Browse Topic: Consumer electronics

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The Quiet Rise of On-Device AI Issue 2MY-AUTO-MAG-ISSUE-2To be published on 08/01/2027
Abstract A look at how smartphones, laptops, and wearables are shifting AI workloads from the cloud to local chips, and what that means for privacy, battery life, and app design.
Alvarez, Marisol, Chen, David
The Advancement of Aerial Firefighting Concept of OperationsF-0080-2024-11605/7/2024
Advancing technology has driven continuous improvements across most aspects of human endeavors. In the time since the first modern helicopter flew in 1939, the world has seen inventions like the microwave, personal computers, cell phones, and the internet. If helicopters predate these society-changing innovations, then it stands to reason that the manner in which helicopters operate has drastically shifted as well. Specifically, this paper reviews historical concepts of operations (CONOPS) in rotorcraft aerial firefighting and analyzes where technology advancements have made an impact on firefighting operations and the performance of helicopters in suppressing fires. These shifts were evaluated using analytical assessments and highlighting snapshots in time of how capability impacted the aerial firefighting mission effectiveness. As companies innovate and technology advances, further benefits to rotorcraft CONOPS in aerial firefighting will be realized.
Gil, Monica, Gorelick, Jordan, Melhorn, Shawn
Pilot Flight Simulator Performance Under Distraction and Vibrotactile Situation AwarenessF-0080-2024-13435/7/2024
Maintenance of spatial orientation (SO) is achieved primarily through visual information where the horizon and celestial reference cues or flight instruments are used by pilots to infer aircraft orientation. However, cross checking the instruments in degraded visual environments can be complicated by factors such as workload, distraction, and situations where the vestibular and proprioceptive systems may provide false and competing orientation information. We describe experiments measuring pilot performance using a flight simulator under challenging conditions where the sensory information was controlled. Reducing available visual instruments increased the task difficulty. A wearable vibrotactile array could provide concurrent, additional orientation information. Increasing the flying task segment difficulty increased the perceived workload and also corresponded to an increase in accidents. Adding tactile orientation information reduced the accident rate.
Mortimer, Bruce, Duffy, Michelle, Olson, Makaila, Loftis, Shelby, Graff, Daniel, Rupert, Angus, Chaparro, Barbara, French, Jon, Dailey, Chris
Paper-Based Device Analyzes SweatTBMG-373628/1/2020
Researchers have constructed a paper-based device as a model of wearables that can collect, transport, and analyze sweat in next-generation wearable technology. Using a process known as capillary action, akin to water transport in plants, the device uses evaporation to wick fluid that mimics the features of human sweat to a sensor for up to 10 days or longer.
Wearable Patch May Provide New Treatment Option for Skin CancerTBMG-373538/1/2020
Conventional melanoma therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, suffer from the toxicity and side effects of repeated treatments due to the aggressive and recurrent nature of melanoma cells.
Stretchable Material for Wearables Operates at Low PowerTBMG-373588/1/2020
A novel stretchable material, when used in light-emitting capacitor devices, enables highly visible illumination at low operating voltages, and it is also resilient to damage due to its self-healing properties.
Improved Model Predicts Heat Loss in Gallium Nitride SemiconductorsTBMG-361893/1/2020
Engineers have found that the model currently used to predict heat loss in a common semiconductor material does not apply in all situations. By testing the thermal properties of gallium nitride semiconductors fabricated using four popular methods, they discovered that some techniques produce materials that perform better than others.
5 Ws of PAWS Smart HeadphonesTBMG-361993/1/2020
Pedestrians who wear headphones or earbuds to listen to music, text, or talk on smartphones while walking, putting themselves at risk by tuning out the traffic around them.
Researchers Develop Ultra-Thin, Ultra-Flexible Electronic MaterialTBMG-362753/1/2020
Researchers have developed an ultra-thin, ultra-flexible electronic material that could be printed and rolled out like newspaper. The material could be used for the touch-screens of the future. The touch-responsive technology is 100 times thinner than existing touchscreen materials and so pliable it can be rolled up like a tube.
