[ad_1] The smartwatch on your wrist might one day be key to containing the spread of viruses like the one behind COVID-19. Stanford, Scripps Research and Fitbit have unveiled an initiative that, if successful, would use wearables to catch the early signs of infection. They’re developing algorithms that would look for the elevated heart rates […]
Category: stanford
Engineers test a powered ‘ankle exoskeleton’ to make running easier
[ad_1] Here’s how the exoskeleton works: Its motors tug a cable running through the back of the rig from the heel to the calf. That pulls the foot upward during the toe-off, extending the ankle at the end of every step. Team member and Stanford grad student Delaney Miller said: “Powered assistance took off a […]
Stanford moves classes online to deal with coronavirus outbreak
[ad_1] Final exams will still take place when possible, but they’ll have to be take-home exams. If a remote class or exam isn’t an option, Stanford will let professors look for alternatives to those methods or even submit grades based on work to date. The campus itself will remain open, although Stanford is encouraging remote […]
Pigeon-inspired drone bends its wings to make it more agile
[ad_1] “Birds can dynamically alter the shape of their wings during flight, although how this is accomplished is poorly understood,” the researchers wrote in one of the studies they published. So, they used dead pigeons to study how birds bend and extend their wings to change their shape. What they found was that the angle […]
Stanford’s new tech-laden hospital includes pill-picking robots
[ad_1] The pharmacy will include robots that pick pills and pack them in backs, with other robots delivering them to dispensing stations. This frees up the humans for more involved tasks. Another 23 automated guided vehicles, meanwhile, help with delivering laundry and taking out the trash. Sensors track both equipment and staff in real time […]
Stanford publishes its massive Apple Watch heart-rate study
[ad_1] The study, which was sponsored by Apple and started back in 2017, garnered enough interest to enlist 400,000 volunteers with access to an iPhone and a Watch Series 1, 2 or 3. Apple’s newer smartwatches weren’t included, because it was before their time. The Heart Study app monitored the participants’ heart rhythm to look […]
Sticker sensor monitors your body using wireless power
[ad_1] The antenna proved to be the main challenge. They only had to screen-print metallic ink on a rubber sticker to create the antenna, but its signals could weaken as the body moved. The scientists had to develop a novel RFID system that could reliably send signals despite the constant changes. The receiver itself is […]
Faster algorithm could lead to more realistic sounds in VR
[ad_1] The solution ultimately involved ditching the traditional approach to calculating sound propagation, which has its roots in the theories of pioneering scientist Hermann von Helmholtz. Instead, the scientists took their cue from composer Heinrich Klein’s ability to blend many piano notes into a single sound. It splits vibration modes into individual chords, then performs […]
‘Quantum microphone’ detects sound at the atomic level
[ad_1] Phonons have previously been impossible to measure because traditional microphones are not nearly sensitive enough to pick them up. A microphone works by detecting when a sound wave interacts with a membrane, but the phonons are so small that they can’t be detected individually due to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. Instead of relying on […]
Researchers create eye-tracking glasses that auto-focus where you look
[ad_1] The authors note that, over time, our ability to refocus at near distances worsens as the lenses in our eyes stiffen. The condition, called presbyopia, typically kicks in at around age 45 and it affects more than a billion people. It’s a key factor as to why many of us need to start wearing […]