Robotic hands matching human capabilities

As part of the on-going rise of consumer-level robotics, recent research in artificial intelligence and bio-inspired devices has reached a new plateau of possibilities. Modern robots are now able to fill an increasingly broad scope of roles in both home and work environments.* Easily one of the most important (and difficult) abilities for such machines is being able to recognise and interact with various physical objects. For simple or repetitive tasks, such as assembly line production, this knowledge was relatively straightforward, requiring simple programming and mechanical systems. However, the growing complexity of environments that commercial robots now have to encounter has driven research into more intricate and capable mechanisms.

As has often been the case, engineers turned to the human body itself to model both the

Researchers develop first bionic hand with feeling

Researchers are developing the first bionic hand that can feel. It will be transplanted later this year.

Researchers build robotic bat wing

The swift turning flight and aerodynamics of bats offers amazing possibilities for the design of small aircraft, among other applications. By building a robotic bat wing, researchers at Brown University have uncovered the flight secrets of real bats: the function of ligaments, the elasticity of skin, structural support of musculature, skeletal flexibility, upstroke and downstroke.

Tests showed the machine can match the basic flight parameters of bats, producing enough thrust to overcome drag and enough lift to carry the weight of the model

Jetpack "anyone can fly" launched at Abu Dhabi exhibition

A jetpack costing $100,000 has been unveiled at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in the United Arab Emirates. Its makers, California-based Martin Aircraft Company, say it could be used by emergency services, the military and also for leisure. The 140kg aircraft, which took 10 years to develop, can fly up to a mile high, reach a speed of 62mph and take off from a small space. It has an automated hover function, making it easy

Stretchable battery could power wearable and implantable computers

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed the first stretchable lithium-ion battery – a device that could power a new generation of flexible electronics.

The power and voltage of the stretchable battery are similar to a conventional lithium-ion battery of the same size, but the flexible battery can stretch up to 300 percent of its original size and still function. It can work for eight to nine hours before it needs recharging, which can be done wirelessly.

The potential applications are diverse and may include wearable computers, or even implantable electronics, that could monitor everything from brain waves to heart activity – succeeding where flat, rigid batteries would fail.

Professor Yonggang Huang, who led the portion of the research focused on theory, design and modeling: "We start with a lot of battery components side by side in a very small space, and connect them with tightly packed, long wavy lines. These wires provide the flexibility. When we stretch the battery, the wavy interconnecting lines unfurl, much like yarn

Brain-to-brain communication between rats

In a feat that sounds like science fiction, researchers have electronically linked the brains of pairs of rats for the first time, enabling them to communicate directly to solve behavioural puzzles. A further test of this work successfully linked the brains of two animals thousands of miles apart, via the Internet.

Credit: Duke University Medical Center

The results of these projects suggest the future potential for linking multiple brains, to form what the research team calls an "organic computer." This could allow sharing of motor and

Researchers describe first 'functional HIV cure' in an infant

A team of researchers have described the first case of a so-called "functional cure" in an HIV-infected infant. This finding, the investigators say, may help pave the way to eliminating HIV infection in children.

A report on the case was presented yesterday at the 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Atlanta. Johns Hopkins Children's Center virologist Deborah Persaud, M.D., lead author on the report, and University of Massachusetts Medical School immunologist and professor Katherine Luzuriaga, M.D., headed a team of laboratory

World's first rear vision motorcycle helmet

Global motorsports company, Reevu, this week unveiled its latest product – the FSX1. This futuristic helmet provides a rear view system to its wearer.

The FSX1, with integrated optical device, allows the motorcyclist a view of the road behind them through the helmet using a number of reflective surfaces that are coated onto a bullet proof material. The optical device, put simply, bends the light over the top of the wearer's head. It is constructed and reacts as a crumple zone – another world first in delivering security, safety, and that all important rear view.

