| NZ technology generates electricity from passing cars |
The company's PowerTread system, in which tubes that are compressed by vehicles and pump hydraulic fluid to turn a turbine and generate electricity, has undergone extensive testing and simulation over the past three years. |
The company has calculated that on an industrial scale the machine could generate 15KW an hour, enough to power 12 good-sized homes. Read more at www.nzherald.co.nz |
Kiwi company unveils life-changing technology |
A New Zealand-based technology company has today unveiled a robotic exoskeleton which could change the lives of disabled people. |
Kiwi firm's innovative locator technology saves lives
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Together with electronics engineer James McCarthy, they shrank US$20,000 (NZ$28,000) of GPS and satellite technology into a palm-sized box, eliminating the need for an external antenna.
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They also recognised a gap in the market for an integrated GPS/satellite tracking system not limited to the cellular phone network and coverage.
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Three years from now, Spidertracks aimed to be the preferred provider of location-based safety system around the world, Ms Donald said.
Read more at www.stuff.co.nz |
But how will it affect peoples perception of their local council? | a hi-tech wireless parking system that monitors all vehicle movements |
The MeterEye system offers "electronic chalking" on cars which overstay in parking spaces through its in-ground dinner plate-sized sensors, wireless "mesh" networking and a web-based reporting system.
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At the top end, there is even scope for automatic number plate recognition cameras with which the system can "date stamp" when vehicles arrive and leave the central business district.
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The MeterEye system's reporting and analysis offers reports on parking space occupancy, length of stays and enforcement efficiency at the punch of a button. Mr Perrier said sensors also ensured meters were reset to zero when a car left a space "so there is no piggy-backing on unused time".
Read more at www.stuff.co.nz |
Long-lived nuclear batteries powered by hydrogen isotopes are in testing for military applications. |
Batteries that harvest energy from the nuclear decay of isotopes can produce very low levels of current and last for decades without needing to be replaced. A new version of the batteries, called betavoltaics, is being developed by an Ithaca, NY-based company and tested by Lockheed Martin. The batteries could potentially power electrical circuits that protect military planes and missiles from tampering by destroying information stored in the systems, or by sending out a warning signal to a military center. The batteries are expected to last for 25 years. The company, called Widetronix, is also working with medical-device makers to develop batteries that could last decades for implantable medical devices. Read more at www.technologyreview.com |
Digital Telemetry steps up for Hutt City |
Kiwi company delivers low-cost telemetry solution |
| A year ago it became aware of a system developed by a Hutt-based company, Digital Telemetry, which has developed its own Java-based software that communicates via the Vodafone cellphone network. |
| “We’d been looking at a system the Rotorua Council uses but that cost $20,000 a unit,” George says. Digital Telemetry’s units were just $1000 each, plus $65 a month for the service.” |
| “We’re also looking at setting up a semi-portable unit as a plug and play device that can be connected to instrumentation that measures pH (acidity and alkalinity),” he says. |
The council has also used the technology for a digital road sign on the Wainui hill road that can be changed on the fly to warn of accidents or changing traffic conditions. |
| The cost was just $5000 compared with around $60,000 per sign spent on the nearby Hutt Road. |
New tech to stop laptop fires
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A new technology to prevent lithium-ion batteries from catching fire or exploding in laptops and mobile phones may be on the market as soon as the first quarter of 2010, its inventor said.
The invention, called Stoba, was developed at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Taiwan's national research organisation.
When lithium-ion batteries develop internal shorts they can quickly heat up to as much as 500 degrees centigrade (932 degrees Fahrenheit) and catch fire or explode.
Stoba sits between the positive and negative sides of the battery and when the battery hits 130 degrees centigrade (266 degrees Fahrenheit), Stoba transforms from a porous material to a film and shuts down the reaction. Read more at www.stuff.co.nz |
Slowing Down Speeders
Pavement Markings Make Drivers Feel They Are Going Too Fast |
| Engineers have developed new pavement markings that give drivers the illusion that the car is moving faster than it really is. The markings, called optical speed bars, are series of lines painted at decreasing intervals on the road. Early tests show the bars are getting drivers to slow down.
Read more at www.sciencedaily.com |
Liquid Granite: Building Material Of The Future Unveiled |
| Scientists have developed a new building material that is fire resistant to temperatures in excess of 1100 degrees Celsius, is made largely from recycled material and is as versatile as concrete. |
| The material is made up of between 30 and 70 per cent recycled material, mainly base products from industry. It uses less than one third of the cement used in precast concrete, which also reduces its carbon footprint. |
| "Liquid Granite is a very versatile material that can be used in a similar way to concrete. The fact it has a high level of fire resistance means that it can be used in areas where fire safety is crucial, such as around power stations, and in domestic and commercial buildings can offer added time for evacuation in case of an emergency.Read more at www.sciencedaily.com |
| Muscle-Bound Computer Interface |
Forearm electrodes could enable new forms of hands-free computer interaction. |
It's a good time to be communicating with computers. No longer are we constrained by the mouse and keyboard--touch screens and gesture-based controllers are becoming increasingly common. A startup called Emotiv Systems even sells a cap that reads brain activity, allowing the wearer to control a computer game with her thoughts. |
Now, researchers at Microsoft, the University of Washington in Seattle, and the University of Toronto in Canada have come up with another way to interact with computers: a muscle-controlled interface that allows for hands-free, gestural interaction. Read more at www.technologyreview.com |
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NZ technology generates electricity from passing cars
