June 19th, 2008
“Enkin” introduces a new handheld navigation concept. It displays location-based content in a unique way that bridges the gap between reality and classic map-like representations. It combines GPS, orientation sensors, 3D graphics, live video, several web services and a novel user interface into an intuitive and light navigation system for mobile devices.
Check out their web page enkin.net.
A very interesting video about Enkin can be found here.
June 19th, 2008
University of Michigan (U-M) researchers have developed an ultra low power microchip which ‘uses 30,000 times less power in sleep mode and 10 times less in active mode than comparable chips now on the market.’ It only consumes 30 picowatts in sleep mode, which means that a simple watch battery could power the chip for more than 200 years. Of course, this is not a processor for your next computer. It is designed for sensor-based devices such as medical implants, environment monitors or surveillance equipment. However, the design is very clever.
Read more here.
June 18th, 2008
The Wireless Sensor Networks Research Group is looking for researchers and developers who want to investigate using the Libelium mote and mesh router platforms. This group is a link between people with heterogeneous research interestsfor getting the most of wireless sensor networks improvements.
All the members of this group are concerned about the importance of open source projects when sharing and spreading knowledge. The open source concept applies to use open routing protocols for ensuring interoperability among networks and open monitoring and test platforms. On one hand, this kind of projects make it possible to join people from
all over the world working together and making faster developments due to the use of a common platform. On the other hand, open source philosophy makes technology affordable for developing countries.
Thus, people who has ideas but no resources can also research and contribute to the Community.
The main group activities are:
The group members can access to the current and upcoming (!) Libelium mote technology at special conditions.
All the info: http://www.sensor-networks.org
There is also a similar group which is being created now and which is focused in the Mesh Networks field: http://www.mesh-networks.org
June 18th, 2008
ARCH ROCK has released a module allowing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and system integrators to embed its wireless sensor network (WSN) technology into their products.
According to the company, its WSN technology is based on ubiquitous Internet standards and can be folded into existing IT infrastructure. PhyNet OEM Edition is a hardware/software module which will allow solution providers to wirelessly connect a range of devices previously offline or connected via wires.
For more information click here
June 17th, 2008
The RF4CE Consortium is hoping to make next generation remote controls for TVs, DVDs, and set top boxes painfully simple. The group has been formed in order to “drive the adoption of an open radio frequency (RF) entertainment control specification based on IEEE 802.15.4″. More information here.
June 16th, 2008
Pachube (pronounced “patch bay”) is a web service available at http://www.pachube.com that enables people to tag and share real time sensor data from objects, devices and spaces around the world.The key aim is to facilitate interaction between remote environments, both physical and virtual. Apart from enabling direct connections between any two environments, it can also be used to facilitate many-to-many connections: just like a physical “patch bay” (or telephone switchboard) Pachube enables any participating project to “plug-in” to any other participating project in real time so that, for example, buildings, interactive installations or blogs can “talk” and “respond” to each other. Pachube is a little like YouTube, except that, rather than sharing videos, Pachube enables people to monitor and share real time environmental data from sensors that are connected to the internet. Pachube acts between environments, able both to capture input data (from remote sensors) and serve output data (to remote actuators). Connections can be made between any two environments, facilitating even spontaneous or previously unplanned connections. Apart from being used in physical environments, it also enables people to embed this data in web-pages, in effect to “blog” sensor data. More info here.
June 14th, 2008
Ann Arbor, MI - Solidica, Inc. announced today the award of a multi-year contract with the United States Marine Corps to integrate its market leading PantheonTM embedded diagnostic and health monitoring system into a variety of light armored vehicle-based platforms. Based upon Solidica’s award wining ChorusTM vehicle network, sensor interface and vehicle telematics module, the project will support the military’s ongoing Condition Based Maintenance and Sense and Respond modernization programs.
For more information click here
June 12th, 2008
Unbeknownst to the San Francisco’s residents, their street sweeping trucks have become mobile environmental sensing units, thanks to Intel’s new Common Sense research program.
Wireless sensors taking measurements of the local environment’s carbon monoxide, ozone, and nitrous dioxide have been hitching rides through the city and feeding data back to the home base, the researchers revealed during Research@Intel Day at the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley.
Using Yahoo Maps, the researchers geographically visualized the data, as seen in the screenshot. Eric Paulos, a researcher on the project, imagines that one day citizen-scientists could carry similar sensors in their pockets, communicating wirelessly with their phones.
“This could drive a fundamental shift in how you relate to your mobile,” Paulos told Wired.com. “Maybe you’re mapping not what’s the quickest route, but the cleanest.”
More info here.
June 12th, 2008
Scientists at Purdue and Notre Dame Universities say they’re developing a sensor network to prevent city sewage from flowing into waterways during storms.
The researchers are working with EmNet LLC on a wireless sensor network for the city of South Bend, Ind., using 105 manhole-mounted sensors and “smart valves” to automatically hold back storm surges of rainwater and sewage until the storm has passed.
“To our knowledge, this monitoring system will be the first of its kind in the world because it will be the largest wireless sensor network in a permanent, industrial setting,” said Luis Montestruque of EmNet.
More info here.