Oxygen Sensor for Sick InfantsTBMG-361563/1/2020
Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) are developing a sensor the size of a Band-Aid that will measure a baby’s blood oxygen levels, a vital indication of the lungs’ effectiveness and whether the baby’s tissue is receiving adequate oxygen supply. Unlike current systems used in hospitals, this miniaturized wearable device will be flexible and stretchable, wireless, inexpensive, and mobile — possibly allowing the child to leave the hospital and be monitored remotely. The sensor measures blood gases diffusing through the skin and reports the data wirelessly.
Discovery Takes Pressure Off Blood MeasurementsTBMG-362643/1/2020
Researchers at Monash University are on the verge of creating a revolutionary, portable blood pressure monitoring device that can provide data continuously to patients from the comfort of their home.
Self-Moisturizing, Smart Contact LensesTBMG-361583/1/2020
Researchers have developed a new type of self-moisturizing, smart contact lenses that maintain a layer of fluid between the contact lens and the eye using a novel mechanism.
Wearable Health Tech Gets Efficiency UpgradeTBMG-362543/1/2020
North Carolina State University engineers have demonstrated a flexible device that harvests the heat energy from the human body to monitor health. The device surpasses all other flexible harvesters that use body heat as the sole energy source.
Wearable Gas Sensor Enhances SensitivityTBMG-362443/1/2020
A highly sensitive wearable gas sensor for environmental and human health monitoring may soon become commercially available, according to researchers at Penn State and Northeastern University.
New Method Detects Defects in 2D MaterialsTBMG-362483/1/2020
Researchers have developed a technique to quickly and sensitively characterize defects in 2D materials used in sensors and electronics. Their solution is to use laser light combined with a phenomenon called second harmonic generation, in which the frequency of the light shone on the material reflects at double the original frequency. Add to this a technique called dark field imaging, in which extraneous light is filtered out so that defects shine through.
New Solution to Elderly Falls: Drones, Smartphones and SensorsTBMG-361543/1/2020
A new system has been designed by a team of researchers from Iraq and the University of South Australia to remotely monitor elderly people, detecting abnormalities in their heart rate and temperature that can lead to falls, and provide urgent first aid via a drone if a fall occurs.
Cellular-key solution augments commercial-vehicle security20TOFHP02_082/1/2020
Connectivity's many benefits are matched by security concerns, which has prompted a number of security specialists from many fields to focus their attention on commercial vehicles. Irdeto, which provides security tools and services to disparate industries, is addressing commercial vehicles with cell phone-based keyless entry technology and cybersecurity services. The company, founded in 1969, lists diverse firms like Charter Communications, Comcast, 20th Century Fox and Alibaba Cloud as customers. As OEMs ramped up their connectivity offerings, Irdeto established its Connected Transport division in 2016. That division addresses overall cybersecurity while also offering a keyless entry system, Keystone, that uses cell phones to give users more control over vehicle access.
Costlow, Terry
Smart Photonic Contact Lens for Diabetic Diagnosis and Retinopathy TreatmentTBMG-360222/1/2020
Diabetic patients need to measure their blood sugar level by drawing blood before and after a meal. It is easy to develop complications due to diabetes. Recently, a research team from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) developed technology that allows diagnosis of diabetes and treatment of diabetic retinopathy just by wearing smart light-emitting diode (LED) contact lens. With this technology, it the researchers hope to develop wearable diagnostic and therapeutic devices for diabetes.
Adding Context to Full-Motion Video for Improved Surveillance and Situational AwarenessTBMG-360552/1/2020
Today’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms integrate state-of-the-art technologies and subsystems into airborne platforms intended to observe, detect, identify, and neutralize threats. Full motion video (FMV) sensors are essential assets and are routinely used on fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and manned and unmanned platforms to provide real-time situational awareness with minimal latency.
