Electronics Archives

Electrical Impedance Tomography Or EIT

Friday, June 1st, 2012 at 3:28 pm  
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The word ‘tomo’  means section or slice, and ‘graphy’ refers to representation. Hence tomography refers to any method which
involves reconstruction of the internal structural information within an object mathematically from a series of projections.

The projection here is the visual information probed using an emanation which are physical processes involved. These include physical processes such as radiation, wave motion, static field, electric current etc. which are used to study an object from outside.Medical tomography primarily uses X-ray absorption, magnetic resonance, positron emission, and sound waves (ultrasound) as the emanation.  Nonmedical area of application and research use ultrasound and many different frequencies of electromagnetic spectrum such as microwaves, gamma rays etc. for probing the visual information.

Besides photons, tomography is regularly performed using electrons and neutrons. In addition to absorption of the particles or radiation, tomography can be based on the scattering or emission of radiation or even using electric current as well.When electric current is consecutively fed through different available electrode pairs and the corresponding voltage, measured consecutively  by all remaining electrode pairs, it is possible to create an image of the impedance of different regions of the volume conductor by using certain reconstruction algorithms. This imaging method is called impedance imaging.

Because the image is usually constructed in two dimensions from a slice of the volume conductor, the method is also called impedance tomography and ECCT (electric current computed tomography), or simply, electrical impedance tomography or EIT.Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is an imaging technology that applies time-varying currents to the surface of a body and records the resulting voltages in order to reconstruct and display the electrical conductivity and permittivity in the interior of the body. This technique exploits the electrical properties of tissues such as resistance and capacitance. It aims at exploiting the differences in the passive electrical properties of tissues in order to generate a tomographic image.Human tissue is not simply conductive. There is evidence that many tissues also demonstrate a capacitive component of current flow, and therefore, it is appropriate to speak of the specific admittance (admittivity) or specific impedance (impedivity) of tissue rather than the conductivity; hence, electric impedance tomography. Thus, EIT is an imaging method which maybe used to complement X-ray tomography (computer tomography, CT), ultrasound imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), and others.

regards: http://edufive.com/seminartopics/electronics/EC3.html

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Arduino Microcontroller Feature Comparison

Thursday, May 31st, 2012 at 1:57 pm  
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Arduino is fast becoming one of the most popular microcontrollers used in robotics.There are many different types of Arduino microcontrollers which differ not only in design and features, but also in size and processing capabilities. In this article, you’ll understand the differences between the Arduino Microcontrollers (as of 2012). There are many features that are common to all Arduino boards, making them very versatile. All Arduino boards are based around the ATMEGA AVR series microcontrollers from ATMEL which feature both analog and digital pins. Arduino also created software which is compatible with all Arduino microcontrollers. The software, also called “Arduino”, can be used to program any of the Arduino microcontrollers by selecting them from a drop-down menu. Being open source, and based around C, Arduino users are not necessarily restricted to this software, and can use a variety of other software to program the microcontrollers. There are many additional manufacturers who use the open-source schematics provided by Arduino to make their own boards (either identical to the original, or with variations to add to the functionality). For example, the most popular board, the Diecimilla / Duemilanove (and now the Uno) has dozens of look-alike boards from other suppliers which differ slightly (different USB port, color etc) from the original.

Arduino Mini / Mini Lite

The smallest Arduino product is the Arduino Mini Light which is a 24-pin microcontroller without any connectors soldered. The unit features 8 analog pins and 14 digital pins. The module is based around the ATMEGA168 processor. The only different between the Arduino Mini and the Arduino Mini Light is that the Arduino Mini has pre-soldered pin headers. The Mini lineup will be changed and will likely include the new 32U4 processor.

  • Arduino Microcontroller Feature ComparisonMicrocontroller ATmega328
  • Operating Voltage 5V
  • Input Voltage 7-9 V
  • Digital I/O Pins 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
  • Analog Input Pins 8 (of which 4 are broken out onto pins)
  • DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
  • Flash Memory 32 KB (2 KB used by bootloader)
  • SRAM 2 KB
  • EEPROM 1KB
  • Clock Speed 16 MHz

The Mini and Mini lite are really intended to be used with breadboards. In order to program these, you need a separate USB to serial adapter.

