Free Power from a Flexible Patch

by Bruce Brown | April 9, 2021 | Enabling Tech

Engineers love a challenge, especially when they can conjure unique solutions. Researchers from the Penn State Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics leading an international team have developed a novel means to power wearables. Led by PSU Professor Larry...

For Facebook’s Neural Interface, It’s All in the Wrist [video]

by Amantha May | April 7, 2021 | Enabling Tech

Virtual reality glasses, such as Facebook’s Occulus, aren’t simply expensive toys. VR devices likely represent the future of computing, or at least a big chunk of that future. That’s why Facebook intends to get ahead of the game by developing a wearable that...

Pity the Lowly Battery, Destined to Wearables Museum Displays [video]

by Bruce Brown | April 6, 2021 | Enabling Tech

If I were a battery, I might wonder what I did wrong and why teams of scientists around the world are working hard to do away with me. Engineers developing technology that harvests energy from magnetism, body heat, yarn, the human knee, water, and even bacteria all...

NC State Uses Flakey Elastomer to Boost Energy Harvesting

by Bruce Brown | April 5, 2021 | Enabling Tech

They did it again, and not by accident. A team of North Carolina State University engineers focuses on harvesting heat energy from the human body to power wearable electronics. They recently attained even greater efficiency than we reported in 2020. Mehmet Ozturk, NC...

Smart Shirt Microgrid Harvests Body Energy Sustainably

by Amantha May | April 2, 2021 | Enabling Tech

Microgrids power small geographic areas using a network of distributed energy sources. Microgrids that serve municipalities, college campuses, and hospital complexes draw and store power from various sources, including solar, wind, water, and other renewable energy...

The Blind Can Navigate Streets Using a Smart Backpack [video]

by Bruce Brown | March 31, 2021 | Enabling Tech, Health

Helping visually impaired persons navigate the world around them is a noble mission indeed. We wrote recently about work at Caltech using augmented reality with Microsoft HoloLens to help blind people navigate. Envision Glasses use an AI platform with an 8MB camera, a...