Insect-Inspired Motion SensingTBMG-359932/1/2020
Researchers have taken inspiration from flying insects to demonstrate a miniaturized gyroscope, a special sensor used in navigation technologies. Gyroscopes sense rotational motions to provide directional guidance without relying on satellites, so they are immune to signal jamming and other cyber threats, making them ideal for aircraft and submarines.
Adding Context to Full-Motion Video for Improved Surveillance and Situational Awareness20AERP02_032/1/2020
Today's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms integrate state-of-the-art technologies and subsystems into airborne platforms intended to observe, detect, identify, and neutralize threats. Full motion video (FMV) sensors are essential assets and are routinely used on fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and manned and unmanned platforms to provide real-time situational awareness with minimal latency. Ultimately, FMV is invaluable for helping operators answer the what, where, when, and why of a scenario. These sensors, which are easy and relatively inexpensive to integrate and deploy, support mission-critical tasks such as target detection and analysis. This may include tracking and pattern recognition-for example, FMV is particularly well suited for long stand-off ranges such that a target is not aware that they are being observed.
Q&A: Electrically Conductive Coated Yarn for Wearable, Washable FabricsTBMG-359822/1/2020
Professor Genevieve Dion, Director of Drexel University's (Philadelphia, PA) Center for Functional Fabrics, is collaborating with other experts to coat yarn with the highly conductive, two-dimensional material MXene. They demonstrated that the yarn could be used with standard textile manufacturing techniques to create wearable conductive fabric.
Soft, Skin-Like Structures for Robotic Locomotion and TransportationTBMG-359992/1/2020
Stretchable, skin-like robots that can be rolled up and put in your pocket have been developed using a new way of embedding artificial muscles and electrical adhesion into soft materials. This new advance could create new thin and light robots for environmental monitoring and deployment in hazardous environments, robot grippers for delicate objects, and new wearable technologies.
Liquid-Metal Wearable Pressure Sensor Created for Health Monitoring ApplicationsTBMG-360092/1/2020
KAIST Daejeon, Republic of Korea
Skin-Like Sensors Bring a Human Touch to Wearable TechTBMG-360112/1/2020
University of Toronto engineering researchers have developed a super stretchy, transparent, and self-powering sensor that records the complex sensations of human skin. Dubbed artificial ionic skin — or AISkin for short — the researchers believe the innovative properties of AISkin could lead to future advancements in wearable electronics, personal health care and robotics.
Augmented Reality System Lets Smartphone Users Interact with Virtual ObjectsTBMG-359592/1/2020
A new software system turns cellphones into augmented reality portals, enabling users to place virtual building blocks, furniture, and other objects into real-world backdrops and use their hands to manipulate those objects as if they were really there. The system, called Portal-ble, could be a tool to experiment with augmented reality (AR).
The Impact of Cyber Cameras on the Intelligence CommunityTBMG-360652/1/2020
The global arena has become a surveillance state as public spaces are littered with surveillance cameras and individuals are consumed with personal electronic devices, most of which have embedded cameras. The number of security surveillance systems has increased primarily for criminal deterrence and to assist law enforcement agencies.
Hyundai brings brave new tech to 2020 Sonata20AUTP02_131/1/2020
Amid a steadily contracting sedan universe, Hyundai has dug in its heels and thoroughly redesigned and engineered its Sonata for 2020. The eighth-generation model sports a shapely (to our eyes) exterior form slightly reminiscent of Audi's A7. It's underpinned by a new platform shared with its 2021 Kia Optima cousin that will serve multiple FWD/AWD passenger cars and crossovers, according to senior U.S. product-planning manager, Mike Evanoff. New technology applications include a “Digital Key” that allows Sonata drivers to unlock and start their cars via their smart phones, Hyundai's first continuously-variable valve duration system in the new 1.6-L turbo engine, and a solar array that extends driving range in a new hybrid propulsion option.
