A magnified view of IVN therapeutics on bacteria. The Defense Advanced Research Agency hopes to use nanotechnology to treat diseases and other soldier afflictions, such as traumatic brain injury. (Source: DARPA)
I like the idea of future consumer technology spin-offs from these military developments and tests. My father-in-law just had a harrowing experience with a Sepsis attack that almost took his life. Quick diagnosis saved his life, so I'm hoping that more developments like these can continue to reduce response time to these diseases in the future.
Another article I've seen this month talked about the hazards of nanotechnology in the textile industry. It called out nano-silver, specifically, breaking down through use and abrasion. The particles released into the skin through sweat are thought to contribute to microbial resistance in humans.
Although different from what DARPA is looking into, it speaks to consumer acceptance. Nanotechnology has been widely embraced in many sectors but we're starting to experience a backlash. Some things moved too quickly to market before more research was complete.
Was there any info about timing? How long are trials expected to last after they choose a project to move forward?
Nice article, Elizabeth. Darpa keeps coming up with surprising new technology, much of it, as Beth points out, that can be a big benefit to the civilian world. It looks like Darpa is this generation's Bell Labs.
Lots of good stuff underway. I'm hoping that not only does DARPA solve some of these real problems, but that there is some sort of open door between the government-sponsored research and the private sector to cross-pollinate ideas and commercialize some of the more compelling technologies.
A new battery design, which replaces lithium with abundant and low-cost elemental sulfur, is still in its nascent stages but shows real promise for giving batteries more energy potential.
PTC will offer a virtual desktop environment for its Creo product design applications, potentially freeing engineers to run them from remote desktops on a variety of operating systems and mobile devices.
The push to achieving more intelligent, integrated manufacturing is putting a strong focus on networking and connectivity as key enabling technologies.
Now that solar and wind harvesting technologies are a thriving market, researchers are seeking other environmentally related energy sources for which they can create harvesting devices.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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