ScienceDaily: Virtual Environment News

3-D simulation shows how form of complex organs evolves by natural selection

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:45:45 EDT

Researchers have developed the first three-dimensional simulation of the evolution of morphology by integrating the mechanisms of genetic regulation that take place during embryo development. The study highlights the real complexity of the genetic interactions that lead to adult organisms' phenotypes (physical forms), helps to explain how natural selection influences body form and leads towards much more realistic virtual experiments on evolution.

Discovery paves the way for ultrafast high-resolution imaging in real time

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:43:43 EDT

Ultrafast high-resolution imaging in real time could be a reality thanks to a new discovery. Researchers have demonstrated that ultra short durations of electron bunches generated from laser-cooled atoms can be both very cold and ultra-fast.

'Big data’ algorithm used to customize video game difficulty

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:42:42 EDT

Researchers have developed a computational model that can predict video game players’ in-game performance and provide a corresponding challenge they can beat, leading to quicker mastery of new skills. The advance not only could help improve user experiences with video games but also applications beyond the gaming world.

Virtual games help the blind navigate unknown territory

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:26:26 EDT

Scientists have developed a virtual gaming environment to help blind individuals improve navigation skills and develop a cognitive spatial map of unfamiliar buildings and public locations.

Speed of light may not be fixed, scientists suggest; Ephemeral vacuum particles induce speed-of-light fluctuations

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:11:11 EDT

Two new articles challenge established wisdom about the nature of vacuum. In one article scientists have identified a quantum level mechanism for interpreting vacuum as being filled with pairs of virtual particles with fluctuating energy values. As a result, the inherent characteristics of vacuum, like the speed of light, may not be a constant after all, but fluctuate.

Mobile LIDAR technology expanding rapidly

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:12:12 EDT

A new report on the uses and current technology of mobile LIDAR has just been completed and will help more managers and experts understand, use and take advantage of this science that promises to change the way we see and record the world around us.

Video game 'exercise' for an hour a day may enhance certain cognitive skills

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:21:21 EDT

Playing video games for an hour each day can improve subsequent performance on cognitive tasks that use similar mental processes to those involved in the game, according to new research.

3-D printer, 'bio-ink' to create human organs

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:37:37 EST

Engineers are working on 3D printing technology with a long-term goal of printing a human pancreas.

Mind-controlled exoskeleton to help disabled people walk again

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:03:03 EST

Every year thousands of people are paralyzed by a spinal cord injury. Many are young adults, facing the rest of their lives confined to a wheelchair. Although no medical cure currently exists, in the future they could be able to walk again thanks to a mind-controlled robotic exoskeleton being developed by EU-funded researchers.

New technology for animation film experts

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:19:19 EST

Hollywood devotes great effort to chasing monsters through realistic-looking environments. Researchers have now developed a technology that greatly simplifies the production of such scenes. Actors' movements are captured with a few cameras in a real scene and then transferred extremely realistically to virtual characters. This will not only simplify the work of cartoon makers, but also assist doctors and sportsmen with motion analysis.

Newly observed properties of vacuums: Light particles illuminate the vacuum

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 EST

Researchers have succeeded in showing experimentally that vacuums have properties not previously observed. According to the laws of quantum mechanics, it is a state with abundant potentials. Vacuums contain momentarily appearing and disappearing virtual pairs, which can be converted into detectable light particles.

With robots, humans face 'new society'

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:30:30 EST

Humanity came one step closer in January to being able to replicate itself, thanks to the EU's approval of funding for the Human Brain Project. Danica Kragic, a robotics researcher and computer science professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, says that while the prospect of living among humanoid robots calls to mind terrifying scenarios from science fiction, the reality of how humans cope with advances in robotics will be more complex, and subtle.

Writing without keyboard: Handwriting recognition on the wrist

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:18:18 EST

Typing text messages on the mobile phone via the tiny soft keyboard is very cumbersome. How about simply writing it into the air! This idea drove the development of “airwriting” by computer scientists. Sensors attached to a glove record hand movements, a computer system captures relevant signals and translates them into text.

Brain prostheses create a sense of touch: Infrared signaling could create sense of touch in artificial limbs

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:41:41 EST

Infrared sensing might be built into a whole-body prosthesis for paraplegics so patients wearing the "exoskeleton" could have sensory information about where their limbs are and how objects feel when they touch them.

