Robotic Lifts

By: Liam Godin

I decided that I would do my blog on cascade elevator designs, as it would motivate me to do both this blog and research for our summer project.

There are several designs for cascade elevators, many of which were used during this years competition. Almost all of these designs however, are not new. Many teams in the past have used them with success.

The two main designs that I've found are the cascading elevator, and the continuous elevator. A cascading elevator moves all of its sections upward at once, while a continuous elevator moves the highest section to its maximum first, then moves the next section, etc. These are both viable options for our needs, and deciding between one or the other will be a group effort in designing our new intake.

An example of a cascading elevator

A cascading elevator has the advantage of speed, however it does not have the same amount of control that a continuous elevator would. Cascade lifts also seem to be a simpler build and easier cable management.

Cascading Vs. Continuous lift

 The advantage of a continuous lift would be the control of it. being able to move only the intake would be good. This however comes with the price of the rig being much more complicated. A continuous rig is not anchored in the same way as a cascade lift, and the chaining is far more complicated.







There is also the option of an articulated arm, though that would involve very strong motors and metals in order to not flex or break. Overall, I think our best two options for lifts would be a variation of a cascade or continuous lift.

Here is an example of a possible lift design.

A variation of these lifts

Moving Rivers

             

Prior to 1988, the Woonasquatucket, Moshassuck and Providence Rivers, were buried beneath railroad yards and the post office in Providence, and were not considered civic assets.  Providence, known as "the world's widest bridge" due to its nearly contiguous asphalt carpet of rail tracks, parking lots and bridges, was much in need of a revitalization. 

Enter Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci, often credited with the re-birthing Providence as "the Renaissance City."  His vision called for unearthing and moving the three Providence Rivers to create artistic river walks, a waterfront park and an amphitheater, which would serve as a focal point for tourism, arts and cultural events.  Additionally, he sought to fill abandoned office buildings and construct a $350-million shopping center (now known as Providence Place.)  In truth, the "Capital Center Plan" began in 1979, and was led by the Providence Foundation.   It took 10 years to implement the plan, which required rerouting the rivers, diverting the rail yards, and extending Memorial Boulevard.  Although many individuals, companies, and State Agencies were involved, the late Mayor Cianci continues to be reveled as "the Prince of Providence" to which most credit is given.

Back to the moving of rivers, which is no small feat and required a $40-million investment from city planners - and engineers.  The plan called for the Woonasquatucket River to flow through the center of Providence, pausing at a small cove in a park, before joining the Moshassuck River to form the Providence River, all in all, moving the rivers 500 feet to the southeast.

In the end, the beauty of three rivers was recaptured, producing eleven acres of urban riverfront parks and 1.5 miles of river-walks.  Additionally, the immensely popular WaterFire has become a draw for both locals and tourists far and wide.

Yes, we can move mountains ... and rivers, just ask an engineer how.

Righting the Costa Concordia

On January 13, 2012 the world watched in disbelief as images emerged of the Costa Concordia cruise ship grounding on rocks off the island of Giglio, Italy.  Thirty two lives were lost, a Captain shamed, and marine ecology threatened - all with millions of followers riveted to the unfolding story.

It triggered the largest maritime salvage project ever attempted spanning a period of nearly two years, all orchestrated by the minds and brawn of engineers.  Over 500 workers of 26 different nationalities were involved under the guidance of two major firms; Titan an American Salvage Company, and  Micoperi, an Italian Engineering Firm.

The 114,000-Ton ship was laying on its side, and in danger of rolling down over the rocks further into the ocean.  Underwater platforms had to be built to "catch" the ship as it was manipulated back into an upright position. 

The process of parbuckling rotated the enormously heavy ship using a series of cables and hydraulic machines for a total of 65 degrees.  Initially the rate was slow, only three degrees an hour, but accelerated to nine degrees an hour as gravity chipped in and the water-loaded port-side caissons added to achieving the upright position necessary to tow the gnarled water-stained wreckage out of the Italian waters.  

