THE TECH-LICIOUS

Aquila electric surfboards promise high-speed cruising, carving and freestyling

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<img alt="Aquila has launched three new electric surfboards" height="358" src="http://images.gizmag.com/hero/aquila-surf.jpg" title="Aquila has launched three new electric surfboards" width="640" /> 
 
While they may not yet be a common sight on the world's beaches, powered
 surfboards have been cropping up on a fairly regular basis since Gizmag
 first covered the PowerSki JetBoard
 a decade ago. Now, Spanish firm Aquila is planning to launch a new 
range of zippy electric-powered boards, each designed for different 
surfing styles. 
 
Aquila is spin-off from Bizintek Innova, a product development and 
engineering company that specializes in electronics. It initially began 
as a project to develop an electric propulsion system for use in 
water-sports. 
"We were training on low voltage power electronics, motor control and
 LiPo battery management systems to get the know-how needed to offer 
development services for electric vehicle customers," explains Aquia CEO
 Iñigo Sobradillo Benguría. "We searched for an application to test and 
thought that trying to get a board planing over the water would be a 
great challenge. When we tested the first prototypes on the beach, 
people were impressed and came to ask where could they get one. At that 
time we realized that there could be an opportunity for a product." 
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<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/aquila-electric-surfboard/32830/pictures#2" target="_blank"><img alt="The three different boards are designed for beginners or cruising, carving and freestyle r..." src="http://images.gizmag.com/inline/aquila-surf-13.jpg" width="530" /></a></div>
Made possible as a result of improvements in battery technology in 
recent years, the boards use a completely integrated electric-powered 
jet propulsion system and produce no noise or emissions. 
"It gets some water from the bottom part of the board and pressurizes
 it through the nozzle on the tail giving the board the thrust needed," 
explains Benguría. "Thrust is regulated through a wireless remote 
control and to turn it works like a surfboard. We have a high current 
Mosfet drive system with a microprocessor that controls the brushless 
motor and some other electronics for safe operation of the system." 
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<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/aquila-electric-surfboard/32830/pictures#3" target="_blank"><img alt="The boards are called the Manta, the Carver and the Blade" src="http://images.gizmag.com/inline/aquila-surf-7.jpg" width="530" /></a></div>
According to Benguría, the water pump was, in fact, the most 
challenging part of the design. The Aquila team was unable to find a 
suitable and efficient solution on the market, so ended up designing its
 own. The result, he says, was a lightweight, high efficiency and 
completely integrated system. 
The battery packs that are used to power the boards are replaceable, 
meaning that they can be swapped out and recharged while a fresh battery
 is swapped in to continue powering the board. 
The company is currently evaluating interest in the three electric 
board designs and seeking investors. The aim is to enter production in 
2015. 
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<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/aquila-electric-surfboard/32830/pictures#5" target="_blank"><img alt="The top speed of the fastest board is 70 km/h (44 mph)" src="http://images.gizmag.com/inline/aquila-surf-0.jpg" width="530" /></a></div>
Three board types are available. The entry-level Manta is aimed at 
beginners and those who enjoy relaxed cruising over flat water. Its top 
speed of 33 km/h (21 mph) is the lowest of the three options, but it 
also has the longest battery life at 30 minutes. It measures 230 x 98 cm
 (91 x 39 in) and will retail for €2800 (US$3800). 
The Carver is designed for high-speed slaloming across the surface of
 the water. At 245 x 68 cm (98 x 27 in), it's the longest of the three 
boards and is aimed at giving the user control for turning. It has a top
 speed of 71 km/h (44 mph) and will cost €3300 ($4485). 
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<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/aquila-electric-surfboard/32830/pictures#4" target="_blank"><img alt="The boards have an average battery life of about 20 minutes" src="http://images.gizmag.com/inline/aquila-surf-10.jpg" width="530" /></a></div>
Aimed at freestyle riders, the Blade is the smallest and lightest of 
the three Aquila boards and is designed to provide optimal 
maneuverability. It measures 185 x 60 cm (73 x 24 in), weighs 18 kg and 
has a top speed of 53 km/h (33 mph). It is to be priced at €2900 
($3942). 
"Most of our team does or has done some watersports and we are very 
conscious that each person needs a different board," says Benguría. "We 
have developed a system that fits easily on different configurations and
 this way we are able to produce boards for different programs and 
different riders." 
The video below shows the Aquila Carver in action. 
Product page: <a href="http://aquilasurf.com/en/" target="_blank">Aqulia</a> 
 