Endurance test of an offshore wind turbine in the laboratory

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:55:55 EST

Scientists are testing the complex control system of wind turbines under real conditions in the laboratory before they are built into offshore wind energy plants. This way, software and hardware faults can be found and eliminated before the costly installation of the turbine.

Virtual vehicle vibrations: Predicting role of posture in traffic collision injuries

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:24:24 EST

A researcher has designed a computer program that allows engineers to accurately predict the role posture plays in transferring the stress of vehicle motion to bone and muscle in the head and neck.

Humans and robots work better together following cross-training; Swapping of roles improves efficiency

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:45:45 EST

Spending a day in someone else's shoes can help us to learn what makes them tick. Now the same approach is being used to develop a better understanding between humans and robots, to enable them to work together as a team.

Pushing boundaries of virtual reality

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:33:33 EST

Devices that detect and convey sense of touch may have applications in telemedicine.

The ecological badminton robot: Optimizing energy efficiency in machine design

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:27:27 EST

A robot to play with! A childhood's dream has now come true for researchers in Belgium. Wim Symens and his team pioneered the development of the first robot ever to play badminton. But this robot is only a guinea pig to test a software application designed to optimize energy efficiency in machine design.

New imaging technique for identifying the age and sex of a corpse

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:43:43 EST

Researchers have designed a new computing system that determines the age and sex of a corpse with a reliability of 95%. This state-of-the-art system is very different from the traditional macroscopy systems used to evaluate the osteoarticular features of a corpse, and it is much faster and user-friendly.

Virtual heart sheds new light on heart defect

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 09:06:06 EST

A virtual heart is revealing new information about one of the world's most common heart conditions. Researchers used cutting edge technology to build an advanced computational model of an anatomically correct sheep's heart. It was made by taking a series of very thin slices of the heart, imaging them in 2-D and then using a computer program to render them into a 3-D model.

New system helps deafblind people to communicate

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 08:53:53 EST

Researchers have designed a new device to help deafblind people to communicate and surf the Internet. The system called TacTic is currently at prototype stage and is aimed primarily at those who use the Malossi language. The researchers have devised a tactile stimulation system that has been implemented on a glove and is based on the Malossi language. The glove is provided with 26 motors, each of which represents the letters of the alphabet distributed along the hand, in addition to a keyboard, a charger and different wireless modules.

Solving puzzles without a picture: New algorithm assembles chromosomes from next generation sequencing data

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:24:24 EST

One of the most difficult problems in the field of genomics is assembling short "reads" of DNA into complete chromosomes. Now an interdisciplinary group of genome and computer scientists has solved this problem, creating an algorithm that can rapidly create "virtual chromosomes" with no prior information about how the genome is organized.

Virtual reality and robotics in neurosurgery: Promise and challenges

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:37:37 EST

Robotic technologies have the potential to help neurosurgeons perform precise, technically demanding operations, together with virtual reality environments to help them navigate through the brain, according to researchers.

New method to understand superconductors

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 11:10:10 EST

Researchers have devised a new method to understand the processes that happen when atoms cool which could lead to new materials for superconducting power grids and widespread use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Thought-controlled prosthesis changing lives of amputees

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:34:34 EST

The world’s first implantable robotic arm controlled by thoughts is being developed. The first operations on patients will take place this winter.

Looking for information? Turn the pages with just your eyes

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 09:04:04 EST

Putting on a pair of novel data glasses with an OLED microdisplay allows you to see not only the real world, but also a wealth of virtual information. Imagine looking through a repair manual; the trick here is that you turn the pages using just your eyes.

Virtual reality could help people lose weight, fight prejudice

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:21:21 EST

When an individual strongly identifies with the virtual reality representation of themselves, known as an avatar, the electronic doppelganger can influence that person's health and appearance, according to a new study. Harnessing the power of the virtual world could lead to new forms of obesity treatment and help break down racial and sexual prejudices.

Build your own home theater for full-blast entertainment with 'Virtual Sound Ball'

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 13:04:04 EST

Scientists have developed audio rendering systems, "Virtual Sound Ball" and "Spatial Equalizer" that will considerably improve the current 3-D audio effects technology.

Synthetic magnetism used to control light: Opens door to nanoscale applications that use light instead of electricity

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:16:16 EDT

Physics and engineering researchers have demonstrated a device that produces a synthetic magnetism to exert virtual force on photons similar to the effect of magnets on electrons. The advance could yield a new class of nanoscale applications that use light instead of electricity.

