More transparency needed in science research, experts say

 

An international group of academic leaders, journal editors and funding-agency representatives and disciplinary leaders, including Rick Wilson, the Herbert S. Autrey Chair of Political Science and professor of statistics and psychology at Rice University, has announced guidelines to further strengthen transparency and reproducibility practices in science research reporting. The group, the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Committee at the Center for Open Science in Charlottesville, Va., outlined its new guidelines in a story published in this week's edition of the journal Science. While transparency, openness and reproducibility are readily recognized as vital features of science and embraced by scientists as a norm and value in their work, a growing body of evidence suggests that those qualities are not necessarily evident today. "A likely culprit for this disconnect is an academic reward system that insufficiently incentivizes open practices," Wilson said. "In the present reward system, the emphasis on innovation undermines practices that support openness. Too often, publication requirements -- whether actual or perceived -- fail to encourage transparent, open and reproducible science." TOP's objective is to translate scientific norms and values into concrete actions and change the current incentive structures to drive researchers' behavior toward more openness. "We know the disciplines differ in what is emphasized, so we sought to produce guidelines that focus on what is shared across disciplines," Wilson said. Each of eight standards has three levels of adoption in the TOP guidelines; each moves scientific communication toward greater openness, according to the article in Science. These standards are modular, facilitating adoption in whole or in part. However, they also complement each other; commitment to one standard may facilitate adoption of others. The standards include citation standards for journals, data transparency, analytic methods (code) transparency, research materials transparency, design and analysis transparency, preregistration of studies, preregistration of analysis plans and replication. Two standards reward researchers for the time and effort they have spent engaging in open practices. Citation standards extend current article citation norms to data, code and research materials. Regular and rigorous citation of these materials credits them as original intellectual contributions. Replication standards recognize the value of replication for independent verification of research results and identify the conditions under which replication studies will be published in the journal. Four of the standards describe what openness means across the scientific process so that research can be reproduced and evaluated. Reproducibility increases confidence in findings and also allows scholars to learn more about what results mean. Design standards increase transparency about the research process and reduce vague or incomplete reporting of the methodology. Standards for research materials encourage the provision of all elements of that methodology, and data-sharing standards give authors an incentive to make data available in trusted repositories. The final two standards address the values resulting from preregistration. Standards for preregistration of studies facilitate the discovery of research, even unpublished research, by ensuring that the existence of the study is recorded in a public registry. Preregistrations of analysis plans certify the distinction between confirmatory and exploratory research, or what is also called hypothesis-testing versus hypothesis-generating research. Making the distinction between confirmatory and exploratory methods transparent can enhance reproducibility. "The guidelines are sensitive to concerns by both journals and researchers," Wilson said. "For example, we encourage journals to state exceptions to sharing because of ethical issues, intellectual property concerns or availability of necessary resources. We encourage journals to pick and choose among the different levels and standards in order to define what they expect of the researchers. "We acknowledge the variation in evolving norms about research transparency. Depending on the discipline or publishing format, some of the standards may not be relevant for a journal. Journal and publisher decisions can be based on many factors -- including their readiness to adopt modest to stronger transparency standards for authors, internal journal operations and disciplinary norms and expectations," Wilson said. The present version of the guidelines is not the last word on standards for openness in science, according to the report. "As with any research enterprise, the available empirical evidence will expand with application and use of these guidelines," the TOP Committee wrote. "To reflect this evolutionary process, the guidelines are accompanied by a version number and will be improved as experience with them accumulates."

Graphene: Magnetic sensor 100 times more sensitive than silicon equivalent

 