This first-of-its-kind feat was envisioned and carried out safely and effectively.  It permitted recovery teams to go into the waters and the ship itself in search of two bodies that had not been previously recovered.  Additionally, personal items were returned to family members providing some sense of closure.  Perhaps most importantly, the marine waters and ecosystems were respected and preserved.  Theses challenges were assessed and surmounted by the collaborative and brilliant minds of engineers - ever present and essential in the past, present and future!

Introducing Dynamicland

“Dynamicland is founded by Bret Victor, it is a non-profit long-term research group in the spirit of Doug Engelbart and Xerox PARC. They’re inventing a new computational medium where people work together with real objects in the real world, not alone with virtual objects on screens. They’re building a community workspace in the heart of Oakland, CA — the entire building is the computer.”

Imagine that any objects you touch could interact with data, without the need of a screen. It is the augmentation of reality but without any headsets. 

           

Still cannot grasp a closer idea of Dynamicland? Alright. Here are some real-life related examples that Dynamicland could possibly achieve:

1   Plan a round trip with your friends only using a coffee table;

2   Open up a birthday invitation on your fridge, and your Apple Calendar or Google Calendar projected next to it;

3    Or build an algorithm or a flowchart with sticky notes, and have it digitized immediately;

4    Or make music by arranging building blocks.

These are some examples of goals that Dynamicland is trying to achieve. In Dynamicland, screens and devices are not needed, but instead, ordinary physical materials that you can find in daily life – such as paper, cardboard, clay, building blocks, or toy cars are involved. Their concept is to make “literally working together” come true. Everyone is able to get their hands on everything, people can communicate face-to-face with eye contact while working together. Computational media is not hidden away in isolated virtual worlds. 

Dynamicland did not reveal the full details of their actual technology yet. But through their website and twitter, videos of their projects are posted. In those videos, ordinary blank paper with colorful circle-like scraps are placed on the table, and above there is a projector. Every scrap of paper can be used as a computer, while it also remains the fundamental function of the paper. When people move the blank paper or the scraps with hands, the shadow that is projected from above is moving at the same time. People can program without a screen, only a piece of paper and a keyboard. With such simple computational media, everyone can make what they need for themselves, and programmability is for everyone. 

Increasingly, working on a computer isolates us more than it connects us. Human beings might have lost what it means to work side-by-side with real people, to work with our eyes and hands, to learn from our surrounding. But Dynamicland’s concept could possibly be the future, where people can actually live in the magic, instead of looking through the glasses into magic. Quote on a quote from Dynamicland’s website: “Dynamicland is a communal computer, designed for agency, not apps, where people can think like whole humans. It’s the next step in our mission to incubate a humane dynamic medium whose full power is accessible to all people. The computer of the future is not a product, but a place.”

Further reading: http://blog.concord.org/dynamicland-a-new-direction-for-immersive-simulations?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social%20Media&utm_campaign=Dynamicland-Blog-Post-20180323

Dynamicland on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dynamicland1

Dynamicland's website: https://dynamicland.org

Debugging on a piece of paper. 

Working with other human beings, face-to-face, in Dynamicland.

Destiny Gwann- Blog

Chemical sensing chip sniffs out cocaine within minutes

By : Destiny Gwann

There is a creation being made that is very cost efficient that has been in the police wish list for a long time.  The chip could be integrated into a handheld, portable device for detecting drugs in biological samples such as blood, breath, urine or spit. Qiaoqiang Gan, PhD, associate professor of electrical engineering in the University at Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences made a chip and it sensed cocaine in a few minutes. It is so cheap you can make it from different materials that can cost around 10 cents. They are also hoping that in the future as the chip develops they can use it to detect marijuana as well. "The new chip is an engineered nanostructure that traps light at the edges of gold and silver nanoparticles. When biological or chemical molecules land on the chip's surface, some of the captured light interacts with the molecules and is "scattered" into light of new energies. This effect occurs in recognizable patterns that act as fingerprints, revealing information about what compounds are present. Because all chemicals -- cocaine, opioids, and active ingredients in marijuana -- have their unique light-scattering signatures, researchers can use the technology to quickly identify a wide range of chemicals." It also resembales an optical layered cake because the chip has like several

horizontal layers.  

