Contents
Theme of the week: technology makes ordinary things even better
Handheld massager maker Hyperice has synced its devices with a mobile app. Now the compact gadget for home recovery procedures can connect via Bluetooth to a smartphone so that you can save your body’s health indicators and consult with specialists. The massager may use data from the social network for athletes Strava or the Apple Health app, which records the user’s physical activity. Based on this information, the device itself selects the most suitable operating mode.
Swiss watch manufacturer Winwatch has found a way to embed a sensor and a microprocessor into sapphire glass. The technology was called “STISS crystal” (Swiss Technology Inside Smart Sapphire, “Swiss technology inside smart sapphire”). Now luxury analog watches have become standalone smartwatches. MuchBetter’s new sapphire crystal model allows contactless payments for security-limited amounts of up to $60.
Singaporean scientists from the National University of Singapore have learned to mimic the sensations on the skin. The new technology can be used in the VR industry and in mechanical prostheses. A network of sensors on the created shell reads signals about pain, temperature, shape and texture of the object. With the help of such artificial skin, a person with a prosthesis, for example, will be able to feel the tactile sensations of a handshake, scientists say.
Sports shoes are one of the most technologically advanced wardrobe items, but manufacturers continue to improve materials and models. Together with the MIT Design Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Puma created a new structure for the outsole of running shoes. The Xetic material consists of interlocking cavities in a complex figure-eight shape. They optimally absorb the pressure of the foot: at every moment of movement, the sole adjusts, providing support in the right places or, conversely, flexing to reduce the load on the legs.
One line
- Chicago has developed an algorithm to digitally “mask” photos to protect them from online facial recognition systems.
- At the end of 2020, mass production of the Zetta electric car will be launched in our country.
- Apple bought startup Mobeewave Inc. to turn the iPhone into a payment terminal.
- Cerence has offered automakers a system for tracking driver emotions, according to which the car’s AI can prevent an accident.
How it works: robots for maintenance of commercial and public spaces
In the review of The New York Times – examples of the most technologically advanced solutions in this area.
Video of the week
Researchers at the European Technical University EPFL have created sensors that, in virtual reality, transmit to the body the sensations of touching fingers on an object. The video shows the process of creation and operation of such sensors.
What to listen
Spotify and Gimlet launched a four-country localized art podcast about the world with artificial intelligence. Technology, cyber security and self-realization are the main themes of the audio drama Sandra, which is now being released in several versions for audiences of different nationalities. The main character in local versions even has an adapted name: Sara in France, Susi in Germany, Sonia in Mexico and Sofia in Brazil. The first seven episodes can be listened to in customized versions.
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