Scientists have created a graphene-based magnetic sensor 100 times more sensitive than an equivalent device based on silicon. Bosch has long been involved in sensor technology, notably in the automotive sector. In 2008, the company expanded beyond its pressure, acceleration and gyroscopic motion sensors, to geomagnetic, temperature, humidity, air quality and sound pressure devices, including for use in consumer electronics devices such as mobile phones. Interested in whether graphene could enable new applications and improved sensor performance, Bosch has been investigating the use of the two-dimensional material in its pressure, magnetic, humidity, gas and sound pressure devices. The first step was to look at fabrication methods. Top-down approaches to graphene device fabrication such as mechanical and chemical exfoliation would not work on a commercial scale, so Bosch focussed instead on bottom-up techniques such as the thermal decomposition of silicon carbide, and chemical vapour deposition onto metal surfaces. The latter is certainly suited to mass production, and the former possibly so. Roelver cautioned that graphene-based sensor applications will require 5-10 years before they can compete with established technologies. This is due to the current lack of large-scale wafer-based and transfer-free synthesis techniques. Various substrates were considered by the Bosch and Max-Planck researchers, who in the case of their magnetic sensor settled on hexagonal boron nitride. This is for reasons of both cost and technical performance. Bosch's magnetic sensors are based on the Hall effect, in which a magnetic field induces a Lorentz force on moving electric charge carriers, leading to deflection and a measurable Hall voltage. Sensor performance is defined by two parameters: (1) sensitivity, which depends on the number of charge carriers, and (2) power consumption, which varies inversely with charge carrier mobility. It is high carrier mobility that makes graphene useful in such applications, and the results achieved by the Bosch-led team confirm this. Comparing and contrasting materials, Roelver in his Graphene Week presentation showed that the worst case graphene scenarios roughly match a silicon reference. In the best case scenario, the result is a huge improvement over silicon, with much lower source current and power requirements for a given Hall sensitivity. In short, graphene provides for a high-performance magnetic sensor with low power and footprint requirements. In terms of hard numbers, the result shown by Roelver centred on a direct comparison between the sensitivity of a silicon-based Hall sensor with that of the Bosch-MPI graphene device. The silicon sensor has a sensitivity of 70 volts per amp-tesla, whereas with the boron nitride and graphene device the figure is 7,000. That is a two orders of magnitude improvement. After summarising this stunning research result, Roelver concluded on a high note, stressing that Bosch takes graphene very seriously indeed as a future commercial technology. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Graphene Flagship. The original item was written by Francis Sedgemore. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Echocardiography and CT combined to produce heart model

 

Pictured above is another 3D heart model. Credit: Courtesy of Materialise Congenital heart experts from Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital have successfully integrated two common imaging techniques to produce a three-dimensional anatomic model of a patient's heart. The 3D model printing of patients' hearts has become more common in recent years as part of an emerging, experimental field devoted to enhanced visualization of individual cardiac structures and characteristics. But this is the first time the integration of computed tomography (CT) and three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) has successfully been used for printing a hybrid 3D model of a patient's heart. A proof-of-concept study authored by the Spectrum Health experts also opens the way for these techniques to be used in combination with a third tool -- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). "Hybrid 3D printing integrates the best aspects of two or more imaging modalities, which can potentially enhance diagnosis, as well as interventional and surgical planning," said Jordan Gosnell, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital cardiac sonographer, and lead author of the study. "Previous methods of 3D printing utilize only one imaging modality, which may not be as accurate as merging two or more datasets." The team used specialized software to register images from the two imaging modalities to selectively integrate datasets to produce an accurate anatomic model of the heart. The result creates more detailed and anatomically accurate 3D renderings and printed models, which may enable physicians to better diagnose and treat heart disease. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are established imaging tools for producing 3D printable models. Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) recently was reported by Joseph Vettukattil, M.D., and his Helen DeVos Children's Hospital colleagues to be a feasible imaging technique to generate 3D printing in congenital heart disease. Vettukattil is co-director of the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Congenital Heart Center, division chief, pediatric cardiology, and senior author of the study. According to Vettukattil and his colleagues, each imaging tool has different strengths, which can improve and enhance 3D printing: CT enhances visualization of the outside anatomy of the heart. MRI is superior to other imaging techniques for measuring the interior of the heart, including the right and left ventricles or main chambers of the heart, as well as the heart's muscular tissue. 3DTEE provides the best visualization of valve anatomy. "This is a huge leap for individualized medicine in cardiology and congenital heart disease," said Vettukattil. "The technology could be beneficial to cardiologists and surgeons. The model will promote better diagnostic capability and improved interventional and surgical planning, which will help determine whether a condition can be treated via transcatheter route or if it requires surgery." Vettukattil is known internationally for his work and research with three- and four-dimensional echocardiography. Most notably, Vettukattil developed the advanced technique of multiplanar reformatting in echocardiography, a method used to slice heart structures in infinite planes through the three dimensions in a virtual environment similar to a cardiac pathologist dissecting the heart to reveal underlying pathology. Commonly used with other diagnostic technologies, such as CTs, Vettukattil pioneered its use in echocardiography to evaluate complex heart defects. Vettukattil is presenting the findings of the proof-of-concept study June 24-27 at the CSI 2015 -- Catheter Interventions in Congenital, Structural and Valvular Heart Diseases Congress in Frankfurt, Germany to demonstrate the feasibility of printing 3D cardiovascular models derived from multiple imaging modalities. The Helen DeVos Children's Hospital team worked with the Mimics® Innovation Suite software from Materialise, a provider of 3D printing software and services based in Belgium, which printed the model using its HeartPrint® Flex technology. Gosnell worked on integration of the imaging modalities, collaborating with Materialise's U.S. Headquarters in Plymouth, Mich., to produce the final 3D rendering. Vettukattil devised the concept of integrating two or more imaging modalities for 3D printing. Further research is required to evaluate the efficacy of hybrid 3D models in decision-making for transcatheter or surgical interventions.