Ocean heat wave kills coral reefs

         Tyler Santilli
          5-18-18
          Heat waves under the sea are becoming more and more common thanks to global warming and thanks to two heat waves off the coast of Australia the Great Barrier Reef has taken devastating damage. Heat waves such as these are so devastating because underwater animals base where they live heavily on what temperature the water is because some animals cannot live in colder or warmer water. A heat wave is not just any random streak of slightly warmer weather, scientists have defined a heat wave as 5 or more days and the water must be unusually warm for that region of the ocean.

          

       The ocean has had an increase of heat waves of over 50% since 1920 and heat waves have become 30% more common. Global warming is not just a danger to humans and other animals that dwell on Earth but it's also a major concern for marine life that cannot survive in such warm waters. Over 1/3 of the coral in the Great Barrier Reef has been destroyed. Scientists aren't looking at this as all bad however because some scientists believe this just to be a test of natural selection and have said that the coral that has survived is much stronger than the coral that had died.

         While it may seem like the marine world is doomed, hope is not lost, scientists have hope for a new kind of coral called staghorn coral, it is a very fast growing coral that could help rebuild what has already been lost because of these heat waves. Warm temperatures aren't going anywhere so it is crucial that species in the ocean continue to evolve and grow before becoming extinct.

Naval Ship's Intact Stability

Thought there are many aspects of naval architecture including: hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, flotation and stability, structures, arrangements, construction, science and craft, and the individual naval architect; the focus of this blog is the intact stability of naval ships.

There are many aspects of Intact Stability explained throughout the blog. This blog will detail the 3 types of equilibrium in naval ships, and things that affect transverse stability.

Intact Stability is the stability of the surface of the ship when the intactness of the hull is maintained. This information does not relate to any scenario where the water tank is damaged or freely flooded by seawater.

A fundamental concept of a floating body is Equilibrium. The 3 types of equilibrium depend on the relation between center of gravity and center of buoyancy.

Stable equilibrium is “when vertical position “G” is lower than transverse metacenter “M.”” The center of buoyancy “B” shifts and become “B1” when this happens. The distance between weight and buoyancy is the moment that brings the ship back to its original position, this is called the righting moment.

Neutral equilibrium is the most dangerous situation possible, avoid at all costs. “It occurs when the vertical position of “CG, center of gravity, coincides with the transverse metacentre “M””. There is no righting moment and the ship would stay heeled as long as a neutral stability prevails. Here there is no righting moment, which could cause the ship to heel more than desired. There is a risk here of cargo shifting enough to offset the equilibrium, then there would be a rise to unstable equilibrium.

Unstable equilibrium is “when vertical position “G” is higher than the position of transverse metacenter “M.”” After this shift, the ship heels and the center of buoyancy “B” shifts to “B1.” This shift makes the righting moment negative, creating a further heel and there is a possibility of the deck being immersed and then the ship is predicted to capsize.

Metacentric height is one of the most vital parameters in a ships stability. If its metacentric height is more than 0, then it is stable; equal to 0, it is neutrally stable; and less than 0 it is unstable.

Transverse stability can be affected by beam winds, lifting of weight by the sides, high speed turning maneuvers, grounding, tension on mooring lines, movement of weight athwartship, and water trapped on deck.

• Beam winds affects the part of the ship that is above the waterline. The resistance on the top of the boat acts against the resistance in the underwater part of the boat.

• Lifting of weight by the sides is when the weight or cargos on the side of ships get lifted up and out by a deck crane. THis causes a heeling moment and then a shift of center of gravity.
• High speed turning maneuvers is when the ship makes a turn, the “centrifugal force acts horizontally on the center of gravity of the ship, in a direction opposite” of the turn. The sharper the turn the more centrifugal force generated which makes more angle of heel.
• Grounding is when one side of the underwater part of the ship makes contact with the ground. Depending on what side hits the ground the opposite side would heel.
• Tension on mooring lines is when mooring lines are too tense, or the ship drift away from the mooring point, the ship can heel.
• Movement of weight athwartship is the movement weight athwartship, in transverse direction, will alter the position of the centre of gravity of the ship.The ship will heel to a point at which new centre of buoyancy is at such a position such that weight and buoyancy act through the same line.
• Water trapped on deck is affected when the sea water on the deck shifts periodically and creates a cyclic heeling moment due to the continuous change in the center of gravity.

