TECHNOLOGY - Biometrics for secure mobile connections

Though security applications that verify a person's identity based on their physical attributes, such as fingerprint readers or iris scanners, have been in use for some time, biometric security has only recently started to appear in mobile phones, PDAs and notebook computers where the need for miniaturisation represents a technological challenge.

So far biometric data has been used to tie the device to a person to prevent it from being used illegitimately if lost or stolen. But the IST project SecurePhone is taking a new approach, employing physical attributes to enable the user to digitally sign audio, text or image files, providing proof of their origin and authenticity.

"As far as we know there is no other biometrically-enabled digital signature application available for mobile devices that can guarantee security by storing and processing all sensitive information on the device's SIM card," explains SecurePhone technical coordinator Roberto Ricci at Informa in Italy. "Because biometric data never leaves the device's SIM card and cannot be accessed, except by the verification module which also runs on the SIM card, the user's biometric profile is completely safe. This is important to meet the highest privacy requirements."

Although existing communications infrastructure based on the GSM, GPRS and UMTS mobile systems provides a secure means of communication, it lacks any robust method of user identification. Text, audio and image files can be sent by anyone to anyone with no authentication and there are no guarantees the person you are talking to in a phone conversation, if you've never met them before, is really who they claim to be.

The upshot is that data exchanged over mobile devices is of limited use for legally binding transactions even though mobile devices, given their ubiquity, would be a prime candidate for carrying out e-commerce (or m-commerce), managing business processes such as signing contracts or even in securing the exchange of data in e-healthcare and e-government systems. A digitally signed and authenticated voice recording during a telephone conversation would, for example, give the speaker's words legal value.

"The aim is to enable users to exchange information that can't be disputed afterward. That could be a voice recording that is authenticated to eliminate any doubt about who the speaker is, what they actually said and prove that it has not been manipulated," Ricci explains. "To achieve that it is necessary to digitally sign the data and to ensure that only the legitimate user can perform the signing."


The system developed by the SecurePhone project partners consists of two main elements. The first, an authentication module, uses biometric security applications to verify the user's identity. That in turn gives them access to the second module which digitally signs the data using a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).

"Rather than relying on something you possess – you can forget a PIN code or write it down and lose it – biometric security relies on what you are," Ricci notes.

The system, which is designed primarily for PDA-phones but could also be used in new generation smart phones and WiFi-enabled PDAs, offers three methods of biometric identification. One employs the digital cameras that have become commonplace in mobile devices along with a face recognition application to identify the user based on their facial features. Another uses voice recognition software – also detecting any asynchrony between speech and lip movements - and the third verifies the handwritten signature of the user on the device's touch screen. The three methods are used in combination to enhance the overall levels of security and reliability, and most importantly they require no hardware additions to mobile devices.

"The SecurePhone platform is entirely software based. This is important if it is to be adopted by device manufacturers as it keeps costs down and makes implementing it much easier. There is no need to add fingerprint or iris scanners. Instead, the system uses elements that already exist in the device and which serve alternative purposes as well, while the type of verification carried out is non-intrusive for the user," Ricci says.

The project partners are currently working on the final integration of the system ahead of trials of a finished prototype that are expected to begin in August. Ricci notes that so far the different elements of the application have performed well during laboratory testing.


Despite SecurePhone's focus on research, ricci notes the the resultin application is commercially appealing and that the project partners are planning a further project with the aim of bringing the technology to market.

"We wouldprobably aim at the niche markets at first, such as busy executives, e-government or e- healthcare, and then expand from there," he says.

The world's first hands-free binoculars

HiStar, Inc. has introduced its line of hands-free binoculars. The headset features a padded, adjustable headband and focus-free, wide-angle binoculars. Optional radio headphones are a welcome addition to this patented combination.

"Our new T-8000 Series is a revolution in the binocular industry. With its hands-free capability a new genre of binocular technology is revealed. This feature-rich binocular will be an asset to sports enthusiasts, nature buffs and surveillance users," said President and CEO of HiStar, Inc., Mr. Tristram Himmele. "Our patented technology is an innovative approach to enhancing the viewing experience. Previously, spectators were forced to deal with the awkwardness of traditional binoculars. Now, extended binocular viewing can be experienced hands-free, in addition the optional AM/FM radio combination allows spectators to hear the play by play of their favorite sporting event."

HiStar, Inc. is a privately held company based in Palm Beach County, Florida. HiStar, Inc. is the original hands-free binocular company, dedicated to the innovation and development of high-quality consumer optical products.

Scientists discover Nanograss

About Bell Labs and Lucent Technologies

Bell Labs is the leading source of new communications technology. It has generated more than 30,000 patents since 1925 and has played a pivotal role in inventing or perfecting key communications technologies, including transistors, digital networking and signal processing, lasers and fiber-optic communications systems, communications satellites, cellular telephony, electronic switching of calls, touch-tone dialing, and modems. Bell Labs scientists have received six Nobel Prizes in Physics, nine U.S. National Medals of Science and eight U.S. National Medals of Technology."Scientists at Bell Labs, the research and development arm of Lucent Technologies have discovered an entirely new method to control the behavior of tiny liquid droplets by applying electrical charges to specially engineered silicon surfaces that resemble blades of grass. The new technique of manipulating fluids has many potential applications, including thermal cooling of integrated circuits for powerful computers, novel photonic components for optical communications, and small, low-cost "lab-on-a-chip" sensor modules.

"Once in a while, we get a research breakthrough that has wide applicability across many fields," said David Bishop, vice president of nanotechnology at Bell Labs and president of the New Jersey Nanotechnology Consortium. "The techniques resulting from this research might be applied to fields that range from optical networking and advanced micro batteries to self-cleaning windshields and more streamlined boat hulls."

The advance that made this possible was a breakthrough technique that Bell Labs scientists developed for processing silicon surfaces, so that these surfaces resemble a lawn of evenly cut grass, with individual "blades" only nanometers in size. (A nanometer is a billionth of a meter, roughly one hundred thousand times smaller than the diameter of a human hair).

This new capability to process silicon surfaces to produce "nanograss" lets liquids interact with surfaces in a novel way, thereby providing a way to precisely control their effects. In everyday experience, fluids tend to wet surfaces and stick to them. For example, a raindrop sticks to a car's windshield; when water is spilled, it splatters every which way. The individual blades of the nanograss are so small, however, that liquid droplets sit on top and can be easily maneuvered.

"Physically, this technique reduces the surface area that the droplet feels, and reduces the interaction between the liquid and the substrate by a factor of a hundred to a thousand," said Tom Krupenkin, the Bell Labs scientist who led the research.

Krupenkin and his team coated the nanograss with a non-stick, water-repellent material, and when the droplets are put on the surface, they can move about without wetting it. By applying a small voltage, however, the team could tailor the behavior of droplets, making them sink in and wet the surface as directed. The droplets also respond to a change in temperature, allowing for thermal cooling applications.

"Such behavior may be harnessed to cool computer chips," Krupenkin said. "A droplet could be sent to a hot spot on the chip, where it would sink in and absorb the heat, and then go on its way, avoiding the expense and inefficiency of applying a coolant or a heat sink to an entire chip."