Project to 3-D print houses begun

 

Model of 3D building photographed from inside. Credit: Johan Gunséus In a collaborative project, researchers are developing a technology to make full-scale 3D prints of cellulose based material. It is not a matter of small prints -- the objective is to make houses. The impact of digitalisation on the manufacturing and construction industry is merely in its infancy. However, a large innovation project with its base at Sliperiet at Umeå Arts Campus, a part of Umeå University, is now setting the pace in the region's journey to the forefront of this field. "The idea of the project is to develop a technology that can be used in reinforcing the manufacturing industry in the region. For Sliperiet the project, entitled the +Project, is a part in the strategy of forming collaboration in an open and interdisciplinary innovative environment. Here, meetings and collaborations are created between various scientific areas and together with companies in the region," says Marlene Johansson, director of Sliperiet. One of the sub-goals of the project is to produce cellulose based materials for full-scale 3D printing, which can be anything from printing weather-stripping and doors, to walls and, in the end, complete houses. Sliperiet has, together with various collaborating partners, received SEK 17.6 million from EU Structural Funds in an interdisciplinary development project aimed at building a strong area of innovation and a regional cluster in digital manufacturing, sustainable building and 3D technology. In total, the collaborative project is worth SEK 35.3 million. The target audiences for the +Project are small and medium-sized industries in the construction and wood sector as well as creative markets such as architecture, design and IT. Entrepreneurs, creators and companies will, in collaboration with the university and research institutes, develop prototypes for products and services based on the regional infrastructure and raw materials -- prototypes that can be commercialised by regional companies and entrepreneurs. The plan is also to explore new circular models for business and production and to create a competence centre for sustainable building and administering. At the end of the project in 2018, a World Expo will be created in order to position the region in the lead of digital manufacturing and sustainable building. At Umeå University, the following collaborating partners are involved: Umeå School of Architecture, Umeå School of Business and Economics, the Department of Informatics and the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics. The project is also made up of the research institutes: the Interactive Institute (Swedish ICT) and SP Processum, as well as of companies such as Revenues, White Architects, and the Network for sustainable building and administering in cold climates. Umeå municipality and Region Västerbotten offer their support by co-funding the project. "There is already technology in place to print parts of houses in concrete, for instance. Now, with this project, the region is one step closer to the front edge in the area of digital manufacturing and so-called mass-customization. This opens up for incredibly exciting future opportunities for the regional forest and construction industry as well as for regional raw material," says Linnéa Therese Dimitriou, Creative Director at Sliperiet. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Umeå universitet. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Better heat exchangers using garbage bags

 

The same plastic as in garbage bags makes an efficient heat exchanger in power plants by creating microchannels. Credit: Joshua Pearce The plastic used to make garbage bags also makes a good base for building low-temperature heat exchangers. Joshua Pearce, a researcher at Michigan Technological University, has worked with a collaborative group funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. Pearce's team helped design and make the plastic-based heat exchangers to be used in power plants. The key is expanded microchannel structures, says Pearce, who is an associate professor of materials science and engineering along with electrical and computing engineering at Michigan Tech. He constructs the exchangers layer by layer with a laser welder -- like in 3-D printing -- and then puffs up the plastic. The resulting Michelin Man-like pattern creates microchannels, which allow air or water to pass through, and that transfers heat from the hot side to the cold side of the exchanger. "The temperature and pressure requirements for the air cooled condensers on power plants are modest," Pearce says, explaining that allows the team to use polymer heat exchangers to improve efficiency and cut costs. "This is really important as conventional power plants are finding it more and more difficult to compete with the recent price drops in renewable energy sources like solar." "Now, our work is to try and take these small envelopes that we've made successfully and transfer them to a bigger scale," Pearce says. "Even if one day all central power plants are replaced by more nimble distributed generation, heat exchangers may be in your house or your vehicle made out advanced garbage bags, which can increase the heat recovery and save you money at home." Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Michigan Technological University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