The wreckage of the RMS Titanic and the Costa Concordia are just two examples of shipwrecks that have deeply affected the thought process that goes into designing massive ships such as naval vessels.

The RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early hours of 15 April 1912, after colliding with an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.

The Costa Concordia was a Concordia-class cruise ship built in 2004 by the Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente yards in Italy and operated from 2005 until 2012 by Costa Crociere. It capsized after striking an underwater rock off Isola del Giglio.

Chakraborty, Soumya. “Ship Stability – Understanding Intact Stability of Ships.” Marine in Sight, Naval Architectire, 27 Oct. 2017, www.marineinsight.com/naval-architecture/intact-stability-of-surface-ships/.

“Naval Architecture.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 May 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_architecture.

Remote Alaskan Radar Is America's First Line of Defense

In a freezing, remote island off the coast of Alaska, Eareckson Air Station. This radar is permantly facing west, and is America's first warning system against incoming missles. In today's day tensions between world powers is high, so America's warning system is top notch. The radar itself is 120 ft tall with a radar array that spans 94.5 ft across. The main component of the radar is a L-Band phased array radar that operates in 1175-1375 MHz ranges. This extremely complicated radar consists of 34,768 elements, including 15,360 active radiating elements, set in a pattern that enables a 136 degree radar coverage. It can also track up to 120 targets and maintain precise tracking data on 20 of them. Not only does this machine have a tactical purpose, NASA can use it to do detect satellites and "space-junk" that could possibly pose a threat to spaceflights. 

New Traffic Light Prediction App

Connected Signals created an app that tells drivers when green lights will turn yellow and then tells them when they will turn red. The app will also tell drivers who are stopped at a red light when the light will turn green and makes a bell noise 5 seconds before a red light turns green to help the driver prepare to go. The app will also tell drivers if they need to speedup or stay at their current speed in order to make the light. Connected Signals works with municipalities to securely collect current and accurate signal data. The gathered data is combined with GPS, map, and speed limit information, and then used to predict upcoming traffic light behavior with proprietary analytics and algorithms. The app has been proven to make driving safer and reduces the stress and road rage of its users. Also sending recommended speeds and signal countdowns straight to drivers could cut down on fuel consumption which would save everyone money. Because the app came out so recently it is only available in a few US cities that have recently updated traffic light systems such as San Jose. I think the app will become as popular if not more popular than Waze within the next 5 years and will become usable nation wide.

Hydro Bikeeeeeee

Riding the Waves 

Dasanie Pena

          In 2011, the idea of a aquatic surfing bicycle was brought up by Guy Howard-Willis. Following 7 years of experimenting and research, the Hydrofoiler XE-1 was made. This design is a mix of a bicycle, surfboard, and hydro foil. 

Here is a video!!!

     The two partners of the invention are Guy Howard-Willis and Roland Alonzo (photographed below). The two partners call their invention a hydrofoiler bike watercraft. The design resembles a standstill stationary bike found at gyms. This invention is lighter than a water scooter. The bike cruises on water with the use of a pedal and a 400 W e-bike motor. If the bike is not in motion, it can submerge itself a few feet without sinking. This way it may be restarted without having to bring the bike to shore. 

 “When I ride the Hydrofoiler, I can draw similarities to riding my road bikes. The issue was around man’s ability on water, we have so many great watercraft out there, I wanted to push the envelope on what could be done for bicycle and water enthusiasts,” Howard- Willis said.

The Hydrofoiler XE-1 costs about $5,500. 

Article Link

Machine Muscle

MACHINE MUSCLE
ALEXANDER PEDRO


             Machine muscle or "soft robots" are a new way that engineers are creating machines. The way these muscles works is very simple and very cheap. A team from the University of Colorado Boulder have proven this doesn’t need to be expensive; their brand new artificial muscle is a steal at 10 cents per device. The “muscle” works by applying a small voltage across hydrogel electrodes on either side liquid insulators pouches (these pouches can be filled with something as basic as canola oil).