Arduino Pro Mini 3.3V / Pro Mini 5V

The Arduino Pro Mini 8MHz and 16MHz are also breadboard mountable and are a bit longer than the Arduino Mini. The Pro Mini 8MHz operates on 3.3V while the 16Mhz operates at 5V. Both feature 6 analog I/O and 14 digital I/O. The manufacturer has marked the back of the PCB to indicate which is which.

  • Microcontroller ATmega328Arduino Microcontroller Feature Comparison
  • Operating Voltage 3.3V or 5V (depending on model)
  • Input Voltage 3.35 -12 V (3.3V model) or 5 – 12 V (5V model)
  • Digital I/O Pins 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
  • Analog Input Pins 6
  • DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
  • Flash Memory 16 KB (of which 2 KB used by bootloader)
  • SRAM 2 KB
  • EEPROM 1 KB
  • Clock Speed 8 MHz (3.3V model), 16 MHz (5V model)

The Pro is one of the fastest and smallest (and still one of the lightest) of the  boards.

Arduino Nano / Nano Lite

The last breadboard mountable Arduino is the Arduino Nano. This microcontroller distinguishes itself from the others by having the USB to serial chip and connector onboard. The Nano has 8 analog pins and 14 digital pins. There are the ISCP headers to re-flash the ATMega chip. There is also the Arduino Nano Lite which does not include the downward facing pin headers.

  • Microcontroller Atmel ATmega328Arduino Microcontroller Feature Comparison
  • Operating Voltage (logic level) 5 V
  • Input Voltage (recommended) 7-12 V
  • Input Voltage (limits) 6-20 V
  • Digital I/O Pins 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
  • Analog Input Pins 8
  • DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
  • Flash Memory 32 KB (2KB used by bootloader)
  • SRAM 2 KB
  • EEPROM 1 KB

The Nano was the first mini breadboard-compatible board to have onboard USB.

Arduino Fio

The Arduino Fio is a bit of a one-off board and is essentially an Arduino Mini with a built-in LiPo charger and XBee headers.

  • Microcontroller ATmega328P
  • Operating Voltage 3.3 V
  • Input Voltage 3.35-12 V
  • Digital I/O Pins 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
  • Analog Input Pins 8 (10 bit resolution)
  • DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
  • Flash Memory 32 KB (of which 2 KB used by bootloader)
  • SRAM 3.3 KB
  • EEPROM 1024 bytes
  • Clock Speed 8 MHz

Arduino LilyPad / Simple LilyPad

Next is the Arduino Lilypad. The Lilypad stands out from all other microcontrollers because of its round, purple PCB. The lilypad was originally intended to be sewn into clothing, though enthusiasts have found many other applications for it. If you’re cautious, the Lilypad can also be washed along with the clothing. The Lilypad requires as little as 2.7V to work.

  • Microcontroller ATmega168VArduino Microcontroller Feature Comparison or 328V
  • Operating Voltage 2.7-5.5 V
  • Input Voltage 2.7-5.5 V
  • Digital I/O Pins 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
  • Analog Input Pins 6
  • DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
  • Flash Memory 16 KB (of which 2 KB used by bootloader)
  • SRAM 1 KB
  • EEPROM 512 bytes
  • Clock Speed 8 MHz

The Lilypad is intended for use with clothing and fabric-related projects. There are many Lilypad accessories (LEDs, buzzers, sensors etc.) in the same format which can be connected via conductive fabric.

Arduino Leonardo

The next Arduino boards have the classic Arduino board shape and can’t be mounted on breadboards. The smallest in this line is the Arduino Leonardo. The Leonardo is available with or without shield stacking headers.

  • Microcontroller ATmega32U4 (onboard USB Transceiver)
  • Operating Voltage 5 V
  • Input Voltage 2.7-5.5 V
  • Digital I/O Pins 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
  • Analog Input Pins 12 (10 bit resolution)
  • DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
  • Flash Memory 32 KB (of which 2 KB used by bootloader)
  • SRAM 3.3 KB
  • EEPROM 1024 bytes
  • Clock Speed 16 MHz

The Leonardo is (currently) the newest Arduino to use the 32U4 chip and lowers the price of Arduino boards.

