New artificial skin could send the sensation of pressure to the brain

The Stanford engineers create a "skin" of plastic that can detect how hard the pressure and generates electrical signals to transmit sensory input directly into alive brain cells.

Zhenan Bao, a professor of chemical engineering at Stanford University in California, spent a decade developing materials that can mimic the skin's ability to flex and heal but also can be a sensor that sends a signal nets touch, temperature and pain to the brain.

Engineers from Stanford University make artificial skin that can distinguish subtle touch and a firm handshake. The device on the "golden fingertip" is the skin-like sensor developed by Stanford engineers. (Picture from: http://stanford.io/1OGagak)

Eventually he wants to make fabric flexible electronics with sensors that can close a prosthetic leg and replicate some sensory functions of the skin.

Bao's work, published in the journal Science on Thursday, October 15, 2015, bring it forward one step to the goal to replicate one aspect of touch, sensory mechanism that allows us to distinguish the different pressure between a weak handshakes and strong grip.

"It's the first time a similar material flexible skin can detect pressure and also sends a signal to a component of the nervous system," said Bao, who led the research team consists of 17 members who are responsible for the outcomes.

The heart of the technique is the two plastic layers: the top layer that creates a sensing mechanism and a bottom layer that acts as a circuit to carry electrical signals and translate them into appropriate biochemical stimuli to the nerve cells.

The top layer in new work featuring a sensor that can detect the pressure with a range similar to human skin, from mild to pat fingers handshake.

Five years ago,  the first Bao's team member describes how to use plastic and rubber as a pressure sensor by measuring the natural resilience of their molecular structure.

They then increase the pressure sensitivity of this nature by identifying the waffle pattern becomes thin plastic, by compressing the plastic molecular elasticity.

To exploit the electronic pressure sensing capabilities, the team spread billions of carbon nanotubes to plastic waffle. Put pressure on the plastic squeezing nanotubes be adjacent to each other and allow them to conduct electricity.

This allows the plastic sensors mimic human skin, which transmit pressure information as a short pulse of electricity, such as Morse code, to the brain.

Increasing pressure on waffle nanotubes will make them squashed so close together, allowing more electricity flows through the sensor, and it's varied impulses are sent as a short pulse to the sensing mechanism.

The pressure drop makes the flow rate slacken, shows a light touch, and when all the pressure was removed, the pulse stopped altogether.

The team then linked the pressure sensing mechanism to the second tier of their artificial skin, flexible electronic circuits that can carry electrical impulses to the nerve cells, such as reported by Stanford University website. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | STANFORD NEWS]

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Lewis Hamilton's MV Agusta

The purchase of 25 percent of MV Agusta's stake by the performance division of Mercedes-Benz, AMG, bringing collaboration both to a further level and more varied.

A teaser image of Lewis Hamilton Dragster RR. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1XahYfX)

In the Frankfurt Motor Show 2015, their "first child" named AMG-MV Agusta F3 800 was born with color-coded Solarbeam as owned by AMG-GT sportcar models. The next creation involves a F1 driver of Mercedes-AMG team, Lewis Hamilton.

Here are several teaser pictures of  Lewis Hamilton Dragster RR. (All pictures taken from: http://bit.ly/1XahYfX)

In a teaser video, released by MV Agusta Motor accounts in Youtube, a special motorcycle called 'Lewis Hamilton Dragster RR' introduced. Its figure becomes reinforcing the cooperation between AMG and MV Agusta.

Detailed information is still very limited. But it was already known Dragster Brutale RR uses a base of 800 minus the tail. The 800 cc engine could burst the power up to 125 hp and 81 Nm of torque. The newest Dragster RR with the prestige of the new ambassador will be limited production.

As quoted from Paultan on Friday, October 16, 2015, the exact number of motorcycle production is not yet known but there is one detail that was revealed, that there is the symbol of the number "44" on the body. The same number is also used by Lewis Hamilton on his F1 racing car. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | PAULTAN.ORG]

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Electronic noses can sniff out stinky water

While Electronic noses or biosensor, have been prepared for detecting bugs, disease and explosives, scientists are trying to extend this technology to the terrain of drinking water testing.

New bioelectronic sensor based on human 
nose developed for detecting odors. (Picture 
from: http://bit.ly/1jwluD8)

Most of us in developing countries are privileged to have water pass through many tests and purification procedures before coming to us as drinking water. But the water is hardly ever pure. The human nose can be pretty sensitive to some chemicals found in contaminated water such as, geosmin (GSM) and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB). These molecules often slip past the purification techniques. Even though they are not harmful per se, but leave a kind of earthy and musty smell respectively on top of making the water taste bad.

