Introducing the world's first intubation robot

Researchers have introduced the first intubation robot operated by remote control. The robotic system may facilitate the intubation procedure and reduce some complications associated with airway management.

Researchers create super-small transistor, artificial atom powered by single electrons

A University of Pittsburgh-led team has created a single-electron transistor that provides a building block for new, more powerful computer memories, advanced electronic materials, and the basic components of quantum computers.

The 70 kilo single person plane

(PhysOrg.com) -- Aki Suokas, a Finnish aeronautical engineer, has just finished creating a unique single-seat aircraft this week. The project was completed at Aero Friedrichshafen, and it has been dubbed the FlyNano.

NASA's new ion engine ready for missions in space

(PhysOrg.com) -- A small robotic surveyor arrives to explore a near-Earth asteroid. Another robotic spacecraft is returning to Earth with a pristine comet surface sample. Meanwhile, a robotic explorer is approaching Uranus, carrying scientific instruments that will allow us to learn more about our solar system. What do all these mission concepts have in common?

AI algorithm gives computers ‘hindsight’ to anticipate the future

An AI algorithm that gives computers hindsight to anticipate the future has been developed by computer scientists and economists at Tel Aviv

IBM shows smallest, fastest graphene processor

IBM has demonstrated a graphene transistor that can execute 155 billion cycles per second, about 50% faster than previous experimental transistors. The

Sim-drive corp announces new 'in-wheel' electric car

(PhysOrg.com) -- SIM-Drive Corporation, a Japanese consortium based in Kawasaki-shi and comprised of 34 companies and municipalities, has announced that it has developed a functioning electric car based on in-wheel electric motor technology.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a robot bird [+video]

(PhysOrg.com) -- The great thing about robots is that they come in all shapes and sizes. Of course, that is also one of the creepiest things about robots too. You never know what is going to be a robot these days. There are people shaped robots, there are robots that are designed to explore the depths of space. That bird that you see on the building. It could be a robot too.

First practical nanogenerator produces electricity with pinch of the fingers

After six years of intensive effort, scientists are reporting development of the first commercially viable nanogenerator, a flexible chip that can use body movements — a finger pinch now en route to a pulse beat in the future — to generate electricity. Speaking here today at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, they described boosting the device

Battery powered plane gets a test flight - Elektra One - D-MELN

Battery powered plane gets a test flight, Elektra One. A pilot tests out a prototype battery-powered plane. "Today we have news of an all-electric airplane the Elektra One. The Elektra One is a single seater aircraft that weighs just 440lbs and relies entirely on a series of batteries for its power. The news comes from an article at Wired that reports of the plane's recent test flights in Augsburg, Germany. The airplane is designed to be energy efficient and quiet. Its propeller spins at 1,400 RPM which reduces the noise of the aircraft. PC-Aero say they are aiming to get at least 3 hours flight out of the design which translate to more than 250 miles range. When purchasing the Elektra One it will include a charging system and hangar for the €100,000 asking price. The company responsible for the aircraft also plan on making solar charging hangars available capable of providing 300 hours of flight time using renewable energy." Specifications - number of seats: 1 - maximum weight: 300 kg - wingspan: 8,6 m - wing surface : 6,4 m2 - maximum engine power: 16 KW - empty weight (without batteries): 100 kg - max. batteries: 100 kg - payload: 100 kg - max. range: over 400 km - max. endurance: over 3 hours - modern composite glass-/carbon-structure - advanced aerodynamic design - best propeller efficiency (90%) - light batteries - highly efficient electric drive - integration of new certification procedures Quieter, Greener Flight: The Elektra One plane by PC-Aero is competing to win NASA's CAFE Green Flight Challenge (there's a 1.6 million dollars prize). The goal is to create an aircraft that can "fly 200 miles in less than two hours using the energy equivalent of less than 1 gallon of gasoline per occupant. Team aircraft include those propelled by gasoline, bio-diesel, hydrogen, and electricity." The Elektra One is 100% powered by electricity, and it recently had a successful maiden flight in Germany. See also: http://cafefoundation.org/v2/gfc_main.php http://cafefoundation.org/v2/gfc_2011_teams.php

The incredible shrinking circuit

(PhysOrg.com) -- Just when it seemed that microchips couldn

20 petaflops: new supercomputer for Oak Ridge facility to regain speed lead over the Chinese

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) campus in Oak Ridge Tennessee will soon play host once again to the fastest computer in the world (barring any new sudden announcements by the Chinese). The computer, dubbed "Titan" has been commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy, and is expected to achieve 20,000 trillion calculations (20 petaflops) per second.

Intelligent microscopy: software runs experiments on its own

Scientists in Germany have created new software that rapidly learns what researchers are looking for and automatically performs complex microscopy experiments.

NASA develops light microscope for international space station

NASA has begun testing a new multi-capability microscope on the International Space Station. It will help scientists study the effects of the space environment on physics and biology aboard the orbiting laboratory. The microscope is isolated from vibrations on the station, allowing it to obtain clear, high-resolution images. Using high-resolution magnification, scientists can examine microorganisms and individual cells of plants and animals, including humans.

Medical microcamera the size of a grain of salt gives razor-sharp images, very inexpensively

There have been gloves and shavers for one-off use for a long time. In future, there will also be disposable endoscopes for minimally invasive operations on the human body. A new microcamera is what makes it possible. It is as large as a grain of salt, supplies razor-sharp pictures and can be manufactured very inexpensively.