Arduino Pro 3.3V / Pro 5V

A very similar board to the Leonardo is the Arduino Pro. Some of the advantages to this board are its operating voltage range, which is 3.3 to 12V, its smaller footprint and lighter weight. The Pro doesn’t come with pin headers and although it’s smaller than other Arduino boards, it’s still compatible with Arduino shields.Arduino Microcontroller Feature Comparison

  • Microcontroller ATmega168
  • Operating Voltage 3.3V
  • Input Voltage 3.35 -12 V
  • Digital I/O Pins 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
  • Analog Input Pins 6
  • DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
  • Flash Memory 16 KB (of which 2 KB used by bootloader)
  • SRAM 1 KB
  • EEPROM 512 bytes
  • Clock Speed 8 MHz

Arduino Diecimilla / Duemilanove /Uno

Next is the most popular of the Arduino microcontrollers; the Uno. The Uno has almost the same appearance as its predecessor, the Duemilanove, but uses an ATMega8 for USB to serial conversion. The Duemilanove was previously the Diecimilla which had a less powerful ATMega168 chip. These boards come pre-assembled and ready to use. The Duemilanove is based around the ATMEGA328 chip while the Diecimilla used the ATMEGA128.

  • Microcontroller ATmega168Arduino Microcontroller Feature Comparison or 328
  • Operating Voltage 5V
  • Input Voltage (recommended) 7-12V
  • Input Voltage (limits) 6-20V
  • Digital I/O Pins 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
  • Analog Input Pins 6
  • DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
  • DC Current for 3.3V Pin 50 mA
  • Flash Memory 16 KB (ATmega168) or 32 KB (ATmega328)
  • of which 2 KB used by bootloader

On one side of the board there are 14 digital input/output pins as well as a ground pin and a reference pin which acts as voltage reference for the analog pins. Pin zero doubles as serial input, and pin 1 doubles for serial output. On the other side of the board, you’ll find 6 analog pins, as well as a voltage input pin, two ground pins and a reset pin. The board also has both a 3.3V and 5V output pins. You can power the board any of three ways: directly via the USB port, using the power connector, or the Vin and ground pins. The ATMEGA chip is removable from the board. This is especially useful if you have fried the processor and need to replace it, or you can use the board alone as a USB to serial interface. R3 of the Uno adds two new pins on the digital side: SDA and SCL

Arduino Ethernet / Ethernet PoE

The Arduino Ethernet is essentially a normal Arduino Uno where the ATMega8 chip and USB plug are changed for an Ethernet port. The PoE (power over ethernet) version means you don’t need a separate power supply (wall adapter for example), although your router must also be PoE compatible. A similar setup can be done using a standard shield-compatible Arduino and an Ethernet shield.

  • Microcontroller ATmega328
  • Operating Voltage 5 V
  • Input Voltage 7-12 V (36 to 57V PoE)
  • Digital I/O Pins 10* (of which 6 provide PWM output)
  • Analog Input Pins 6 (10 bit resolution)
  • DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
  • Flash Memory 32 KB (of which 2 KB used by bootloader)
  • SRAM 3.3 KB
  • EEPROM 1024 bytes
  • Clock Speed 16 MHz

*In order to use the Ethernet, pins 10 to 13 are reserved.

Arduino Bluetooth

Next on the list is the Arduino Bluetooth. The layout of the board is identical to that of the Duemilanove, but with one big difference: the Arduino Bluetooth board replaces the USB plug with a Bluetooth module, meaning you program it remotely. Take note that the board has different power requirements than the Duemilanove and doesn’t have a 3.3V output pin. The 9V output pin indicated on the board is not actually functional.

  • Microcontroller ATmega328Arduino Microcontroller Feature Comparison
  • Operating Voltage 5V
  • Input Voltage 1.2-5.5 V
  • Digital I/O Pins 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
  • Analog Input Pins 8 (4 are broken out onto pins)
  • DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
  • Flash Memory 16 KB (of which 2 KB used by bootloader)
  • SRAM 2 KB
  • EEPROM 51 KB
  • Clock Speed 16 MHz

 

Arduino Mega 1280 / 2560

The most recent addition to the Arduino lineup is the Arduino MEGA. This board is physically larger than all the other boards and offers significantly more digital and analog pins. The MEGA uses a different processor allowing greater program size and more.

