NASA investigating deep-space hibernation technology

Credit: 20th Century Fox

Manned missions to deep space present numerous challenges. In addition to the sheer amount of food, water and air necessary to keep a crew alive for months (or years) at a time, there's also the question of keeping them busy for the entirety of a long-duration flight.

Exercise is certainly an option, but the necessary equipment will take up space and be a drain on power.

In addition, they'll need room to move around, places to sleep, eat, work, and relax during their down time.

Otherwise, they will be at risk of succumbing to feelings of claustrophobia, anxiety, insomnia, and depression, among other things.

NASA has been looking at a few options and one proposed solution is to put these crews into an induced state of hypothermia resulting in torpor, a kind of hibernation.

Rather than being awake for months or years on end, astronauts could enter a state of deep sleep at the beginning of their mission and then wake up near the end.

This way, they would arrive refreshed and ready to work, rather than haggard and maybe even insane.

If this is starting to sound familiar, it's probably because the concept has been explored extensively by science fiction.

Though it goes by different names, cryosleep, reefersleep, cryostasis, etc., the notion of space explorers preserving their bodies through cryogenic suspension has been touched upon by numerous sci-fi authors, movies and franchises.

But NASA's plan is a little different than what you might remember from 2001: A Space Odyssey or Aliens.

Artist’s concept for Mars-ready habitat. 

Credit: SpaceWorks

Instead of astronauts stepping into a tube and having their temperature lowered, torpor would be induced via the RhinoChill, a device that uses invasive tubes to shoot cooling liquid up the nose and into the base of the brain.

To research the technology, NASA has teamed up with SpaceWorks, an Atlanta-based aerospace company that is investigating procedures for putting space crews into hibernation.

During this year's International Astronomical Congress (IAC) 2014, which took place from Sept. 29th to Oct. 3rd in Toronto, representatives from SpaceWorks shared their vision.

Artist’s concept of “sleeping to Mars”. Credit: SpaceWorks Enterprising

According to the company, inducing torpor in a crew of astronauts would eliminate the need for accommodations like galleys, exercise equipment, and large living quarters.

Instead, robots could electrically stimulate key muscle groups and intravenously deliver sustenance to ensure the health and well being of the astronauts while in transit.

As Dr. Bradford, President of SpaceWorks Enterprises Inc., stated:
"We have completed the initial evaluation of our concept which demonstrated significant benefits against non-torpor Mars mission approaches and established the medical plausibility of torpor."

"We have expanded our team and put together a development plan that we are in the process of executing."

"While the longer term goal of enabling access to Mars is our ultimate objective, we have a number of near-term, commercial applications for this technology that we will develop along the way."

Read the full article here

SPARKED: Cirque du Soleil's flying lampshades - Quadcopter technology - Video

Dance of the Quadcopters? Cirque du Soleil, ETH Zurich, and Verity Studios have partnered to develop a film that shows 10 quadcopters in performance.

What would one expect with the name-brand Cirque du Soleil? Humans and drones move in sync.

ETH Zurich comes into the mix with precise computer control for the performance of human and machine movements.

The technology team would be tasked with achieving seamless coordination of multiple vehicles, designing suitable trajectories and high-reliability infrastructure to pull off a successful film shoot.

Called SPARKED, this performance was fundamentally an exploration to see how state of-the-art technology can be used in the realm of entertainment.

The result was a human actor placed with quadcopters in a symbiotic, choreographed performance.

In achieving the magical visual effects, no CGI or wires, slow-mo or fast-forwards were used, said the creators.


Raffaello D'Andrea, professor at ETH Zurich, said he and his team have been doing research with flying machines and using algorithms they developed in order to dynamically control the machines with precision.

The ETH Zurich researchers have explored quad control and state estimation, trajectory generation, increased autonomy, adaptation and learning, high-precision flight maneuvers, aerial construction and cooperation among multiple vehicles.

At the start of this collaborative project, the creators thought about what types of interactions they would have.

Imaginations ran a wide course for potential effects. Welby Altidor, Executive Creative Director of Creations, Cirque du Soleil, said it was fun to imagine and ask what else we could put on them?