Testing in laboratories for these chemicals are expensive and time consuming. Thus, these biosensors based on the human nose, and be a faster way to sniff this water out. A device like this one would help water quality technicians detect contaminants quickly and on site, preventing the delay caused by lab testing.

A team of South Korean researchers has developed sensors which is coated with olfactory receptors that bind to the molecules when they are present. The very same olfactory receptor associated with the human nose in hunting these chemicals down were isolated and bound in carbon nanotubes, which light up when the molecules are present.

Tests show that the sensor is sensitive to 10 nanograms per liter of water, or 10,000 parts per trillion, less than the human nose which can detect GSM at just 5 parts per trillion, but it’s a good start. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | TECHNOLOGY VISTA]

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The photos reveal the new data of Jupiter

The pictures released by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) revealed much new information about the largest planet in our solar system, namely Jupiter.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. 
 (Picture from: http://imagine-hawaii.com/)

Taken by the Hubble telescope, the photographs showed a rare wave in the northern part of the planet's equator. NASA said it also discovered a kind of very thin fibers in the core part of the famous Great Red Spot on the planet. Great Red Spot is a storm that is thought to have been rotating in Jupiter's atmosphere for more than 400 years.

"Every time we observe Jupiter, we always felt there was something exciting is happening there," said Amy Simon, a planetary researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in a statement.

Jupiter's famous Giant Red Spot is seen in this image from the Hubble Space Telescope. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1Pl6q86)

One other images, which were made with the Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble telescope, showing successive rotation giant planet so scientists can measure the wind speed there.

In Jupiter’s North Equatorial Belt, scientists spotted a rare wave that had been seen there only once before. It is similar to a wave that sometimes occurs in Earth’s atmosphere when cyclones are forming. This false-color close-up of Jupiter shows cyclone. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1Pl6q86)

New photos also revealed that the Great Red Spot on Jupiter were dwindling and increasingly round. The pivot point of the red giant is now 240 kilometers shorter than last year, said NASA.

The movement of Jupiter’s clouds can be seen by comparing the first map to the second one. Zooming in on the Great Red Spot at blue (left) and red (right) wavelengths reveals a unique filamentary feature not previously seen. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1Pl6q86)

That point is now leaning more orange than red. For the first time, researchers saw a kind of thin fibers are spun in that point. According to the photos, the fiber was formed by wind speed above 150 meters per second.

These photos are part of NASA's annual collection of photos that they hope can help scientists study the planets change. NASA also is collecting photographs of Neptune and Uranus, and Saturn will, as part of the Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy program of the agency. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | VOA NEWS]

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Is this the figure of Mercedes-Benz future car?

Present as a premium car manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz is often presents a number of cars with various advantages, both in design and technology are embedded. In fact this time, a German designer, Matthias Böttcher designing a Mercedes-Benz special concept car. This car was made very modern, radical and futuristic.

Mercedes-Benz SL Pure Concept car by Matthias Böttcher. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1R8tapr)

As reported by the Carbuzz on Monday, October 12, 2015, according to Bottcher that the car concept called 'Mercedes-Benz SL Pure Concept' deliberately created, because inspired from the classic model of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing.

Matthias Böttcher photographed with the model of 'Mercedes-Benz SL Pure Concept'. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1R8tapr)

Although inspired by the old model, but in fact, the car is designed to look like a futuristic, in terms of both exterior and interior.

Rear side view of Mercedes-Benz SL Pure Concept car. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1R8tapr)

One of the attention points from the SL Pure Concept no other because its design is presented, which is at the wheels looks like a jet turbine, as well as the lack of windows, up to the headlights.

Rear view of Mercedes-Benz SL Pure Concept car. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1R8tapr)

No mention of what machines are also pinned on this concept car, whether kind of hybrid, or not. However, it makes the public even more curious.

Though the design is modern, radical, futuristic, but Mercede-Benz has not yet decided whether the Böttcher's car design will be made be true, or not. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARBUZZ]

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Scientists identified protein that may play a role in Alzheimer's

Scientists have identified a protein which they may play a major role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. In a report in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the researchers said that the brain autopsy of some Alzheimer's patients have shown high levels of a protein called GPR3.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia that is initially characterized by weakening of memory, up to a brain disorder in planning, reasoning, perception, and language. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1QzeyiG)

And the experiments by eliminating the protein in mice that have a disease that shows improvement in the condition of the animal. But doctors say it needs more research is needed to see if the same results can be achieved in humans.

Patients with Alzheimer's and dementia dance inside the Alzheimer Foundation in Mexico City, April 19, 2012. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1X8kxim)

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of the condition known as dementia where cognitive function and memory worsens. There is no cure for this disease, the number of cases is expected to rise as the world population is getting older. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | VOA NEWS]

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