  • Microcontroller ATmega1280Arduino Microcontroller Feature Comparison or 2560
  • Operating Voltage 5V
  • Input Voltage (recommended) 7-12V
  • Input Voltage (limits) 6-20V
  • Digital I/O Pins 54 (of which 14 provide PWM output)
  • Analog Input Pins 16
  • DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
  • DC Current for 3.3V Pin 50 mA
  • Flash Memory 128 KB or 256KB
  • SRAM 8 KB
  • EEPROM 4 KB
  • Clock Speed 16 MHz

Arduino Mega ADK

The Arduino ADK is intended to connect to Google Android based devices. Note that a cell phone will attempt to draw power from the board (often more than a USB connected to a computer can supply); an external battery or wall adapter is highly suggested.

  • Microcontroller ATmega1280 or 2560
  • Operating Voltage 5V
  • Input Voltage (recommended) 7-12V
  • Input Voltage (limits) 6-20V
  • Digital I/O Pins 54 (of which 14 provide PWM output)
  • Analog Input Pins 16
  • DC Current per I/O Pin 40 mA
  • DC Current for 3.3V Pin 50 mA
  • Flash Memory 128 KB or 256KB
  • SRAM 8 KB
  • EEPROM 4 KB
  • Clock Speed 16 MHz

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Silicon could play a prominent role in next generation Batteries

Thursday, May 31st, 2012 at 9:16 am  
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New nanostructured silicon could replace graphite in Lithium Ion batteries and could make the ithium ion batteries that could hold twice the charge it holds now.

Even though the chemical vapor deposition technique that’s currently employed for making silicon anodes is costly ,hope the batteries will be there in the market with in two years making the smarter electronics more smarter.

Netduino Plus

Monday, May 28th, 2012 at 12:14 pm  
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The Netduino Plus is an open source electronics platform using the .NET Micro Framework. The board features a 32-bit microcontroller and a rich development environment, making it a perfect solution for engineers and hobbyists alike.

The Netduino plus adds an ethernet connection and an SD socket for even greater functionality.

Features:

Atmel 32-bit microcontroller
48Mhz, ARM7
14 Digital I/O Pins
6 Analog Inputs
Arduino Shield Compatible
100mbps ethernet
MicroSD socket (up to 2GB)

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Electric Sheep

Monday, May 28th, 2012 at 11:56 am  
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Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep? Well if not, they should. The Electric Sheep board is a development tool (similar to the Arduino Mega ADK) for creating custom Android accessories. Based on the ATMEGA2560-16AU and carrying the same bootloader as the Arduino Mega 2560, this board communicates with your Android device over USB by taking advantage of Android’s “Open Accessory” protocol. Android device-side interfaces can even be created without having to write Java code or mess around with the Eclipse IDE by using HandBag for Android!

Note: Because of the configuration of the Open Accessory protocol, this board needs to supply 500mA to the Android device over the USB connection. If you’re running peripheral devices from the board, you will need to provide more current to the DC input, which is rated for up to 1.5Amps.

Dimensions: 53.50 x 101.50mm

Features:

ATMEGA2560-16AU Microcontroller Pre-loaded with Mega 2560 Bootloader
USB-Host Connector On-board for Connection to Android Devices
Create Android Accessories using the Arduino IDE and HandBag
Arduino-style Pin Configuration (Shield Compatible)
FTDI Header for Programming
Input Voltage: 6-15VDC

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Papilio One – 500K

Monday, May 28th, 2012 at 11:54 am  
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Are you interested in FPGA development but don’t know where to start? Why not give Papilio a try? The Papilio One is an open-source development platform based on the capable Xilinx Spartan 3E FPGA. While FPGA devices are massively powerful and configurable, they haven’t always been the easiest to develop. Papilio attempts to remedy this situation by following the lead of popular microprocessor development tools like Arduino. The Papilio One can be expanded by the use of “wings” which are stackable add-on modules, similar to Arduino shields.

