Virtual reality treadmill

The concept of combining workout and play is nothing new with games like Wii Sports and Wii Fit coming to mind. But the University of Tsukuba in Japan is pushing the envelope further by throwing in a 270-degree wraparound projection screen for an added sense of realism. Conceived as a physiotherapy waking tool for stroke and related aliment patients, the system comprises three overhead projectors and companion dome mirrors to stitch together an awesome panoramic visual.

The virtual reality treadmill is still in development stage, but we can foresee a lot more tangible applications once it's materialized. Say, military training, home entertainment and even extreme video gaming. That's assuming you're willing to cough out good money for starters.

Via Ubergizmo | Photo credit: Ubergizmo

First Solar and Sempra plan thin-film solar plant

First Solar is teaming up with Sempra Generation to build in the Nevada desert what could become North America's largest thin-film photovoltaic plant. The 10-megawatt project would be located 40 miles southeast of Las Vegas, next to Sempra's natural gas plant in El Dorado.

"As a result, the impact to the immediate environment is minimal and the project completion timeline will be shorter," Mike Ahearn, CEO of First Solar, said in a statement.

Sempra will develop, own, and operate the plant, which First Solar will maintain and monitor. Construction began in July and is set to finish in the fourth quarter.

"We look forward to helping the region's utilities meet state requirements calling for them to include solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources in their power portfolios," Michael Allman, president and chief executive of Sempra Generation, said in a statement. The San Diego, Calif., company is a division of Sempra Energy.

First Solar uses cadmium telluride rather than silicon, which has been costlier and in short supply. Rival thin-film companies such as Global Solar use copper indium gallium selenide, or CIGS, to make solar cells.

First Solar said it installed 300 megawatts of modules in 2007 with thin-film photovoltaics that maximize available sunlight even in cloudy weather. The company was commissioned to provide systems for a 40-megawatt plant in Germany by 2009.
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Microsoft demos robotic receptionist

REDMOND, Wash.--Microsoft's receptionist of the future is a robot.

Chief Research and Strategy officer Craig Mundie on Thursday demonstrated a software-based robot that uses a combination of visual and voice recognition as well as speech synthesis to handle basic tasks. Microsoft itself plans to use the software robot to handle shuttle requests in its own buildings, which typically have a pair of receptionists to handle visitors and shuttle requests.

In a video, two Microsoft employees approach the robot, who said (in a rather robotic voice) "Which building do you want to go to?"

After checking that she heard the visitors correctly, and double-checking both workers want to take the same shuttle, the robot declares: "It should be here in four minutes."

"This is what a natural user interface is all about and it won't be just a receptionist," Mundie said. "This is just the tip of the iceberg."


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Ultrasonic frogs discovered in China

When I was a kid, my mother would complain that I'd tune her out whenever it came to taking out the garbage or mowing the lawn. In other words, when it came to all the stuff I didn't want to do.

"You have your own radio frequency in your head," she would say in mock--and sometimes, real annoyance.

Turns out I wasn't so special after all. Researchers from the University of Illinois and the University of California, Los Angeles have turned up a frog in central China whose ears can shift to different sound frequencies. The analogy offered by the researchers, who also included scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (at Harvard Medical School), is that of a radio tuner.

Their work appears this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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IDEA award winners: From laptops to futuristic doors

What do a MacBook Air and a submersible rolling pin have in common--besides both being made on planet Earth? Both are winners in this year's International Design Excellence Awards. The competition, run by the Industrial Designers Society of America and sponsored by BusinessWeek magazine, invites businesses and students the world over to submit their best inventions or design concepts.

Out of 205 IDEA awards this year, some, like the iPhone, are no-brainers, while many conceptual designs do much to stretch the imagination. Though the list is brimming with interesting gadgets, a few caught our eye.

Samsung's Design Touch concept, which won a gold medal, is a digital camera for the visually impaired. The operator takes a picture, and sound is recorded for 3 seconds after the shutter clicks.
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