Dropping Science: New Tech For A New Year : Energy-Harvesting Radios

By Kate Gammon , published on December 30, 2008 at 2:30 PM
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Having to regularly change batteries sure is annoying. And then there is all the toxic goo that leaks out when you throw them away. Engineers at Kansas State University have found a way around all that: with a NASA-inspired energy-harvesting radio . NASA researchers are helping Peregrine, a semiconductor manufacturer, to develop a radio that can transmit important information–such as stats on the stress forces on a bridge–without ever needing fresh battery juice. The radios can transmit all sorts of important data and will be able to work from several sources of energy, including solar, electrochemical, mechanical, or thermal. When the stored data is ready to be transmitted, the radio sends out a data-burst, which is like one computer sending a text message to another computer, the researchers say.
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Comments
DGriffin 12/31/2008 8:59 AM
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What an idiotic idea!!! What if an other person in the car wants to use their cell phone???? What if there is an emergency!?!?!?!

zodiacfml 12/31/2008 10:40 AM
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i agree, no one will buy that car. hehe

Anonymous 12/31/2008 2:28 PM
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You can't be serious? If you can't tell a recorded disc from an original one with your bare eyes you need to check your glasses.

Anonymous 12/31/2008 2:39 PM
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Electronic gyros are nothing new, they've been around in r/c helis for several years. And they're not very expensive. Cheapest goes for 20 bucks.

Anonymous 12/31/2008 4:08 PM
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Umm.. the difference between a pressed(original) cd and a copy(burned) is that a pressed cd's data (0 and 1) are represented by physical pits and peaks whereas a burned cd's information is represented by burned (reflective and not reflective) marks on a flat plain. Make a system to differentiate peaks (which are reflective, but does not reflect into the target sensor) from non-reflective burn marks. Then you can tell which is a copy, and which is an original.

Balshoy 01/03/2009 1:15 AM
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Great another way to entice road rage... turn the mobile off while blocked in traffic.

Anonymous 01/06/2009 8:41 AM
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Robotic Clams...? Yes, finally! what we've all been waiting for!

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