Mdical Innovation: Hair-thin, stick-on micro-electronic tattoo

Medical Invention

Med-Tech Tatoo

The latest in medical inventions is a hair-thin, stick-on micro-electronic tattoo.

It is applied to the skin like any ink transfer tattoo. You rub a backing sheet onto your skin - peel it off - leaving the tattoo transfer on the surface.

The tattoo is made from a rubbery polymer substrate that has similar properties to skin. It has the same thickness, mass and elasticity.

It can bend, stretch and wrinkle just like real skin and contains advanced circuit components (transistors, diodes, and semiconductors) that can monitor functions in your body, such as heart rate, brain waves, neuro-muscular activity and wound healing.

Powered by solar cells, the data collected can be transmitted wireless to a remote computer for analysis.

Scientists believe that this medical invention could be used to monitor more subtle processes, such as the movement of enzymes, antibodies, or pathogens.

The med-tech tattoo was developed by collaborating scientists from universities in the United States, China and Singapore.

Funding for this invention was provided by the Air Force Research Laboratory, the US Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Illinois, and the Defense Department National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowship.

Source: sciencemag.org

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Semi-automated "smart" trucks

Six convoys of semi-automated "smart" trucks arrived in Rotterdam's harbor Wednesday after an experiment its organizers say will revolutionize future road transport on Europe's busy highways.

The Semi-Automated Trucks

"Truck platooning", similar to concepts with self-driving cars, involves two or three trucks that autonomously drive in convoy and are connected via wireless with the leading truck determining route and speed.More than a dozen self-driving trucks made by six of Europe's largest manufacturers arrived in the port in so-called "truck platoons" around midday, said Eric Jonnaert, president of the umbrella body representing DAF, Daimler, IVECO, MAN, Scania and Volvo.

Wednesday's arrival concludes the first-ever cross-border experiment of its kind with self-driving trucks which left home factories from as far away as Sweden and southern Germany, Jonnaert told AFP.

"Truck platooning will ensure cleaner and more efficient transport. Self-driving vehicles also contribute to road safety because most accidents are caused by human failure," said Dutch Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen.

For instance, because the trucks are connected via wireless they brake at the same time to always maintain the same distances between them, added the Dutch infrastructure and environment ministry.

"The advantage of truck platooning is that you have trucks driving at a consistent speed," said Jonnaert, saying the concept will greatly aid traffic flow on Europe's heavily congested roads.

The trucks used in Wednesday's test however are still semi-automated and despite computers allowing them to drive by themselves, human drivers were still required on board.

The proponents of truck platooning say several hurdles still need to be ironed out and road users will not see self-driving trucks just yet.

Difficulties include standardising regulations across the continent to enable self-driving convoys and designing systems that will enable communication between different trucks from different manufacturers, Jonnaert said.

"This is all part of a journey, which we are on as the automotive industry, towards highly-automated vehicles," said Jonnaert.

The Netherlands, which currently holds the revolving EU presidency, will hold an informal summit mid-April to discuss changes to regulations needed to "make self-driving transport a reality," Dutch officials said.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-04-self-drive-trucks-future-europe-busy.html#jCp