Sensors and Devices - SenseCam

Sensors and Devices - SenseCam


Nasa Tech Briefs Description
"BLACK BOX" FOR MEMORY LOSS
Researchers at Microsoft's Sensors and Devices Group in the United
Kingdom have developed a badge-sized wearable camera system that tracks
movement of the wearer. SenseCam captures up to 2,000 VGA images per
day into 128 MB of Flash memory, and tracks movement, light levels,
and temperature every second. The device could be used for people with
Alzheimer's disease or other types of memory loss.

Similar to the way an aircraft "black box" functions, SenseCam
triggers a new image when the wearer enters a different room,
capturing the room image with an ultra-wide-angle lens. Other triggers
include time, sudden movement, or motion of other people. An
accelerometer stabilizes the image during camera motion.

Those with memory loss could rewind the day's events to find out
which people and places they visited during the day. In the case of
an accident, the events and images leading to it would be recorded
and could be used by emergency medical personnel or doctors.

Cisco Launches Digital Media Tools

Cisco Launches Digital Media Tools: "Cisco Systems Inc. last week unveiled three digital media offerings that are designed to help businesses create, manage and deliver live and on-demand video and other media to wired or wireless devices.

The products, which are bundled into the new Cisco Digital Media System (DMS), were developed by Cisco’s emerging markets technology group. That group focuses on markets beyond the company’s traditional networking base, said Thomas Wyatt, general manager of Cisco’s digital media management business unit.

The three new products are the Digital Media Encoder, for IP encoding of various media formats; the Digital Media Manager, for managing and archiving media; and an appliance called Video Portal, which is for searching and viewing content. The bundled DMS offering is priced from $133,000 and is available now. "

Cisco Launches Digital Media Tools

Cisco Launches Digital Media Tools: "Cisco Systems Inc. last week unveiled three digital media offerings that are designed to help businesses create, manage and deliver live and on-demand video and other media to wired or wireless devices.

The products, which are bundled into the new Cisco Digital Media System (DMS), were developed by Cisco’s emerging markets technology group. That group focuses on markets beyond the company’s traditional networking base, said Thomas Wyatt, general manager of Cisco’s digital media management business unit.

The three new products are the Digital Media Encoder, for IP encoding of various media formats; the Digital Media Manager, for managing and archiving media; and an appliance called Video Portal, which is for searching and viewing content. The bundled DMS offering is priced from $133,000 and is available now. "

Powerdesk - the world's first truly integrated PC

Powerdesk - the world's first truly integrated PC



"The world’s first truly effective integration of computer and workstation makes Powerdesk the leader in workstation technology.
By embedding the PC into the desk itself we’ve removed the clutter of tower units and trailing cables while creating a workstation that is a delight to use, a pleasure to look at, and almost impossible to steal! Unlike other solutions, we do not break the PC apart, Powerdesk embeds a standard manufacturer's PC into the desk. This way you still have the onsite warranty and the computer can be upgraded at anytime. "

BREE - Erleuchtung

BREE - Erleuchtung


"It's truly ironic that while the (mostly) male engineers of this world have managed to turn night into day in our big cities, an archaic darkness still prevails in women's handbags, swallowing lipsticks, compacts, mobile telephones and keys.
But now there's light in the 'black hole': German-based international leather and bag specialist BREE has created the first illuminated business handbag with Smart Surface Technology. The unique prototype will be debuted at the international 'Summerstyles' leatherwear trade show to be held in Offenbach, Germany, from September 27 to 30, 2003. Second-generation company presidents Axel (35) and Philipp (32) Bree put their trust in innovative solutions. 'We had been toying with the idea of illuminating the dark insides of handbags for quite some time, but lacked an elegant solution which not only met our traditionally high demands with regard to style and function, but was also technically feasible.'
The very solution they were looking for is now available in the form of 'Smart Surface Technology' developed by Bayer MaterialScience, one of the world's largest plastics manufacturers, in partnership with the Swiss firm Lumitec, a specialist in electroluminescence (EL) and precision electronic components."

