US Researchers to use exosuit to explore ancient Greek Antikythera wreck

Marine archeologists with the American Museum of Natural History are planning to explore the ancient Greek Antikythera wreck in the Agean Sea, using an exosuit developed by Nuytco Research, originally for use in helping workers in New York's water treatment facilities.

The iron-man looking exosuit allows a diver to descend to 1000 feet for hours at a time without need for decompressing upon returning to the surface.

The Antikythera was discovered by divers in 1900, attempts to explore the wreck resulted in recovery of many artifacts, mostly famously, one that is known as the Antikythera mechanism, now referred to as the world's oldest computer, but it also led to injury and death due to the extreme depth (120 meters).

Subsequent attempts more recently have led to more discoveries, but time constraints have prevented a thorough study of the wreck.

Wearing the exosuit, the researchers hope will not only allow for mapping the wreck, but for discovery of more artifacts, some perhaps as interesting as the Antikythera mechanism.

The suit, which is essentially a body submarine, allows for both arm and leg movements, courtesy of multiple patented rotary joints.

It also has 1.6 horsepower thrusters that are activated by the "pilot" via pads inside the boots.

It's made of mostly aluminum, and weighs 530 pounds. The hands are claw-like, which has meant many hours of training in pools for the research team.

The suit also has external LED lights and cameras, an oxygen replenishment system and a tether to the surface with a fiber optic gigabit Ethernet that allows for two-way communications, a live video feed, and monitoring of the suit and its wearer.

In the event of an emergency, the suit has backup batteries and systems to maintain life support, if necessary, the four man crew up top can take over control of the suit to bring the diver out of harm's way.

The team has scheduled a test run of the suit this summer at a site called the Canyons off the coast of Rhode Island. If all goes well, plans for exploring the Antikythera wreck can proceed, paving the way for a whole new way to explore undersea wrecks from virtually any era.

US researchers create 'bionic ear,' using 3-D printer

US researchers create 'bionic ear,' using 3-D printer to combine tissue with electronics

With a 3-D printer, a petri dish and some cells from a cow, U.S. researchers are growing synthetic ears that can receive — and transmit — sound.

The Princeton University scientists send bovine cells mixed in a liquid gel through the printer, followed by tiny particles of silver.

The printer is programmed to shape the material into a "bionic ear" and forms the silver particles into a coiled antenna. Like any antenna, this one can pick up radio signals that the ear will interpret as sound.

The 3-D ear is not designed to replace a human one. The research is meant to explore a new method of combining electronics with biological material.

Michael McAlpine

"What we really did here was actually more of a proof of concept of the capabilities of 3-D printing," said Michael McAlpine, the professor who led the project.

"Because most people use 3-D printing to print passive objects — things like figurines and jewelry."

After it's printed, the 3-D ear is soft and translucent. It is cultivated for 10 weeks, letting the cells multiply, creating a flesh color and forming hardened tissue around the antenna.

McAlpine and his team demonstrated the antenna's ability to pick up radio signals by attaching electrodes onto the backs of the ears in the printing process.

When they broadcast a recording of Beethoven's "Fur Elise" to a pair of fully cultivated ears, the electrodes passed the signal along wires to a set of speakers, and the music flowed out clear and without interference.

Although the new research is just one iteration in the field of cybernetics — an area that looks at combining biology with technology — McAlpine said the research could lead to synthetic replacements for actual human functions, and to a sort of electronic sixth sense.

"As the world becomes a more digital and electronic place, I think ultimately we're going to care less about our traditional five senses," he said. "And we're going to want these new senses to give us direct electronic communication with our cellphones and our laptop devices."