Is it possible to make them disappear?

"We came up with all kinds of ideas. We even had flying heads."

They talked about lights on the quadcopters and then "at some point, almost by accident," he said, some colleagues joked about lampshades, and that made him stop in his tracks.

"I said, wait a minute, did you say lampshades?" The concept sparked a workshop of flying lampshades.

The film shoot took place in the Flying Machine Arena at ETH Zurich, a space for work in autonomous flight.

Along with flying machines at this space, there is a high-precision motion capture system, wireless communication network and custom software at play for algorithms providing estimation and control.

According to the arena website, "The motion capture system can locate multiple objects in the space at rates exceeding 200 frames per second."

"While this may seem extremely fast, the objects in the space can move at speeds in excess of 10 m/s, resulting in displacements of over 5 cm between successive snapshots."

"This information is fused with other data and models of the system dynamics to predict the state of the objects into the future."

The system uses the knowledge to determine what commands the vehicles should execute to achieve moves such as high-speed flips, balancing objects, or playing paddle-ball.

Via wireless links, the system sends the commands to the vehicles, executing them with on-board computers and sensors such as rate gyros and accelerometers.

Prof. D'Andrea posed and answered the broader question: "Is there a future for this in performing arts? Absolutely. We're just getting started."

Murata Robot cheerleading squad showcases sensor technology - video

A team of cheerleading robots made their dancing debut in Tokyo on Thursday as creator Murata Manufacturing demonstrated its cutting-edge sensor technology.

With curtains pulled back and Japanese pop music pulsing in the background, 10 doll-like robot girls with illuminated pom-poms rolled out onto a stage to perform their choreographed routine.

The cheerleaders stand just 36 centimetres (10 inches) tall with matching bob hairstyles that hide the complicated machinery inside their heads.

The team's advanced gyro sensors, which are usually found in cars and digital cameras, keep them from falling off the balls that they wobble on during their routine, Murata said.

The cute creations have LED eyes that shine in different colours as they manoeuvre into various formations including a heart shape, diagonal lines and a moving figure of eight.

"Of course they cannot jump like true cheerleaders," said Koichi Yoshikawa, a Murata engineer involved developing the technology.

"But the idea is that they are doing their best to stay stable on their little ball, as if they were telling the team, 'hang on, do your best'!"

Group-control technology, developed in collaboration with Kyoto University, makes sure that the robots move in a synchronised way and don't crash into each other.

That promise got off to a shaky start, however, as several dolls collided and fell over during the first take in front of assembled media, prompting assistants to remove clumsy members of the squad.

Despite the hiccup, Murata, a major electronics manufacturer, said the technology has big potential, such as helping cars stabilise on slippery or damaged roads.

The company currently makes sensors that are used to monitor tyre pressure and in engine control units.

Its next-generation technology could also be used as an anti-collision device in self-driving cars being developed by companies such as Google and Tesla.

PIBOT: Robotic Pilot system manages flight controls - video

The PIBOT Flight Simulation System 

Credit: IEEE

How close are we to a day when robots will fly airplanes?

A presentation of a takeoff and landing simulation at the IROS (International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems) in Chicago this month, "A Robot-Machine Interface for Full-functionality Automation using a Humanoid," by Heejin Jeong, David Hyunchul Shim and Sungwook Cho, may help you to come up with answers.


A small robot worked the controls of a simulated cockpit. PIBOT, as the robot was called, was able to work the controls, to the extent that it was able to identify and use the buttons and switches found in a real cockpit of a normal light aircraft designed for humans, reported Evan Ackerman in IEEE Spectrum.

PIBOT as shown in the video prepares for flight by turning on the switches in the order of power, battery, altimeter etc.

The engine starts and PIBOT accelerates on the runway while following the center line of the runway.

After climbing it takes turns, approaches the runway, aligns with the runway and makes a safe landing on the ground.

Kelsey Atherton in PopSci highlighted the significance of their work, in light of all the attention otherwise focused on drones.

"Most drones are actually human-piloted, with the controls elsewhere and the pilot steering remotely."

"In this video, the pilot is itself a humanoid robot, learning how to fly an airplane in a flight simulator."

