The "Space cube"

Can you imagine a computer with a shape of cube, which size is only 5 sm.?

The Japanese corporation “Shimafuji” made it a month ago and called it “Space cube”. It is the smallest computer in the world and is projected for the International Space Station.

The mini computer have processor with maximum frequency of 300 MHz and flash memory 16 Mb. The operational memory is Linux Red Hat works with Compact flash and is placed in one of its slots. The memory of the hard disk is 64 Mb (SDRam).

The computer have the following ports – LAN, USB, Ethernet and have other additional extra Space Wire, which permit it to work with another devices.

A space technology detects invisible cracks in Mines

An advanced system-penetrating radar, originally developed to investigate the structure of the lunar soil and other planets in planetary missions of the European Space Agency (ESA), is being used in some mines in Canada to detect cracks and dangerous areas.

The company Germanosuiza RST has designed two radars to detect invisible separations in the roofs and the walls of the mines. They are called CRIS (Crack Identification System), for hard rock mines, and PRIS (Potash Roof Inspection System), for potassium mines. Both incorporate technology developed by ESA to penetrate the soil by a radar, which will be mounted further on the lunar vehicle that will investigate the structure of the earth in our satellite.

"CRIS and PRIS are based on a technology that ESA started to develop in 1994. We have changed the frequencies of operation to search for mines in cracks and structural weaknesses, " says Ynonne Krellmann - the project director, said in a statement from the ESA.

During the tests made in Canada, have already verified that this invention is very useful in recognizing horizontal cracks in the ceilings of the galleries, cracks that are very difficult to identify him by human eye and which, over time, can cause the roof collapse.

The penetration of the ground radar is a non-destructive geophysical technique that uses radio waves to determine structures and objects hidden under the floor. Its main application is the study of the shallow areas where the radar operates at frequencies between 1 and 1000 MHz.

In principle, this radar operates in the same way that makes it a conventional radar to detect the presence of an airplane: an impetus to send radio waves and receives the reflected energy of the object that has found its way. The radio waves are reflected from any boundary where the dielectric properties of materials change.

In the case of the radar from an airplane is when the slings hit another plane. If it is to penetrate the soil in mining, is when the waves are a separation in the material that forms a ceiling or a wall. In this case, the wave reduces its strength. To calculate the distance or depth to the crack, measured the duration of the trip the airwaves.

Ginger uses two frequencies to cover two separate functions. First, it acts just like the "eye" of a vehicle for planetary exploration, making the surface that is visible in front of him through a medium resolution images. At the same time, not only maps the surface through which passes, but penetrating, exploring the structure of the soil.

CRIS was designed to identify yelling in harsh environments with stones. Has been tested successfully in mines Notario, Canada, as well as potassium mines. These mines are especially vulnerable, as well as being located within one kilometer below ground. The enormous pressure exerted by the weight of the rock along certain properties of salt that it is part, can cause deformities in the galleries and, consequently, cracks forming.

This invention was developed a little more up to create the PRIS II, a radar that can be mountained in a jeep or on a machine used in mining, reducing inspection time in the state in which it finds a hole or a gallery. In the tests made by PRISII have been identified and invisible Separations cracks in walls of mine roof of potassium to two meters below the surface.

"At the same time that radar technology was more robust, has been redefined to be understood by mining engineers and other personnel not familiar with the radar. We have been asked by most companies in the mining sector, "says Hans Martin Braun, RST. "Efforts to improve the safety of the mine must include machines that incorporate radar penetration of the land, which is a more efficient and faster to detect weaknesses that the ocular inspection," he concludes.

According to its creators, this invention can be transferred to other applications. For example, one company has been interested in transferring to maintenance of roads and tunnels. Only in Switzerland there are 1,600 kilometers of roads passing through the tunnels (and another 500 under construction). The radar could be used to check the status of those tunnels. This sector, therefore has many potentialities.

Space becomes part of the fight against forest fires

This is a project of the European Space Agency (ESA), called RISK EOS and is part of the program promoted jointly by ESA and the European Commission GMES (Global Monitoring of Environment and Security) that will give Europe a space infrastructure observation, particularly devoted to the management of forest fires and for other types of natural disasters such as floods.

With the application of this technology, the Regional Operations Center (COR), a body of the Plan INFOCID elaborate fires and distribute the resources needed to extinguish them, have gathered information from the satellite to track the fire.

At that meeting, which examines the use of this tool, involving representatives of INFOCID Plan, the European Space Agency, and the consortium in charge of project management-company-INSA. Similarly, there are representatives of European countries that are also involved in the project, such as Italy, Belgium, Sweden, France and Germany.

The development of the project RISK EOS in its first phase ended in December 2004, the date until which was consolidated a portfolio of information services for the management of fires and floods. In fact, this first phase of the Plan INFOCID already have the information via satellite to obtain maps of the areas affected by fire. In its second phase, starting from November 2005, has expanded the coverage of the program with the exploitation of new services, such as the monitoring of fires by satellite.

With this initiative, the INFOCID incorporates new elements in the use of information technologies to perform their tasks. This year the program has incorporated a system to track vehicle fire, also via satellite, which allows its position as well as meteorological data on foot field. On the other hand, is being used in its first phase the system SIADEX, a technology developed by the University of Granada, which allows to optimize the allocation of human and technical resources in case of fire.