History of Neural Networks

History of Neural Networks: "the study of the human brain is thousands of years old. With the advent of modern electronics, it was only natural to try to harness this thinking process. The first step toward artificial neural networks came in 1943 when Warren McCulloch, a neurophysiologist, and a young mathematician, Walter Pitts, wrote a paper on how neurons might work. They modeled a simple neural network with electrical circuits.
Reinforcing this concept of neurons and how they work was a book written by Donald Hebb. The Organization of Behavior was written in 1949. It pointed out that neural pathways are strengthened each time that they are used.
As computers advanced into their infancy of the 1950s, it became possible to begin to model the rudiments of these theories concerning human thought. Nathanial Rochester from the IBM research laboratories led the first effort to simulate a neural network. That first attempt failed. But later attempts were successful. It was during this time that traditional computing began to flower and, as it did, the emphasis in computing left the neural research in the background."

Steve's Commentary
The development of artificial neural networks is a key example of how cross-disciplinary efforts have lead to advances in computing technology. This site has a pretty comprehensive history of the development of neural networks.

SmartPill

SmartPill > Home
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for sale the
SmartPill, an ingestible sensor system from SmartPill Corporation of
Buffalo, NY. The size of a vitamin pill, the sensor collects data
from a patient's gastrointestinal (GI) system and reports it back to
the capsule's SmartPill GI Monitoring System.
The patient swallows the single-use capsule in a doctor's office, and
the sensor measures pressure and pH, gastric emptying time, combined
small and large bowel transit time, and total transit time. The pill
travels through the GI tract, transmitting data to the receiver, which
is slightly larger than a cell phone, and is worn on the patient's
belt. Data is then downloaded from the receiver to the monitoring
system for the doctor to analyze.
- NASA Tech Briefs

QuietCare Systems - Monitoring Seniors

How it Works: "QuietCare functions as a 24 hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week early detection and early warning system that lets caregivers and family members know that a loved one is safe. It recognizes emerging problems before they become emergencies.

The system utilizes small, unobtrusive, strategically-placed wireless sensors to monitor the senior in their own home. It is virtually invisible. No video camera or audio intrudes on the seniors' lives.



Small, wireless motion sensors are strategically placed in key areas, including the senior's bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and meal prep and/or medication areas.

Each sensor transmits information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week about the senior's daily living activities to a book-sized base station.

The base station gathers this information and regularly transmits it to QuietCare's computers, using existing telephone lines.

Changes in the senior's activities are analyzed so caregivers can be alerted to problems by call center professionals, or via e-mail, cell phone, text message or pager, or by checking a password-protected web site"

Sensors for Lego Mindstorms RCX

Sensors for Lego Mindstorms RCX

IBM Claims Unified Communications Lead With Sametime Upgrade - Lotus, Sametime 7.5, Collaboration Software - CRN

IBM Claims Unified Communications Lead With Sametime Upgrade - Lotus, Sametime 7.5, Collaboration Software - CRN: "IBM has shipped Lotus Sametime 7.5, an upgrade of its collaboration software that combines instant messaging, Web conferencing and voice communications in one release.
Sametime 7.5 costs $55 per user, and maintenance runs about 20 percent of the license cost. The product supports Windows, Macintosh and Linux clients. A Linux server is due out next year.
IBM executives characterize Sametime 7.5 is an all-in-one unified communications solution. It includes basic VoIP connection to other SameTime users. To extend that with click-to-call or soft phone capabilities add-ons are required.
Avaya Meeting Exchange for Sametime, for instance, adds multiparty click-to-conferencing and conference management, with administrators being able to perform such tasks as muting noisy lines. Similarly, an Avistar plug-in integrates videoconferencing with Sametime.
'What's exciting here is the partners -- Siemens, Radvision, Avistar, Facetime -- all lining up to support Sametime. There are nearly 100 business partners working with us on this,' said Ken Bisconti, vice president of product management at Lotus Software, at the Sametime 7.5 launch event in New York.
'Dassault Systemes has a plug-in that enables businesses to share, inspect and sync up 3-D images over Sametime,' Bisconti said. France-based Dassault is a leading maker of CAD/CAM and life-cycle management software. "