Brooke, Lindsay
Embedding Artificial Muscles into Soft MaterialsTBMG-357851/1/2020
Stretchable skin-like robots that can be rolled up and put in your pocket have been developed by a team using a new way of embedding artificial muscles and electrical adhesion into soft materials. This new advance could create new thin and light robots for wearable technologies.
Breathable Electronic Skin Using Nanofiber SubstrateTBMG-358071/1/2020
Wearable electronic devices for health monitoring using electronic skin have emerged but most electronic skin-related technologies utilize materials such as plastic or rubber that can cause skin irritation or interfere with metabolism when attached to skin or biological tissue.
The Future of Connected HealthTBMG-357781/1/2020
The three main global goals of healthcare continue to be: improving the quality of care, universal access to care, and keeping costs under control. Technologies and remote connected healthcare are touted as the means to achieve the above goals, but the road may be long and winding. The encouraging news is that many innovators and start-ups are determined to make that happen.
Making a Great Cardio Product Even Better: The Next-Generation Zio Heart PatchTBMG-357791/1/2020
Nearly half of all adults in the United States have some type of cardiovascular disease. This group of over 121 million people are often diagnosed with potential arrhythmias but physicians need to be able to diagnose them quickly and efficiently to ultimately save lives. One company is redefining the way cardiac arrhythmias are clinically diagnosed to help physicians do just that. The new device from iRhythm “combines wearable biosensor devices worn for up to 14 days and cloud-based data analytics with powerful proprietary algorithms that distill data from millions of heartbeats into clinically actionable information,” the company says.
System Allows Diabetics to Monitor Blood Sugar Without Drawing BloodTBMG-357901/1/2020
Radar and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have been combined in a system that detects changes in glucose levels without the need for painful finger pricks. The technology could be a smart watch that continuously monitors glucose.
Products of Tomorrow: January 2020TBMG-358141/1/2020
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
Wireless Sensor “Stickers” Track Physiological SignalsTBMG-358231/1/2020
Engineers have developed a way to detect physiological signals emanating from the skin with sticky sensors that beam wireless readings to a receiver clipped onto clothing. To demonstrate the wearable technology, the researchers stuck sensors to the wrist and abdomen of a test subject to monitor the person's pulse and respiration by detecting how their skin stretched and contracted with each heartbeat or breath. Likewise, stickers on the person's elbows and knees tracked arm and leg motions by gauging the minute tightening or relaxation of the skin each time the corresponding muscle flexed.
Potassium-Oxygen Battery Stores Clean EnergyTBMG-3569212/1/2019
Researchers have developed a more efficient, more reliable potassium-oxygen battery with a cathode that stores the energy produced by a chemical reaction in a metal-oxygen or metal-air battery. The battery could make renewable energy sources like solar and wind more viable options for the power grid through cheaper, more efficient energy storage.
Using 24 GHz Doppler Radar Sensors for Noncontact Human Vitals DetectionTBMG-3562312/1/2019
Health and wellness monitoring is a primary way to manage personal health and awareness for a healthy lifestyle. Many wearable activity tracking devices, smart watches, and smartphone applications collect and analyze data from bodily sources. Other types of devices used to monitor vital signs can help the wearer manage health issues but can limit the wearer’s mobility or cause discomfort if worn continuously. These restrictions have prompted a growing interest in developing noncontact, wireless devices to detect vital signs, especially for people who are unconscious, sleeping, very young, elderly, or infirm. This article explains why 24 GHz Doppler radar sensors are useful for such devices and highlights some of the features suitable for meeting these applications.
Prototype Smartphone App Can Help Parents Detect Early Signs of Eye Disorders in ChildrenTBMG-3562212/1/2019
A Baylor University researcher’s prototype smartphone app — designed to help parents detect early signs of various eye diseases in their children such as retinoblastoma, an aggressive pediatric eye cancer — has passed its first big test.