<div class="article_video">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="298" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fExvAtgiF4o" width="530"></iframe></div>
 
source-<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/aquila-electric-surfboard/32830/" target="_blank">gizmag</a></div>

Aquila electric surfboards promise high-speed cruising, carving and freestyling

While they may not yet be a common sight on the world's beaches, powered surfboards have been cropping up on a fairly regular basis since Gizmag first covered the PowerSki JetBoard a decade ago. N…

08 Jul 2014

3D Printing Houses With Drones

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The application of 3D printing is becoming more varied with each 
passing day.  I mean, disabled children are getting a new lease of life 
with 3D printed tools
 to assist them in their daily life.  Designers are able to 3D print 
their creations to get a better feel for their products and construction
 firms are now using the 3D printer to make parts for buildings. 
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_16979" style="width: 718px;">
<a href="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wired4.jpg"><img alt="minibuilders. mixing drones with 3D printing" class="lazy size-full wp-image-16979 data-lazy-ready" data-lazy-src="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wired4.jpg" data-lazy-type="image" height="531" src="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wired4.jpg" style="display: inline;" width="708" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
minibuilders. mixing drones with 3D printing</div>
</div>
But the time is not too far away when you will actually be able to 3D
 print your own house. Not with a regular 3D printer, but with a drone. 
 As we have already seen, the concept of 3D printed structural design is
 not a new one. But the massive 3D printers that are needed for large-scale construction projects are rather impractical.  Which is why <a href="http://sasajokic.com/" target="_blank" title="Sasa Jokic">Saša Jokić</a> and <a href="http://www.petrnovikov.com/" target="_blank" title="Petr Novikov">Petr Novikov</a> thought that adding drones into the mix will make a 3D printed construction project more achievable in much smaller spaces. 
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_16978" style="width: 718px;">
<a href="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wired2.jpg"><img alt="minibuilders work inside tight spaces." class="lazy size-full wp-image-16978 data-lazy-ready" data-lazy-src="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wired2.jpg" data-lazy-type="image" height="531" src="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wired2.jpg" style="display: inline;" width="708" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
minibuilders work inside tight spaces.</div>
</div>
The gadgets are called <a href="http://iaac.net/printingrobots/" target="_blank" title="Minibuilders">Minibuilders</a>. These
 small sized drones made by Saša Jokić and Petr Novikov, are robotic 
concrete mixers, which can deposit layers of liquid construct 
substance. As with regular 3D printed products, there is a need for a 
core to construct the rest of the project around. This core consists of 
two large cylinders of liquid synthetic marble. The liquid is then 
forced through extended tubes by a specialized team of three robots, 
using inflatable syringes.  Next a sensor-equipped Minibuilder will 
follow lines that are marked on the ground, for the foundation of the 
construction. The Minibuilder positions the first 20 layers of construct
 material in a singular, looping spiral. 
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_16977" style="width: 718px;">
<a href="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wired3.jpg"><img alt="minibuilders to help construction projects" class="lazy size-full wp-image-16977 data-lazy-ready" data-lazy-src="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wired3.jpg" data-lazy-type="image" height="531" src="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wired3.jpg" style="display: inline;" width="708" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
minibuilders to help construction projects</div>
</div>
 
To finalize the process, a human construction engineer then braces on
 an additional “grip robot” to the foundation so as to dispense the 
material.  This material is durable enough to 3D print roofs and 
supplementary suspended constructions, to create the building. What do 
you think? Are the next generation of bricklayers and dry-wall fitters 
out of a job?  Personally, I don’t think so, just yet. [Images via: <a href="http://www.wired.com/" target="_blank" title="Wired">wired</a>]  
 
SOURCE: <a href="http://news.filehippo.com/2014/07/3d-printing-houses-drones/" target="_blank">tech beat</a></div>

3D Printing Houses With Drones

The application of 3D printing is becoming more varied with each passing day. I mean, disabled children are getting a new lease of life with 3D printed tools to assist them in their daily life. …

08 Jul 2014

Corneas regrown using human stem cells

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<img alt="Researchers regrow corneas using human stem cells (Photo: Shutterstock)" height="358" src="http://images.gizmag.com/hero/cornea-stem-cells.jpg" title="Researchers regrow corneas using human stem cells (Photo: Shutterstock)" width="640" /> 
 
