Appliance Design - November 2008 - (Page 12)

NEWS WATCH up of two single crystals using a biomolecular surfactant. The researchers were able to create “branched” structures by carefully controlling the temperature, time, and amount of surfactant used during synthesis. Most nanostructures comprised of a core and a shell generally require more than one step to synthesize, but these new research results demonstrate how to synthesize such nanorods in only one step. The single-step synthesis is an important development toward realizing large-scale synthesis of composite nanomaterials in general, the researchers said. The nanorods are expected to enable the development of new nanoscale thermoelectric devices for power generation, as well as nanoscale heat pumps for cooling hot spots in nanoelectronics devices. company says that traditional household refrigerators, even very energy efficient models, are not designed to work in a garage, which often have extreme heat and cold conditions. Networks — which together account for an estimated 80 percent of all U.S. cable subscribers. MICROBE KILLERS. Researchers at Auburn University have produced new antimicrobial coatings that use some of the same ingredients that are found in mouthwash. The researchers mixed solutions of lysozyme, a natural product with antimicrobial properties, with singlewalled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). By using a layer-by-layer deposition process, the team demonstrated the inability of intact Staphylococcus aureus cells to grow on antimicrobial surfaces. Researchers plan to adapt processing to enable the assembly of coatings on a much larger scale. As a foundation for future applications, the combination of single-walled carbon nanotubes with DNA, proteins, and enzymes enables a range of possibilities for sensing and smart-functionality capabilities. Fraunhofer’s Care-O-bot 3. CHIP Rensselaer Researchers have discovered a new method to create branched nanorods, such as those in this scanning electron microscope image. Such nanorods could one day enable new nanoscale thermoelectric devices for power generation, as well as nanoscale heat pumps for cooling hot spots in nanoelectronics devices. Image credit: Rensselaer/Ramanath CANCELS NOISE. Wolfson Microelectronics of Edinburgh, U.K., has tested an active noise cancellation chip designed for mobile phone applications. Wolfson’s ambient noise cancellation technology focuses on the receive path and uses active anti-noise to cancel background sound at the handset speaker. The company is working with a number of manufacturers and believes that handsets containing this advanced technology will be on sale in 2009. TRU2WAY ACCORD. LG Electronics RECYCLING REFRIGERATORS. Whirl- pool’s Gladiator GarageWorks, Benton Harbor, Mich., maker of the Chillerator garage refrigerator, has joined with the Department of Energy’s Recycle My Old Fridge Campaign. The company joined the program to encourage recycling of old or inefficient refrigerators that often are moved into the garage as a second food storage solution. The of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., has signed a memorandum of understanding with six U.S. cable operators to support the “tru2way” technology platform for delivering two-way interactive digital cable services without a set-top box. Developed by Cable Television Laboratories, tru2way plug-and-play technology is backed by the nation’s six largest cable companies — Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, CableVision, Charter, and Bright House CARING ROBOT. Research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart, Germany, have developed a prototype for a new generation of service robots designed to help humans in the household. The Care-O-bot 3 is fitted with stereovision color cameras, laser scanners, and a 3-D range camera to register its surroundings in three dimensions in real time. If a person moves into the radius of its arm, it stops moving. The small, flexible helper can also move in any direction thanks to its omnidirectional platform with four separately steered and driven wheels. The robot has a highly flexible arm with seven degrees of freedom and a hand with three fingers. This allows it to pick up objects and to operate machines. Force sensors prevent it from gripping too hard. A tray is mounted at the front of the robot, on which it can carry requested items. Integrated in the tray is a touch screen by which the robot assistant can be controlled. The robot can also be directed by spoken commands, and can recognize and respond to gestures. It can also learn to recognize new objects. The user simply places the unfamiliar object in the robot’s hand so that it can gain a three-dimensional impression of the item. 12 applianceDESIGN November 2008 www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

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Appliance Design - November 2008

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