Airbus shows off a see-thru concept plane (w/ video)

QR code (PhysOrg.com) -- Airbus has begun to show off its version of the plane of the future. It is somewhere between cool and disturbing, depending on who you ask, but it definitely represents some interesting new technology that could make flying more energy efficient and a give you something a lot more interesting to look at then the in-flight movie.

The presentations, which took place in London, feature concept art from the design that the company hopes one day to make into a flying model. The plane would be almost completely see-through, thanks to the creation of a biopolymer membrane. This membrane would make every seat into a window seat by default and allow you to see the world below as you pass it by.

The real power saving innovation was alluded to by Charles Champion, head of engineering for Airbus. When he described the plane to Telegraph he described a section of the plane known as the SmartTech zone. In this zone users body heat is converted in to power for the plane. Mr. Champion was not specific about in which systems would use body heat as a power source and which would not, which has raised some speculation as to what exactly humans will be the power source for.

The plane is not expected to be released until the year 2050, if it ever makes it off of the drawing board to begin with, so do not expect to be getting rides in a see-thru plane any time in the near future.

More information:
via Telegraph

NHK shows off a TV that watches you

Image: Techon

Most people are comfortable enough with the idea of watching TV, but how comfortable will they be with the idea of the TV watching them back?

The folks who attended Open House 2011, which ran between May 26th to the 29th, were able to see NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories demonstrate its new UTAN TV viewing interface. For those of you who are curious, UTAN stands for User Technology Assisted Navigation, and while you may at first think that description could easily be applied to a simple remote control, it is so much more.

The system begins with a camera mounted on your TV. That camera takes pictures of you while you are watching and with the help of some clever software gauges your level of interest. It does this by assessing your level of attention paid to the screen, based on your facial expression and motions.

Philips shows of glowing wallpaper

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(PhysOrg.com) -- Recently, Philips has announced that it will partner with Kvadrat Soft Cells in order to create a luminous type of textile to the consumer market. The panels will work by integrating Philips' addressable LEDs into the Soft Cells acoustic panels, designed to work with sound waves, in order to create a fabric that can glow and play with the idea of ambient light in designs as well as adding a textural element to the lighting in a room.

This style of lighting will create a kind of a glowing wallpaper panels for rooms that can be used in ways that traditional wall and ceiling mounted lighting cannot be. The lights could potentially have the ability to change colors based on the owner’s desires. The textile will also have a secondary effect, the dampening of noise, since the panels are designed to dampen noise and softens echoes.