SEEING EYE GLOVE: Google has filed for a patent on a glove with sensors for viewing a room or controlling a computer with gestures. Called "Seeing With Your Hand" they suggest it would be useful for helping to find objects in places where you can't see. The patent filing shows a sensor on the fingertips sending data to a processor in the palm. The processor then sends the info to a display. A glove that finds things could be very handy. GeekWire has details.
SAILED SHIPS: Eco Marine Power in Japan is developing the Aquarius System — rigid sails for large ships such as oil tankers. These sails, lining both sides of the deck, are designed to harness both wind and solar energy, and will work both out at sea and in port. A computer controls their positioning to maximise efficiency and minimise drag, or even to lower them out of the way. Wait long enough
and those trends return: it's back to wind power. More at Eco Marine Power.
CALL OUT THE BLIMPS: Remote towns in northern Canada can be isolated by snow and ice that makes roads too treacherous to use. And if storms stop planes from flying that just makes the problem worse. I guess that's when you call out the dog sleds, or maybe the heavy lift blimps. Canadian company Discovery Air believe Hybrid Air Vehicles could carry up to 45 tonnes of goods at speeds up to 100 knots — no runway required. The hull is filled with helium for lift, while vectored thrust engines enable vertical takeoff and landing, as well as precision hover. The blimps can launch and load from all kinds of surfaces. But if storms ground planes won't they ground blimps too? InnovationNewsDaily has more details.
SHOOT THE RIGHT ANGLE: The Fraunhofer Institute want to make things easier for movie directors. By mounting a microlens array in front of a camera sensor the recorded image contains multiple perspectives. What's more the camera records a 4D light field. The sensor records the position, intensity and direction of the light it captures. In post processing the director can choose depth of focus and angle of view on the fly. Actors beware: fewer reshoots probably reduces your income. Fraunhofer Institute shows off its new tricks.
TRAINING WHEELS: Electric trains need a big jolt of power to move away from the station. That's one reason why departures have to be staggered. On the other hand they throw away a lot of kinetic energy when they come in to a stop. Vycon Energy have proposed a system where that deceleration energy is captured and sent along the electric rail to a bank of flywheels at the station. Then it can be reused to start the next train. No sense throwing away energy when it costs so much to create more. Greentech has details.
