"InfoNIAC Presents" is our new section in which we bring you the top 10
latest inventions selected from www.InfoNIAC.com each month. Today we bring you the top 10 latest inventions published on www.InfoNIAC.com in September. Hope you enjoy; and in case you liked one invention more than other, than vote for it (you will find the link to the poll at the bottom of this article).
1. Sky Pods - Part of Futuristic Transport System
The sky pods are part of a new transport system dubbed SkyTran. These pods use magnets to be able to levitate their rails. When you enter the pod, you only need to type the location you wish to visit. Almost everything is done by the computer. A SkyPod travels at 150mph and is able to carry up to 3 passengers. The invention could reduce traffic jam, it's inexpensive and environmentally-friendly.
2. Biogel that Effectively Cures Brain Injuries
This latest invention of American scientists is meant to help people with brain injuries, including victims of car crashes and injured soldiers. The injectable biogel will be tested on humans in three years.
3. Drug that Erases Unpeasant Memories
Developed by Swiss scientists, this latest invention proved to be effective on animals and researchers hope to test it on humans. If the results are good, in future people could use the pill to selectively erase bad memories.
4. Technology that Makes 3D Maps Using Digital Photos
The technology was created by engineers from the University of Washington. They developed an algorithm that can recreate entire cities in 3D by simply analyzing images of the location uploaded by users on various photo-sharing websites such as Flickr. With the help of this latest invention, users will have the possibility to take virtual tours around the world. In addition the technology can be widely used in developing video games.
5. New Batteries Made of Paper and Salt
Such environmentally-friendly batteries could be used to power various portable gadgets. Currently engineers are working on improving their efficiency, and namely they try to make it more comparable to the lithium ones. If researchers succeed, these batteries can push aside lithium batteries because their cost of production is much lower.
6. E-nose that Can Identify a Smoker
Australian researchers are the authors of this invention. The e-nose can easily detect a person who smoked. It includes 32 sensors that identify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the breath of a person if he or she smoked a cigarette. This could prove to be useful for insurers who might use the invention to test people who apply for health or life insurance.
7. Solar Panels that Produce Electricity Without Direct Sunlight
Everyone knows that to produce energy, solar cells need direct sunlight. However, these new solar cells, created by Scientists from Tel Aviv, Israel, can generate electricity from diffused light, meaning they don't need direct sunlight. They have a specialized colored panel that looks like a colored plexi-glass. The glass is made with fluorescent dyes and nanoparticle metals. The new solar panels are not just more efficient than traditional solar cells, they are much less expensive because the need 80 percent less silicon.
8. Device that Allows Visually Impaired to See With Their Tongue
Developed by neuroscientists from Middleton, Wisconsin, this invention can help visually impaired people to see by using their own tongue. The device is called Wicab BrainPort. It gathers information using a small digital camera installed on a pair of glasses that the user wears. The data is transmitted to a "lollipop" electrode array connected to the user's tongue.
9. Spacecraft that Redirects Asteroids from Our Planet
British engineers are the ones who came up with the idea. They designed a "gravity tractor" spacecraft that is meant to divert asteroids that could threaten Earth. Engineers develop their latest invention for a space company located in Stevenage, England. The idea to make such spacecraft appeared after astronomers spotted a scar on Jupiter. They consider that the scar appeared after an asteroid collided with the planet, having the size of Earth.
10. Swimming Robot for Studing Biodiversity and Spotting Pollution
Scientists from Ocean Technologies Lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Bath said that the inspiration for their latest invention served the Amazonian knifefish. The robot, dubbed Gymnobot, claims to revolutionize submersible technology. Researchers could use such inventions to analyze the biodiversity in the shallow water as well as identify pollution.
http://www.infoniac.com/polls/vote-for-your-favorite-invention-of-september-2009.html
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