BMW's Futuristic Motorcycle Balances on Its Own

The Motorrad Vision Next 100 will use self-balancing tech, which could do away with helmets and protective pads.

Credit: BMW

The motorcycle of the future is so smart that it could eliminate the need for protective gear, according to automaker BMW.

To mark its 100th birthday, BMW has unveiled a number of concept vehicles that imagine the future of transportation. Possibly its most daring revelation, the so-called Motorrad Vision Next 100 concept motorcycle is so advanced that BMW claims riders wouldn't need a helmet.

The Motorrad Vision Next 100 would have a self-balancing system that keeps the bike upright both in motion and when still. BMW touted the motorbike's futuristic features, saying it would allow for riders of all skill levels to "enjoy the sensation of absolute freedom." According to the automaker, the Motorrad wouldn't require protective gear such as helmets and padded suits. [Photos: The Robotic Evolution of Self-Driving Cars]

Another traditional feature was also missing from the concept: a control panel. Instead, helmetless riders would wear a visor that acts as a smart display.

"Information is exchanged between rider and bike largely via the smart visor," BMW said in a statement. "This spans the rider's entire field of view and provides not only wind protection but also relevant information, which it projects straight into the line of sight as and when it is needed."

Such information would not be needed all the time because drivers will be able to hand over active control of the vehicle at points; the Motorrad and other Vision Next 100 vehicles would be equipped with self-driving technology, according to BMW.

The futuristic motorcycle and other concepts released during the centennial event were noted as "zero emissions" vehicles, because BMW said it believes the future of transportation is electric. 

Other concepts in the Next 100 Years series included a massive Rolls-Royce (measuring nearly 20 feet long) that is referred to as "her" because of the vehicles' AI called Eleanor. Eleanor is fully autonomous, with a couch instead of seats and no steering wheel. BMW also unveiled a Mini concept that is partially transparent and designed completely around car-sharing. No need to own this future Mini, because BMW said the vehicle can be called to a location with an app, arriving autonomously, and ready for use.

New Anti-Snore Patch Targets the Science of Sound Waves

The Silent Partner "smart patch" emits a counter sound that cancels out a person's snoring.

Credit: Silent Partner

If your dreams of flying high above the clouds or winning the World Series have ever been interrupted by the guttural sounds of your partner's slumber, then a new anti-snore gadget could help you turn down the volume of these nasal noises and turn up the quality of your beauty sleep.

The aptly named "Silent Partner" snore patch addresses the sound, rather than the cause, of snoring, according to Netanel Eyal, co-founder of the startup Silent Partner. The patch, which has two thumbprint-size parts that sit on either side of the nose and are connected through a bridge over the nose, detects snore sounds and emits a counter sound that cancels out the original snores, he said.

Around 45 percent of healthy adults snore at least occasionally and 25 percent are regular snorers, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology. People snore for a variety of reasons, from poor muscle tone in the tongue and throat to obstructions, like mucus, in the nasal airways. And attempts to mute snore noises often depend on the cause of snoring. [5 Things You Must Know About Sleep]

For those who suffer from sleep apnea, a condition marked by multiple episodes of pauses in breathing, medical intervention is typically needed. However, for people who snore for other reasons, the Silent Partner device can restore tranquility to the bedroom and "can help relationships get better," Eyal told Live Science.

To help reduce snore sounds, the Silent Partner uses active noise-cancellation technology, which relies on the physics of sound waves. Every sound is characterized by pressure waves, which have specific amplitudes and frequencies, Eyal said. The amplitude of a wave measures its height above its base position and the frequency measures how many waves pass a point within a certain space of time.

A noise-cancellation device, like the Silent Partner, emits a sound wave with the same amplitude but an inverted phase to the original sound. So, if the snore wave looked like a bumpy line, the counter sound would overlay the snore wave with its bumps in between the bumps of the snore line. As a result, the wave and counter wave combine to form a new sound wave and the two effectively cancel each other out.

The Silent Partner is specifically designed to cancel snoring sounds, Eyal said. Snoring sounds have their own frequencies and patterns, which are different from other sounds like talking sounds. But, different snoring sounds often share some unifying qualities, Eyal said, which make them universally acknowledged as snores. The Silent Partner aims to reduce the sound of snoring by capturing and countering as many varying snore sounds as possible.

