Monday, April 25, 2011

World's first intubation robot tested on human subjects

World's first intubation robot tested on human subjects: "Pretty much any time a patient is placed under a general anesthetic, a plastic endotracheal tube is inserted down their throat, in order to keep their airway open. The procedure is known as intubation, and has so far always been performed by hand. In this age of robotic surgery, however, it's perhaps not surprising to hear that surgeons at Montreal's McGill University Health Centre are now trying out a remote-control intubation system on human subjects."

Radio-controlled car runs on soda can rings

Radio-controlled car runs on soda can rings: "As anyone who has seen Back to the Future will remember, the movie ended with Doc Brown fueling the time-traveling DeLorean's 'Mr. Fusion' reactor with household waste."

First F-35 full mission simulator delivered

First F-35 full mission simulator delivered: "Eglin Air Force Base has just taken delivery of a piece of hardware that would surely be the ultimate toy for flight sim gaming fans. The F-35 Lightning II Full Mission Simulator (FMS) system includes a high-fidelity 360-degree visual display system and a reconfigurable cockpit that can simulate all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II for U.S. and international partner services – the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A, the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B, and the F-35C carrier variant."

Liechtenstein for 'rent' at US$70,000 per night

Liechtenstein for 'rent' at US$70,000 per night: "Liechtenstein is available for rent .... or at least enough of it to cater for 150 guests at a time. That's the deal being offered by marketing company Rent a Village and as you might expect for a Central European landlocked country, the asking price is quite steep at US$70,000 per night"

The EUR65,000 Cavalon side-by-side, fully-enclosed gyrocopter

The EUR65,000 Cavalon side-by-side, fully-enclosed gyrocopter: "The newest addition to the gyrocopter genre arrived at Aero Friedrichshafen this week in the form of a side-by-side, fully-enclosed, composite construction Cavalon gyrocopter."

Faster, more efficient desalination process using carbon nanotubes developed

Faster, more efficient desalination process using carbon nanotubes developed: "When it comes to desalinating salt water, two of the main options are thermal distillation and reverse osmosis. Thermal distillation involves boiling the water and collecting the resulting freshwater condensation, while reverse osmosis involves pressurizing the salt water and forcing it through a semipermeable membrane, which will allow water molecules to pass through, but not salt. Both of these methods, however, require a considerable amount of energy – not as environmentally sound as they could be, nor entirely practical for use in developing nations, where electricity isn't readily available."