Where Are They Now? NanoSatisfi
It’s been almost 12 months since we first wrote about the ArduSat project, when it had just successfully passed its target on crowdfunding website Kickstarter by more than three times. With the aim of making a form of space exploration possible for those without degrees in rocket science – but a little technical know-how – the scheme is focused on an open-source Ardunio-based mini satellite, packed with sensors, that anyone could register to spend some time controlling once launched into the stratosphere. The group behind the ArduSat have lofty ambitions in more ways than one, and has now formed its own company – NanoSatisfi – as a result of the success of their funding campaign. We spoke to CEO Peter Platzer to find out how they’re getting on in making the dream of accessible space exploration a reality. READ MORE…
Marblar turns its hand to crowdsourcing civilian uses for military technology
Regular readers of Springwise may remember our coverage back in October of Marblar, the UK platform for helping scientists find alternative consumer uses for their medical patents and inventions. Now the company has announced a new partnership with Ploughshare Innovations – part of Britain’s Ministry of Defence – to put military innovations to good use for the rest of society. READ MORE…
Augmented reality platform enables consumers to virtually try before they buy
There have been numerous efforts to make augmented reality more than just a technological gimmick – fromdigital museum learning aids to virtual outdoor supermarkets. Now, France-based Augment is hoping to make it a useful sales tool for enabling consumers to see how products will look before they commit to buying. READ MORE…
From Kenya, robust, mobile ‘brick’ provides internet access when the internet is down
While slimline routers and ultra-thin batteries may be suitable for urban environments where mains electricity and wifi hotspots are in abundance, it’s not the same in rural Africa. We recently covered the rough-and-ready eChaja kit, providing solar-powered device charging for remote areas, and now the BRCK aims to keep Africans connected even when the power turns off and the internet drops out. READ MORE…
Display turns water surface into an interactive digital screen
New ways of interacting with digital displays can bring about important new possibilities for working – as the Kinect-based Intera system for surgeons has proved. Now Japanese researchers have unveiled the AquaTop display, which consists of a screen projected onto the surface of water, controlled by interacting with the liquid. READ MORE…
Wise Words with Linda Franco
Technology innovations can sometimes defy belief, and the MJ v1.0 jacket was no exception when it was first brought to our attention last month. Designed with style in mind as well as tech capabilities, the MJ v1.0 jacket enables the wearer to make musical sounds through gestures. The company behind the tech, Machina, is in its infancy and the jacket is its first creation. The business focuses on a co-operative approach and has a clear and ambitious vision for the future, where fashion will merge with technology to create new capabilities for humans, for example increasing strength through wearable tech that helps the wearer to lift heavy items. READ MORE…
Men’s suit that turns transparent when wearer is lying
Hot on the heels of our recent coverage of the MJ v1.0, a jacket that enables wearers to make music solely by gesturing, we’ve come across another example of wearable tech. Netherlands-based design group Studio Roosegaarde is set to expand its Intimacy 2.0 range of smart clothing to include a men’s business suit which turns transparent when the wearer is being untruthful. READ MORE…
Access control system uses the human body for signal transmission
As the number of devices at our disposal continues to increase, authentication and security become more important than ever. Hard on the heels of our recent story about Passboard system’s mix-and-match approach, BodyCom is a new technology from Arizona-based Microchip that uses the human body as a secure communication channel. READ MORE…
Barcodes converted to pulsing lights are readable by standard supermarket scanners
The Object Recognition Scanner has already hinted at a world without the need for physical barcodes. Now Mobeam has reformatted barcodes for the digital sphere so they can be read by existing point-of-sale laser scanners. READ MORE…
Laser sensors automatically fertilize crops that need it most
We’ve seen RFID tags adapted by Newcastle University in the UK to help farmers keep tabs on their cows, and now CropSpec is a device that uses lasers to detect the growth of crops and apply fertilizer only to the areas where it is required. READ MORE…
