.  It's comparable to carbon fiber but much less expensive. The potential uses are big and commercial scale. For Buildings, Cars and Airplanes The engineers say this natural wood substance is strong and tough enough to construct cars, airplanes and buildings.  It's as strong as steel but 6 times lighter.  The wood takes 10 times more energy to fracture than natural wood.  And it can be bent and molded at the beginning of the treatment pro

Researchers in India May Have Developed Medicine to Kill Malaria Hope for a Cure It's one of the worst and deadliest scourges impacting mankind.  Malaria afflicts 212 million people globally every year and causes 4.29 million deaths.  Until now it has been an intractable human disease.  But now there is hope. University of Hyderabad Scientists' New Medicine A group of scientists at the University of Hyderabad in India have developed a medicine that effectively kills the parasite infection in red blood cells that's triggered by malaria.  It's a polymer based nanomedicine developed by a research group led by Dr. Pradip Paik, Associate Professor of the School of Engineering and Technology at the University of Hyderabad in Telangana, India. Breakthrough Medicine Now Going into Animal Trials The medicine is very effective in killing the deadly malaria parasite, which triggers plasmodium falciparum infections in the body's red blood cells.  It's now going in