The voltage creates an attraction between the two electrodes and pulls them together; displacing the liquid which in turn changes of shape of the pouch allowing it to push or pull levers, arms or any other articulated component. It is suited to carry out a variety of tasks – from picking up delicate objects to lifting heavy objects. In fact, the team claims the robot will be able to lift objects up to two-hundred times its own weight.

3D reconstruction of plant structures using AI

3D reconstruction from images of different angles has been thoughroughly studied. However, it was difficult to reconstruct the parts of objects which have hidden portions, such as plants with branches hidden under their leaves.



By combining the original image-to-image approach in a Bayesian deep learning framework and 3D reconstruction, a group of researchers led by Fumio Okura were able to estimate the location of branches that are hidden under leaves in images. Using these estimated branch positions, they achieved 3D reconstruction of plant structure.

The results are incredibly important for cultivation and management of plants by artificial intelligence. They will be greatly helpful for future cultivation technology as it allows for detailed management of growing plants in places where cultivators' can't see, coming up with best trimming or pruning methods for plants, and predicting future growth of plants.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180507090257.htm

Advancements for ASL

ASL (American Sign Language) has recently seen a possible advancement for communication. A team at Georgia Institute of Technology has utilized acoustic chirps to recognize hand movements. "Chirp systems emit a 'swept'-frequency signal, meaning that the transmitted signal is emitted over a period of time and over a set range of frequencies" (woodshole). The image below gives a visual interpretation of this system.

The team at Georgia tech call this system FingerPing, which is composed of a thumb & wrist piece. In the ring (thumb piece), there is a speaker and the Receiver 1. In the wrist, there are the other three receivers. This system differs from other attempts at advancing ASL by using a small system for the user to wear instead of "cameras...that can be obtrusive and is unlikely to be carried everywhere" (Mitchell).  The image below shows multiple diagrams of the intricacies of the system.

Mitchell later in the article goes on to explain the way the system works, which is when "the ring produces acoustic chirps that travel through the hand and are picked up by receivers on the watch. There are specific patterns in which sound waves travel through structure including the hand, that can be altered by the manner in which the hand is posed. Utilizing those poses, the wearer can achieve up to 22 pre-programmed commands" (Mitchell).

A similar concept was explored in 2017 by students from University of Antwerp in Belgium. They focused on the issues with limited interpreters for the deaf and chose to try solving the problem with a "3D-printed robotic arm that can perform sign language" (Owano). 3D-printing has already been used for specific car parts and even bones for a patient needing a transplant. With the success and curiosity of 3D-printing, the students chose to use it as a method of treating the problem with communication.

As shown above, the model created by the students was "designed and built over three years, the arm can form the gestures that make up the letters and numbers of basic sign language." (Westlake). "When the user types text into the software, the robotic hand translates the text into sign language" (3ders.org).

Both articles from 2017 & 2018 deal with the issues of interpretation in ASL. Even though they are attempting to solve the same problem, they go about the process in different ways. It is interesting that in the span of one year there were two articles from across the world, and possibly more, that dealt with such a specific topic. The articles not only show resolutions to the issue, but reveal how there's more than one way to attempt to solve a problem.

Trial and error is essential in engineering because everything can be adjusted, and even though a product may seem "perfect," there are more ways to alter the design. It is important as engineers to always be questioning the problems in the world that need to be fixed and brainstorming methods to solve them. With such a serious topic as interpretation in ASL, it is important to have teams of engineers actively using advancements in technology to find a resolution. The teams in Georgia and Belgium prove that while a product is good, there are ways to improve upon the design and those improvements need to be considered for a positive progression of society

Sources:
David Mitchell
woodshole
Nancy Owano
Adam Westlake from SlashGear
3ders.org

