Water Drop Lens
Physicist and inventor, Bruno Berge, has created a liquid optical lens.
Using a process known as electro-wetting, a water drop is deposited on a metal substrate and covered by a thin insulating layer. When a voltage is applied to the metal, it modifies the angle of the liquid drop.
The liquid lens is comprised of two liquids, water and oil, one is a conductor while the other is an insulator. A variation in the voltage causes a change to the curvature of the liquid to liquid interface, which changes the focal length of the lens.
The use of liquids allows for low cost construction. There are no moving parts and electrical consumption is extremely low. The lens has a large inverse focal length range, quick response, high optical quality and can operate in a wide temperature range.
See Also: Future Contact Lenses
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Batteries That Operate With Any Liquid
Chungpin Liao, a professor at the Graduate School of Electro-Optic and Material Science of National Formosa University in Taiwan has invented an organic battery that creates electricity when wet.
The "organic" battery generates a charge within 10 seconds and will last anywhere from two days to a week depending on the liquid. It works with water, beverages or even urine.
Although it will only produce half the strength of traditional batteries, the organic battery has a storage capacity greater than water-powered fuel cells and is very cheap to manufacture.
Plus it contains no toxic substances and does not pose an environmental hazard" says Chungpin.
Liao received his degree in nuclear engineering from National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan. He earned his Masters and Ph.D degrees in plasma science and fusion technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, United States.
Source: www.nfu.edu.tw/eng/
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Google Car
Image flying to Las Vegas and embarking from your plane at the airport. While waiting to pickup your luggage, you telephone for a cab. Then, you collect your luggage, step outside and your car arrives. But there is no one driving it.
A voice from the car greets you as the trunk opens. The car politely asks you to place your luggage in the trunk.
The back door opens and the car asks you to get in and fasten your seat belt. "Where would you like to go?" asks the car. You respond with the hotel name. "We'll be there in 15 minutes," says the car as it moves away from the curb and drives itself to your destination.
Welcome to the Las Vegas of the future.
Nevada has become the first state to approve driveless cars by accepting an application for the Google car to drive on it's roads.
Bruce Breslow of the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, also revealed a special license plate for driveless cars.
The plate will display an infinity symbol, which according to Breslow is a symbol that best represents this futuristic technology.
Nevada defines driverless cars as using "artificial intelligence, sensors and global positioning system coordinates to drive itself without the active intervention of a human operator."
Owners of a Google car or similar driveless cars will need to obtain a special driver license and comply with specific regulations. For example, the cars must be equipped with smart boxes and owners will be responsible for how the car functions.
California, Hawaii and Florida are also considering similar legislation for driverless cars.
Source: dmvnv.com
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