INVENTION IN TECHNOLOGY

check out our list of invention in technology in all field

1. AbioCor Artificial Heart

July 2001, a group of surgeons from Louisville, Kentucky implanted a new-generation artificial heart in a patient. Dubbed AbioCor, the device was implanted in a man who suffered from heart failure. The artificial heart was developed by Abiomed, Inc., a company with headquarters in Danvers, MA.

Although artificial hearts have been used in humans before, AvioCor proved to be more technically advanced than all of its predecessors. It is worth mentioning that previous artificial hearts required the user to be connected to a huge console through tubes and electrical power lines that passed through the person's skin. This meant that the patient had to be bedridden.

AbioCor is completely self-contained inside the body, having no tubes or lines running through the skin. Thus patients are not tied to a console, which means that they can perform routine functions. AbioCor has its battery located in an external battery pack that the patient can wear on the belt.

2. Bionic Contact Lens

The bionic eye is the work of researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle. They managed to mix for the first time an elastic contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit.

The invention allows the wearers to see the world by superimposing computerized pictures onto their natural view.

According to the researchers, the bionic contact lens could be used by drivers and pilots, providing routes and information on weather or the vehicle.

In addition, the lens could help monitor a person's biological conditions such as cholesterol level or the presence of viruses and bacteria. The collected data can then be sent wirelessly to a computer.

                                       3.Tongue Drive System to Operate Computers

Scientists developed a new revolutionary system to help individuals with disabilities to control wheelchairs,computers and other devices simply by using their tongue.

Engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology say that a new technology called Tongue Drive system will be helpful to individuals with serious disabilities, such as those with severe spinal cord injuries and will allow them to lead more active and independent lives.

Individuals using a tongue-based system should only be able to move their tongue, which is especially important if a person has paralyzed limbs. A tiny magnet, only a size of a grain of rice, is attached to an individual's tongue using implantation, piercing or adhesive. This technology allows a disabled person to use tongue when moving a computer mouse or a powered wheelchair.

Scientists chose the tongue to control the system because unlike the feet and the hands, which are connected by brain through spinal cord, the tongue and the brain has a direct connection through cranial nerve. In case when a person has a severe spinal cord injure or other damage, the tongue will remain mobile to activate the system. "Tongue movements are also fast, accurate and do not require much thinking, concentration or effort." said Maysam Ghovanloo, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The motions of the magnet attached to the tongue are spotted by a number of magnetic field sensors installed on a headset worn outside or an orthodontic brace inside the mouth. The signals coming from the sensors are wirelessly sent to a portable computer that placed on a wheelchair or attached to an individual's clothing.

The Tongue system is developed to recognize a wide array of tongue movements and to apply specific movements to certain commands, taking into account user's oral anatomy, abilities and lifestyle."The ability to train our system with as many commands as an individual can comfortably remember is a significant advantage over the common sip-n-puff device that acts as a simple switch controlled by sucking or blowing through a straw," said Ghovanloo.

The Tongue Drive system is touch-free, wireless and non-invasive technology that needs no surgery for its operation.

During the trials of the system, six able-bodied participants were trained to use tongue commands to control the computer mouse. The individuals repeated several motions left, right, up and down, single- and double-click to perform computer mouse tasks.

The results of the trials showed 100 percent of commands were accurate with the response time less than one second, which equals to an information transfer rate of approximately 150 bits per minute.

Scientists also plan to test the ability of the system to operate by people with severe disabilities. The next step of the research is to develop software to connect the Tongue Drive system to great number of devices such as text generators, speech synthesizers and readers. Also the researchers plan to upgrade the system by introducing the standby mode to allow the individual to eat, sleep or talk, while prolonging the battery life.

Source: National Science Foundation

                                 4.New-Gen Prosthetics for Disabled Athletes

The latest technologies have taken a huge step ahead in helping the disabled improve their skills and register better results.

A very good example of how far the technologies went to help people with physical disabilities is the performance of Oscar Pistorius, an athlete from South Africa that became "the fastest man on no legs."

The runner used new-generation developed prosthetic limbs.

He was initially criticized because his artificial legs gave him an inequitable advantage over other athletes.

Nevertheless, the athlete managed to register several world records for double amputees and became three-time gold medalist in the 2008 Summer Paralympics.

                                             5.Bicycle Grips that Warm Winter Cyclists

The A'ME's Clamp-On MTB Heated Tri Grips were developed with the goal of warming the hands of cyclists in winter, offering an effective alternative to thick gloves that can make hands sweaty and thus increasing the chances of injury.

Inside, the grips feature internal heaters. The latter are powered by a rechargeable 11.1 volt lithium-ion battery pack that a cyclist can attach to bike's frame using a special mounting kit developed for the system.

Due to the watertight connectors, the technology can be used in tough weather conditions be it rain or snow. In addition, it would be interesting to note that the system features 6 temperature settings that the user can choose by pressing a special button. The current settings can be viewed on the LEDs found on each grip. The surface of the grips is patented Vulcathane rubber and comes in six colors.

                                      

                                             6.Boxing-Training Device that Fights Back

Invented by Kris Tressider, this apparatus was created not only to receive punches but also to fight back using its extended robotic arms. Dubbed the Punching Pro, the machine's articulated steel arms are powered by two 12-volt windshield wiper motors.

Each robotic arm rotates on a shoulder axis and has a bending elbow that receives signals with the help of a special cable. The arms can tuck, swing and extend. The boxer can easily adjust the height and the speed of movement of the robot.

The robot can perform unpredictable hits. This is due to the fact that each hand can be individually controlled. In case an additional motor is added, the robot will be able to show random combinations of hooks and jabs. In addition, when the machine is blocked by the user, its arms pause without influencing the internal timing mechanism, which cuts the risk of the robot actually harming the sparring partner.

                                      7.Smart Basketball with Computer Chip

In order to improve a throw or the dribbling in basketball InfoMotion Sports Technologies together with a team of researchers from the University of Michigan developed a smart ball. The invention was developed with the goal of assessing players' shooting and ball-handling skills.

The ball features a small circuit board. The latter is attached to the inside of the basketball in a way so it would not influence its flight or bounce. While players dribble and shoot the ball, the circuit collects valuable information from its accelerometers and gyroscopes. The data is then wirelessly sent to a computer that helps analyze in detail each movement.

In such a way players will be able to see the things that they need to work on. It would be interesting to note that this invention is already used in a number of leagues around the United States. Scientists are working on licensing the chip to make it suitable for other sports. For example, the system will be used in soccer ball in 2012. Baseball-bat makers also look forward to implementing the technology.