You can still use traditional FPGA development tools to write code for the device. The Papilio isn’t directly supported in Xilinx ISE but a script file is available on their website to load bitstreams generated by the program.

One unique feature of Papilio is that they provide a custom version of the Arduino IDE which allows to you write Arduino code and upload it to an AVR8 Soft Processor, an Arduino-compatible processor being emulated inside the FPGA!

Features:

Fully Assembled with a Xilinx XC3S500E and 4Mbit SPI Flash Memory
Provides an Easy Introduction to FPGA, Digital Electronics, and System on a Chip design
Easily add New Functionality with Wings that Snap onto the Board
Two-Channel USB Connection for JTAG and Serial Communications
Four Independent Power Rails at 5V, 3.3V, 2.5V, and 1.2V
Power Supplied by a Power Connector or USB
Input Voltage (recommended): 6.5-15V
48 I/O lines!

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NCP1402-5V Step-Up Breakout

Monday, May 28th, 2012 at 11:22 am  
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Description: The NCP1402 is a 5V DC-DC converter. This breakout board will accept voltage inputs between 1 and 4 Volts and output a constant, low ripple 5V output capable of sourcing up to 200 mA. This board is great for supplying power to 5V sensors on a 3.3V board, or providing 5V from a AA battery.

The breakout board includes all of the necessary peripheral components. The input, output and ground pins are broken out on a 0.1″ grid to allow easy access on a breadboard.

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The Eagle toolbar

Sunday, May 20th, 2012 at 8:27 am  
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The user interface in Eagle is somewhat special when compared to other drawing utilities (and PCB layout programs). This takes a little getting time getting used to. Some of the tools will be described here, to allow the user to get to know these tools, while the tools that constitute the main part of the tutorial will be described along the way.

The copy-tool can be used to easily clone a component. If you select copy and click on a component, a copy of the component will be attached to the mouse cursor, and can be placed in the schematic. If you want to copy something to a different schematic, you will need to use the cut-tool. This does not delete the component from the schematic (as you might otherwise assume from the name), but merely copys it to the clipboard.

The group-tool can be used to work on a group of components etc. First select the group tool and mark the components you want to modify. You can either hold the left button and drag to draw a rectangular selection, or click the left mouse button to make a polygon selection, using the right mouse button to end the polygon selection. When the selection is done, you select the tool you wish to apply, such as move, rotate, cut etc. Then right-click the group to use the selected tool.

The change-tool is used to modify the properties of various objects. Again, this is a little different in Eagle when compared to other tools (where you would normally be able to right-click on an object and change its properties from a pop-up menu). First you choose the modify-tool and select what you want to modify (style, size, layer etc.), then you click on the component you want to modify. The command line interface (CLI) can be used  to make this task easier. If you want to modify the value of say 10 capacitors to 100nF, you could use the change-tool and select value. Now, each time you click a component, a dialog will pop up asking for the new value, which you will have to type in. If you instead enter the command value 100nF in the CLI (the input-box just above the main drawing canvas), you can simply click on the components whose value you wish to change.

When adding components, you will notice a small black cross on each device. This is the origin or “handle” of the device, and is used to manipulate the device with varoius tools. So whenever you are using a tool, Eagle will apply the tool to the entity whose origin is closest to the mouse cursor. If two or more entities are very close to eachother, Eagle will highlight one and ask if this is the one you want to modify. Click left button to accept or right button to cycle to the next entity. When you use the smash-tool, the name and value-texts will be detached from the device and get their own origin, allowing them to be moved individually.

‘Smart Doorknobs’ and Gesture-Controlled Smartphones

Friday, May 4th, 2012 at 11:44 am  
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ScienceDaily (May 3, 2012) — A doorknob that knows whether to lock or unlock based on how it is grasped, a smartphone that silences itself if the user holds a finger to her lips and a chair that adjusts room lighting based on recognizing if a user is reclining or leaning forward are among the many possible applications of Touché, a new sensing technique developed by a team at Disney Research, Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University.

 

Touché is a form of capacitive touch sensing, the same principle underlying the types of touchscreens used in most smartphones. But instead of sensing electrical signals at a single frequency, like the typical touchscreen, Touché monitors capacitive signals across a broad range of frequencies.