"With a panel of controls in its mechanical fingers, the PIBOT uses visual information, presented on a computer monitor, to inform its flying. Right now, the concept is limited to piloting simulators, but the researchers hope to have PIBOT actually steer a plane some day."

The team is from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in South Korea.

The Unmanned System Research Group (FDCL) at KAIST has its own home page where it describes its interest as in research and development of highly advanced autonomous aerial robots.

They combine various principles of control theory, aerospace engineering, and computer science.

Ackerman, meanwhile, summarized the KAIST team's progress thus far. He wrote, "It can do takeoffs, follow waypoints, maneuver, and make a final approach to landing, although at this point, it still needs some human help for the final touchdown."

He also said there are still some perception challenges to solve, "but they're getting very, very close."

Podcast | Sopwith Lecture 2014 - The UK Aerospace Technology Enterprise: Latent Growth or Losing Ground?

International acquisition activity in the UK pharmaceutical sector has recently heightened concern over investment in UK research and development and the implications for the nation’s science base.

The UK aerospace sector is a major export revenue earner and similarly has deep roots both in research and in advanced manufacturing, facets that are vital in the re-balancing of the UK economy.

Much has been achieved through the creation of a number of ‘growth partnerships’ between dwindling UK industry and focussed exploitation by a profit-focused UK Government.

The sustainability of this approach in the aerospace and defence sectors was discussed at the lecture, as was the long-term implications for the creation of intellectual property in the UK.

Consideration was also given to whether design, development and manufacture in the UK will ultimately give way to build-to-print.

About the speaker:

Sir Brian Burridge, Vice President Strategic Marketing, Finmeccanica UK

Sir Brian Burridge is the Vice President Strategic Marketing at Finmeccanica UK and is currently the Technology and Enterprise Team Lead in the Defence Growth Partnership.

He previously spent a full career as a pilot in the Royal Air Force holding a front-line command at every level in the Service and spent a number of years in MOD policy posts.

He left the Royal Air Force in January 2006 as Commander-in-Chief Strike Command.

He is the President of the Air League and also the Vice President Defence on the Council of ADS, the aerospace, defence and security sectors' trade association.

With a first degree in physics, an MBA and two honorary doctorates, Sir Brian was previously a research fellow in political science at King's London and is now a visiting professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Reading.

UK MoD works on 'quantum compass' technology to replace GPS

UK scientists say they are three to five years away from creating a new navigation system that would not rely on space-based technologies. A "quantum compass" might replace the US's widely-used GPS, first in military and then on smartphones.

In 2013, the UK announced an investment of Pounds 270 million over five years to research the possibility of incorporating quantum science in new products and services, the Financial Times reports.

According to the FT newspaper, companies including Nokia, Hitachi and Toshiba have established quantum research laboratories in Britain.

The British Ministry of Defense is investing millions of pounds into the "earth-based" technology, which they hope may become an alternative to space-based GPS on board nuclear submarines and ships.

Part of the reason the MoD is so keen to develop a "quantum compass" is that GPS doesn't work underwater.

When submarines dive they navigate using accelerometers to register every twist and turn of the vessel. However, this method is not very accurate.

"Today, if a submarine goes a day without a GPS fix we'll have a navigation drift of the order of a kilometer when it surfaces," says Neil Stansfield from the UK Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down that is working on the project.

Eventually, a "quantum compass" might be available for smartphone users who now use GPS to pinpoint their location.

The DSTL's team was inspired by the Nobel-prize winning discovery that revealed that lasers can trap and cool a cloud of atoms placed in a vacuum to less than a millionth of a degree above absolute zero, to temperatures a billion times colder than outer space.

At their lowest energies, the atoms become the coldest known bodies in the universe. Super-cooled low energy atoms are extremely sensitive to changes in the Earth's magnetic and gravitational field.

If trapped on a small device, their fluctuations can allow scientists to track their movements from great distances away and their locations pinpointed with extreme precision.

So far, the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory has developed a quantum navigation system resembling a "1-meter-long shoe box," according to Stansfield. Scientists are now focusing their efforts on miniaturizing the device, so that it can be used by soldiers and not just on board submarines and ships.

