Toyota debuts real-time control of wheelchairs with brain waves

First, there was the Mindflex, a Mattel toy that lets players move objects with their brains. Now, word is the same technology will be making its way into a more functional application--a wheelchair that users can maneuver with thought alone.

Toyota has developed the wheelchair in collaboration with researchers in Japan. The system analyzes brain wave data using signal-processing technology and delivers neuro-feedback to the driver.

Brain wave-detecting technology, or electroencephalography (EEG), isn't new. In layman's terms, a device, usually a cap wired with sensors, detects a person's brain waves. That information is analyzed by a computer and applied to the device in question. Scientists have pursued the technology for decades, but have had difficulty achieving short response times, explains the Associated Press.
Read more »

Lithium metal-air batteries hold 10 times more charge

Lithium-ion batteries have been the de facto standard for high-capacity portable power for decades. By wrapping lithium with a graphite electrode, it prevents the volatile element from coming in explosive contact with water. However, this limits the amount of lithium, and hence electric charge, which the battery can hold.

The next evolution in portable power is for a battery made up entirely of lithium, with the surrounding air as the electrode. This allows the cell to have more than 10 times the capacity of today's lithium-ion battery. PolyPlus, the company developing this technology, overcomes the issue of water contact by using a ceramic electrolyte material overlay called lisicon.
Read more »

Outlet Wall solves all your power needs

The Outlet Wall is a great idea. It actually looks good and is totally an exercise in function meeting fashion. If I ever get around to remodeling my place I do believe one wall will feature this setup.

It's just what it appears to be: An entire wall made of active power outlets. Imagine: No more power strips, tangled cables, or trying to make brick adapters fit where they don't want to.

Even if you don't wire all the outlets up, they still look cool. It's almost some sort of post-tech artistic statement.

Photographer David Friedman came up with this concept and posted it on his site, Ironic Sans, where he often details design and gadget ideas. Sadly, the wall does appear to be just a concept for now, but David, if you're reading this, I'd like to give you an Internet high-five.

Via Crave CNET

PhonePoint Pen lets you scribble in the air with your handset

We knew that the built-in accelerometers in our phones can be used for more meaningful purposes other than just rotating screens and muting calls, but we didn't know exactly what they were previously. Now, a team of engineering students from the Systems Networking Research Group at Duke University has come up with an answer in the form of a prototype mobile phone app dubbed PhonePoint Pen.
Read more »

Korean researchers claim world's first purely white LED breakthrough

Researchers from Korea claim to have produced the world's first purely white LED (light-emitting diode).

Soo-Young Park, a professor of organic materials for photonics at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University in Korea, led the group, which includes researchers from the University of Valencia in Spain.

LEDs are much more energy-efficient than incandescent or compact fluorescent lightng (CFL), but the quality of light they can give a room is up for debate.

Because LEDs do not naturally produce white light, getting them to look like they do adds to their production cost, making them much more expensive than your average incandescent or CFL. Many companies have been trying to come up with different LED recipes and components to produce a nice white light, while keeping the consumer cost down.
Read more »

Crave is...

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about cool gadgets and other crushworthy stuff.

Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.

Crave for...

» Mobile Phones (1845)

» Digital Cameras (807)

» Notebooks (1008)

» PC & Peripherals (1117)

» Handhelds (569)

» Printers (61)

» Home AV (944)

» Music & Play (740)

» Gadgets (1414)

» Future Tech (324)

» Green Tech (135)

» Lifestyle (45)

» Luxury (5)

» Home Appliances (16)

» Cars (31)

» Games and Gear (56)

» Software (16)

» Web (26)

Previously...

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Subscribe to
Crave

Today on CNET |  Reviews |  Crave |  Blogs |  CNET TV |  Digital Living |  Downloads