Another application for this technique may be in optical networking. For example, moving a droplet of fluid into a nanograss surface can alter the physical properties of the transmitting medium through which light signals are sent, and this may lead to better methods for optical switching. Novel optical components, such as filters, could be created by moving the fluid into and out of nanograss areas, Krupenkin said.

Bell Labs and the New Jersey Nanotech Consortium are also exploring using the technique to create powerful, next-generation reserve micro batteries. Conventional batteries have electrochemical reactions proceeding at some level all the time, even when batteries are not being used. Over time, the batteries degrade. By using the Bell Labs technique to isolate the liquid electrolyte so that electrochemical reactions do not take place until power is actually needed, nanograss-based micro batteries may be ideal for long-term, higher capacity battery applications, especially where bursts of power are needed. Examples would be sensors out in the field that only need a lot of power when they detect something and need to transmit the information as a wireless signal.

Yet another application for the nanograss may be "lab-on-a-chip" devices. "Potentially, one can envision lab-on-the-chip devices that use thousands of different reagents, each deposited in a small spot at the bottom of the nanograss, thus providing novel devices for combinatorial chemistry, genetic analysis, and so on," Krupenkin said. "Some other possible applications where nanograss can be used may be for low-friction torpedoes, self-cleaning windshields, and faster boats where the fluid-repellent properties of the nanograss would be important."

Other members of the interdisciplinary team involved in the research were Ashley Taylor of Bell Labs, Bell Labs intern Tobias Schnieder, and University of Pennsylvania professor Shu Yang.

bAbout Bell Labs and Lucent Technologies/b

Bell Labs is the leading source of new communications technologies. It has generated more than 30,000 patents since 1925 and has played a pivotal role in inventing or perfecting key communications technologies, including transistors, digital networking and signal processing, lasers and fiber-optic communications systems, communications satellites, cellular telephony, electronic switching of calls, touch-tone dialing, and modems. Bell Labs scientists have received six Nobel Prizes in Physics, nine U.S. National Medals of Science and eight U.S. National Medals of Technology.

Beyond - the Kitchen of the Future

Salton, Inc.a leading marketer and distributor of branded, high-quality small appliances, today introduced its BeyondConnected Home product line, a group of networked home products designed to make life simpler, more convenient and fun. Primarily focused in the kitchen, Beyond Connected Products - the Beyond iCEBOX CounterTop, Beyond Microwave, Beyond Bread Maker, Beyond Coffee Maker, and Beyond Home Hub - will be available at retailers in the second quarter of this year. The 2004 Beyond iCEBOX FlipScreen is available now through 275 dealers nationwide.

"People today face increasingly demanding schedules and these new products are designed with that in mind," said Bob Lamson, managing director of Beyond. "They keep up with the pace of life so families can enjoy those few precious moments they get without worry."

In a connected home, networking creates communication between appliances, electronics, security and HVAC systems so the home instinctively knows what needs to be done and when to do it. Salton's initial focus with the Beyond line is connectivity in the most popular room of the house - the kitchen. While excellent everyday products on their own, Beyond products really come alive when networked together, sharing vital information and delivering the convenience of a truly connected home.

A new version of Beyond's flagship kitchen entertainment centers, the iCEBOX CounterTop, is designed for the counter rather than mounting under kitchen cabinetry. And for those who prefer overseeing their Beyond products from the comfort of their bedroom, the Home Hub provides that freedom. Both the new iCEBOX CounterTop and the Home Hub can be used as command centers for Beyond appliances, each of which communicates wirelessly with the other Beyond products. In the near future they will communicate with products of other manufacturers as well.

With broadband Internet access, television, a DVD and CD player, FM radio and home video monitoring capabilities, the Microsoft CE .NET based iCEBOX - both the new CounterTop and 2004 FlipScreen models - brings information, communication and entertainment to busy families, making life in the kitchen more convenient and exciting. The washable keyboard and remote means even spills can't stop the fun.

The Beyond Microwave cooks perfectly and evenly every time with the simple swipe of the barcode on a package of food. It comes programmed with 4,000 barcode settings in memory and updates itself with thousands more when networked with the Home Hub or iCEBOX CounterTop. Users can even add their own UPCs and program cooking times so favorite meals are heated to perfection time and time again.

Perfect, no fuss baking is easier than ever with the Beyond Bread Maker. The Bread Maker is preprogrammed with hundreds of UPC codes from bread and cake mixes so flawless baking is as simple as a scan and a beep. New UPCs are automatically added when networked and are easily programmed so there's no product that won't turn out fresh and ready to eat when you are.

The Beyond Coffee Maker conforms to busy schedules with flexible seven-day-a-week programming. 6 a.m. Monday, 7:30 a.m. Friday, 10:00 a.m. Saturday: each day of the week can be programmed with unique brew and shut-off times so coffee is ready right when the user wakes up, or as they head out the door. And if someone forgets to add water for brewing the next day, their Home Hub or CounterTop iCEBOX will remind them.

Besides being a control center for the Connected Home, the Beyond Home Hub doubles as a high-quality clock radio and CD player that's perfect for the bedroom. Leveraging Microsoft Windows CE .NET technology, the Home Hub delivers personalized news, weather, stocks, and more - all the critical information needed to start the day. It is the first tool that connects the bedroom to the rest of the home, adding convenience and control without having to run around the house.

"Contemporary families want life at home to be less complicated so they can focus on the people and things that really matter," added Lamson. "Beyond products are making that possible."

In addition to their practicality, Beyond Connected Home products are designed to complement today's contemporary kitchen. The connected appliances have a sleek stainless steel and black design and LCD screens with bright blue back lights.

The worlds first hand-held printer!

PrintDreams, the developer of the Random Movement Printing technology RMPT(tm), has announced the release of PrintBrush(tm), the world's smallest and only fully format-independent printer. PrintBrush(tm).

The printer has the length of a normal ballpoint pen while its width and height are more or less equivalent to the width of a modern mobile phone. The total volume is less than 300 c.c. and weights around 350 grams. This first version of PrintBrush(tm) was designed to roughly fit into a shirt pocket while it still remains a clear potential for size and weight reduction in coming versions that will allow an even more comfortable fit.

Internet content, SMS, pictures and other information is downloaded to the PrintBrush(tm) from PDAs, mobile phones and laptop computers through a Bluetooth(tm) wireless link. Then, by following the RMPT(tm) principle, the device is hand operated by sweeping it across any type of print media, no matter its shape, size or thickness. The printout will then start to appear right behind the sweeps.

The device takes into account all thinkable parameters of the hand movement, including rotation and sudden changes of speed and acceleration. The result image on the printed media is always very much alike its digital counterpart.

Since the first prototype was showed last year at the CeBIT in Hannover, Germany, the RMPT(tm) technology has been developed fast onward. The great breakthrough came for few weeks ago when the company released its OptoNav sensor, which is an extremely accurate optical navigation sensor aimed to push further the RMPT(tm) technology into a greater level of print quality and performance.

"PrintDreams business model is to license RMPT(tm) technology to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) that will develop, manufacture and distribute the final products under own brand name. We have during the last year established contacts with global manufacturers that recognize the potential in RMPT(tm) based printer products for various applications. The PrintBrush(tm) represents an essential step in our go to market plan by demonstrating performance and functionality that meets user expectation for a truly mobile printer. We are expecting the first RMPT(tm) based printer products to be launched on the market early 2005" says CEO PrintDreams Jan Erik Hedborg.