The Silent Partner does not require training and works in real-time, Eyal said. It uses a sensor on one side of the nose to detect snore sounds and plugs the sound into its algorithm to create a counter sound that it amplifies in its own resonance chambers and emits from speakers on both sides of the nose, Eyal said. [Top 10 Spooky Sleep Disorders]

The Silent Partner suppresses snore sounds better the farther away you are from the snorer. However, Eyal said it is effective from distances as close as 8 inches (20 centimeters).

The device can be worn in any sleeping position and comes with medical-grade adhesives to keep it in place. "It should be secure" in any sleeping position, Eyal said.

Eyal and his team reached out to doctors for feedback on the Silent Partner and have received positive reactions, he said. However, if there are any suspicions of sleep apnea or a sleep disorder, it’s important to contact a doctor, Eyal said. Plans for the next iteration of the Silent Partner hope to be able to detect breathing patterns and determine the likelihood of sleep apnea, Eyal said.

The Silent Partner raised funds on the crowdsourcing site Indiegogo. The project's original goal of $40,000 was surpassed by more than 655 percent, with a total of nearly $473,000 raised by the time the campaign closed on Jan. 10, according to the company's Indiegogo page.

"This overwhelming response shows us it's important," Eyal said. He expects to start shipping beta versions of the product in October, and the company is aiming to have final versions ready for shipment in November.

Pocket-Size Device Lets You Print from Anywhere

Zuta Labs' mobile printer allows people to print while on the go.

Credit: Zuta Labs

A new mobile robotic printer that is only a little bigger than three stacked hockey pucks will enable people to print anywhere and on any size page of paper.

Smartphones, tablets and laptops make it easy for people to work on the go, but traditionally, printers have been cumbersome to lug out of the office.

Zuta Labs, based in Jerusalem, reasoned that printers nowadays are essentially a printhead running back and forth on a moving piece of paper. The company's approach involves placing a printhead on a set of small wheels and letting it run across a sheet of paper, thus allowing printers to become smaller. [10 Technologies That Will Transform Your Life]

"The name 'Zuta' in ancient Aramaic means 'small,'" said Tuvia Elbaum, CEO and founder of Zuta Labs.

The new Zuta Pocket Printer is about 4 inches (10.2 centimeters) wide and long and 3 inches (7.5 cm) high, and weighs about 12 ounces (350 grams). It can connect wirelessly to smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs via Wi-Fi, and is supported by Android, iOS, OS X and Windows. A free app from the company lets you use the printer via a mobile device; a laptop or PC can also select the printer for use just like any other wirelessly connected printer.

To print, a person switches on the device, aligns it with the corner of a sheet of paper and sends the document to it. The printer can print one average A4 page, measuring 8.27 by 11.7 inches (21 by 29.7 cm), every 50 to 60 seconds with a resolution of 300 dpi. Zuta Labs noted that its printer can print on any standard size piece of paper, and that, in principle, it could print on any surface, Elbaum told Live Science.

The printer's "omni-wheels" help it turn and move in any direction on a surface. Laser sensors help control the movement, speed and location of the device, according to the company.

If a person sends several pages to the device, the printer will stop when it gets to the bottom of the first page and wait until it is placed at the top of the next page. Users can then tap on the mobile app, and the printer will continue to print.

Zuta Labs said the printer's rechargeable lithium-polymer battery can last about 1 hour, on average — long enough to print about 60 pages. The device charges via a micro-USB port, and takes about 3 hours to charge fully.

One ink cartridge can print more than 100 pages, according to the company. Currently, the device prints only in black, although Zuta Labs said it plans to have a full-color printer in the future. Cartridges are replaced via a hatch on the bottom of the printer.

The founders of Zuta Labs, which was established in 2014, said the idea for their printer came in 2013, when they were students at the Jerusalem College of Technology. A 2014 Kickstarter campaign to fund Zuta Labs raised $511,662 from 3,081 backers, exceeding its original goal of raising $400,000. The company plans to ship its printers to customers in the beginning of 2017.

Forget Selfie Sticks: This Drone Captures Photos and Videos in Midair

The AirSelfie drone can capture photos and videos in midair.

Credit: AirSelfie

Instead of extending your arm or using a selfie stick to snap shots of you and your crew, you could use a new pocket-size drone — dubbed the "AirSelfie" — to help you remotely capture aerial photos and videos.

The AirSelfie is the brainchild of Italian entrepreneur Edoardo Stroppiana, who came up with the idea in 2014. "AirSelfie is specifically designed and produced for people who used to think drone cameras are extremely complicated to use — too expensive and bulky," Stroppiana said.