Medical researchers working with human stem cells have discovered a 
way to improve regrowth of corneal tissue in the human eye. Using a 
molecule known as ABCB5 to act as an identifying marker for rare limbal 
stem cells, the researchers were able to use antibodies to detect ABCB5 
on stem cells in tissue from donated human eyes and use them to regrow 
anatomically correct, fully functional human corneas in mice. 
Limbal stem cells are found in the eye’s basal limbal epithelium (the
 border between the cornea and the white of the eye) and assist in the 
proper maintenance and regeneration of corneal tissue. However, if these
 cells are damaged or lost because of injury or disease in the eye, 
blindness results. 
Up until now, the use of tissue or cell transplants to help the 
cornea regenerate have been used, but as it was both unknown whether 
there were actual limbal stem cells in the grafts, or how many, the 
outcomes were generally inconsistent. 
As a result of this recent research, transplants have now been made 
in mice using human ABCB5-positive limbal stem cells that resulted in 
the restoration and long-term maintenance of normal, transparent 
corneas. Control mice that received either no cells or ABCB5-negative 
cells failed to have their cornea restored. 
"Limbal stem cells are very rare, and successful transplants are 
dependent on these rare cells," said Bruce Ksander, Ph.D., of 
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, co-lead author on the research. "This finding
 will now make it much easier to restore the corneal surface. It’s a 
very good example of basic research moving quickly to a translational 
application." 
 
The research was recently published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature13426.html" target="_blank">Nature </a> as one of the first known examples of constructing tissue from an adult-derived human stem cell. 
 
SOURCE-<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/corneas-regrown-human-stem-cells/32803/" target="_blank">GIZMAG</a></div>

Corneas regrown using human stem cells

Medical researchers working with human stem cells have discovered a way to improve regrowth of corneal tissue in the human eye. Using a molecule known as ABCB5 to act as an identifying marker for r…

06 Jul 2014

One Step Closer to 3D Bio Printing Organs

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Do you have an <a href="https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/" target="_blank" title="organdonation">organ donor </a>card?
 Every year, thousands die because of the lack of donor organs 
available.  But with technology moving at incredible speeds, one day it 
could be possible to walk into a hospital and have whatever organ you 
need. 
Although this dream is still far away from reality, researchers have been trying to bio-print tissues and organs
 for those who are affected by various diseases and traumas.  Recently, 
scientists have been working on bio-printing artificial vascular 
networks that copy the circulatory system found in the human body.  
These vascular networks are essential for growing large tissues. 
<img alt="Scientists Are Nearer To Creating Fully Working 3D Printed Organs" class="lazy alignnone wp-image-16945 size-full data-lazy-ready" data-lazy-src="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/www.seren_.bangor.ac_.uk_.jpg" data-lazy-type="image" height="542" src="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/www.seren_.bangor.ac_.uk_.jpg" style="display: inline;" width="708" /> 
The system they used is highly complicated.  Researchers first had to
 invent many interconnected tiny fibres to act as the mould for the 
blood vessels.  Next, they placed a cell-rich protein-based material 
over the 3D printed structure.  In order to make it solid, they added 
light to it.  At the end, they took out the bio-printed fibres which 
left a network of  tiny passages which were covered with human 
endothelial cells.  Within a week, these cells organised themselves and 
formed stable blood capillaries.  Simply amazing. 
It was discovered that bio-printed vascular networks had higher cell 
survival, distinction and rapid growth when compared to cells that did 
not receive nutrient supply.  <a href="http://sydney.edu.au/dentistry/staff/profiles/luiz.bertassoni.php" target="_blank" title="luiz bertassoni">Dr Luiz Bertassoni</a>,
 the lead study author states, ”At the moment, we are pretty much 
printing ‘prototypes’ that, as we improve, will eventually be used to 
change the way we treat patients worldwide.” 
“One of the greatest challenges to the engineering of large tissues 
and organs is growing a network of blood vessels and capillaries,” 
states Dr Bertassoni.  “Cells die without an adequate blood supply 
because blood supplies oxygen that’s necessary for cells to grow and 
perform a range of functions in the body.  To illustrate the scale and 
complexity of the bio-engineering challenge we face, consider that every
 cell in the body is just a hair’s width from a supply of oxygenated 
blood.  Replicating the complexity of these networks has been a 
stumbling block preventing tissue engineering from becoming a real world
 clinical application.” 
However, researchers have finally achieved all these points! Now, 
with bio-printing, large 3D micro-vascular channels can support life.  
There is even enough exactness to match patient’s needs on an individual
 basis.  “While recreating little parts of tissues in the lab is 
something that we have already been able to do, the possibility of 
printing three-dimensional tissues with functional blood capillaries in 
the blink of an eye is a game changer.  Of course, simplified 
regenerative materials have long been available, but true regeneration 
of complex and functional organs is what doctors really want and 
patients really need, and this is the objective of our work,”finishes 
Bertassoni. 
 