'Beam me to my meeting:' Video conferencing much improved

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 08:18:18 EDT

Forget about crackly lines or blurry webcams. Video conferencing has just got a whole lot better. By combining robotics, video and a host of other sensor and display technologies, scientists can now virtually 'beam' you to locations on the other side of the globe. It may sound like science fiction, but this new approach can make it feel like you are really 'there'.

Researchers double down on heat to break up cellulose, produce fuels and power

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 09:03:03 EDT

Researchers have built and are testing a bio-oil gasifier. It will allow them to combine two thermochemical technologies to produce the next generation of fuels from renewable sources such as corn stalks and wood chips.

Control any device -- from mobile phones to television sets -- with just a wave of your hand

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:30:30 EDT

Forget the TV remote and the games controller, now you can control anything from your mobile phone to the television with just a wave of your hand. Researchers have developed a sensor the size of a wrist-watch which tracks the 3-D movement of the hand and allows the user to remotely control any device.

Android-based network built to study cyber disruptions and help secure hand-held devices

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:17:17 EDT

As part of ongoing research to help prevent and mitigate disruptions to computer networks on the Internet, researchers have turned their attention to smartphones and other hand-held computing devices.

Artificially intelligent game bots pass the Turing test on Turing's centenary

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:32:32 EDT

An artificially intelligent virtual gamer has won the BotPrize by convincing a panel of judges that it was more human-like than half the humans it competed against. The victory comes 100 years after the birth of mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing, whose "Turing test" stands as one of the foundational definitions of what constitutes true machine intelligence.

New simulation method produces realistic fluid movements

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 11:01:01 EDT

What does a yogurt look like over time? The food industry will soon be able to answer this question using a new fluid simulation tool.

New screening method identifies 1,200 candidate refrigerants to combat global warming

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:36:36 EDT

Researchers have developed a new computational method for identifying candidate refrigerant fluids with low "global warming potential" as well as other desirable performance and safety features.

Improved positioning indoors

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:31:31 EDT

Whether you're walking, biking or driving, navigation systems can help you get from A to B – as long as you have a GPS signal. To find our way around large and complex buildings like hospitals or airports, we often need to rely on vague signs. Researchers have now come up with a new technology. The NAVVIS system uses visual information and realistic 3D images to point users in the right direction.

Turning ideas into products faster

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 09:27:27 EDT

Scienitists have engineered and built a system which produces reverse osmosis membrane elements for water treatment in record time. Virtual engineering allowed research and development to proceed simultaneously.

Computer-simulated knitting goes right down to the yarn

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 13:53:53 EDT

A new method for building computer-simulated knitted fabric out of an array of individual stitches has just been developed. The innovation creates a 3-D model of a single stitch and then combine multiple copies into a mesh, like tiles in a mosaic.

Researchers unlock secret of the rare 'twinned rainbow'

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 15:14:14 EDT

Scientists have yet to fully unravel the mysteries of rainbows, but a group of researchers have used simulations of these natural wonders to unlock the secret to a rare optical phenomenon known as the twinned rainbow.

Animation research could offer unparalleled control of characters without skeletons

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 15:32:32 EDT

Computer-generated characters have become so lifelike in appearance and movement that the line separating reality is almost imperceptible at times. But while bipeds and quadrupeds have reigned supreme in CG animation, attempts to create and control their skeleton-free cousins using similar techniques has proved time-consuming and laborious. Researchers have found a possible solution to this challenge by developing a way to simulate and control movement of computer-generated characters without a skeletal structure.

Adding a '3D print' button to animation software

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:29:29 EDT

Watch out, Barbie: omnivorous beasts are assembling in a 3D printer near you. A new tool turns animated characters into fully articulated action figures. Computer scientists have created an add-on software tool that translates video game characters —- or any other three-dimensional animations —- into fully articulated action figures, with the help of a 3D printer.

New method to encourage the formation of virtual power plants for efficient renewable energy production

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:09:09 EDT

Researchers have devised a novel method for forming virtual power plants to provide renewable energy production in the UK. In the last decade, small and distributed energy resources (DERs), like wind farms and solar panels, have begun to appear in greater numbers in the electricity supply network (Grid). To ensure that energy demand is met without interruptions, the Grid requires power suppliers to provide an estimate of their production and the confidence in meeting that estimate.

Disentangling information from photons

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:17:17 EDT

Theoretical physicists have found a new method of reliably assessing the information contained in photon pairs used for applications in cryptography and quantum computing. The findings are so robust that they enable access to the information even when the measurements on photon pairs are imperfect.