Destiny Gwann- Blog

New plant tests energy-saving way to treat wastewater

By: Destiny Gwann 

            There are different ways to try and clear up the wastewar that is used on a daily. Water that has been used in the home, in a business, or as part of an industrial process. With that being said California Energy Commission gave two guys of the names Craig Criddle and Bill Mitch a $2 million grant that has ancient microorganism to try and work in the largest demonstration of a cheaper wastewater treatment process.  What they are doing is called the "anaerobic bacteria" and they have plant treatments in South Korea and Stanford campus.The group has broken ground on the demonstration plant, which is slated to come on line in fall 2018. It will eventually process 20,000 gallons of wastewater per day to provide validation and operating experience for what could become a full-scale plant capable of processing millions of gallons of wastewater per day. Aerobic vs. Anaerobic. Aerobic bacteria had to rely on oxygen to survive. Since they switched to anaerobic bacteria the cost went down a lot more then what they thought it would be said by Sebastien Tilmans who is the civil engineer who runs the Codiga Resource Recovery Center on the Stanford campus. In the end the outcome will be a lot better. They believe that in addition to saving space and money, the Stanford researchers said that their anaerobic process has yet another benefit which is the ability to digest pharmaceutical drugs and powerful household and industrial herbicides that have proven difficult for standard aerobic bacteria to digest.

 

Foodcam

Foodcam is probably the beating heart of the MIT Media Lab. It lies in a small corner of the third floor in the Media Lab, and it is only consisted by a coffeemaker, a microwave, average-looking counter, a camera, a button, and some wires attached to it. It is sure a simple technology, but its innovative thoughts behind the simplicity might contribute significant effort to ending world hunger and wasting food.

So how does the Foodcam works? By putting a box of doughnuts or half a pizza on the counter, push the button, a photo of your food is taken, and it will be sent to its live stream, social media, and an email list where hungry MIT people would see the information. It is easy to use.

Foodcam was invented in the 1990s. Inspired by hunger and a lab-wide leftovers problem, a few Media Lab employees positioned a camera over a kitchen counter and began a live stream. Soon after, they added a button that has the ability to sent a picture of the counter’s contents to everyone on a particular email list when pressed. It has evolved with the times. In the late 1990s, a robotic bell and a soundboard that yell “COME AND GET IT” were added to the Foodcam. In the early 2000s, the excess food supply hits a recession, so the Foodcam took a break until 2008. Its return also joined Twitter to the receivers of the food’s photo besides that email list. In 2015, the Foodcam even got its own channel on the Lab’s team-wide Slack account.

The power of Foodcam has developed some phenomenon in the MIT. Students around the buildings are calculating the most efficient routes to the counter. And in order to get a head start, there are certain competitive eaters who figured out how to get notified even before the button is pressed, that is whenever there’s motion on the live stream.

Foodcam has spoken for itself in the MIT that nobody would like to waste food. It is an innovation that is simple, useful, and scalable, and it should be ubiquitous.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=_KxhDP4GJSY

Engineering Surgery

Alejandro Jimenez
Mr. Gray
Period A
11 May 2018

website: https://www.xconomy.com/wisconsin/2018/05/08/medical-engineering-innovations-gets-1-2m-for-tumor-zapping-devices/



summary:

   MEI says it is developing surgical devices for the elimination of cancerous tumors. The company tools are also aimed at helping healthcare providers perform liver resections; procedures that involve removing diseased liver tissue in cancer patients. The system includes a box shaped device that generates radio frequency energy, and an electrode that delivers the energy to a patients tissue and blood vessels through a set of disposable blades. MEI’s products introduce a step prior to surgery that the company says can reduce a patient’s blood loss and shorten the amount of time surgeons need to operate. The goal is to get tissue in the liver to coagulate and blood vessels to seal within three to six minutes after the surgeon touches the blades to the target area of the patient’s body.

