Tech ‘n’ Health 2007-11-27 22:46:00

Posted by Sally on November 27, 2007 under Blog | Comments are off for this article

Think your way around

Nov. 27 - Japanese researchers offer people with paralysis a second life in online virtual worlds by using technology that allows them to control computers with their brainwaves.

The project is still in its early days and the students experimenting with the system must practice for a while and find the best spots on their scalps for the electrodes before they can stroll smoothly around in the virtual world.

Researchers are also looking into merging with similar robot technology to help create eventual cybernetic body parts that can also be controlled just by thoughts alone.

Puja Bharwani reports.




Soundbites:

Yasunari Hashimoto, a 23-year old student testing the product
Creator of Programme, Junichi Ushiba

Tech ‘n’ Health 2007-11-09 07:26:00

Posted by Sally on November 9, 2007 under Blog | Comments are off for this article

The Long Last Mile: Part 2 of 2

Early warnings can save thousands of lives when disasters strike. Science can now anticipate or detect tsunamis, cyclones and floods but the bigger challenge is to communicate that knowledge quickly and effectively to everyone at risk. Following the 2004 tsunami which arrived without warning, civil society groups, telecom operators and researchers collaborated in Sri Lanka to find out how technologies, training and community organisation can carry official warnings through the crucial 'last mile'.