The AirSelfie is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera that can shoot full high-definition (HD) 1080p video, as well as a 4GB microSD card. Using the AirSelfie, people, groups and companies can take pictures of themselves, their backgrounds and their projects from distances, heights and angles that they never could using their arms or a stick, Stroppiana said. [5 Technologies for the Selfie-Obsessed]

The drone's four rotors help it fly up to 65 feet (20 meters) in the air. The flying camera measures only about 3.72 by 2.65 by 0.42 inches (9.45 by 6.73 by 1.07 centimeters) — "smaller than a smartphone," Stroppiana said — and weighs 1.83 ounces (52 grams).

The drone uses sonar to measure its altitude and keeps itself stable with the help of a tiny extra camera to monitor its surroundings for signs of jitter. It is also equipped with gyroscopes, barometers and geomagnetic sensors that help it navigate as it flies, said AirSelfie Holdings Ltd. in London, the company that Stroppiana co-founded in 2016 to manufacture the drone.

The AirSelfie is controlled via a free iOS or Android app. The app can make the drone take off; adjust its height and direction; let it hover autonomously; and help users take an HD aerial shot or video with just a push of a button. Users can also activate a 10-second timer, giving people enough time to hide their phones so they don't appear in the picture or video. The drone can take up to eight consecutive shots, the company said.

The AirSelfie uses Wi-Fi to send photos and videos wirelessly to smartphones. The app also allows users to post photos and videos taken with the drone immediately on social media.

After snapping photos, the drone can return to its departure point automatically with the touch of a button. Users can also guide the AirSelfie back manually, and its manufacturers said it is safe for the drone to land on a person's open hand, or even for people to grab the drone while it is still hovering in midair.

A rechargeable lithium polymer battery gives the AirSelfie a flight time of 3 minutes, according to the company. An accessory known as the Power Bank slips over the AirSelfie like a smartphone case, and can recharge the drone in 30 minutes. The Power Bank can hold 20 such charges before it needs to be recharged, the company said. Users can also recharge the AirSelfie directly with a micro-USB cable.

The company said it developed a fully functioning prototype in August. On Nov. 17, the company launched a Kickstarter campaign to make the AirSelfie available via preorder, and it met its $47,714 goal in less than three days. The campaign, which is scheduled to end Dec. 24, has raised more than $500,000 from more than 2,300 backers. In addition, the company has received $3 million from private angel investors in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, Stroppiana said.

The first preordered drones are scheduled for delivery in March. The drone is expected to hit the market in 2017 for a retail price of $300.

Original article on Live Science.

New Flying Robots Take Cues From Airborne Animals

From navigating turbulence, to sleeping midflight, to soaring without a sound, animals' flight adaptations are helping scientists design better flying robots.

Airborne drones and the animals they mimic are featured in 18 new studies published online Dec. 15 in the journal Interface Focus. This special issue is intended "to inspire development of new aerial robots and to show the current status of animal flight studies," said the issue's editor, David Lentink, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Stanford University in California.

Though humans have been building flying machines since the 18th century, these new studies revealed that there is still much to be learned from looking closely at how birds, insects and bats take flight, keep themselves aloft and maneuver to safe landings. [Biomimicry: 7 Clever Technologies Inspired by Nature]

Flying drones are rapidly becoming a common sight worldwide. They are used to photograph glorious vistas from above, snap selfies and even deliver packages, as online retail giant Amazon completed its first commercial delivery by drone in Cambridge, in the United Kingdom, on Dec. 7, the BBC reported.

But improving how these robots fly isn't easy, experts said. Fortunately, there are plenty of flying animals that scientists can turn to for inspiration. About 10,000 species of birds; 4,000 species of bats; and well over 1 million insect species have evolved over millions of years to spread their wings and take to the air, and most of these species' flight adaptations haven't been studied at all, Lentink told Live Science.

"Most people think that since we know how to design airplanes, we know all there is to know about flight," Lentink said. But once humans could successfully design planes and rockets, they stopped looking as closely at flying animals as they had in the past, he added.

Now, however, growing demand for small, maneuverable flying robots that can perform a variety of tasks has sparked a scientific "renaissance" and is driving researchers to investigate many open questions about animal aerodynamics and biology, Lentink said.

Image of the AquaMAV flying robot diving into water, next to an image of a northern gannet (Morus bassanus), also diving into water.

