Giving Feeling to Robots & Prosthetics: Researchers at UT Dallas develop artificial touch-sense whiskers

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Whiskers are arguably the cutest feature on a dog or cat:

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Need we say more? Those pleasant-looking features are used as touch sensors that send information to an animal’s brain. It’s one way that an animal makes sense of their surroundings. This is why it’s important to not trim Fido’s or Tom’s whiskers. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas realized this importance and have created artificial whiskers, appropriately called ‘e-whiskers’.

“We’ve created some of the highest density of e-whiskers to date,” said Dr. Walter Voit, an associate professor of materials science engineering and mechanical engineering at UT Dallas. “When you have a lot of sensors like this that can be dragged over a surface, you can then use them to measure many interesting properties. Our e-whiskers were able to detect force, pressure, proximity, temperature, stiffness and topography. As they brush up against—or whisk across—various materials, they mimic the sensing capabilities of human skin.” The development of e-whiskers is a significant step in the advancement of electronic human skin, which could be used in the fields of robotics and even prosthetics.

E-whiskers were developed by using shape-memory polymers that react to heat. A flexible strain sensor, which has the same diameter as a human hair, was attached to the top of a polymer pattern. Researchers then blew hot air through the bottom of the polymer cutouts, thus making the material soft. This allowed the e-whiskers to rise and become 3D. Any disturbance induced changes that interacts with the strain sensor is then tracked, thus giving ‘life’ to the polymer cutouts.

“In robotics, e-whiskers could replicate the functionalities of human skin by determining what’s hard and soft, hot and cold, smooth and rough. They could allow the robot to identify objects and interact with them safely, making robots more ‘human friendly’,” said Jonathan Reeder, lead author who conducted the research.

This concept may seem like something straight out of a sci-fi novel, but it’s not that far off from becoming a reality. “Integrating electronic sensors directly with biology is the most compelling application but presents a set of tough challenges. Namely, how to translate electronic signals generated by the sensor into the ‘language’ of the nervous system, and how to form a stable mechanical and electrical coupling between the flexible electronic and the soft tissue.” Reeder also mentioned that the sensitivity of the e-whiskers, such as changes in topology and temperature, as well as the sensors’ response time, all exceed the capabilities of human skin “by at least an order of magnitude.” “It’s not impossible for a person with a prosthetic to actually have better sensitivity than with the human hand,” Reeder added.

This development offers hope to the 2 million Americans who are living with a prosthetic limb. For more information on this impressive advancement, please click here.

Are you developing a technology so robots and prosthetics can have more human-like qualities? Did you know that you can receive up to 14% back on your research expenses with the R&D Tax Credit? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is a Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services to the state of Texas. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

 

Slurpee Inspires Improvements to Surgical Device: Engineering students at UT Austin develop ClearCam, solution for laparoscope obstruction

surgery

Inspiration for an invention can be found anywhere, and students at the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin are proof of such statement. The keen graduate students noticed that a Slurpee straw, with it’s shovel-like end, is the perfect size and shape to act as a squeegee for a laparoscope. For the sake of context, a laparoscope is a fiberoptic camera tool used during minimally invasive surgery procedures so surgeons can see the interior of a body. During a procedure, the laparoscope can become foggy and covered with bodily fluids and solids—not exactly ideal when conducting a surgery from the outside.

Under the guidance of associate professor of mechanical engineering Chris Rylander, the students designed a scoop-like shaped device that keeps the view of the internal camera clear. “This is a problem faced by surgeons every day,” said Rylander. “When a laparoscope gets dirty in the body—due to condensation or contact with blood or fatty tissue, visibility is diminished. Surgeons must stop the procedure, pull the laparoscope out of the body, wipe it off and return to the task at hand, extending the time to complete the procedure and simultaneously generating potential safety concerns.” With the increase of antibiotic resistance and MRSA, less time out of the body reduces the risk of short and long-term complications.

Rylander was approached by Dr. John Uecker of UT’s Dell Medical School who was looking for a solution to the obstructed laparoscope problem. The invention is appropriately named the ClearCam. It works by using a geometrically altered polymer that can be controlled externally to remove obstructions from the laparoscope lens without scratching it. The design of the ClearCam is based off previous prototypes that were improved to meet the needs of surgeons across the U.S.

Are you improving surgical methods? How about creating new tools that could revolutionize the operating room? Did you know that you can receive up to 14% back on your research expenses with the R&D Tax Credit? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is a Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services to the state of Texas. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Nanotech and Manipulating Light: Fort Worth’s SolGro develops material to foster plant growth

greenhouse

SolGro, a Fort Worth startup, has developed a greenhouse material using nanotech that converts sunlight from all colors of the spectrum into red and blue light, which just so happens to be the best colors to grow plants under. “What we’re able to do is convert those unused color bands into red and blue,” said Tyler Sickels, the CEO and founder of SolGro. Traditionally, other colors of light are wasted and can even be harmful to plant growth because it aids the growth of bacteria and fungi.

The SolGro technology has proven to be so effective, it has increased some crop yields from 20 to 300 percent. “We can increase food production by at least 50 percent,” said Wei Chen, a member of the four-person team, and a physics professor who specializes in nanotechnology and material sciences at the University of Texas at Arlington.

To have astounding growth numbers like the ones mentioned, the greenhouse material was developed with emphasis on nanotechnology. SolGro couldn’t give many details away, but the nanotechnology doesn’t require batteries or a power source. “It’s just the additive that we put in the plastic that’s doing all the work. It’s a great technology that doesn’t require any energy,” Sickels said.