Plan on Forest Fires Government of Andalusia, INFOCID, incorporated into upcoming dates tech via satellite to conduct a comprehensive monitoring of forest fires. The headquarters of the Ministry of Environment has hosted a meeting of representatives from various European countries will also launch this initiative.

Suit for sex from distance

Inventor from Singapore James Te has been invented a “suit for hugs from distance”. With this invention soon everybody will have a chance to touch this part of body of loved mate through signal from internet.

At the moment James Te tests the “suit” on domestic poultry. In perspective he wants to create analog for peoples, wrote British newspaper Guardian.

Invention works simply – they put on the bird the suit with built in sensors and direct video camera toward it. The sensors send information through internet to the “office” where terminal shows 3D image of the bird. Touching this image reflexes to the suit.

From this point isn’t far away from virtual hugs between two peoples.

Through signals sended by internet, exact places of the suit will change the pressure and the temperature.

If the scientist goes on his experiments in that direction, he might be the one who solved the problem with the sex from distance.

By the way NASA has been seriously take up the problem with the lack of sex on the astronauts who are on long missions. Many scientists think that the sex would help the astronauts to create sensation of stability and normal life.

Space light-emitting diode

The space LED technology gave to the medicine new ability to deliver light deep in the tissues of the body, the wavelength is ideal for treating cancer and healing of wounds. This technology already flies into space and is promising for healing of wounds of astronauts.

The photon therapy is the application of the process called photostimulation, at the cellular level. First, when light or photon bombards the skin, the cells absorb photon energy, which increases the circulation of oxygen and removing the toxins. Second, the energy from the light stimulates the acupressure points releasing any blockages that may impede the recovery. Tissues transform them into light energy and transfer it to the brain through the nervous system. Finally, the light waves work with bioenergy magnetic field, realigning any imbalance that may undermine the ability to cure the body. By stimulating certain parts of the body with a quantity of light, the photon therapy can help to reduce pain or to help the recovery process.

The photons optimize the human bioenergy, which in consequence of the disease has become unrelated and disbalance. It accelerates the recovery process in the body, strengthen the immune system, relieve pain, calms inflammations, balance the loss of energy and increases the overall activity of the body and brain. The photons which are broadcast through the LED, are absorbed by the skin photoreceptors, and then travel through the nervous system to the brain, which helps to regulate the human bioenergy.

Advanced scientific underwater robot

University of Washington recently developed a robot that can dive to a depth of 5000 meters in the ocean, has been completed successfully by scientists and engineers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Washington.

Sentry is a pioneering underwater robot which can swim in an independent manner, without wires or other connections to a research ship.

The autonomous underwater vehicle, is preprogrammed with instructions for exploration in deep waters, but also can make its own decisions about navigation on the ocean floor.

In the near future, Sentry conducted oceanographic explorations of high resolution that would otherwise be impossible.

Thanks to Sentry, have been prepared and more accurate maps to date of the Hydrate Ridge and the Axial Volcano, regions of the seabed off the coast of Oregon and Washington.

"We are changing the way that makes ocean science, launching a new era in which a set of technologies provide us with a growing capacity to explore the oceans and interact with them," says John Delaney, chief scientist of the expedition.

The robot can collect the necessary data to make maps of the seabed with a resolution of up to less than one meter.

Powered by more than a thousand lithium-ion batteries similar to those used in laptops, but adapted to extreme pressures, Sentry diving for about 18 hours and traveling 58 kilometers and can make longer trips in the future.

Sentry is designed to swim through the water like a fish or float in it as a way comparable to what makes a helicopter in the air. The ingenious design allows the vehicle hydrodynamic descend quickly from the ocean surface to depths (about 3,500 meters per minute). The novel also gives the vehicle a high stability and a remarkable balance while crossing through the flow of deep water.

The robot has built-in thrusters fins, or wings. As an airplane, the wings allow it to gain lift entrainment or time or directional, as required.

When needed, the robot can also float on the bottom without moving horizontally, to conduct inspections closely, make decisions navigation, or to rise or fall before marine rugged terrain.

The most skillful robot with high passability in the world

U.S. company Boston Dynamics presented to the public new generation four-leg device that shows staggering stability and quickness in movement in severe conditions.

The something named by its creators “Big Dog”, is presented by Boston Dynamics as " the most modern four-leg robot in the world " and "alpha dog" of the family robots of the manufacturer, which also includes and other interesting "robo-fauna".

With its size of 1 meter length, 0.7 height and weight of 75 kg. BigDog actually quite remind a big dog (or a little donkey) and can walk, run (with speeds up to 6-7 km / h), jump and climb in difficult terrain with a gradient of 35 degrees and transferring heavy and bulky loads. The mechanical "dog" draws energy from a petrol engine. It power the special hydraulic drive system, which is perhaps the most interesting thing from the widget.

The legs and the joints of the robot are also shaped like the animal and are equipped with absorbing strikes system. According to its creators, the robot may restore a part of the energy used at each step. Of course, there are built-in computer that controls the "center of balance", guide movements of the Big Dog and process information received from the multiple sensors.

BigDog is designed with the idea to create robots that are sufficiently passable to go anywhere where can reach people and animals, comment Boston Dynamics. Naturally, the program is funded by U.S. Agency for advanced research projects in the area of the defense DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) - the same that finance and development of the Internet.

And in Boston Dynamics appear to have done a good job with the money, if judged by the curious video demonstration that the company has published on its site.