Technologies

Printnig Before printing a 3D model from an  STL  file, it must first be examined for errors. Most  CAD  applications produce errors in output STL files: holes, faces normals, self-intersections, noise shells or manifold errors. A step in the STL generation known as "repair" fixes such problems in the original model. Generally STLs that have been produced from a model obtained through  3D scanning  often have more of these errors. This is due to how 3D scanning works-as it is often by point to point acquisition, reconstruction will include errors in most cases. Once completed, the STL file needs to be processed by a piece of software called a "slicer," which converts the model into a series of thin layers and produces a  G-code  file containing instructions tailored to a specific type of 3D printer ( FDM printers ). This G-code file can then be printed with 3D printing client software (which loads the G-code, and uses...

Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories have developed an innovative photovoltaic cells – tiny, flexible solar cells, the appearance of which is very similar to the snake scales. Their main feature is the integration possibilities in the surface of objects of virtually any shape and size. According to the developers, such batteries will able to change our approach to  solar energy  generation. The technology, called “Dragon SCALE”, it became part of the license agreement between the company mPower Technology and Sandia laboratories. According to the agreement in the near future will be put in commercial release of tiny solar cells that can be applied to various materials, like as the printing ink. The new solar cells can be integrated into a variety of appliances, such as sensors,  wearable electronics , drones and satellites. The batteries can also be used in larger-scale projects, for example, on building  solar power systems . Also easily foldable, “Dragon Sca...

We love our mice, really we do. Sometimes, however, such as when we're sitting on the couch watching a DVD on a laptop, or when we're working across the room from an MP3-playing PC, it just isn't convenient to drag a hockey puck and click on what we want. Attempts to replace the venerable mouse--whether with voice recognition or brain-wave scanners--have invariably failed. But an alternative is emerging. What is it?  Compared with the intricacies of voice recognition, gesture recognition is a fairly simple idea that is only now making its way into consumer electronics. The idea is to employ a camera (such as a laptop's Webcam) to watch the user and react to the person's hand signals. Holding your palm out flat would indicate "stop," for example, if you're playing a movie or a song. And waving a fist around in the air could double as a pointing system: You would just move your fist to the right to move the pointer right, and so on. When is it c...

Hyperloop One, just one of several startups trying to build Elon Musk's Hyperloop, has notched up an important milestone, today announcing it has successfully tested its full-scale system for the first time. While it has still got considerable work to do before it fires passenger pods through tubes at supersonic speeds, it was able to levitate the moving test vehicle over the track in what it describes as its "Kitty Hawk" moment. Hyperloop One, along with its competitors like  Hyperloop Transportation Technologies  and  Arrivo , aims to one day establish networks of near-vacuum tubes that shuttle passenger and cargo pods along at close to the speed of sound. This Hyperloop system would make it possible to travel between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 30 minutes. And Hyperloop One does seem to be making some solid progress. In March it  revealed its full-scale test track  in the Nevada desert, and it is also conducting feasibility studies with governme...

Virtual reality  ( VR ) is a  computer  technology that uses  virtual reality headsets  or multi-projected environments, sometimes in combination with physical environments or props, to generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations that simulate a user's physical presence in a virtual or imaginary environment.  VR systems that include transmission of vibrations and other sensations to the user through a  game controller  or other devices are known as  haptic  systems.  The  Virtual Reality Modelling Language  (VRML), first introduced in 1994, was intended for the development of "virtual worlds" without dependency on headsets.  The  Web3D consortium was subsequently founded in 1997 for the development of industry standards for web-based 3D graphics. The consortium subsequently developed  X3D  from the VRML framework as an archival,  open-source  standard for web-based distribution o...

The Avegant Glyph  is not a virtual reality device. I was told this over and over during my demo of the hardware. It's a media player, designed to give you a private screen for your existing devices. It doesn't offer an experience that engulfs you. The experience of wearing the glyph is more like sitting in a dark movie theater. The fact that reality doesn't disappear is a feature, not a bug. I was able to watch movie clips and play games from an iPhone while still seeing the room above and below my eye line. It was comfortable to interact with people around me, and they were able to speak with me without feeling like I was closed off. The screen itself also stood well above what other products in this space are offering. I took my glasses off to use the Glyph and was able to see the screens perfectly after spending a moment or two adjusting the focus and the interpupillary distance. The screen presented a beautiful image, with deep colors and no noticeable pixels. ...

What Is 5g? In the simplest possible definition, 5G is the fifth generation of cellular networking. It’s the next step in mobile technology, what the phones and tablets of the future will use for data, and it should make our current LTE networks as slow and irrelevant as 3G data seems now. 5th generation mobile networks  or  5th generation wireless systems , abbreviated  5G , are the proposed next telecommunications standards beyond the current 4G/IMT-Advanced standards. The Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance feels that 5G should be rolled out by 2020 to meet business and consumer demands. In addition to providing simply faster speeds, they predict that 5G networks also will need to meet new use cases,   such as the  Internet of Things  (internet connected devices) as well as broadcast-like services and lifeline communication in times of natural disaster. Carriers, chipmakers, OEMS and OSATs, such as Advanced Semi...