Motorcycles have long had a reputation for safety issues. Between 1997 and 2008, accident fatalities in the United States more than doubled. You are 35 times more likely to die from riding a motorcycle than driving in a car. The FSX1 allows riders to maintain awareness of traffic conditions behind them, in the same way that a car driver uses a rear view mirror

Sales of electric and hybrid trucks reach 100,000 annually

Electric and hybrid trucks are now surpassing 100,000 in annual production numbers worldwide.* This includes hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, battery-electric and plug-in electric power take-off variations.

Between 2011 and 2017, the overall truck market grew at roughly 4% per year. However, the market for hybrid and electric trucks grew almost 12 times as fast, at 47%. This was partly in response to oil and gas volatility, but was also due to significant technology improvements

Tooth regeneration is transforming dental care

Having been demonstrated in mice,* bioengineered tooth regeneration is becoming available to humans. Using a combination of stem cells, scaffold material and signaling molecules, a fully functional and living tooth can be regrown in around two months - complete with roots, inner pulp and outer enamel.

Until now, dental implant therapies had required pre-existing, high quality bone structures for supporting the artificial implants. Full reconstruction of natural, healthy teeth in patients without adequate bone support is therefore now possible. Fillings and dentures are becoming obsolete as a result, improving the health and well-being of millions of people.*

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Traditional newspapers are becoming obsolete

The Internet has continued to erode the market share held by other forms of media. Since passing television as the primary source of news reporting in developed nations,* it has taken on more and more functions.

The vast array of sources now found online - coupled with growing advancements in mobile and other technologies - is heavily impacting the ratings for mainstream news stations. Online videos, blogs and web series are now seriously competing with the best and most watched TV shows.

Capital-intensive overheads, together with slumping ad sales, have been further contributory factors in the decline of large media companies. A number of newspaper corporations have already gone under, while others - including the New York Times and the Daily Telegraph - have been forced to transition to a digital form, in some cases at great monetary loss.*

Slowly, newspapers throughout the developed world are becoming financially unsustainable

Cosmetic surgery has doubled its market size

Compared with 2010, the cosmetic surgery industry has more than doubled in size by now.* Aesthetic laser and light therapies remained the fastest growing areas, with rejuvenation treatments close behind. PurTox was also introduced as a competitor to Botox, which uses a purer form of botulinum toxin, can treat a wider area of wrinkles (thus requiring fewer injections) and lasts longer. A number of other procedures became available too.

China and India, where disposable incomes rose significantly during recent years, helped to boost the market,*while in developed nations, social pressures still appeared to overshadow financial ones in some circles.

This allowed the cosmetic surgery industry to do relatively well in the early years of the economic downturn. However, it is becoming more and more frowned upon now, especially in

Wireless, implantable devices that monitor a range of health conditions in real time

After several years of testing and development, a miniature device is now available* that can monitor a range of substances in the blood, providing instant results via mobile phone. Inserted by needle and placed just beneath the skin, it can remain in the body for months before needing to be replaced or removed.

This tiny laboratory measures 14mm (0.55") and comprises five sensors, a coil for wireless power as well as miniaturised electronics for radio communication. The entire system is powered by a mere one-tenth of a watt. Each sensor's surface is covered with an enzyme that is used to detect chemicals like ATP, glucose and lactate. Data is transmitted via Bluetooth to a mobile phone, which can then be sent to a doctor, if necessary.

With direct and continuous monitoring in real time, it is particularly useful for chronic conditions such as diabetes and high cholesterol, as well as tracking the impact of drug

The world's first HIV vaccine is commercially available

HIV/AIDS was first characterised in 1983. By the early 2010s, the virus had killed over 28 million people worldwide, and 34 million people were living with the infection. Although a cure remained elusive, antiretroviral treatments were able to slow the progression of the disease and provide sufferers with a near-normal life expectancy. However, while antiretroviral treatments reduced the risk of death, these medications were expensive and often associated with side effects.

In 2012, a vaccine known as SAV001 – which had previous success in animal subjects – began Phase 1 human trials in London, Ontario. This randomised, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled study used a ground-breaking technique involving a genetically modified, killed whole-virus vaccine. Prior to this, other experimental vaccines had either used subunits of the virus, or relied on genetically modified non-HIV viruses to carry an HIV-like genetic