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Jun.
3, 2002/Vol. 159 No. 22
Tech
Watch
A world of
innovation
DANIEL NORMAN/EASTWING for
TIME
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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
A Room
with a Mind of Its Own
Machines with sinister minds of their
own have been standard fare in popular sci-fi chillers like 2001: A
Space Odyssey and Stephen King's bestseller Christine. But the
fiction behind these devices is rapidly becoming fact, and Ada — a
room-sized artificial intelligence system on show at the 2002 Swiss
National Exhibition in Neuchâtel until Oct. 20 — is living proof.
Developed at the Institute for Neuroinformatics at the Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology in Zurich, Ada is a mirror-clad room
outfitted with its own electronic eyes and ears that is capable of
interacting and communicating with visitors. A matrix of ceiling
cameras monitors guests as they move about inside the room, while
directional microphones pick up sounds ranging from whispers to
shouts. Even the floor is equipped with pressure sensors that can
track a person's progress through the room. Should Ada want to
communicate with visitors, it can do so through complex light and
sound projections. If it's feeling talkative, for example, Ada can
generate music that corresponds to its state of mind: a tinkling
sound, for instance, might indicate amusement. Alternatively, the
machine can express itself via stunning light shows that may suggest
confusion or disappointment through different hues and patterns. Or,
if Ada wants to direct visitors' attention to something in
particular, it can illuminate colored lamps in the floor that
outline the route they should take to find the desired object. Ada,
named after 19th century British programming pioneer Ada Lovelace,
performs all these feats thanks to neural network technology, layers
of computer circuits that work in ways analogous to the human brain.
If its intelligent space architecture proves a success, Ada may help
pave the way for the acceptance and development of commercially
constructed "smart" rooms and buildings that can dynamically adapt
themselves to the needs of their inhabitants.
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
Fashion That
Makes You Feel Good
It used to be an apple a day was the best
trick to avoid the doctor, but soon just putting your clothes on in
the morning could help. Palmers Lingerie of Austria offers tights
that react to body heat and release vitamins A, B and C into the
skin. Scientists at Germany's Hohenstein Institute Textile Research
Center are working on a range of healing clothes, including a fabric
that combats dermatitis. The textile is woven with tiny repositories
that contain an anti-dermatitis agent; in response to body heat, the
fabric releases the agent onto the skin. The Life Shirt System by
California's VivoMetrics, a prizewinner at this year's Avantex
high-tech apparel fair in Frankfurt, allows patients who normally
need regular hospital checkups to go about their business while the
shirt continuously monitors their condition. And the JoyDress by
Italian designer Alexandra Fede uses a network of fine, flexible
pads to give a soothing massage at the touch of a button.
EXOSKELETONS
Strength in Bubbles
New
inflatable muscles could provide enhanced mobility to the elderly
and infirm. Developed at Tokyo's Science University by Hiroshi
Kobayashi, whose previous research focused on lifelike robotic
faces, this Lycra suit employs tiny air canisters to inflate rubber
muscles that boost the strength of the wearer's actual muscles.
Pressure sensors detect the wearer's movements and direct the suit
accordingly.
AUTO
SECURITY
Remote Control
Car thieves beware. A
student in Bangalore, India has devised a system that can remotely
immobilize a car after it has been stolen. The N-S Aero-Stop uses a
transmitter and antenna to send a signal to an onboard device that
shuts down power to the engine and ignition — as long as the
pilfered vehicle is within a 1-km radius. Inventor Vinay Verma
believes the device could be developed to reach a 10-km range.
SPACE
EXPLORATION
Galactic Gardening
Astronauts could
soon be tucking in to roast vegetables instead of rehydrated foods
during long space missions. Experiments are due to begin at the
European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the
Netherlands using computer-controlled climate chambers to simulate
interstellar agriculture. Next year trials are set to be carried out
on the International Space Station. Robots will be used to tend the
garden and take samples, which will be studied to learn more about
how plants grow in microgravity.
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