This Swept Frequency Capacitive Sensing (SFCS) makes it possible to not only detect a “touch event,” but to recognize complex configurations of the hand or body that is doing the touching. An object thus could sense how it is being touched, or might sense the body configuration of the person doing the touching.

SFCS is robust and can enhance everyday objects by using just a single sensing electrode. Sometimes, as in the case of a doorknob or other conductive objects, the object itself can serve as a sensor and no modifications are required. Even the human body or a body of water can be a sensor.

“Signal frequency sweeps have been used for decades in wireless communication, but as far as we know, nobody previously has attempted to apply this technique to touch interaction,” said Ivan Poupyrev, senior research scientist at Disney Research, Pittsburgh. “Yet, in our laboratory experiments, we were able to enhance a broad variety of objects with high-fidelity touch sensitivity. When combined with gesture recognition techniques, Touché demonstrated recognition rates approaching 100 percent. That suggests it could immediately be used to create new and exciting ways for people to interact with objects and the world at large.”

In addition to Poupyrev, the research team included Chris Harrison, a Ph.D. student in Carnegie Mellon’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute, and Munehiko Sato, a Disney intern and a Ph.D. student in engineering at the University of Tokyo. The researchers will present their findings May 7 at CHI 2012, the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, in Austin, Texas, where it has been recognized with a Best Paper Award.

Both Touché and smartphone touchscreens are based on the phenomenon known as capacitive coupling. In a capacitive touchscreen, the surface is coated with a transparent conductor that carries an electrical signal. That signal is altered when a person’s finger touches it, providing an alternative path for the electrical charge. By monitoring the change in the signal, the device can determine if a touch occurs.

By monitoring a range of signal frequencies, however, Touché can derive much more information. Different body tissues have different capacitive properties, so monitoring a range of frequencies can detect a number of different paths that the electrical charge takes through the body.

Making sense of all of that SFCS information, however, requires analyzing hundreds of data points. As microprocessors have become steadily faster and less expensive, it now is feasible to use SFCS in touch interfaces, the researchers said.

“Devices keep getting smaller and increasingly are embedded throughout the environment, which has made it necessary for us to find ways to control or interact with them, and that is where Touché could really shine,” Harrison said.

Sato said Touché could make computer interfaces as invisible to users as the embedded computers themselves. “This might enable us to one day do away with keyboards, mice and perhaps even conventional touchscreens for many applications,” he said.

Among the proof-of-concept applications the researchers have investigated is a smart doorknob. Depending on whether the knob was grasped, touched with one finger or two, or pinched, a door could be programmed to lock or unlock itself, admit a guest, or even leave a reply message, such as “I’ll be back in five minutes.”

In another proof-of-concept experiment, they showed that SFCS could enhance a traditional touchscreen by sensing not just the fingertip, but the configuration of the rest of the hand. They created the equivalent of a mouse “right click,” zoom in/out and copy/paste functions depending on whether the user pinched the phone’s screen and back with one finger or two, or used a thumb.

The researchers also were able to monitor body gestures, such as touching fingers, grasping hands and covering ears by having subjects wear electrodes similar to wristwatches on both arms. Such gestures could be used to control a smartphone or other device.

They also showed that a single electrode attached to any water vessel could detect a number of gestures, such as fingertip submerged, hand submerged and hand on bottom. Sensing touch in liquids might be particularly suited to toys, games and food appliances.

Conductive Organic Nanowires

Monday, April 30th, 2012 at 2:27 pm  
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When electricity and a flash of light is passed the organic molecules pull together to form tiny conduits that conduct electricity as efficiently as metals do. The scientists say that the conductive organic nanowires could be useful for making low-cost electronic circuits like LED,Transistors,solar cell etc.

The advantage of such films is that they can be turned into ink and printed on pliable substrates. The wiring that strings the devices into a circuit, however, is metal, a material that is difficult to process, expensive, and brittle.

As devices and circuits shrink, using organic interconnects would be easier than building metal ones and would lead to truly flexible low-cost electronics. The metallic part of the organic circuit is made of a organic material [that conducts like metal], which will make it lighter, softer, and more cost-effective.

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