links for 2009-05-15

• Development of an artificial simulator of the human nervous system to do research into diseases and test new medicines
  'University of Granada researchers have developed EDLUT, an event-driven, lookup-table-based simulator that can reproduce any part of the human body's nervous system. EDLUT can simulate hundreds of thousands neurons at the same time using technology that compiles the behavior of a neuron or several types of neurons in a first stage. It then simulates medium- and great-scale neuronal systems based on those pre-compiled models. "This fact means an essential technological advance and indisputably affects the quality of nervous simulation," says University of Granada professor Eduardo Ros Vidal, coordinator of the EDLUT development project.' -- ACM TechNews
  (tags: biomedical+informatics biomedical+research)
• Cloud computing could help analyze genomes - News
  University of Maryland computer scientists Mihai Pop and Steven Salzberg will spend the next two years developing software capable of analyzing genetic information in parallel on large computer networks. Pop and Salzberg will attempt to use cloud computing to accelerate the DNA sequencing process by buying computing power on a distributed network of computers. If successful, the two researchers will have found an easier way for scientists to study the genetic makeup of Earth's creatures. "Probably the most exciting benefit this technology could provide is mapping out the genetic content of pretty much every organism known to man," Pop says. "With faster and cheaper sequencing, we should be able to analyze anything." -- ACM TechNews
  (tags: bioinformatics cloud+computing)
• Introduction to Wolfram|Alpha by Stephen Wolfram
  Where online search is going... blow your mind for 13 minutes!
  (tags: search wolfram+alpha innovation)
• Researchers are pioneering the use of ‘smart cameras’ to help monitor elderly people who live alone
  'Yale University researchers Eugenio Culurciello and Andreas Savvides are developing smart camera technology to help monitor older adults who live alone. "Approximately one third of individuals who are 65 and older fall each year," Culurciello says. "While many falls do not result in injury, nearly 50 percent of non-injured fallers cannot get up without assistance, and the period of time they spend immobile often affects their health outcome." Culurciello and Savvides developed a surveillance system that recognizes falls and automatically calls for help. The system uses a high-speed smart camera with a microprocessor that analyzes rough outline images and distinguishes between patterns of motion.'
  (tags: telemedicine biomedical+informatics)
• Make Brighter, Full-Color Electronic Readers? — Brilliant!
  An international collaboration that includes the University of Cincinnati has announced the development of Electrofluidic Display Technology (EFD), which they say is the first technology to electrically switch the appearance of pigments to provide visual brilliance equal to conventional printed media. EFD could potentially provide better than 85 percent white-state reflectance, a performance level required for consumers to accept reflective-display applications such as e-books, cell phones, and signs. Cincinnati professor Jason Heikenfeld says EFD technology is significantly more advanced than other e-reader technology in terms of brightness, color saturation, and video speed.
  (tags: e-ink innovation)
• College of Engineering
  The Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa) of the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech has developed a unique robotic hand that can firmly hold objects as heavy as a can of food or as delicate as a raw egg, while dexterous enough to gesture for sign language. Named RAPHaEL (Robotic Air Powered Hand with Elastic Ligaments), the fully articulated robotic hand is powered by a compressor air tank at 60 psi and a novel accordion type tube actuator. Microcontroller commands operate the movement to coordinate the motion of the fingers.
  (tags: biomedical+informatics)
• Technology Review: A Lockbox Built from DNA
  Using nothing but DNA, researchers in Denmark have constructed a tiny box with a lid that can either lock shut or--with the help of a set of DNA keys--hinge open. While other groups have experimented with using DNA origami to build three-dimensional objects, the new box, described in this week's edition of Nature, is distinguished by its solid sides and moving parts.
  (tags: biomedical+informatics bioinformatics)
• ICT Results - When virtual reality feels real
  'Despite advances in computer graphics, few people would think virtual characters or objects are real. Yet placed in a virtual reality environment most people will interact with them as if they are really there. European researchers are finding out why. In trying to understand presence – the propensity of humans to respond to fake stimuli as if they are real – the researchers are not just gaining insights into how the human brain functions. They are also learning how to create more intense and realistic virtual experiences, opening the door to myriad applications for healthcare, training, social research and entertainment.'
  (tags: virtual+reality cognitive+psychology second+life society+and+culture)