NASA portal on it's way...

eTouch Systems Corp., and Speedera Networks, the emerging leader in global content delivery services, have announced that they have partnered to provide a comprehensive SpeedSuite edge delivery solution for NASA as part of a program to consolidate all 3,000 of the space agency's Web sites and make them accessible through a single portal. After the recent deployment of Speedera's services, the NASA portal experienced a three-fold improvement in performance. Web page download times are now between 0.8 and 1.0 seconds and NASA has broken into the top ten U.S. Government Web sites with the fastest average performance, as ranked by the Keynote Government Internet Performance Index (KG40).

The NASA Portal Project contract was awarded to eTouch, the prime contractor, which is also providing the content management system. eTouch partnered with Speedera to provide a broad suite of content delivery network (CDN) services. Other eTouch partners included in the project are Sprint Corp., which is providing Web site hosting services, and Critical Mass, Inc., which is responsible for providing the interface architecture and the NASA audience-tested user interface.

As part of this project, eTouch is using Speedera's SpeedSuite solution to provide NASA a comprehensive suite of CDN services that includes whole site delivery, streaming media, load balancing and advanced site monitoring. Key to this solution is the SpeedSuite Traffic Balancer service, which provides global load balancing between two origin sites housed in two Sprint datacenters. It intelligently routes client requests to the fastest available customer site, shifting traffic from an overloaded or failed site to overcome network congestion and site outages, thus maximizing performance and availability.

Planned since last summer, the NASA portal project originated with a mandate from NASA top officials to make the portal a key element in inspiring the next generation of explorers.

The NASA portal project is one of many in the growing initiative towards making government and its agencies more accessible to the public. In NASA's case, the public benefits through simpler, faster and more reliable access to the vast breadth of information available through NASA's sites, which can amount to millions of documents. To ensure that the public will always be able to access this content, the contract requires 99.995% availability.

"Consolidating Web site delivery is more efficient using Speedera's global content delivery network, and provides an optimal architecture to meet high traffic demands from planned and unplanned events," said Aniruddha Gadre, President of eTouch. "NASA needed a complete and elegant solution that streamlines both content management and content delivery."

"Agencies like NASA have realized this comprehensive solution for an integrated portal is needed for bringing order to the chaos of too many Web sites," said Ajit Gupta, CEO and president of Speedera Networks. "Also, by housing frequently requested content on multiple servers distributed worldwide, Speedera shortens the distance between Internet users and the data they seek in order to improve performance and reliability. By outsourcing the management of the site, the Federal Government can stretch budget dollars in this lean economy rather than spend money on building and maintaining an expensive Web site infrastructure."

"NASA is in the business of space exploration," Gupta continued. "Speedera is in the business of helping Internet explorers get to their destination fast and reliably."

Mirror, mirror...what's on TV?

Royal Philips Electronics have introduced the Mirror TV, a versatile 17-, 23- or 30-inch LCD display integrated into a mirror. The Mirror TV uses a unique polarized mirror technology, which transfers close to 100 percent of the light through the reflective surface. It is the first product created at the Philips HomeLab, the company's research incubator for future electronic products and technologies, to reach the commercial market. The Mirror TV, which was demonstrated for the media in New York and Europe today, is ideal for non-traditional viewing spaces when it is installed flush to the wall.

Philips decided to commercialize the product after testing a more sophisticated prototype with more than 200 consumers in its HomeLab research facility, a fully functioning two-bedroom home that doubles as a scientific laboratory. Philips HomeLab enables researchers to observe (with 34 hidden cameras and an observation area) how people interact with new devices. Consumers who used the Mirror TV prototype appreciated the ability to watch the news and traffic while also shaving or brushing their teeth.

Philips, the world's largest supplier of television display solutions for the hotel industry, initially plans to market the Mirror TV to hotels, but also sees a market for the product in customized home environments within the next few years.

"The Mirror TV is an important step forward for consumer technologies, and for Philips," said Dr. Gottfried Dutiné, CEO of Philips Consumer Electronics, "From a technology perspective, the Mirror TV craftily combines two important everyday functionalities; it's also an early example of the Philips vision of Ambient Intelligence in that the 'technology' is embedded and easy to use. Having been tested with 'real' people in the HomeLab, the Mirror TV also signifies Philips' ongoing commitment to understanding consumers-and providing products and devices that meet their needs."

Mirror TV Enhances Aesthetics and Utilizes Space Philips Mirror TV provides the solution to the ever-shrinking spaces in hotels and retail environments. The design hides the electronics, giving spaces an architecturally refined display and enhancing the upscale ambiance that hotels and retail environments strive to provide guests. At up to 30 inches, the Mirror TV could be placed on the wall as a centerpiece.

The Mirror TV introduced today can provide a range of functions beyond TV programming. In a hotel, for example, it can be used for bill payment or pay-per-view movies. It can also be used as a desktop/workstation application. Individuals can link their laptop or home PC to the Mirror TV with a special connector that enables the mirror to become an LCD monitor, providing a large display for presentations or surfing the web.

For home use, Philips is currently testing more advanced versions that could connect the user wirelessly to the mirror, providing everything from news to traffic reports and health data, such as blood pressure or weight. Or, the mirror could display a cartoon that encourages children to brush their teeth longer and more effectively. Company officials estimate that the home version may be available before 2005.

Philips has not yet announced pricing guidelines for the Mirror TV because at this early stage, each unit will be custom-built to meet the design specifications of the given space. Deliveries are expected to begin in the fourth quarter this year.

About Philips HomeLab

Philips HomeLab, in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is an integral part of Philips' R&D process. Created one year ago to test its new technology prototypes in the most realistic possible way, HomeLab looks and feels like a regular home with modern furniture in every room, Van Gogh prints on the walls, and even a fully stocked kitchen. Temporary "residents" can stay at the facility for anywhere from four hours to two weeks, depending on the type of research being conducted. During their residence, individuals or families go about life as usual, while interacting with the new technologies Philips has installed in the facility.

The facility is essential in speeding up the time-to-market for technological innovation. HomeLab puts the consumer at the center of the product development cycle by evaluating how individuals interact with new technologies. Depending on their behavior, the researchers may decide to re-tool the prototype, scrap the concept or move ahead in the product's development.

Innovations from HomeLab are steps toward an Ambient Intelligence culture, which is how Philips envisions the future. Ambient Intelligence is defined as world in which electronics are sensitive to people's needs, personalized to their requirements, can anticipate their behavior and respond to their presence - signifying a real improvement in people's everyday lives.

The Gauntlet

The CommanderGauntlet(tm) is the latest wireless accessory to come from NetworkAnatomy, the Pleasanton, CA-based award-winning designer and manufacturer of advanced interoperable communication systems.

The one-size-fits-all gauntlet is a wireless system that contains a two-way radio, cellular and satellite technologies, a PC-based interactive monitor, an interlaced audio/video camera, integrated power systems and extreme lighting to provide its user with "out-front" communications access without restricting hand movements or use of fingers.

The waterproof gauntlet is ruggedized to withstand bumps and impacts, measures 15 inches in length and is pliable enough to provide unrestricted hand and wrist movement. The material used in constructing the gauntlet was chosen to provide a snug fit on any adult forearm for extended periods of time without constricting blood flow.

