Microscopic ‘fish’ could clean toxins from your bloodstream

Scientists are forever keen to get tiny robots working inside our bodies, despite pop culture warning us against the idea. Researchers from UC San Diego have joined the fray with a new idea: “microfish” robots that could one day “swim” through your bloodstream and cleanse toxins. The team devised a 3D-printing method called “microscale continuous optical printing,” that let them create hundreds of fish-shaped bots thinner than a hair in just a few seconds. The printer is capable of creating custom shapes and adding nanoparticles that perform different functions, thanks to millions of micromirrors that project UV light onto photosensitive materials.

For instance, platinum nanoparticles in the tail react with hydrogen peroxide to power the microfish like a rocket, while iron oxide in the head lets researchers guide them with magnets — much like other swimming nanobots we saw recently. Once the bots are in a desired location, a treatment can be released. To prove it worked, the team added a nanoparticle compound that removes bee venom and other “pore-forming” toxins from the body. Since the reaction also makes the compound glow, the researchers were also able to monitor its effectiveness by measuring the intensity of the light.

The system also holds potential to target drugs in the body, a popular goal for nearly every nanobot we’ve covered. The team hopes to eventually build “surgical microrobots that operate safer and with more precision” — even though so far, such bots have only been implanted in mice. Nevertheless, the micromirror technology the researchers created to build the fish is promising, and could be adapted to build a variety of useful microdevices.

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Source:
University of San Diego

Tags: 3D-printed, Microfish, nanobots, toxins, UcSanDiego

SmartHalo turns any bike into a smart bike

Bike lovers may have something to get excited about this week, as a new product just surfaced on KickStarter that aims to make bicycles more tech-friendly. SmartHalo is a new device made for the avid bike rider, and it looks like it’s packing some great features. It’s a relatively small, circular device (the Kickstarter page claims it is about the size of a hockey puck) that attaches to the handlebars of a bike. The companion smartphone app gives users access to all kinds of features, including activity tracking, navigation, security warnings, and more. The app connects to the device via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

SmartHalo is constructed from military-grade materials, and the team behind it says that it secures to the bike with “tamper-proof screws,” meaning it won’t be easily stolen. On the top are low-energy LED lights that form a circle (there is also a single light in the center) around the edge. This makes the basis for the ring of light that gives the rider contextual directions, warnings, notifications for phone calls, and more. In addition, the device recognizes when your smartphone is out of range, and will sound an alarm if it detects excessive rattling of the bike. The SmartHalo team apparently thought of everything, including a morse code-esque tap pattern that the user can program into the device. If the alarm sounds, and the user’s smartphone is dead or out of range, they can just tap their pattern on SmartHalo to disable the alarm. Also built in is a smart night-light, which turns on automatically when the sun goes down, and turns off when the smartphone app is out of range to conserve power.

Probably one of them most interesting features is the navigation function of SmartHalo. Using the app, users can navigate to a location, and SmartHalo will provide directional lighting, including lights for turns and even u-turns. City bikers will especially enjoy this feature, since looking down at a smartphone every few seconds causes excessive distraction on busy city streets. The device is sporting a 2,000 mAh battery that can supposedly last at least three weeks on a charge, which will be a relief for bike owners who don’t want another device they have to charge every night. Of course, it has been weather-tested, since it will be kept outside most of the time.

SmartHalo has already been fully funded on KickStarter. After only three days, the project has hit over $100,000, doubling the $50,000 funding goal. The estimated delivery to backers is May 2016, which will be a long wait for some users. At the time of this article, the cheapest reward package available (that gets you a SmartHalo device) is the “$131 or more” package. Keep in mind that SmartHalo is not based in the U.S., so American backers will have to pay an extra $15 with that package, making it at least $146.

Source: SmartHalo KickStarter, Mashable 

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LG Nexus 5 2015 may be more affordable, leaked specs suggest

We’ve been hearing whispers about the reboot of the LG Nexus 5 for some time, and it looks like we may be getting a peak at what will be under the hood of Google’s latest pure Android device. According to a leak, the 2015 Nexus 5 will bring a 64-bit hexa-core Snapdragon 808  to the table, along with 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 418 GPU. Also on board will be a 5.2-inch 2K display, a 13MP camera powered by a Sony sensor and the same OIS we saw on the LG G4. Of course, the device will be LTE-capable as well.

The use of a Snapdragon 808, which is not an octa-core processor like we’ve seen in the recent flagship devices, and the 13MP camera falls into the more mid-range category as well. This could mean that Google will attempt to market it as a more affordable device. The original Nexus 5 launched at just $350 off-contract, so we may see its successor launch at around the same price. For pure Android enthusiasts and developers, this new Nexus may be the best alternative to the Nexus 6, which many users griped was too large.

Source: Phandroid

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