"Quantum TNS [Time, Navigation and Sensing] technologies could bring game-changing advantages to the UK defense sector and support markets measured in billions of pounds, here in the UK and around the world," Stansfield said.

Unlike GPS, the pioneer in the field of pinpointing locations, a "quantum compass" will be interference-proof. The US has repeatedly warned that its GPS is vulnerable to attacks and deliberate disruption.

A "quantum compass," may also be used to create the world's most accurate atomic clocks, scientists say.

ISS Air Revittilisation System: Astronauts will breathe easier

ISS Air Revittilisation System rack represents the state of the art in spacecraft oxygen recovery technology. 

Credit: NASA

For NASA's long-duration human spaceflight missions, travelers will need to recycle as much breathable oxygen in their spacecraft environments, as possible.

To turn that need into a reality, NASA is seeking proposals for lightweight, safe, efficient and reliable systems for regenerating oxygen on future human exploration missions.

The first of two phases of this new NASA solicitation will consist of a detailed design, development, fabrication, and testing of an advanced oxygen recovery technology.

Under a two year Phase II contract, the proposer then will develop a prototype hardware system, capable of an oxygen recovery rate of at least 75 percent.

"Lengthy spaceflight missions in Earth's orbit and beyond must have life support systems that are more self-sufficient and reliable," said Michael Gazarik, associate administrator for Space Technology at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

"The spacecraft life support system technologies for this proposal must significantly improve the rate of oxygen recovery while achieving high degrees reliability."

"NASA and its partners (ESA) will need to develop new technologies to 'close' the atmosphere revitalisation loop."

In addition to improving the oxygen recovery rate, the new systems must reduce mass required or take up less space and reduce power consumption.

NASA's goal is to award technology development efforts that will increase the oxygen recovery rate to at least 75 percent without adversely impacting other design requirements.

Sunday humour about space travel and technology: Scott Adams, Dilbert

A little Sunday humour about space travel and technology. Credit: Scott Adams, Dilbert 

Max Goes to Jupiter - Mike Hopkins

NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins read "Max Goes to Jupiter" for the Story Time from Space activity.

Crew members on the space station host Story Time from Space by videotaping themselves reading children’s books.

They also complete simple demonstrations that accompany the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) concepts in the books.

The videos are edited and posted to an online library with related educational materials for educators and parents to use.

The project aims to bring space station science to communities that have had no other involvement with the space program through the simple beauty of reading a book to the children of Earth from orbit.

The books are delivered to the space station and returned after the videos are completed.

The program will increase awareness of the station, and connects (STEM) concepts with literacy, providing teachers a unique and engaging way to teach.

NASA's FY 2015 Budget Proposal - Video

NASA's budget supports our new Strategic Plan to drive advances in science, technology, aeronautics and space exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality and stewardship of Earth.

To send humans to an asteroid by 2025, NASA is formulating the first-ever mission to identify and redirect an asteroid.

The budget also supports the extension of the International Space Station (ISS) to at least 2024, which is essential to sending humans to deep space destinations and returning benefits to humanity through research and development.

The budget proposes an additional $886 million for NASA as part of the Opportunity, Growth, and Security Initiative, including additional funding for Science, Space Launch System (SLS), Orion, Technology, ISS, and Commercial Crew.

The Copenhagen Wheel - Smartphone linked Electric bicycle technology

Superpedestrian, a Cambridge-based start-up, started making the Copenhagen Wheel available for preorders on Tuesday.

According to the company, shipping begins spring 2014. For those following the development of the Copenhagen Wheel, this is news, as the wheel, which is designed to turn ordinary bicycles into smart electric hybrids, first made its debut in 2009 at the UN Climate Change Conference.

A key feature of the device is that it can compensate with additional power whenever needed.

Riding with the Copenhagen Wheel in place, the user can capture the energy dissipated while braking and cycling and save it for times when a boost is needed.

The device is powered by a removable 48-volt lithium battery. The battery charge time is four hours, according to the site.

The device is offered in 26-inch bicycle wheel size but the company said it plans to add more wheel sizes in future releases.