Doug Linman, CEO and chief designer of the high-tech device says that the inspiration for the lightweight accessory comes directly from the field. "These wireless devices were designed to work as an extension to our CommanderPacks(tm) in any harsh environment where the user has to be on the move or has to use both hands, such as in a Search and Rescue operation, in fire zones or any emergency situation. The user can make or receive a call using radio, cellular or satellite frequencies, light the area and transmit video images, access incident forms from their on-board PC - even e-mail documents from their forearm - without having to stop or open their CommanderPack."

The CommanderPack is the first lightweight, self-contained communications system designed for deployment anywhere on earth at a moment's notice. The 11 lb. system is worn like a back pack and comes with a helmet nest featuring a micro video camera, microphone and extreme lighting. The communications and information management gear can be accessed by opening the waterproof pack or by wireless controls from the optional gauntlet.

BAE chips enroute to Mars

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has successfully launched two Mars Exploration Rovers on seven-month journeys to Mars. The Rovers are outfitted with BAE SYSTEMS radiation-hardened RAD6000 computers that will process and send data back to earth to help NASA search for evidence about ancient water on Mars.

The first launch occurred June 10 from Kennedy Space Center. That Rover, named "Spirit," is expected to land south of Mars' equator on Jan. 4, while the second spacecraft, named "Opportunity" was launched July 7 and will land on the other side of the planet Jan. 25. Both spacecraft will descend to the red planet using rockets, parachutes, and inflatable balloons. Once on the surface the solar-powered Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, will drive off their landers to begin studying minerals in rocks. They'll travel up to 132 feet each day and operate at temperatures dropping to down to minus 100 degrees centigrade at night.

As Spirit and Opportunity move about the surface searching for clues to past environments of Mars, robotic tools on the Rovers will investigate interesting rocks and other geological formations. "The navigation of the Rovers and the scientific analysis require 'brainpower,'" said Tom Bowmaster, BAE SYSTEMS program manager for the Information & Electronic Warfare Systems (IEWS) unit. "The RAD6000 truly is the 'brains' of the Rover and can process more than 20 million software instructions per second to perform this complex mission," he said.

The RAD6000 is a high-performance 32-bit Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) that provides powerful and flexible solutions for space applications.

Since 1995, IEWS' facility in Manassas, Va., has delivered more than 300 radiation-hardened computers that have been launched and operated in space. The RAD6000 was also the single control and data computer used on the successful Pathfinder mission, which landed on Mars in 1997.

The RAD6000 is one of a family of radiation-hardened computers developed and produced by BAE SYSTEMS with the support of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Air Force Research Laboratory and other Department of Defense organizations.

The Jetconcept

adidas, the leading sports brand, have introduced a new swim suit called the adidas JETCONCEPT. This full bodysuit shows a revolutionary approach by not only reducing the drag that the swimmer faces in the water but also influencing the way the water flows over the swimmer's body. Small "riblets", integrated in the new suit, channel the water and thereby shift the turbulence that occurs on the swimmer's body and reduce the amount of water a swimmer carries on his back.

adidas was the first company to introduce a full bodysuit in competitive swimming in 1998. This new innovation clearly changed the face of swimming. Ian Thorpe started to use this full bodysuit in 1999. He set numerous world records and won three gold medals and two silver medals at the Olympic Games in Sydney and six gold medals at the World Championships in Fukuoka in 2001 using the full bodysuit. But the adidas innovation team wasn't satisfied, and began working on a new concept after the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

The idea the adidas innovation team came up with was unique: Instead of focusing on friction drag (caused by the surface of a swimmer) that only accounts for 8% of the drag a swimmer faces in the water they looked into the effects of form drag (caused by the shape of a swimmer) that account for 56%. Adapting a technology already used by commercial aircrafts they created the adidas JETCONCEPT. The greatest obstacle was to add the so-called riblets to the suit without sacrificing the stretch ability and close fit of the suit. But they succeeded and tests showed a real benefit. Swimmers not only felt "higher" in the water (due to less weight on their back) but also achieved better times.

Ian Thorpe, who was part of the development process right from the beginning, is excited about the new suit: "I am really pleased about the result. I think it is the most refined product that has ever been made in swimming. It allows me to have the best opportunity in the water that I can possibly have."

Techno Handbags

It's truly ironic that while the (mostly) male engineers of this world have managed to turn night into day in our big cities, an archaic darkness still prevails in women's handbags, swallowing lipsticks, compacts, mobile telephones and keys.

But now there's light in the "black hole": German-based international leather and bag specialist BREE has created the first business handbag with interior illumination. Second-generation company presidents Philipp (31) and Axel (35) Bree put their trust in innovative solutions. "We had been toying with the idea of illuminating the dark insides of handbags for quite some time, but lacked an elegant solution which not only met our traditionally high demands with regard to style and function, but was also technically feasible."

The very solution they were looking for is now available in the form of "Smart Surface Technology" developed by Bayer Polymers, one of the world's largest plastics manufacturers, in partnership with the Swiss firm Lumitec, a specialist in electroluminescence (EL) and precision electronic components.

Scientists use the term EL to refer to a method of generating light that fireflies have been masters of all along - albeit by chemical means. In contrast to fireflies, engineers use a film that lights up on application of a voltage to achieve EL light generation. Electroluminescence is literally a "cool" concept, because it does not produce heat. The hitch: only flat surfaces of limited size could be achieved in the past. But Smart Surface Technology now makes it possible for the films to be shaped as needed and thus to illuminate any conceivable geometry.

Eckard Foltin, head of the Creative Center at Bayer Polymers, says the main field of application for this quantum leap in technology is in the automotive industry: "Incandescent lamps in cars will soon be a thing of the past. Instrument panels will be designed to take up less room. The headliner on the interior of a car will glow in a soft, glare-free light and provide a pleasant atmosphere in the passenger compartment."

But Foltin wouldn't be head of the Creative Center if he didn't look beyond the hood of man's favorite toy, and so he eventually resolved to conduct a survey among his female colleagues which, though not representative, got results that were all the more unequivocal: we should fulfill women's demands for a handbag with interior light.

BREE was soon identified as a partner with the same goal. Intense development work led to the creation of a prototype business bag with modest, attractive light. Currently, it is being guarded like the crown jewels of England, and for good reason: the seven by sixteen centimeter lighting element - Lumitec's masterpiece - is one of a kind in the entire world! Perfectly incorporated in a non-conductive layer, the film embossed with the BREE logo lights up at the press of a button, immersing as many as two compartments in a magical glow.

Speaking of magic, BREE even sees a realistic chance of getting these innovative bags into stores by the coming year - and thus staying one step ahead of the competition as well. Because Axel and Philipp Bree are convinced of one thing: "In less than five years, interior light will be just as common in handbags as mobile telephones are today."

Rocket powered on rubber and laughing gas!

SpaceDev has been chosen as the exclusive provider of specific components for the Scaled rocket motor for world-renowned aircraft designer Burt Rutan's revolutionary manned SpaceShipOne. The SpaceDev hybrid propulsion system, which is safe, low-cost and the largest of its kind in the world, burns a combination of rubber and laughing gas.

For almost two years, SpaceDev has been competing with another rocket motor subcontractor for the exclusive contract to provide components for the propulsion system to Scaled Composites, Rutan's company.

