Archive for Science
Revolutionary new skating product
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Chariot skates are a new form of transportation invented by australian michael jenkins that combine skating, skiing and bicycling. The product consists of large wheels that fit onto the side of the user’s foot. The foot is strapped in to a holder that is held in place with a suspension that keeps the ride smooth.The large wheel has a small back wheel that provides back-up stability. The large wheels allow users to go on a variety of rough terrain even down bumpy hills. The large wheel design also provides user’s with the ability to propel themselves at high speeds with minimum effort
The boat PlanetSolar
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KIEL, Germany — A German adventurer is preparing to sail the world in what he says is the world’s largest solar-powered boat.
The catamaran-style yacht sporting some 5,400 square feet (500 square meters) of solar panels was put into the water Wednesday in the northern German city of Kiel.
Skipper Raphael Domjan praised the "groundbreaking" step toward what he says will be the first ever world tour by a solar-powered boat, scheduled to start in April 2011.
In the meantime, he is planning to extensively test the boat.
The boat, built by the Knierim Yachtbau shipyard, is nearly 102 feet long, almost 50 feet wide and stands 24-1/2 feet high (31 meters by 15 meters by 7.5 meters).
The boat was designed by PlanetSolar SA of Switzerland.
Scientists developing robot fish to monitor water quality
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Washington, Nov 3: In a development that will bring environmental monitoring to a whole new level, scientists in the US are making a robot which will swim like fish to probe underwater environments and give more precise data on aquatic conditions.
Researchers at the Michigan State University said, the robotic fish that will use advanced materials to swim will be providing a consistent level of data that hasn’t been possible before.
Xiaobo Tan and Elena Litchman of the university said, with these patrolling fish we will be able to obtain information at an unprecedentedly high spatial and temporal resolution.
Such data are essential for researchers to have a more complete picture of what is happening under the surface as climate change and other outside forces disrupt the freshwater ecosystems. It will bring environmental monitoring to a whole new level, Litchman said.
The robotic fish will carry sensors recording such things as temperature, dissolved oxygen, pollutants and harmful algae and will provide researchers far more precise data on aquatic conditions, deepening their knowledge of critical water supplies and habitats, the university said.
This project will greatly advance bio-robotic technology, Tan said, adding The project is very practical and we are designing the fish to be inexpensive so they can be used in various applications.