9 Feb, 2008
Unmanned gliders are using only the thermal power of the sea to carry on tasks that last months. Sounds a bit like science fiction, but rest assured, it’s real.
A joint team from the University of the Virgin Islands and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution launched an underwater vehicle in December of 2007. Uninterrupted all this time, it has traversed along the Virgin Island Basin 20 times, sometimes at depths reaching 2.5 miles deep.
Unlike conventional gliders that rely on batteries and pumps, the thermal glider responds to the differentials in ocean temperature. Tubes made of wax expand into mechanical energy, causing the craft to go buoyant. Those tubes later cool at depths, starting the cycle all over again.
The team has a working prototype that will be able to propel itself with unlimited green energy. They plan to use the design for missions that will take upwards of six months. They are agile, unmanned and can be set to do tasks such as gather salinity, topography, monitor biological activity and acoustic readings.
Everyone on the team is eager to launch more of the crafts in the North Atlantic. Data from the region will shed more light on the response the ocean has had to climate change.
You may just want to keep your eye out for one on your next SCUBA trip to Bermuda. Smile and nod, just don’t try to out swim it.
6 Feb, 2008
If you feel as if past Olympic aquatic parks haven’t exactly quenched your thirst, you should take a closer look at the Beijing National Aquatic Center. Four years in the making, the “Water Cube” resembles a large rectangle of beautifully blown bubbles. Its stunning design is matched with green features that prove to innovate architecture and building techniques.
The transparent plastic used in the buildings construction, Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene, reduces heat loss and absorbs solar radiation. So all those pretty blues will help shield those inside from the harmful rays of the sun. It’s also lightweight at 1% the weight of glass, yet extremely durable with form factors that allow it to bear up to four hundred times its own weight.
The Water Cube allows air to circulate through cushions scattered throughout the building. The air is regulated and excess heat is transfered to the water for the swimmers below. Air is further recycled both inside and outside the system. This keeps a tight lock on the level of humidity and water temperature inside the pools.
You’ll be seeing much more of this amazing eco-friendly design on TV during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. I just wish I had the time to go and experience it first hand.
30 Jan, 2008
Last week the MS Beluga Skysails launched from Bremerhaven, Germany on a trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Upon its arrival, the locals in Venezuela noticed that something was amiss. The 140 meter long cargo ship was being pulled across the water by a giant kite. But then again, a new free/green secondary propulsion system would alarm even the most salted of sea dogs.
Even though it’s not completely relying on the kite as its main source of propulsion it is estimated to reduce fuel costs by 10 – 35%, which in turn means less carbon emissions. The kite itself is shaped like an aircraft wing and it is able to adjust with diffrent air conditions.
Operating range for the kite is about 100m – 300m above the surface. Higher altitudes have stronger winds that also remain stable and consistent. It can be flown in a variety of wind conditions and has the ability to be positioned in other areas around the ship to maximize efficiencies.
I’ve been power kiting for a little less than a year now, so naturally I wanted some specs on this massive kite. To give you an idea, I’m 6′3″ at 190lbs and a 5.5 meter power kite can lift me plain off the ground on a windy day. That ship weighs a slight bit more; to compensate they’ll be using a kite that is a massive 160sqm in size.
A kite that size, in the right weather, would have the ability to pull over 200 people directly into the clouds without blinking. Now that’s power.
28 Jan, 2008
Do you remember the scene in Minority Report when Tom Cruise was moving pictures and movies around on a floating screen with simple hand gestures? If it seemed amazingly natural it’s because it was meant to be. I mean, it’s not a big secret that we’re not born with the inclination to click a mouse and type on a keyboard.
Products like the the iPhone and Wii have proven that we crave intuitive interfaces. 3DV Systems has catered to our desire by creating an infrared camera controller that captures our gestures and translates them on screen. The ZCam is about the size of a standard Webcam. It works by capturing the reflection of infrared light. The shutter speed is quick so that it’s blind to anything thats beyond 8 feet. Depth is measured by heat signatures.
Just like Tom Cruise you’ll be able to navigate through videos and pictures with a flick of your fingers. Or you can take your best shot at a virtual boxer in a video game, just like in the video below. Eventually, this simple device may even be used to form virtual representations of people in large online environments. Imagine being able to move your fingers across a screen and see your World of Warcraft character react quicker than any amount of button mashing could produce.
Best part about this simple device that you aren’t going to need to wait until 2054 to get to test it out. You’re also not going to need to be rich as a movie star, because it’s cost is estimated below $100. Looks like computers just got a lot more hands on.