"I am extremely proud of my engineering team at SpaceDev for successfully developing this elegant but simple system, and we are delighted to be part of helping make affordable access to space a reality," said Jim Benson, founding Chairman and Chief Executive of SpaceDev.

"SpaceDev did a great job," said Burt Rutan. "Their engineers were highly competent, worked well with the Scaled team, stayed on schedule and met or exceeded all requirements. We are anxious to start powered, manned flights with SpaceDev's help."

"When the call came from Burt, the entire SpaceDev team was huddled around the conference room table. After Burt explained the process of selection, he announced that SpaceDev won the competition and a round of enthusiastic cheers went up to the sound of popping champagne corks," Benson added proudly.

SpaceDev will now be the sole supplier of operating components for Scaled's hybrid motor. SpaceDev's highly innovative hybrid rocket motor technology uses nitrous oxide (N2O) or laughing gas, as an oxidizer, and hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), or rubber, as the fuel. Both of these are inexpensive and can be safely transported and stored without special precautions, and will not explode when combined, thus making the ideal propulsion system for manned space vehicles.

Rutan's SpaceShipOne is competing for the worldwide X-Prize, a $10 million purse to be awarded to the first person or team to fly a privately-funded suborbital spaceship 100km (62 miles) to the edge of space, return safely, and then fly again within two weeks. The manned spaceship must be capable of carrying three individuals. The goal of the X-Prize is to make space travel safe, frequent and affordable for the general public.

Scott eVEST Version 2.0

The Scott eVEST is a modern, functional, hip jacket designed to carry, conceal And connect every and any tech gadget from PDAs to MP3 players. Version 2.0 is an update from the original Version 1.0 SCOTT eVEST that achieved extraordinary success in a short period of time by completely selling out. It includes zip-off sleeves and more advanced features, including micro-fiber fabric, more connectivity (ability to wire directly through the lining), a back pocket designed to hold certain laptop computers, attention to weight management, fewer logos, ability to store items in the back without taking the jacket off and more.

According to CEO and Chairman, Scott Jordan: "Version 2.0 takes off from where we originally started. We've made it more versatile with two extra pockets, more wiring ability and the option of a vest or jacket. You're completely wired and all anyone ever sees is you and your SCOTT eVEST." Version 2.0 of the SCOTT eVEST was featured in the NY Times, Parade, Good Morning America, USAToday, The Early Show, CNN, RedHerring, Playboy, Business Week and seen on the catwalk at the CES Fashion Show in Las Vegas.

The SCOTTeVEST was designed with today's modern and mobile person in mind and features the patent-pending Technology Enabled Clothing system. The unique design of this stylish, lightweight, 17-pocket jacket allows people to discreetly hold, conceal and connect cell phones, pagers, PDA's (personal digital assistant) and CD/MP3 players through the patent-pending Technology Enabled Clothing system. The hidden conduit system runs throughout the SCOTT eVEST, allowing you to connect wires to and from multiple electronic gadgets. Wires are kept in place by hidden Velcro tabs in the lining.

Special pockets accommodate digital cameras, portable keyboards, GPS devices, small laptop computers, two-way radios, bottled water, plane tickets, paperback books, magazines, wallets, keys and much, much more. Use it as an extra carry-on while traveling! It makes security at airports much quicker- just put your SCOTT eVEST through the x-ray instead of removing (and turning on/off) all of your electronic devices.

The design allows you to be completely hands-free. There is a loop in the collar designed to hold your ear pieces in place. So, when the phone rings, all you have to do is insert the ear piece and press talk. The pockets are specifically designed so you can feel your phone vibrate - so you'll never miss a call. Also, digital phone cards (DPC) that connect a PDA to a cell phone for Internet access can be used without removing both devices. It can also be used to hide and manage the wires for MP3 and CD players.

"I envision a day where the patent-pending Technology Enabled Clothing system will be incorporated into most upper-body, outer-wear apparel," said Jordan. "We are already in discussions with several clothing manufactures to license the patent pending TEC system to them. People want the ability to carry and use their electronic devices without being burdened with the wires. Most new electronic devices -like digital cameras and PDAs- include MP3 players, yet people don't typically use these features because the wires are a pain. It is especially in areas where handsfree cell phones are mandated by law, e.g., New York, Europe, Asia, Israel, etc. It represents a combination of clothing, technology, and luggage. People are carrying more and more with them nowadays and don't want to be burdened with briefcases and other bags. The time has come for people to start thinking about clothing as more than just clothing. The most important element to me was to make it fashionable. People don't want to look 'geeky'. The SCOTT eVEST conceals all of the wires and devices, much more so than belt clips."

The SCOTT eVEST is unisex, versatile and appeals to a wide range of individuals including business and leisure travelers, students, teens, outdoor types, urbanites and anyone who doesn't leave home without at least a cell phone. Version 2.0 is be available in black. It will be available in olive/khaki, through a pre-order. It is made of soft, lightweight, water-repellent microfiber. Version 2.0 now comes in more sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL. It is designed for year-round wear just zip off the sleeves and store them in the back pocket in warmer weather!

SoloTrek XFV

A Silicon Valley aerospace company has announced that it has achieved an important milestone while testing its paradigm-shifting new product, SoloTrek XFV. The full-scale SoloTrek proof-of-concept prototype aircraft produced over 100 percent take-off power and thrust for the first time in its development program, thereby validating earlier predicted performance. "This sets the stage for tethered-hover testing to begin in the mid-to-late summer timeframe," said Michael Moshier, chief executive and chief technical officer.

SoloTrek is an open-air VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft that will transport a person in an upright and standing position for up to two hours. Using readily available fuel, SoloTrek is predicted to attain speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour and is designed to operate easily in and out of extremely confined areas.

High-power system testing is currently underway at Millennium Jet's Sunnyvale headquarters. "We instrumented the aircraft with strain gauges and secured it to the ground," said Moshier, "then we were able to bring the engine, drivetrain and ducted fans up to about 105 percent take-off power and thrust without exceeding 75 percent throttle. Achieving this critical milestone demonstrates that SoloTrek can generate sufficient take-off thrust while maintaining an adequate power reserve. It also proves the capability of the vehicle's gear boxes and drive shafts to perform well under high load without overheating or noticeable vibration."

DoD / NASA Support

DARPA (a Department of Defense research agency) recently granted the company over $5 million in funding for a thirty-six month period, beginning last December. "DARPA's willingness to get behind the SoloTrek program," said Harry Falk, chief financial officer of Millennium Jet, "shows a great deal of confidence in our technology and engineering. With its continued assistance, we expect to complete the remaining development and testing work sooner than we otherwise could." The agreement with DARPA calls for a SoloTrek first-article prototype to be delivered to the USSCOM (United States Special Operations Command) in late 2003 for rigorous field evaluation.

Millennium Jet also maintains an ongoing non-reimbursable Space Act agreement with the NASA-Ames research facility in Mountain View, California. Under this agreement, the company recently tested SoloTrek's ducted fans in NASA's 7' x 10' wind tunnel. These tests, which included over 560 discrete data collections, helped validate the performance of SoloTrek's ducted fans during hover flight, and at speeds up to, and including, 80 mph.

About Millennium Jet, Inc.