The company also said that, while presently selling only the wheel, it will soon sell both the wheel and bikes already equipped with the Copenhagen Wheel.

All actuation of the wheel is automatic by way of the pedals, through sensing and control algorithms.

When the rider pedals harder, such as when going uphill, the Copenhagen Wheel pushes with increasing power.

The product gets especially interesting when used along with a smartphone though the wheel can work without a phone.

With the phone, the Copenhagen Wheel becomes a personal trainer with feedback on exercise goals and fitness, and as a reporter, telling the user about traffic congestion and pollution levels.

The company uses a Bluetooth 4.0 wireless protocol.

The "earlybird" price is listed as $699.

Animal Computer Interaction: Technology to help dogs assist humans in the home

Dr Clara Mancini at The Open University talks about the Animal-Computer Interaction team and their collaboration with the charity Dogs for the Disabled to design dog-friendly technologies which will make it easier for dogs to assist their humans in the home.

Dr Clara Mancini

Assistance dogs perform a range of daily tasks, such as operating light switches and door handles, but domestic technology is designed for humans rather than animals, making life harder for the dogs and their owners. So, a new animal-centered design perspective is needed.

Join the conversation on Twitter

Mobile LIDAR technology expanding rapidly

LIDAR can capture considerable data on nearby terrain, as seen in this image of an ordinary highway. (Image courtesy of Oregon State University).

Imagine driving down a road a few times and obtaining in an hour more data about the surrounding landscape than a crew of surveyors could obtain in months.

Such is the potential of mobile LIDAR, a powerful technology that's only a few years old and promises to change the way we see, study and record the world around us.

It will be applied in transportation, hydrology, forestry, virtual tourism and construction - and almost no one knows anything about it.

That may change with a new report on the uses and current technology of mobile LIDAR, which has just been completed and presented to the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences.

It will help more managers and experts understand, use and take advantage of this science.

Facing Constraints
The full exploitation of this remarkable technology, however, faces constraints.

• Too few experts are trained to use it, 
• too few educational programs exist to teach it, 
• mountains of data are produced that can swamp the computer capabilities of even large agencies, and 
• lack of a consistent data management protocol clogs the sharing of information between systems.

"A lot of people and professionals still don't even know what mobile LIDAR is or what it can do," said Michael Olsen, an assistant professor of civil engineering at Oregon State University, and lead author of the new report. "And the technology is changing so fast it's hard for anyone, even the experts, to keep up.

"When we get more people using mobile LIDAR and we work through some of the obstacles, it's going to reduce costs, improve efficiency, change many professions and even help save lives," Olsen said.

This lidar (laser range finder) may be used to scan buildings, rock formations, etc., to produce a 3D model. 

The LIDAR can aim its laser beam in a wide range: its head rotates horizontally; a mirror tilts vertically. 

The laser beam is used to measure the distance to the first object on its path.

LIDAR
LIDAR, which stands for 'light detecting and ranging', has been used for 20 years, primarily in aerial mapping. Pulses of light up to one million times a second bounce back from whatever they hit, forming a highly detailed and precise map of the landscape.

But mobile LIDAR used on the ground, with even more powerful computer systems, is still in its infancy and has only been commercially available for five years.

Mobile LIDAR, compared to its aerial counterpart, can provide 10 to 100 times more data points that hugely improve the resolution of an image. Moving even at highway speeds, a technician can obtain a remarkable, three-dimensional view of the nearby terrain.

DSTO conduct test flight of experimental hypersonic vehicle

The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) scientists have successfully conducted a test flight of an experimental hypersonic vehicle at the Andoya Rocket Range in Norway.

The test vehicle reached an apogee of 350 km and then achieved speeds of up to Mach 8 on descent in the experimental band which was from 20.5 km to 32 km in altitude. All sensor and telemetry systems worked perfectly.

Scientists believe the launch could be a major step forward in the quest for hypersonic flight.

The experimental flight was undertaken as part of a joint research program, Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE), being conducted by DSTO and the US Air Force Research Laboratory.

The program is aimed at exploring the fundamental technologies critical to the realisation of sustained hypersonic flight.