Technology can really change lives!  One can only hope that this will be a reality for those who need organs, very soon! 
 
SOURCE-<a href="http://news.filehippo.com/2014/07/one-step-closer-3d-bio-printing-organs/" target="_blank">TECH BEAT</a></div>

One Step Closer to 3D Bio Printing Organs

Do you have an organ donor card? Every year, thousands die because of the lack of donor organs available. But with technology moving at incredible speeds, one day it could be possible to walk int…

06 Jul 2014

Check Out Israel’s Hover Cars!

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It seems like wherever you go, the public transportation system is a 
little boring and routine. You’ve got your subways, buses, taxis, etc., 
without all that much variety. I’ve never really been too excited to 
ride the bus – I was excited the first time I rode on a subway in New 
York City, but that excitement died down pretty quickly after I rode car
 after car after car. And the rats in between the tracks – yeah, they 
didn’t do too much for me either. Even though most public transportation
 here in the United States is a bit stagnant, Israel’s getting ready to 
try out something that I think can give public transportation the 
facelift it needs: <a href="http://www.techspot.com/news/57224-israel-to-test-worlds-first-hover-cars.html" target="_blank">hover cars</a>.
 That’s right, everyone – hover cars. They look a little like subway 
cars, but they basically “hang” in the air with the aid of magnetic 
tracks. <img alt="Check Out Israel's Hover Cars!" class="lazy alignnone size-full wp-image-16986 data-lazy-ready" data-lazy-src="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/2014-06-25-image-4.jpg" data-lazy-type="image" height="531" src="http://news.filehippo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/2014-06-25-image-4.jpg" style="display: inline;" width="708" />
 Skytran (a company from NASA) is getting ready to build a pilot loop 
that will stretch for 500 meters at Israel’s Aerospace Industries. If 
(and when) this is successful, there are plans to build a much larger 
“track” in Tel Aviv. Passengers will be able to request a hover car with
 their smartphone and they’ll also be able to input destination 
information. Eventually, Skytran hopes these cars will travel at speeds 
of up to 149 MPH. I don’t know about you, but I think this could really 
make the morning and evening commute to and from work all that more fun 
of an experience. Skytran hopes to be up and going in its test phase by 
the end of 2015. What do you think? Let us know you thoughts regarding 
this story in the comments section below! 
 
SOURCE-<a href="http://news.filehippo.com/2014/07/check-israels-hover-cars/" target="_blank">TECH BEAT</a></div>

Check Out Israel’s Hover Cars!

It seems like wherever you go, the public transportation system is a little boring and routine. You’ve got your subways, buses, taxis, etc., without all that much variety. I’ve never really been to…

06 Jul 2014

Autonomous vehicles to join the US Army

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<img alt="A convoy of driverless US Army trucks (Photo: Department of Defense) " height="358" src="http://images.gizmag.com/hero/us-army-autonomous-vehicles.jpg" title="A convoy of driverless US Army trucks (Photo: Department of Defense) " width="640" /> 
 