11 Habits You Need to Give Up to Be Happy

 

by Lisa H. Are your habits and routines sucking up your happiness? Oftentimes we unknowingly hold on to little, obsessive habits that cause us a great deal of stress and unhappiness.  Even when we feel that something is wrong, we fail to seek the changes we need to make and instead cling to what’s not working, simply because it’s what we’re accustomed to. It’s time to make a change.  It’s time to give up the habits that no longer serve your well-being and embrace the positive changes you need to be happy. Today is the perfect day to give up… 1.  Worrying about… everything. Worry is the biggest happiness slayer ever.  Worry steals all of your attention and gives the illusion that you are working through a problem when you are not.  As Van Wilder said, “Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” People worry for all sorts of reasons: to escape reality, fear of the unknown, resistance to change, lack of confidence, etc. Stopping worry, like everything else takes practice; the more you do it, the better you will become at discerning when you are no longer controlling your thoughts and they are controlling you. Tip:  To jolt yourself out of worry, ask yourself what you can do “right now” to make your life more pleasant and then do that! 2.  Constant, deliberate, people-pleasing. Contrary to what you may think, saying “yes” to every request that is made of you is not nice.  First, it is not nice to you because it can leave you emotionally, mentally and physically drained.  And second, it is not nice to the other person, because it deceives them into thinking that you have the time, energy and other resources available to make what they want happen, when you do not. Generally people who carry out the duties of others at the expense of themselves have low self-esteem and high levels of unhappiness.  They need the approval of others to make themselves feel worthy. Tip:  To combat people-pleasing behavior, learn to say “no.”  Oftentimes when you say “no” to someone else, you are really saying “yes” to YOU. 3.  Procrastinating. Procrastination is stagnation.  There is no other way to say it.  When you procrastinate, nothing good in your life is happening. We procrastinate for all sorts of reasons.  When we are afraid of the outcome, we are unsure how to complete the task and when we just don’t feel like taking action. And the thing is, we spend more time aggravating ourselves with worry about how long or how difficult the task is going to be rather than just doing it.  More often than not, if you just start your task, you will be pleasantly surprised at how easily you are able to accomplish it. Tip:  When you feel yourself getting ready to procrastinate, silently say “stop” to yourself, refocus and begin again by taking calculated action that will lead to the results you desire.  (Read Getting Things Done.) 4.  Living in the past. The past is gone for good and yet we spend so much time thinking about what happened yesterday, at the complete expense of today.  Keeping your thoughts stuck in the past is especially detrimental to your contentment.  You are a product of your environment.  Your environment has helped to shape how you think and feel about yourself.  Everyone has been presented with life challenges along their journey – you aren’t alone.  It is whether you are stuck in the patterns of the past or have moved past them. Tip:  If you are harboring resentment, anger, frustration or other negative feelings from your past, don’t ignore these feelings.  Do something constructive about it so that you can move into the present. 5.  Always looking past the present moment in anticipation of the next. We spend so much time in this moment, wanting to be in the next one, that we are missing our lives. For example, while taking a shower, you might be thinking about that cup of coffee you want to make, and while you are drinking your coffee, you might be thinking about your commute to work.  You are never consciously present right where you are and therefore cannot enjoy the moment you are in – the moment we call “life.” Tip:  Now is the only time you have.  Now is life.  Make sure you are fully experiencing it. 6.  Judging others. When you judge someone else, you suffer.  It is an outward display of inward inferiority and anger.  No one person is better than another.  