This latest launch was the fifth in a series of up to nine planned experimental flights being conducted as part of the HIFiRE program.

Next week, the HIFiRE team will be presented with the prestigious von Karman Award for International Co-operation in Aeronautics at the ICAS Congress in Brisbane.

The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) is part of Australia's Department of Defence. DSTO's role is to ensure the expert, impartial and innovative application of science and technology to the defence of Australia and its national interests.

Luxury Yacht Trimaran Adastra

A futuristic superyacht described as one of the most stunning of its kind has been unveiled in China after five years of planning and construction.

The luxury $15 million (£9 million) trimaran Adastra, built for Hong Kong couple Anto and Elaine Marden, weighs 52 tons, has a range of 4000 nautical miles at 17 knots, and a maximum speed of 22.5 knots.

Picture: China Foto Press/ Barcroft

After 4 years in construction, by McConaghy boats in Zhuhai China, the fuel efficient 42.5 m Trimaran Adastra has been lanched into the Pearl River.

UK Space Industry Survey 2012: Health and Effectiveness

The UK Space Agency has embarked on its biennial survey of the space industry and has contracted Oxford Economics to undertake the task.

The survey will cover the traditional providers of space technology (upstream) and those who exploit the technology (downstream).

However there are many companies whose business is partially or wholly dependent on space but who do not deal directly with space organisations or see themselves as part of the space industry. If you fit in this category, we are particularly keen to hear from you.

Download a letter (PDF, 36 Kb)  from David Williams, Chief Executive, UK Space Agency explaining the background and importance of the survey. To participate in the survey, please visit the Oxford Economics website.

You are invited to answer the survey online, but if you would prefer a hard copy version to complete and return by email or post, please inform Pete Collings, tel: 0207 803 1411.

If you wish to discuss your involvement with the UK Space Agency, please contact George Pritchard, on 01793 418 060.

Life Robotic: Nextage Industrial Humanoid - YouTube

Robots aren’t new to product assembly, but these bots show a real improvement over the typical industrial machine. Nextage bots work in perfect coordination to complete tasks (in this case, they’re putting together a simple electronic sign).

Each is aware of its surroundings; if one robot is moved, it can orient itself and return to work. The developers, AIST and Kwada of Japan, made the robots look and move like humans so they can easily fit into our work environments. The question, of course, is if they’re skilled enough to actually replace the human workforce in factories.

ESA:‘Star wars’ laser offers new insight into Earth’s atmosphere

With the need to understand global change one of today’s most pressing scientific challenges, ESA is exploring novel techniques for future space missions.

Firing laser pulses between satellites is promising a step up in tracking greenhouse gases.

More renowned for their appeal as holiday destinations, the Spanish Canary Islands recently played host to an experiment that involved shooting laser beams from a peak on La Palma to Tenerife.

Over the course of two weeks, the night sky lit up with green pulses of light between the two islands – looking more like a scene from a Star Wars film than an experiment to help understand Earth’s atmosphere.

The experiment was devised to test the concept of using ‘infrared differential absorption spectroscopy’ as a way of making extremely accurate measurements of trace gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.



The approach links two satellites orbiting Earth: one acts as a transmitter and the other acts as a receiver, with the atmosphere being probed as the beam travels between them.

Radio occultation involves tracking signals from satellites as they rise or set behind Earth and is a well-established method of sensing the atmosphere using microwave signals.

This new concept, however, uses shortwave infrared laser pulses. At the right wavelength, the atmospheric molecules affect the beam.

This information can then be used to calculate concentrations of trace gases, and potentially wind.

Repeated at different altitudes, a vertical profile stretching from the lower stratosphere to the upper troposphere could be built up.

As an important part any new development, the theory has to be put to the test.

Read more: Esa Website portal

Brain Computer Interfaces: Melding Man and Machine

Controlling computers and other electronic gadgets with just a thought seems like technology that would decades before it becomes a reality but scientists are already developing computer chips that can connect to a computer system.

Brain computer interface technology is a way for a human brain to connect to an external computer system to control electronic devices like computer cursors or robotic arms.

An electrode chip can be implanted into the brain to capture the electric signals from the brain.