Over the next quarter of a century,
 the US Pentagon sees robots becoming more and more a part of military 
life with robot warplanes, submersibles, and infantry vehicles taking 
their place on the battlefields of the future. It may conjure up a very 
flashy vision of Transformer-like killing machines, but the US Army sees
 the first robots as autonomous vehicles used in the more prosaic task 
of delivering groceries and other supplies. 
For all the cost of ships, planes, armor, and weapon systems, 
manpower is the single greatest expense in modern, industrialized armed 
forces. Aside from costs like pay, training, and pensions, soldiers also
 need equipment, clothing, food, shelter, medical care, recreation, and 
the logistical infrastructure to supply them. In addition, it costs more
 to carry out many tasks in a military setting because there are 
different rules. Army drivers, for example, cost more money than their 
civilian counterparts because military vehicles need an assistant driver
 to avoid mishaps – and civilian drivers back home don’t have to worry 
about IEDs. 
It’s small wonder, therefore, that the US Army is keen on robots to 
handle the supply lines. In May, the Army carried out a test at the US 
Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina, where it 
ran an unmanned convoy of seven different tactical vehicles driving at 
over 40 mph (64 km/h). This wasn't a one-off, either. A second test with
 soldiers and marines is scheduled for August. 
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<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/us-army-autonomous-vehicles/32796/pictures#1" target="_blank"><img alt="The Army plans to develop man-optional vehicles in the next 30 years (Photo: Department of..." src="http://images.gizmag.com/inline/us-army-autonomous-vehicles-0.jpg" width="530" /></a></div>
The test was part of the US Army Tank Automotive Research Development
 and Engineering Center (TARDEC)'s 30-Year Ground Vehicle Strategy, 
which sees man-optional lorries as commonplace, with many vehicles 
completely driverless. According to TARDEC director Dr. Paul D Rogers, 
the purpose of this program isn’t to merely replace people. That would 
be relatively easy. Instead, it’s meant as a force multiplier to make 
each soldier more effective by handing over logistical and routine tasks
 to robots, freeing up more personnel to concentrate on warfighting 
tasks. 
For an autonomous vehicle to be practical, it needs situational 
awareness even in low-visibility conditions, as well as systems for 
detecting obstacles, avoiding collisions, as well as warning if the 
vehicle is wandering out of its lane, or is in danger of tipping over. 
Developing these technologies relies very heavily on the work being done
 by car makers. 
It’s no coincidence that the Pentagon is looking at robotic vehicles 
at the same time as the automotive makers are developing self-driving 
cars. The Army points out that if the defense industry were required to 
develop these new technologies out of whole cloth, the cost would be too
 much for the taxpayer. Commercial car makers have the advantages of 
economies of scale for vehicles designed to last years instead of 
decades, however, so the military can take the civilian designs and 
adapt them accordingly. 
<div class="article_img" style="height: 410px; width: 530px;">
<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/us-army-autonomous-vehicles/32796/pictures#2" target="_blank"><img alt="The new autonomous vehicles use much of the technology developed for civilian self-driving..." src="http://images.gizmag.com/inline/us-army-autonomous-vehicles-1.jpg" width="530" /></a></div>
The Army believes that that the technology for autonomous vehicles 
may be ready for the field by 2025. The current program revolves around 
two kits designed for flexibility, because the Army sees the new 
autonomous vehicles as disruptive and requiring a great deal of reform 
in terms of how the military operates if they’re to succeed. 
The first is an “autonomy kit” based on Light Detection and Ranging 
(LIDAR) and other sensors. It’s similar to that of Google’s self-driving
 cars, though the Army says that the two programs aren't related. The 
kit’s function is to map out the road ahead and keep the vehicle on the 
right course without hitting anything. The other kit is "by-wire drive,"
 which deals with the actual driving by controlling the throttle, 
brakes, and steering. 
To accommodate this new technology, the US Army Training and Doctrine
 Command is looking at military doctrine, tactics and training, so these
 robotic systems can help fulfill strategic and tactical objectives. The
 ultimate hope of the Army is to move beyond simple transports, and 
TARDEC looks forward to a time when troop carriers and tanks will be 
man-optional as well. In one experiment, the program hopes in 20 years 
to control four unmanned Abrams tanks from four manned ones – much as a 
video game player can control simulated squadmates. 
Another idea is to develop robots as companions to help soldiers in the field the same way as mules, horses, dogs, and even dolphins do at present. Toward this end, TARDEC is interested in unmanned ground vehicles and helicopters
 that can work in dangerous areas contaminated by nuclear, chemical, or 
biological weapons, or by taking up the burden of soldiers, so hauling 
giant packs isn’t a way of daily life. 
 
In order to get the world from a single convoy of autonomous vehicles
 to one of robotic squaddies, TARDEC has instituted its Applied Robotics
 for Installations and Base Operation (ARIBO), which aims at finding 
immediate applications for robotic technologies. The program will 
utilize existing Army installations as testing grounds, such as Fort 
Bragg, North Carolina, where autonomous vehicles are used to transport 
wounded soldiers, and at the US Military Academy and Stanford 
University, where such vehicles are used for transport from distant 
parking areas. Eventually, they’ll also be used as food and ammunition 
transports. 
 
source-<a href="http://www.gizmag.com/us-army-autonomous-vehicles/32796/" target="_blank">GIZMAG</a></div>

Autonomous vehicles to join the US Army

Over the next quarter of a century, the US Pentagon sees robots becoming more and more a part of military life with robot warplanes, submersibles, and infantry vehicles taking their place on the b…

06 Jul 2014

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