Kirigami Inspires New Method for Wearable SensorsTBMG-3562712/1/2019
Researchers have applied kirigami architectures to graphene, an ultra-thin material, to create sensors suitable for wearable devices. Simulations were done using online software on a nanomanufacturing node, the first of its kind to be developed.
Artificial Skin Creates Ticklish DevicesTBMG-3562412/1/2019
A new interface takes touch technology to the next level by providing an artificial skin-like membrane for augmenting interactive devices such as phones, wearables, or computers.
Wearable Trackers Predict Death RiskTBMG-3562912/1/2019
A recent study shows that wearable accelerometers — mechanical sensors worn like a watch, belt, or bracelet to track movement — are a more reliable measure of physical activity and better than patient surveys and other methods used by physicians at assessing five-year risk of death in older adults.
Device Creates Electricity from SnowfallTBMG-3571212/1/2019
Researchers have designed a device that creates electricity from falling snow. The device is inexpensive, small, thin, and flexible like a sheet of plastic. It can work in remote areas because it provides its own power and does not need batteries. The device is also a weather station that can tell how much snow is falling, the direction the snow is falling, and the direction and speed of the wind.
5 Ws of EarEchoTBMG-3569312/1/2019
Anyone who uses a smartphone with in-ear earphones.
Dial ‘M’ for Mobility: When Your Phone Becomes the Steering Wheel19AVEP11_1011/1/2019
Tesla's controversial new Smart Summon feature raises plenty of legal-liability and regulatory questions. Those with a passion for automated-vehicle innovations found much to entertain them on YouTube and Twitter during late September and early October this year. The big attraction was videos from Tesla owners, detractors and supporters showcasing the company's newest driver-assistance feature, called Smart Summon. Issued in an over-the-air software update, version 10.0, Smart Summon allows the owner to remotely pilot a parked vehicle to their location with the power of their finger. On its website, Tesla describes Smart Summon as allowing “your car to drive to you or a location of your choosing, maneuvering around and stopping for objects as necessary. Smart Summon works with your Tesla app and your phone's GPS to operate. You must be within approximately 200 feet (61 meters) of your car. Like Summon, Smart Summon is only intended for use in private parking lots and driveways. You are still responsible for your car and must monitor it and its surroundings at all times and be within your line of sight because it may not detect all obstacles. Be especially careful around quick-moving people, bicycles and cars.”
Dukarski, Jennifer
Printed Electronics for Electrified Tattoos and Personalized BiosensorsTBMG-3545811/1/2019
A fully print-in-place technique for electronics could enable technologies such as high-adhesion, embedded electronic tattoos and bandages with patient-specific biosensors.
Wearable Motion Sensors Measure Fetal HeartbeatTBMG-3545511/1/2019
A technique was developed that could allow expectant parents to hear their baby’s heartbeat continuously at home with a non-invasive and safe device that is potentially more accurate than any fetal heartrate monitor currently available in the market.
Method Makes Transistors and Electronic Devices from ThreadTBMG-3546711/1/2019
A transistor has been made from linen thread, enabling the creation of electronic devices made entirely of thin threads that could be woven into fabric, worn on the skin, or implanted surgically for diagnostic monitoring. The flexible electronic devices could enable a range of applications that conform to different shapes and allow free movement without compromising function.
2019 'Create the Future' Consumer Products Category Winner: LivoxTBMG-3546611/1/2019
2019 'Create the Future' Medical Category Winner: Cervical Stabilization DeviceTBMG-3551511/1/2019
Shaping Light with a SmartlensTBMG-3547711/1/2019
High quality camera performance on mobile devices has proven to be one of the features that most end-users aim for. The importance of optical image quality improvement and the trend to have thinner and thinner smartphones have pushed manufacturers to increase the number of cameras per device in order to provide phones with better zoom, low-light exposure high-quality photography, and portraits, to name a few. But adding additional lenses to a miniaturized optical configuration and driving light-focusing with an electronic device is not as easy as it seems, particularly at small scales or in such confined spaces.
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