Millennium Jet is a privately held company that designs, develops and manufactures small manned and unmanned VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft. The company is seeking industry sponsorship, and additional funding from accredited and strategic investors. It is also beginning discussions with potential joint-venture partners for manufacturing and future development.

Wearable Computing

Wearable computing facilitates a new form of human-computer interaction comprising a small body-worn computer (e.g. user-programmable device) that is always on and always ready and accessible. In this regard, the new computational framework differs from that of hand held devices, laptop computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs). The 'always ready' capability leads to a new form of synergy between human and computer, characterized by long-term adaptation through constancy of user-interface.

What is a wearable computer?

A wearable computer is a computer that is subsumed into the personal space of the user, controlled by the user, and has both operational and interactional constancy, i.e. is always on and always accessible. Most notably, it is a device that is always with the user, and into which the user can always enter commands and execute a set of such entered commands, and in which the user can do so while walking around or doing other activities. The most salient aspect of computers, in general, (whether wearable or not) is their reconfigurability and their generality, e.g. that their function can be made to vary widely, depending on the instructions provided for program execution. With the wearable computer (WearComp), this is no exception, e.g. the wearable computer is more than just a wristwatch or regular eyeglasses: it has the full functionality of a computer system but in addition to being a fully featured computer, it is also inextricably intertwined with the wearer. This is what sets the wearable computer apart from other wearable devices such as wristwatches, regular eyeglasses, wearable radios, etc.. Unlike these other wearable devices that are not programmable (reconfigurable), the wearable computer is as reconfigurable as the familiar desktop or mainframe computer. Wearable computing will now be formally defined in terms of its three basic modes of operation and its six fundamental attributes.

Operational modes of wearable computing

There are three operational modes in this new interaction between human and computer:

Constancy: The computer runs continuously, and is 'always ready' to interact with the user. Unlike a hand-held device, laptop computer, or PDA, it does not need to be opened up and turned on prior to use.

Augmentation: Traditional computing paradigms are based on the notion that computing is the primary task. Wearable computing, however, is based on the notion that computing is NOT the primary task. The assumption of wearable computing is that the user will be doing something else at the same time as doing the computing. Thus the computer should serve to augment the intellect, or augment the senses.

Mediation: Unlike hand held devices, laptop computers, and PDAs, the wearable computer can encapsulate It doesn't necessarily need to completely enclose us, but the concept allows for a greater degree of encapsulation than traditional portable computers. There are two aspects to this encapsulation:

Solitude: It can function as an information filter, and allow us to block out material we might not wish to experience, whether it be offensive advertising, or simply a desire to replace existing media with different media. In less severe manifestations, it may simply allow us to alter our perception of reality in a very mild sort of way.

Privacy:
Mediation allows us to block or modify information leaving our encapsulated space. In the same way that ordinary clothing prevents others from seeing our naked bodies, the wearable computer may, for example, serve as an intermediary for interacting with untrusted systems, such as third party digital anonymous cash 'cyberwallets'. In the same way that martial artists, especially stick fighters, wear a long black robe that comes right down to the ground, in order to hide the placement of their feet from their oponent, wearable computing can also be used to clothe our otherwise transparent movements in cyberspace. Although other technologies, like desktop computers, can help us protect our privacy with programs like Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), the achilles tendon of these systems is the space between us and them. It is generally far easier for an attacker to compromise the link between us and the computer (perhaps through a so-called trojan horse or other planted virus) than it is to compromise the link between our computer and other computers. Thus wearable computing can be used to create a new level of personal privacy because it can be made much more personal, e.g. so that it is always worn, except perhaps during showering, and therefore less likely to fall prey to covert attacks upon the hardware itself. Moreover, the close synergy between the human and computers makes it harder to attack directly, e.g. as one might peek over a person's shoulder while they are typing, or hide a video camera in the ceiling above their keyboard. Furthermore, the wearable computer can take the form of undergarments that are encapsulated in an outer covering or outerwear of fine conductive fabric to protect from an attacker looking at radio frequency emissions. The actual communications between the wearer and other computers (and thus other people) can be done by way of outer garments, which contain conformal antennas, or the like, and convey an encrypted bitstream. Because of its ability to encapsulate us, e.g. in embodiments of wearable computing that are actually articles of clothing in direct contact with our flesh, it may also be able to make measurements of various physiological quantities.Wearable computing is a framework for enabling various degrees of each of these three fundamental modes of operation.

While individual embodiments of wearable computing may use some mixture of these concepts, the signal path depicted in Fig 2 provides a general framework for comparison and study of these systems. The signal paths typically each, in fact, include multiple signals, hence multiple parallel signal paths are depicted in this figure to make this plurality of signals explicit.

The six attributes (six signal paths) of wearable computing

There are six informational flow paths associated with this new human--machine synergy. These signal flow paths are, in fact, attributes of wearable computing, and are described, in what follows, from the human's point of view:

UNMONOPOLIZING of the user's attention: it does not cut you off from the outside world like a virtual reality game or the like. You can attend to other matters while using the apparatus. It is built with the assumption that computing will be a secondary activity, rather than a primary focus of attention. In fact, ideally, it will provide enhanced sensory capabilities. It may, however, mediate (augment, alter, or deliberately diminish) the sensory capabilities.

UNRESTRICTIVE to the user: ambulatory, mobile, roving, 'you can do other things while using it', e.g. you can type while jogging, etc.

OBSERVABLE by the user: It can get your attention continuously if you want it to. Almost--always--observable: within reasonable limitations (e.g. that you might not see the screen while you blink or look away momentarily) the output medium is constantly perceptible by the wearer.

CONTROLLABLE by the user: Responsive. You can grab control of it at any time you wish. Even in automated processes you can manually override to break open the control loop and become part of the loop at any time you want to (example: 'a big Halt button you want as an application mindlessly opens all 50 documents that were highlighted when you accidently pressed 'Enter' would make a computer more CONTROLLABLE. Infinitely--often--controllable: the constancy of user--interface results from almost--always observability and infinitely--often controllability in the sense that there is always a potential for manual override which need not be always exercised.

ATTENTIVE to the environment: Environmentally aware, multimodal, multisensory. (As a result this ultimately gives the user increased situational awareness).

COMMUNICATIVE to others: Can be used as a communications medium when you want it to. Expressive: allows the wearer to be expressive through the medium, whether as a direct communications medium to others, or as means of assisting the production of expressive media (artistic or otherwise). Implied by the above six properties is that it must also be:

CONSTANT: Always ready. May have 'sleep modes' but never 'dead'. Unlike a laptop computer which must be opened up, switched on, and booted up before use, it is always on and always running.

PERSONAL: Human and computer are inextricably intertwined.

PROSTHETIC: You can adapt to it so that it acts as a true extension of mind and body; after time you forget that you are wearing it.

ASSERTIVE: can have barrier to prohibition or to requests by others for removal during times when you wish such a barrier. This is in contrast to laptop computer in briefcase or bag that could be separated from you by a 'please leave all bags and briefcases at the counter' policy of a department store, library, or similar establishment.

PRIVATE: others can't observe or control it unless you let them. Others can't determine system status unless you want them to, e.g. clerk at refund counter in department store where photography is prohibited can't tell whether or not you are transmitting wireless video to a spouse for remote advice, in contrast to camcorder technology where it is obvious you are taking a picture when you hold it up to your eye.