Credit: Ben Porter

For example, how are owls able to fly so silently? One team of scientists explored adaptations in owls' wings that could muffle noise, finding that the animals' large wing size and the wings' shape, texture and strategically placed feather fringes all work together to help owls glide soundlessly.

Another group of researchers wondered how frigate birds — a type of seabird that can fly without stopping for days at a time — could sleep "on the wing" during long migrations. The scientists collected the first recordings of in-flight brain activity for these birds, discovering that the animals were able to "micro nap" to rest both brain hemispheres at the same time.

Some scientists puzzled over how fruit flies were able to stay aloft even if their wings were damaged, learning that the insects compensated for missing pieces in wing membranes by adjusting their wing and body movements, enabling the bugs to fly even if half a wing had been lost.

Other studies described new robot designs that can plunge into watery depths from midair, flap their way through buffeting winds or bend their wings like a bird, for better control.

A morphing wing, inspired by bird feathers, can fold and unfold rapidly.

Credit: Dario Floreano

Silent flight, energy conservation and renewal, adapting to turbulent conditions, and the ability to self-correct for wing damage are all features that could significantly improve current models of flying drones, Lentink told Live Science.

"They need to become more silent," Lentink said of drones. "They need to be more efficient, and they need to fly longer. There's a lot of engineering that still needs to happen. The fact that the first steps are being made right now is really exciting and shows that there is a great future in this."

Original article on Live Science.

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE – BREATHING TRANSLATES TO SPOKEN COMMUNICATION

At the age of 16, Arsh Shah Dilbagi came up with a revolutionary invention that has the potential to change the lives of people with developmental disabilities and speech impairments. TALK is an AAC – augmentative and alternative communication device - that converts breaths into synthesized sentences or speak-out commands and phrases. His patent-pending technology got the attention of the world - Dilbagi was a finalist at the Google 2014 Science Fair and the portable invention will hopefully be on the market in the near future.

Young Dilbagi with his TALK invention. [Screenshot]

When school-goers talk about change, we often assume they are talking about their hobbies, areas of interest, studying schedule or a career path. But when this 16-year-old talks about change, he means changing the lives of people on a larger scale.

Arsh Shah Dilbagi, a student from Delhi, invented TALK, an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Device that helps people with developmental disabilities like Locked-In Syndrome, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease, those with speech impairments like Dysarthia and even Mutes, to communicate in a normal form of speech.

“I wanted to bring about change and develop something that could be used to help mankind. TALK is something I believe in and hope it will change the lives of those who need it,” Dilbagi says.

Its simple design, affordability and portability are what make TALK unique. TALK is the only AAC Device in the world which uses breath as the way of interaction. The technology uses the variations in a person’s breath and helps him or her to dictate letters, which are further combined and synthesized as sentences. The device is so compact that it fits into your pocket.

TALK was selected as one of the Top 15 Projects of Google Science Fair 2014, and Dilbagi will be going to the Google headquarters in Mountain View, USA this month to present his idea to a larger audience.

How does TALK work?

Unlike other AAC devices, TALK doesn’t restrict users to a wheelchair, which makes it more comfortable and accessible. TALK has nine different voices for different genders and age groups.

“The users do not have to learn complicated matrix maps to select the right symbols for synthesizing speech. Neither do they have to strain their eyes by gazing over the screen to express themselves,” Dilbagi says.

TALK can fit in a pocket.

It takes only 0.4 sec to dictate ‘E’ and 0.8 sec to dictate ‘A’ using TALK, which makes it one of the fastest AAC devices. The user has to place the sensor under the nose and make shorter and longer exhales to send dots and dashes which later get converted into words and phrases.

It works in two modes – Communication mode and Command mode. Using the Command Mode, the user can speak out predefined commands like W – ‘Water’. The Communication Mode helps in encoding and speaking out commonly used phrases. For instance, dictating “HH” can speak out “Hello, How are you?”

TALK is available at a cost of $199 which includes the AAC device and the earclip. You can also purchase just the earclip for $99 and use it with existing AAC devices.

New Add-On for OneNote Benefits Students with Dyslexia

Microsoft recently made a new add-on available for its OneNote software which aims to help students with dyslexia. The add-on works within Microsoft's note taking software and is currently available to download as a beta. Once installed, a new tab appears which gives users the option to read content using text-to-speech or dictate using speech-to-text. While both of the features have been available before it is nice to have a free option that can be used directly within OneNote: an application that many schools and parents already have installed as part of the Microsoft Office suite.