Moving 3-D computer model of key human protein is powerful new tool in fight against cancer

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:00:00 EDT

Researchers long have relied on static images of human P-glycoprotein, a major contributor to chemotherapy failure in recurring cancers. Now biochemists have deduced its structure and built a moving 3-D computer model. He is pairing this powerful new tool with a high-performance supercomputer in search of a potent inhibitor. Virtual screening of more than eight million compounds has resulted in promising leads that may help stop chemotherapy failures.

Virtual sailing gives competitors the edge

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 08:27:27 EDT

Scientists have shown how virtual simulation can be used to accurately predict how a yacht will behave during a race.

Researchers have created glasses that indicate obstacles to patients with visual handicaps

Mon, 28 May 2012 10:02:02 EDT

People with moderate visual impairment, particularly those who have difficulty perceiving the full extent of their surroundings, could use the ingenious new device. “This device is aimed at people who would bump into everything that they fail to see because of their loss of visual field, caused by glaucoma, retinal pathologies, etc.”, one of the researchers said.

Robots will quickly recognize and respond to human gestures, with new algorithms

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:45:45 EDT

New intelligent algorithms could help robots to quickly recognize and respond to human gestures. Researchers have created a computer program which recognizes human gestures quickly and accurately, and requires very little training.

Improved waiting area design increases customer comfort

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:14:14 EDT

A researcher has studied restaurant design and has recommendations for how restaurateurs can design waiting areas to be more comfortable, thus increasing diners' willingness to wait for a table.

New concept for fast, low-cost DNA sequencing device

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:04:04 EDT

Researchers have developed a new concept for use in a high-speed genomic sequencing device that may have the potential to substantially drive down costs.

Raising the prospects for quantum levitation

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:51:51 EDT

An eerie quantum force may one day help separate the surfaces in tiny machines for frictionless movement. More than half-a-century ago, the Dutch theoretical physicist Hendrik Casimir calculated that two mirrors placed facing each other in a vacuum would attract. The mysterious force arises from the energy of virtual particles flitting into and out of existence, as described by quantum theory. Now a scientist in Japan, has predicted that in certain circumstances a reversal in the direction of the so-called Casimir force would be enough to levitate an extremely thin plate.

'Sounds of silence' proving a hit: World's fastest random number generator

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:12:12 EDT

Researchers in Australia have developed the fastest random number generator in the world by listening to the 'sounds of silence'. The researchers have tuned their very sensitive light detectors to listen to vacuum -- a region of space that is empty.

Dance like a neutrino: Quantum scheme to simulate neutrino oscillations

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:53:53 EDT

The behavior of some of the most elusive particles in the known universe can be simulated using three atoms in a lab, researchers say.

Scientists identify neural activity sequences that help form memory, decision-making

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:06:06 EDT

Researchers have used a novel virtual reality and brain imaging system to detect a form of neural activity underlying how the brain forms short-term memories that are used in making decisions.

Players get more pleasure from motion-based video games

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:20:20 EST

The newest motion-based video games — which are more interactive than standard video game systems with gamepads — are more realistic, give a greater sense of “being there” and are more enjoyable, according to findings by communications studies researchers.

Enhanced brain-computer interface promises unparalleled autonomy for disabled

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:42:42 EST

In the 2009 film Surrogates, humans live vicariously through robots while safely remaining in their own homes. That sci-fi future is still a long way off, but recent advances in technology are bringing this technology a step closer to reality in order to give disabled people more autonomy and independence than ever before.

Virtual ghost imaging: New technique enables imaging even through highly adverse conditions

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:53:53 EST

By using some of light's "spooky" quantum properties, researchers have created images of objects that might otherwise be hidden from view.

Virtual reality supports planning by architects

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:28:28 EST

Even the most exact construction plan lacks many details and design options. The building owner needs imagination to obtain an idea of the constructed building. Now, new 3D video glasses provide a true representation in virtual reality. With the help of integrated high-resolution motion sensors, the virtual environment adapts to the natural movement of the head in real time.

Bubble-powered microrockets zoom have potential to zoom through the human stomach, other acidic environments

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:26:26 EST

Scientists have developed a new kind of tiny motor -- which they term a "microrocket" -- that can propel itself through acidic environments, such as the human stomach, without any external energy source, opening the way to a variety of medical and industrial applications. Their report describes the microrockets traveling at virtual warp speed for such devices. A human moving at the same speed would have to run at a clip of 400 miles per hour.