Note that a computer mediation device with sufficient bandwidth can synthesize or even heighten the augmentational aspects. For example a sufficiently ATTENTIVE computer can sustain a sufficient illusion of being UNMONOPOLIZING that it could encapsulate the user and still provide the same experience as system running in the augmentational mode of operation. Similarly, a sufficiently COMMUNICATIVE machine, especially if 'machine' is broadened to include mechanical mediation devices such as motorized exoskeletons, can synthesize the UNRESTRICTIVE attribute.

Moller M400 Skycar

Imagine this: your daily trip to the office at 350mph with no traffic jams, no roadworks and a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet. Sounds like Science Fiction? Well, not for much longer, thanks to one mans' vision.

Moller International was founded in 1983 by Dr Paul Moller, a Canadian-born US engineer, to design, develop, manufacture and market personal vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (VTOL). His colleagues said it couldn't be done, but like many geniuses, Dr Moller worked tirelessly towards his dream: a personal flying car that could take off from any back garden of street and be as easy to fly as a car is to drive, if not easier.

The M400 is by no means Moller's first project; thirty years ago he designed a flying saucerlike VTOL volantor. He managed to make it hover off the ground but it was difficult to manoever and was more an attraction to tabloid newspapers than anything else. Undeterred by this, Moller continued to work on his plans for a personal flying vehicle while serving as a professor at the University of California, using the fortune he made in the 1970s by inventing a revolutionary type of motorcycle muffler.

In 1989, Moller produced the Skycar's predecessor, the M200x. Looking like a flying saucer, the pilot sat in the middle of the craft which was powered by six propellers providing lift. Moller has flown the M200 over 150 times at altitudes up to 50 feet. However, as the propellers can only point downwards, progress is slow and therefore not terribly practical for long distance travel. However, the knowledge gained from this project was put to good use for the M400.

The M400 itself certainley looks like something from a Sci-Fi movie, a mixture of fins and pods that would not have looked out of place in 'The Fifth Element' or 'Bladerunner'. The power for the vehicle comes from eight small 120hp Rotapower engines, a derivative of the Wankel engine designed in 1957 by Felix Wankel and best known for its use in the Mazda RX7. Dr Moller purchased the rights to the Wankel engine and quickly formed Freedom Motors to develop the Wankel engine for use in the Skycar. The Rotapower engines will allow the M400 Skycar to fly at 350 mph and get fifteen miles to the gallon and a 900 mile range, although future projections show that it could achieve forty mpg for a four-seater and eighty mpg for a one-seater. One of the best things about the lightweight rotary engine is that it causes far less pollution than a regular engine.

The Skycar will be able to take off and land vertically. Using a principle similar to that of the Harrier jump jet, the Moller M400 incorporates a patented thrust deflection vane system that redirects thrust, enabling it to hover or to take off and land vertically from almost any surface. Initial test cars will need trained pilots, but Moller's vision is of automated skyways where the navigational computers do all the work, and Moller's design calls for three computers to assure redundancy. However, some level of driver/pilot training will still be necessary.

Removing the hazard of untrained drivers makes the Skycar more feasible, but there are still many concerns about safety. With eight engines, if one or two fail the volantor will still stay aloft, and if a computer goes, there are still two more to back it up. There will even be a parachute for landing when systems fail, but what happens when a Skycar comes down in a crowded city street?

As far as the cost of ownership goes, Moller says that initially the M400 Skycar will sell for a price comparable to that of a four-passenger high performance helicopter or airplane, approximately $500,000. As the volume of production increases substantially, its price can approach that of a quality automobile ($60,000-$80,000).

"I see this as a cheap civilian product, and if it isn't then it would be a failure as far as I'm concerned." says Moller.

Also, with very few moving parts the M400's rotapower engines require little maintenance, and the Rotapower engine has the unique capability of burning a variety of fuels - thus making it affordable to operate regardless of which natural resources are readily available in your area.

Will the Skycar become a familiar sight in our skies? The Federal Aviation Authority seems to think this may be a possibility and is already monitoring the progress of the M400 Skycar and, "contemplating an airborne future, with helicopters, unmanned computer planes and inventions such as the Skycar," reports The London Independent.

Moller envisions thirty-five-foot diameter "vertiports" atop city high-rises where volantors will be able to land and take off. As far as overcrowding of the airways go, according to Moller, even if there were the same number of Skycars in the sky tomorrow as there are cars on the roads today, each Skycar in the sky would be over a mile away (in all directions) from any other Skycar in the sky.!

Your own personal Skycar may seem like "pie in the sky" at the moment, but Dr Moller's work and the technology now available make it seem like an increasingly viable option, so watch the skies!

Charmed Technology

Los Angeles-based Charmed Technology is an MIT Media Lab spin-off and is poised to be a world leader in affordable, wearable Internet products, services and technologies. As part of its strategic business plan, the company has established strategic partnerships with companies such as Penton Media/IntemetWorld, Red Herring, MIT's Media Lab, the University of Rochester Center for Future Health, Motorola and others. With these partners, the company is working to develop miniaturized devices with Internet connection and powerful computer capabilities.

The Charmed Technology vision is to incorporate the unwired Internet into fashion, lifestyle and health applications by creating inexpensive wireless mobile devices that will allow individuals to access the World Wide Web anywhere and anytime through wireless technology. With enabling technologies already in place. Charmed Technology plans to completely penetrate the market, revolutionizing the way people interact with each other through wireless Internet communications.

As the pioneer of the smallest, most economical platform for Internet services. Charmed Technology will allow individuals to be connected to the Internet via their eyeglasses, necklaces, or lapel pin, even a child's toy. The first product manufactured by Charmed Technology is "Charmed Badge," an electronic business card that can upload and transmit user information through infrared technology.

Brave New Unwired World To showcase advances in wireless mobile technology, Charmed Technology produces "Brave New Unwired World" fashion shows in conjunction with Internet World. These shows provide the best global platform for companies with mobile/wireless technologies and Internet innovators seeking to increase exposure with consumers internationally.

The 1999 "Brave New Unwired World" shows have received massive publicity and media coverage. In its first year, debuting at only two Internet World shows, in New York and Hong Kong, "Unwired World" generated vast exposure with millions of consumers worldwide through television. Web, radio and print publicity. This year, due to last year's success, Charmed Technology, through a relationship with Penton Media, will debut "Brave New Unwired World" at every major Internet World show worldwide.

Solar Race Car

Who hasn't dreamed of being able to drive virtually forever, sailing past petrol stations without stopping for fuel? By providing funding, test and measurement hardware, and technical support, Keithley Instruments has been helping the University of Michigan s College of Engineering in Ann Arbor explore those possibilities by sponsoring MaizeBlaze, a solar race car designed and built entirely by the University s students. Keithley Instruments, a gold-level sponsor of the MaizeBlaze team, is a leading manufacturer of electronic test and measurement instrumentation.

The MaizeBlaze team finished in ninth place in the 1999 World Solar Challenge. The race covered more than 3000 kilometers (1,864 miles) through the Australian outback from Darwin to Adelaide. In addition to financial support, Keithley contributed test and measurement equipment the team used in evaluating the solar cells that powered the car. The team also employed Keithley s instruments for telemetry purposes, collecting data on operating parameters such as battery voltages, temperatures, motor output, etc. This information was then sent by radio modem to the team s strategists to help them get the best performance from the car during the race itself.