The text-to-speech reader mode is called "immersive reading mode" and includes some handy features. When activated the reader fills the entire screen with text from your OneNote notebook. While reading text is highlighted as it is read aloud. Users have the option to change the background color and text size in order to create a more comfortable reading experience. The add-on also includes the ability to highlight nouns, verbs, and adjectives in different colors; a feature that could be helpful for younger students. Microsoft even includes the ability for users to break words up into syllables.

It is exciting to see the fruits of Microsoft's enhanced accessibility initiatives. While the new features are not novel they seem easy to learn. Since the "Learning Tools" are free for OneNote users and easy to learn they may prove to be a great starting point for people new to assistive technology. Microsoft seems to be increasing their focus on accessibility. Recently, the company announced a new Chief Accessibility Officer and a reorganization of accessibility teams. Hopefully, with the new reorganization, "Learning Tools" is just the beginning of Microsoft's accessibility improvements.

The "Learning Tools" add-on available as a free download for Windows. Click here to learn more and download the add-on.

New in iOS 10: Software TTY Calling

Apple's updated mobile operating system, iOS 10, includes many new accessibility features. One of these features is Software TTY calling. TTY calling allows people who are deaf and people with hearing disabilities who cannot communicate using voice calling to communicate with people by using voice calling through relay services. The TTY user with a hearing impairment types a message and a relay operator reads that message aloud to the person on the other end of the phone call, who does not have a hearing impairment. When the person on the other end of the phone call speaks the relay operator types what is spoken and the text then appears on the TTY device.

Previously, this communication method required a physical TTY machine such as the one pictured above. These machines are large and much less convient to carry around than an iPhone. With iOS 10, Apple is building the functionality of a TTY machine into the iPhone. This eliminates the need for people who rely on TTY calling to have a physical TTY machine.

Software TTY calling on the iPhone works much like an iMessage conversation with a few differences. When software TTY is enabled, the user makes or receives a phone call through the Phone app. Once the user dials the number and presses send the user has the option of placing the call as a voice call, TTY call, or TTY relay call. TTY relay calls will be placed using the relay number specified in settings. If the user chooses one of the TTY options they will be able to access the TTY interface which resembles an iMessage chat. iOS even suggests TTY abbreviations above the keyboard during the conversation such as GA for go ahead and SK for ready to hang up.

With voice calling on the iPhone users can press the home button during a call to access other apps while still talking to person on the other end of the call. I frequently use this feature when placed on hold. While on hold I will check my email or read the news. However, with software TTY calling, users are not notified when new TTY messages are received while using other apps. For example, if  software TTY users wants to check their email while on hold they will not be notified when the next message is received. This means that TTY users might miss incoming messages when multitasking. I would prefer that the feature send notifications when the user is multitasking to alert the user that a new TTY message is received. Much like iMessage sends notifications to users when a new message is received. This would allow TTY users to multitask without fear of missing a message.

The software TTY feature of iOS 10 is a great addition to the iPhone. I think it will be viewed as a major upgrade for TTY users. iOS 10 users who want to enable software TTY should navigate to Settings > General > Accessibility > TTY and then switch on software TTY. This menu also gives users access to other TTY settings such as setting the relay number. 

A bionic eye

Image credit: Second Sight

You may have seen the video of a man who sees his wife for the first time in years through the use of the Argus II, a so-called bionic eye. Dr. Robert Greenberg, CEO of Second Sight, worked for 25 years to make that one recorded moment possible.

Greenberg is the man behind the Argus II, which is designed to help patients with retinal pigmentosa -- a degenerative disease that leads to blindness -- to have some form of vision. The system received FDA approval in 2013; Greenberg received 300 issue patents of technology in the process.

First, in an outpatient procedure, patients are implanted with a small device that sits on their retinas. The passive device is only activated when the patients wear the corresponding glasses, which has a camera. Then, when the glasses are on, the signal from the camera gets turned into electrical impulses on a patient’s eye. These impulses allow the patient sees a spot of light corresponding to what’s in front of them.

Dr. Greenberg says the resulting image is low-resolution and in grayscale, though he has figured out how to produce color and says the device could be upgradeable. He compares it to lights on a scoreboard or pixels on a monitor.

More than 100 people have used the device, which retails for just under $145,000 (plus surgery and physicians fees), and the responses are universally positive. “We hear many stories about being able to see a loved one again and move about independently,” he says.