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

AnatOnMe: Doctor patient communication enhanced with new Microsoft device (w/ video)

(Medical Xpress) -- Microsoft researchers announced this week a new handheld device that they hope will work as an aid for doctors and patients to better communicate injuries and recommended therapy treatments. The new prototype device is called AnatOnMe and enables doctors to project an image of the bones, tendons and muscles involved in an injury directly onto the patient's skin.

AnatOnMe is composed of two parts. The main component has a handheld projector, a digital camera, and an infrared camera. The second part of the device holds a laser pointer and the main control buttons. Amy Karlson from Microsoft Research’s Computational User Experiences Group located in Redmond, Washington says that the technology is actually low-tech but could provide many possibilities in the future.

The projector is capable of projecting stock images of an injury onto a patient’s skin to better enable them to see inside and understand the injury. The camera enables a doctor to take images of a patient to document progress and allow doctors to make notations. They can also take pictures of a patient performing physical therapy and note what they might be doing wrong or need to work on. This method allows the patient to better see how their body is working and what needs to be done in order to heal from the injury.

This video is not supported by your browser at this time.

AnatOnMe is a projection-enabled mobile device designed to improve patient-doctor communication in a medical setting.

After an exam, the doctor is then able to print out the pictures and create a personalized file to show what has been discussed in the office visit for the patient to take home, as well as provide detailed information in a patient’s medical record. By making the visit and instructions more personalized, the hope is to better improve patient body awareness and communication between the doctor and the patient.

Toyota demos 'Window to the World' vehicle back seat smart window technology (w/ video)

Enlarge

(PhysOrg.com) -- Designers from the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design and engineers from Toyota have been working together and have come up with a unique and innovative concept they call the "Window to the Word" where the window of the back seat of an automobile is converted into a see-through touch-screen device capable of allowing people, likely children, to draw images with their finger, magnify objects they see outside the car, learn by having objects they touch converted into another language, get distance for objects seen and be given information about objects they see.

This video is not supported by your browser at this time.

Watching the video the team has created of a child using the new technology is both awe inspiring and head scratching. On the one hand, you have to give the designers and engineers credit for even thinking of such a thing, and for portraying it in such a beautiful and simplistic way. But, on the other, the practicalities of such a technology soon surpass the feelings of wonder at this new demonstration of the power of applied technology. Would window smudging ruin the effect after awhile, for example, or would a child bother with it if buckled in so tight that turning to use the window would become a strenuous activity; or would kids prefer to just have a tablet computer on their lap, etc.

Using the new technology, which was demoed at the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association meeting last month, in Belgium, appears to be straightforward and simple. To zoom in on an object, two fingers are spread outwardly from a single point, as on a tablet device. To draw, a single finger is pressed against the window and moved about, again, similar to any other touch-screen. Menuing is controlled via a designated area in the lower left corner of the window. One truly interesting feature is that objects drawn on the window appear to move out of the framed window at the same rate as the car is moving, giving the illusion that the object drawn was actually part of the outside landscape and is being left behind as the car heads off.

Whether or not the “Window to the World” concept ever makes it to real world vehicles, the ideas behind it demonstrate that car manufacturers are intent on using every bit of available technology to make driving, or riding in cars in the future, a better experience for all of us.