Eric Beaser, interim project manager for the race team, notes, "Keithley donated a Model 2420 High Current SourceMeter instrument and three Model 2000 digital multimeters, which we used to evaluate the electrical characteristics of various types of solar cells and charting their performance. This allowed us to optimize the configuration of the cells on the car, increasing the amount of available power and making us go faster. The Keithley test equipment saved us tens of thousands of dollars in evaluation costs. In the past, we d buy solar cells and then send them off to Sandia National Laboratories for evaluation. Eventually, it dawned on us that we could do this ourselves with the right equipment. In addition to the instruments, we ve received tremendous support from Keithley s Applications Department in setting up our test system and writing the application to run it."

About Keithley Instruments

Keithley Instruments, Inc. provides measurement solutions to high-growth sections of the electronics industry, including electronic components, telecommunications, and semiconductors. Engineers and scientists around the world use Keithley s precision test instruments, PC plug-in boards, and software for production test, process monitoring, and basic research.

Wet PC

True mobile computing means using a computer when needed, in any environment. Currently, users must carry around devices such as organisers, personal digital assistants, and laptop computers to achieve computing capabilities in the field. In the near future, flexible designs will emerge that will enable people to use computers in non-traditional work areas such as under water, in bad weather, and in harsh environments. One such design is the WetPC underwater computer. Originally conceived and developed at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) it is thought to be the world's first wearable underwater computer. It comprises a miniature personal computer with a mask-mounted virtual display and a novel 5-button chordic graphical user interface (CGUI)(Figure 2).

The computer is mounted in a waterproof housing on the diver's air tank. A cable from it connects to a waterproof virtual display (attached to the diver's mask) which presents the diver with a high contrast display "floating" in the field of view. A second cable connects to the waterproof Kord pad which is attached to the diver's belt or chest. This is a 5-key device that can be used in either hand by pressing single or multiple keys (called Kording. Rather like playing a piano (but nowhere near as difficult!), the user can interact with the computer in a very natural way - so much so it enables the diver to access and record information with one hand even whilst swimming. The system's design and its unique CGUI, offers a portable solution that may help to usher in an era of increasingly wearable computing systems. A novel interface The CGUI facilitates the wearability and useability of the WetPC underwater computer. Users operate the ambidextrous Kord pad, by pressing keys in various combinations. The WetPC technology is completely different from current chordic devices which require the Figure 2: Diagram showing main elements of the WetPC. underwater computer user to learn which chords represent which character or command. The CGUI has graphic buttons on the screen that tell the user which buttons to press. Called Kording, it is the subject of a broad-ranging international patent application. Instead of memorising chords, the user merely looks at the screen to see which fingers to use, the principle being 'what you see is what you press' . For example, the Save button on the screen might have a small iconic hand on it that indicates the thumb, first and second finger. Pressing and releasing the first, second and third keys simultaneously with those fingers, activates the button as if you had clicked it with the mouse. However, it can be vastly faster, because there is no cursor to manoeuvre. Typing, pointing, menu selection and other techniques are all possible with the invention.

Pressing two Kord combinations sequentially to activate buttons - a couplet - multiplies the 31 combinations available from one hand to over 900, sufficient for most complex interfaces. Kord combinations can also be pressed on a conventional computer keyboard with one or both hands, allowing seamless movement between desktop and handheld (a useful feature for training). Users find that 'muscle memory' rapidly develops, allowing them to not only make selections far faster than with a mouse or stylus, but totally eyes-free. Additionally, because the Kordpad is a digital device, it is unaffected by vibration or bumping the way pointers (such as a trackball) are. Harder to describe than to do, the method is readily learnt and very intuitive. New users are usually confident within minutes.

The SeaSlate A variant of the WetPCunderwater computer, the "SeaSlate" has been produced by WetPC Pty Ltd, in conjunction with AIMS (Figure 3). Two prototype units were produced for the Royal Australian Navy to enable Clearance Divers to search areas of the sea bottom without having to deploy buoys and other markers (eg. jack stays, lines).

Each SeaSlate consists of an off-the-shelf pen computer (with in-built LCD screen) which has been housed in a waterproof clear acrylic casing. It has two external handles one of which incorporates a 5-button kord pad (called a Kord Grip) that is used to operate the computer. The Kord Grip can be swapped to either side of the housing for either right-handed or left-handed use. The housing (which is rated to 30m operating depth) has a removable side door (complete with O-ring seal) and an external serial port so that data can be uploaded to a desktop computer or the SeaSlate can receive input from another technology (eg. GPS). An external socket has been provided so that batteries can be recharged without having to break open the casing. One of the SeaSlates has an in-built pressure sensor which automatically logs the depth of the diver.

The diver holds the SeaSlate by its two grips (with elbows resting on the side wings) so that the screen (which is in "portrait" mode) is immediately in the field of view. Field trials have shown that the computer can be steered using one hand and be easily operated (even using gloves) whilst swimming. The SeaSlate receives positional information for diver navigation via an underwater GPS (Rockwell Collins PLGRII) which is connected via the external serial port. The GPS is connected via a cable to a small floating antenna system. The diver's swim path is plotted on the SeaSlate's display using data (in the form of a NMEA stream) from the GPS. The diver is also able to log the position of objects which may be encountered during the swim, as well as access a small database of mine types (with pictures). All this is done using the five buttons on the underwater Kord Grip.

The software has a variety of other features which allow divers to: flip the search grid (so that the diver is moving in the same direction as the icon on the screen), zoom the map (five levels), and transfer data (to a desktop PC).

The ruggedised nature of the WetPC underwater computer will make marine and freshwater environments the first logical market targets for the device. Tasks include navigation and positioning, mapping and monitoring, task planning, and information retrieval (such as maps, user manuals and schematics) and data transmission. Incorporation of technologies such as GPS/DGPS, acoustic navigation system, sonar, digital video, flux gate compass would enable the WetPC computer to perform a wide variety of tasks.

For example, salvage divers or divers supporting offshore oil well operations could have access to critical textual and graphical information for both navigation and pinpointing location of estimated repairs. Maritime archaeologists could have digital photographic databases and maps to assist them in their retrieving artefacts. Police divers searching for objects in lakes and embayments would know where they were at all times. The computer would provide them with real-time positional data thereby greatly improving search efficiency and accuracy. Scientists could use the WetPC underwater computer for mapping and monitoring ecosystems such as coral reefs.

The WetPC underwater computer also has many applications in Defence. Navy divers could search for mines and unexploded ordnance without having to lay out physical markers on the seabed. By connecting the WetPC computer to a GPS/DGPS or even acoustic transponder system it could display the diver's swim path within the search area - accurate to within metres (depending on the system being used and the size of area being searched). Explosive ordnance disposal teams could have graphical information at their fingertips which would obviate the need to swim to an unexploded device, sketch it, swim back to the ship to check the manuals, and then return to defuse it. They could even send their information back for analysis using a through-water communications system. The Kord software on the computer would be used to control this process.

Pleasure diving is becoming an increasingly popular sport, and the WetPC underwater computer could be used for the rapidly growing tourism industry where there is a well defined need for educational information on the environment.