The individual who cleans the bathroom at a fast food restaurant is no less of a person than the CEO that uses it. Tip:  Understand that we are all part of the collective human race.  We are one.  Your joy is my joy and your suffering is my suffering.  (Read Buddha’s Brain.) 7.  Comparing your story to everyone else’s. It is good to notice what others are doing from time to time.  After all, that is what helps us outline what we want and don’t want in our own lives.  But comparing yourself to everyone else every step of the way takes it too far.  You know when this happens – when you stop living your dreams or start living theirs. Tip:  You are unique.  No matter how hard you try to be like someone else, you will never be them, and you shouldn’t want to be. 8.  Shame. Shame is a deep, debilitating emotion, with complex roots.  Its cousins are guilt, humiliation, demoralization, degradation and remorse.  After experiencing a traumatic event, whether recent or in the distant past, shame can haunt victims in a powerful and often unrecognized manner. Shame impairs the healing and recovery process causing victims of trauma to stay frozen, unable to forgive themselves for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Shame leaves victims with feelings of sadness and pain at the core of their being.  They are unable to feel the fullness of joy in their lives. If you feel any shame at all, acknowledge it upfront.  Decide to experiment on forgiving yourself and letting go of the shame.  How long can you go without reminding yourself about the shameful thoughts and feelings?  How would life be different or better if you were able to forgive yourself?  Who can you talk to about this? Tip:  The more you forgive yourself, the more time you have to focus your mind on happier times. 9.  Disorganization and laziness. We complain that there are not enough hours in a day to accomplish all that we want, yet our laziness often leads us to many wasteful hours of disorganization.  The discipline it takes to sort through a messy desk, counter, closet or mind take time.  Becoming organized is a habit.  Start with something small, like your office desk or even making your bed after you get up. Tip:  Studies have shown that people who make their beds are statistically more productive, profitable and peaceful in their lives and careers.  Interesting, isn’t it?  But not surprising. 10.  Fear of… everything. Fear is one of the biggest reasons why we don’t move ahead in our lives.  Fear of failing and fear of succeeding.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear of fear.  As long as we are alive, we are prone to some level of fear.  Ironically, to feel alive we must overcome that fear with action.  As Bill Cosby once said, “Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.” Tip:  Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that your happiness and growth is more important than it.  Do something every day that stretches your comfort zone and helps you face what your fear.  (Read Daring Greatly.) 11.  The need to be busy. Busyness is often confused with productivity.  They are two different things.  Busy is running in place on a treadmill; productivity is actually getting somewhere worthwhile.  These days technology gives us this constant feeling that there is so much to do and not enough time to do it.  We are always connected to something that wants our attention, or something that could be done.  This feeling creates stress.  The more behind you think you are, the more stressed out you are going to feel. Stress is not good for you.  It makes it difficult to think, connect with others and it is associated with a plethora of physical ailments that lead to unhappiness. Tip:  Stop trying to be busy.  Put first things first and give up the rest.  Organization, meditation, improved time management and efficiency and a change in perception are all ways to manage stress.  You must learn to let go.  Release the excess.  You were never able to do it all anyway. Your turn… What would you add to the list?  What’s one obsessive habit or routine that has been making you unhappy?  What can be done about it?  Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. Author Bio:  Lisa H. is a mother, entrepreneur, self-proclaimed introvert and practitioner of all things happy.  With her blog, Getting to Zen, she aims to inspire you to re-awaken your spirit, live fearlessly and do what you love. Photo by: Alex Proimos source: http://www.marcandangel.com