The computer will then translate these electric signals to the appropriate actions by applying signal processing algorithms.

The first ever human to be implanted with BCI chip was Matthew Nagle back in June 22, 2004.

Nagle was a tetraplegic who was paralyzed from the waist down after being stabbed. John Donaghue, a Brown University professor and his team implanted an electrode in Nagle's brain that has allowed him to open his e-mail, control a computer mouse and draw on the screen.

He could also send commands to an external prosthetic hand. The device was removed from him after a year.

The brain implant system or BrainGate uses a neural interface with a wired connection running out of the metal nub embedded in the skull. A new team, called BrainGate 2 is working on a wireless interface that would use the same sensors imbedded in the brain as the original BrainGate but would use a laser to transmit the data from the brain.

BrainGate 2 is collaboration among engineers and doctors from Brown, Harvard, and Sanford.

While the BrainGate system uses implanted electrodes, another team from the University of Maryland is looking at a brain cap that will perform the same functions as the implanted electrode but without the invasive procedure.

"We are on track to develop, test and make available to the public- within the next few years -- a safe, reliable, noninvasive brain computer interface that can bring life-changing technology to millions of people whose ability to move has been diminished due to paralysis, stroke or other injury or illness," said Associate Professor of Kinesiology Jose Contreras-Vidal of the university's School of Public Health.

Project Icarus

Project Icarus is a volunteer theoretical engineering study to design an interstellar spacecraft. The project was launched on September 30th 2009 at the British Interplanetary Society HQ in London, and is a five year study.

The purpose of Project Icarus is four-fold:
1. To motivate a new generation of scientists in designing space missions that can explore beyond our solar system.
2. To generate greater interest in the real term prospects for interstellar precursor missions that are based on credible science.
3. To design a credible interstellar probe that is a concept design for a potential mission in the coming centuries so as to allow a direct technology comparison with Daedalus and to provide an assessment of the maturity of fusion based space propulsion for future precursor missions.
4. To allow a direct technology comparison with Daedalus and provide an assessment of the maturity of fusion based space propulsion for future precursor missions.

Project Icarus was initiated by the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) and the Tau Zero Foundation (TZF) and is currently being managed by Icarus Interstellar Inc., a nonprofit foundation.

Project Icarus was inspired by Project Daedalus, which ran from 1973 to 1978. 

Project Daedalus, a British Interplanetary Society project, concluded that interstellar travel is feasible. 

Specifically, Daedalus demonstrated that it is possible, by using current or credible extrapolations of existing technology, to launch an interstellar probe that could reach another solar system on timescales of a normal human lifetime.

The primary objectives of Project Icarus is to produce a completed set of technical reports which describe the engineering layout, functionality, physics, operation, expected performance and mission profile of an unmanned interstellar probe according to the requirements set out in the Project Icarus Terms of Reference document.

Project Icarus is an international project and we are slowly attempting to recruit representatives from all the permanently inhabited continents. They believe that humankind's first interstellar mission will be a global effort and are building a team that is representative of this.

If you feel that you have a unique skill that could add in some way to their efforts contact the Icarus team: info@icarusinterstellar.org

A quote from Sir Arthur Eddington, from Stars and Atoms ( (Oxford University Press, 1927, p. 41) ).

In ancient days two aviators procured to themselves wings. Daedalus flew safely through the middle air and was duly honoured on his landing. Icarus soared upwards to the sun till the wax melted which bound his wings and his flight ended in fiasco. In weighing their achievements, there is something to be said for Icarus. The classical authorities tell us that he was only "doing a stunt", but I prefer to think of him as the man who brought to light a serious constructional defect in the flying-machines of his day. So, too, in Science. Cautious Daedalus will apply his theories where he feels confident they will safely go; but by his excess of caution their hidden weaknesses remain undiscovered. Icarus will strain his theories to the breaking-point till the weak joints gape. For the mere adventure? Perhaps partly; this is human nature. But if he is destined not yet to reach the sun and solve finally the riddle of its constitution, we may at least hope to learn from his journey some hints to build a better machine.
- Sir Arthur Eddington
"Stars and Atoms"