My Thoughts:
  This innovation can save many lives. People suffering from any time of liver cancer or tumors it is a fast, safe and sufficient way to clear any type of disease. Having surgery procedures shortened is in everyone favors because the patients would not have to be under the knife for so long and the surgeon could be done fast which can reduce mistakes

Mind Reading

Alejandro Jimenez
Mr. Gray
Period A
10 May 2018

website: http://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/feature-this-machine-can-read-your-mind-engineers-unlock-secrets-of-the-brain



 Summary:
 Engineerings are building human machine interfaces that can make mind reading a reality. This movement can lead to medical devices that transform patients lives. Although this sounds like something in a fantasy, scientist are getting closer and closer to to unlocking the secret. They already created video games that can be controlled with your mind. Instead of holding the controller, players sit in a chair with a virtual reality headset strapped around their head, and nothing in their hands. This can improve human interactions; engineers all over the planet are attempting to design and build human machine interfaces to connect our brains directly to our devices. Some are focused on wearable devices that can read our intentions from our brain waves. Others are digging into the cortex itself, leaning on advances in materials science to create chips to be implanted into the brain. These device are already changing the lives of patients with brain damage and disorders, and in the future they could allow us to transmit complex thoughts to out devices.

  My Thoughts:
 This idea of mind reading has been the dream of many people; even when I was a kid I wanted to believe I had mind reading capabilities. Seeing it only on tv shows or movies it was an inspiration to maybe one day this will be possible. Today we might actually have the technology to make this come true which gets me excited. Not only it will fulfill my childhood fantasy but we could actually use this technology to help peoples lives which makes it so much better. People without limbs could use this technology to become independent. Now just by thinking of something they came get the action; it is like instant gratification. 

Artificial Leaf

Artificial Leaf

Alexander Pedro

Scientists from MIT have found a way to take energy from the sun and create stored energy. This artificial leaf is a device that needs to wires or external support, just the artificial leaf, water, and sunlight. How the artificial leaf works is by collecting the sunlight and producing bubbles of oxygen and hydrogen bubbles. A simple divider on the artificial leaf separates the oxygen bubbles and the hydrogen bubbles. 

What separates this way of solar energy from others is that it can be stored energy. Most other forms of solar energy can be stored easily in a gas form in cells and preserved for later use. The other thing that makes this device impressive is that it is made of completely natural inexpensive materials like silicon, cobalt, and nickel. Other attempts to make a similar device uses corrosive 

Technology Key to Improving Education

Ryan Trojan

Engineering

May 18, 2018

"Technology is rapidly contributing to improvements in the quality of education on the African continent, says EY AfricaPeople Advisory Services Leader Chad Schaefer."

Students can be broadcasted into the classroom and are taught by teachers who are able to teach with digital learning. Schaefer also noticed that this technology was becoming more affordable. There are new ways to put iPads, and Computers into the classroom, smartphones are also things that can be used. He also stated that technology can enable multiple forms of communication with peers, and others. With this ability, we can use technology to teach and learn and it will save a lot more time.

The Art of the Anechoic Chamber

Microsoft currently holds the world record for the quietest anechoic chamber, measuring at -20 decibels. The quietest sound in the world is -23 decibels, which is the sound of particles moving. Normal conversation usually occurs around 60 decibels, and the loudest noise in the world is around 170 decibels. Microsoft has their chamber placed in Building 87 in Redmond, Washington. They use the room to test the noise levels of their devices as well as test their personal assistant Cortana. They use the room to control the noises that are distracting the AI so that they can improve it's programming. 

The design of the room includes foam wedges that are specifically placed to absorb sound, not allowing for the natural echo. The main design team consisted of a psycho-acoustician, a sound engineer, and a fiber-optic engineer. Each had pioneered or excelled in their fields of work and were hand selected to design the room. The room is spaced about a foot away from the main walls of the building, standing as it's own little chamber inside a room. The floor of the room is springy, almost like a trampoline, and contains more wedges underneath. 

Aquatic Underwater Treadmill

The underwater treadmill is revolutionizing sports medicine, physical therapy, and conditioning. The treadmills are integrated into the floor of the pool and are welded for durability and safety. The track is rubberized to maximize traction. The treadmill has a maximum speed of 8.6 mph to simulate land activities such as running, walking, shuffling, and lateral movements without the stress that gravity puts on joints while on land. 

This machine will benefit a multitude of people. For example, older adults with joint pain can use this machine to help train themselves to walk without pain. For athletes this treadmill is proven to be more effective in strength conditioning because the water's viscosity is greater than air, therefore there is more resistance.