Look, Ma, No hands !

 

The ANICORN Series 000 contemporary timepiece equips a unique concentric disc system to display the time in an entirely new way. Instead of using hands and flicks as index, 3 independent concentric discs, graduated for the hours, minutes and seconds are marked out on the center disc to make it as easy to tell the time as it is attractive to look at. Black, red, or blue? Get em’ here!

Designer: ANICORN WATCHES

 

Tactical throwable cameras

 

Fri, 06/26/2015 - 11:40am Rob Matheson, MIT News Office   The background photograph was taken using the softball-sized camera, the Explorer (shown here). Image: Jose-Luis Olivares/MIT (photo courtesy of Bounce Imaging) Unseen areas are troublesome for police and first responders: Rooms can harbor dangerous gunmen, while collapsed buildings can conceal survivors. Now Bounce Imaging, founded by an Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) alumnus, is giving officers and rescuers a safe glimpse into the unknown. In July, the Boston-based startup will release its first line of tactical spheres, equipped with cameras and sensors, that can be tossed into potentially hazardous areas to instantly transmit panoramic images of those areas back to a smartphone. “It basically gives a quick assessment of a dangerous situation,” says Bounce Imaging CEO Francisco Aguilar MBA ’12, who invented the device, called the Explorer. Launched in 2012 with help from the MIT Venture Mentoring Service (VMS), Bounce Imaging will deploy 100 Explorers to police departments nationwide, with aims of branching out to first responders and other clients in the near future. The softball-sized Explorer is covered in a thick rubber shell. Inside is a camera with six lenses, peeking out at different indented spots around the circumference, and LED lights. When activated, the camera snaps photos from all lenses, a few times every second. Software uploads these disparate images to a mobile device and stitches them together rapidly into full panoramic images. There are plans to add sensors for radiation, temperature, and carbon monoxide in future models. For this first manufacturing run, the startup aims to gather feedback from police, who operate in what Aguilar calls a “reputation-heavy market.” “You want to make sure you deliver well for your first customer, so they recommend you to others,” he says. Steered right through VMS Over the years, media coverage has praised the Explorer, including in Wired, the BBC, NBC, Popular Science and Time—which named the device one of the best inventions of 2012. Bounce Imaging also earned top prizes at the 2012 MassChallenge Competition and the 2013 MIT IDEAS Global Challenge. Instrumental in Bounce Imaging’s early development, however, was the VMS, which Aguilar turned to shortly after forming Bounce Imaging at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Classmate and U.S. Army veteran David Young MBA ’12 joined the project early to provide a perspective of an end-user. “The VMS steered us right in many ways,” Aguilar says. “When you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s good to have other people who are guiding you and counseling you.” Leading Bounce Imaging’s advisory team was Jeffrey Bernstein SM ’84, a computer scientist who had co-founded a few tech startups—including PictureTel, directly out of graduate school, with the late MIT professor David Staelin—before coming to VMS as a mentor in 2007. Among other things, Bernstein says the VMS mentors helped Bounce Imaging navigate, for roughly two years, in funding and partnering strategies, recruiting a core team of engineers and establishing its first market—instead of focusing on technical challenges. “The particulars of the technology are usually not the primary areas of focus in VMS,” Bernstein says. “You need to understand the market, and you need good people.” In that way, Bernstein adds, Bounce Imaging already had a leg up. “Unlike many ventures I’ve seen, the Bounce Imaging team came in with a very clear idea of what need they were addressing and why this was important for real people,” he says. Bounce Imaging still reaches out to its VMS mentors for advice. Another “powerful resource for alumni companies,” Aguilar says, was a VMS list of previously mentored startups. Over the years, Aguilar has pinged that list for a range of advice, including on manufacturing and funding issues. “It’s such a powerful list, because MIT alumni companies are amazingly generous to each other,” Aguilar says. The right first market From a mentor’s perspective, Bernstein sees Bounce Imaging’s current commercial success as a result of “finding that right first market,” which helped it overcome early technical challenges. “They got a lot of really good customer feedback really early and formed a real understanding of the market, allowing them to develop a product without a lot of uncertainty,” he says. Aguilar conceived of the Explorer after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, as a student at both MIT Sloan and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. International search-and-rescue teams, he learned, could not easily find survivors trapped in the rubble, as they were using cumbersome fiber-optic cameras, which were difficult to maneuver and too expensive for wide use. “I started looking into low-cost, very simple technologies to pair with your smartphone, so you wouldn’t need special training or equipment to look into these dangerous areas,” Aguilar says. The Explorer was initially developed for first responders. But after being swept up in a flurry of national and international attention from winning the $50,000 grand prize at the 2012 MassChallenge, Bounce Imaging started fielding numerous requests from police departments—which became its target market. Months of rigorous testing with departments across New England led Bounce Imaging from a clunky prototype of the Explorer—“a Medusa of cables and wires in a 3D-printed shell that was nowhere near throwable,” Aguilar says—through about 20 further iterations. But they also learned key lessons about what police needed. Among the most important lessons, Aguilar says, is that police are under so much pressure in potentially dangerous situations that they need something very easy to use. “We had loaded the system up with all sorts of options and buttons and nifty things—but really, they just wanted a picture,” Aguilar says. Neat tricks Today’s Explorer is designed with a few “neat tricks,” Aguilar says. First is a custom, six-lensed camera that pulls raw images from its lenses simultaneously into one processor. This reduces complexity and reduces the price tag of using six separate cameras. The ball also serves as its own wireless hotspot, through Bounce Imaging’s network, that a mobile device uses to quickly grab those images—“because a burning building probably isn’t going to have Wi-Fi, but we still want … to work with a first responder’s existing smartphone,” Aguilar says. But the key innovation, Aguilar says, is the image-stitching software, developed by engineers at the Costa Rican Institute of Technology. The software’s algorithms, Aguilar says, vastly reduce computational load and work around noise and other image-quality problems. Because of this, it can stitch multiple images in a fraction of a second, compared with about one minute through other methods. In fact, after the Explorer’s release, Aguilar says Bounce Imaging may option its image-stitching technology for drones, video games, movies, or smartphone technologies. “Our main focus is making sure the [Explorer] works well in the market,” Aguilar says. “And then we’re trying to see what exciting things we can do with the imaging processing, which could vastly reduce computational requirements for a range of industries developing around immersive video.” Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology