Tech »

MIT researchers develop fibers that can detect and produce sound

Researchers from MIT announced a new milestone on the path to functional fibers – fibers that can detect and produce sound. Yoel Fink, an associate professor of MIT’s Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, and his associates have been working to develop fibers with more sophisticated properties, in order to… »

Gadgets, Tech »

Noteput – an interactive music table with tangible notes

Although it isnt’t hard to teach a child to play some tune on the piano or strum the guitar, teaching classical music notation is a bit more difficult in most cases. The Noteput table concept from designers Jonas Heuer and Jürgen Graef attempts to make learning music theory fun, and… »

Tech »

Flexible, stretchable, nearly indestructible CNT loudspeakers

A thin film based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) could replace conventional magnetic loudspeakers. By applying an audio frequency current through the CNT, the loudspeaker can generate sound with wide frequency range, high sound pressure levels (SPL), and low total harmonic distortion (THD). The uniqueness of this advancement is that the… »

Robotics »

ASIMO can recognize three speakers simultaneously

In one of our previous articles we started to cover the features of ASIMO – one of the most advanced humanoid robots of today. Besides footsteps planning, ASIMO can understand three humans speaking simultaneously (to some degree). Hiroshi Okuno at Kyoto University, and Kazuhiro Nakadai at the Honda Research Institute… »

Tech »

Surgery done with sound – High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound

A new ultrasound device, used in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), allows neurosurgeons to precisely burn out small pieces of malfunctioning brain tissue without cutting the skin or opening the skull. A preliminary study from Switzerland involving nine patients with chronic pain shows that the technology can be used… »

Gadgets »

Turn any flat surface into a sound speaker – Kerchoonz K-box

Ever wanted your wall or table to play the music? In this article we’re not talking about flat and thin speakers, but rather of a gadget that turns any flat surface into a giant speaker. As personal music players are becoming more common, there’s another developing trend that is growing:… »

Tech »

First acoustic superlens created

A team of researchers at the University of Illinois has created the world’s first acoustic “superlens”. It is an innovation that could have practical implications for high-resolution ultrasound imaging, non-destructive structural testing of buildings and bridges, and novel underwater stealth technology. According to the results, the acoustic system is analogous… »

Gadgets »

Inovation First HEXBUG robots – Ant, Original, Inchworm and Crab

In need to find a new and cheap toy to entertain young children or yourself when being idle? Read this article and decide which one of the HEXBUG robot-toys is most suitable for you.
After releasing their Original HEXBUG robot the Texas based manufacturer Innovation First introduced their, by so far,… »

Tech »

FFL – Flat Flexible Loudspeakers

Talking walls or other artificially made objects are no rarity in sci-fi and soon those will become our everyday reality. Warwick Audio is a UK based company which develops a new form of mid-range loudspeaker technology Flat Flexible Loudspeakers, FFL.

The FFL was first developed by Dr Duncan Billson and Professor… »