The company is currently focusing on smaller projects, specifically grow-ops in states where marijuana is legal. This is great news for producers of marijuana products since growing marijuana indoors requires more energy consuming features, such as lights and electricity. The technology allows for more effective outdoor growth and with less infrastructure, thus reducing production costs. An innovation like this could completely revolutionize how food is grown and how much of it can be produced–particularly important since the world population is expected to hit 8 billion by 2025. “It’s more expensive than traditional greenhouse plastics, but your payback is very quick so it’s an easy sell,” Sickels said. Sickels also wants to sell smaller applications in hardware stores. It will be a material that can be used by everyday people who have access to a rooftop garden or to a space that can accommodate a greenhouse.

Are you improving food production techniques with nanotechnology? Did you know that you can receive up to 14% back on your research expenses with the R&D Tax Credit? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is a Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services to the state of Texas. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

“Alexa, schedule a video call with Dr. Smith”: Austin-based startup Medici advances telehealth

telehealth

Doctor visits are a pain, and not because of that irritating chest infection or scorching fever. Wait times in the U.S. have increased 30 percent over the past four years, and that percentage is likely to rise over time, according to an article by Medscape. There is good news, though. Medici, a telehealth startup based in Austin, Texas, wants to make your doctor visits more efficient and less stressful by way of your mobile device.

Apart from doctors being overloaded, “they are buried with regulatory requirements, administrative hurdles and downward pressure on their own costs to run their practices. This burden is increasingly taking time away from doctors’ ability to focus on what really matters: providing great care for patients,” a statement from the Medici website said. “We are driven by a singular purpose. To change the doctor-patient relationship. The world is changing and healthcare must come along, too.”

The Medici application, referred to as the “WhatsApp of healthcare”, combines five principles: speed, harmony, ambition, resourcefulness and excellence. The app allows patients to contact doctors, be it physicians, dentists, therapists, even veterinarians, via text message or video call; all from a single platform. A diagnosis can be made over the app, which in return can reduce the number of patients in the waiting room. Patients can ask their doctors to join the app, or doctors can invite their patients to use it. For more context, check out the video below.

“Patients also face a growing burden, carrying more of their own healthcare costs and spending an average of 121 minutes on each medical visit they have,” the Medici website continued. “Our goal is to make global, innovative technology that will transform and truly inspire the world of healthcare.”

Are you developing new technologies to improve healthcare? Did you know that you can receive up to 14% back on your research expenses with the R&D Tax Credit? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is a Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services to the state of Texas. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Callbox Storage: The Dallas-based startup that does the heavy lifting

Moving box

Is your home overflowing with furniture, clothes, books, pets, Christmas decorations and a plethora of other items? Thinking of an extreme minimalist purge but can’t bear to part with some much-loved items?

Enter: Callbox Storage.

This Dallas-based company offers a game-changing system that takes the hassle and anxiety out of self-storage.  Many are reluctant to use self-storage services because they’re afraid they’d lose track of all their worldly possessions or it would be too difficult to drag everything from Point A to Point B. As Marty Sabota of the Star-Telegram noted, “There’s loading, hauling and keeping track of everything from trash to treasures. And the headache of trying to retrieve something can be frustrating.”Founders Dan Slaven and Kyle Bainter understood this and were keen on using a tech-based approach to improve storage systems.

From pick-up, itemization, organization, storage, and even delivering requested items, CallBox Storage is disrupting the self-storage market. Customers can easily track every item in their storage unit using CallBox Storage’s online and secure photo inventory. If a customer wanted to retrieve his or her Christmas decorations, for example, the customer can request items through Callbox and the company delivers it to and from the customer’s storage unit, similar to Amazon. Items are given a barcode and are scanned multiple times throughout the transportation process, ensuring that nothing disappears unexpectedly.

“To date, we haven’t lost a single item,” Bainter proudly said.

Founded in September 2016, Callbox Storage focused initially on North Texas in Dallas and eventually expanded into Austin and Houston. This month, it will run its services in Phoenix, Arizona, the first venture outside of its Texas home base.

Bainter explained, “Real estate prices are going up, home values are going up, which means the space people can afford is going down, so this type of option becomes very valuable to them because we can be that extra closet, we can be that extra garage so people can live in smaller quarters and have more space.”

Are you developing new technologies to improve self-storage? Did you know that you can receive up to 14% back on your research expenses with the R&D Tax Credit? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Preventing School Shootings in Texas: App encourages youth to collaborate with officials

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In a world dominated by smartphone usage, a developer has created a solution for bridging the gap between an unlikely duo: law enforcement officials and students. How so? By way of an app, of course.

Developed by Microassist, a primary training vendor for the State of Texas, the DPS (Department of Public Safety) application, iWatch Texas, will allow teachers, students and parents to report anything deemed suspicious, which in return could save numerous lives.

“It’s the first statewide mobile app of its kind in the U.S. that helps citizens track, identify and report on potential criminal activity. With the rise of the mobile generation, organizations with mission critical content – like DPS – greatly benefit from expanding their reach to a wider and technologically oriented audience,” said Microassist’s CEO, Sanjay Nasta in an official press release on the company’s website.

“Making sure the information is forwarded to the correct agency is a big part of this. Before, the information might now go to the right people, might not go in a timely manner, might not be there when the information is needed,” said Lieutenant Nick Bristow of the Collin County Sheriff’s Office. “[The application] gives law enforcement and school administrators a chance to intervene before it’s too late.”

The app already encompasses useful features, such as information on most wanted fugitives, sex offenders and human trafficking. Reports are transmitted to the Austin Regional Intelligence Center (North Texas Fusion Center in McKinney for the Dallas/Fort Worth area) where the information is then vetted and passed along to analysts from local, state and federal agencies. The information is used to gather intelligence and vet security threats, and is then passed on to local law enforcement agencies and school districts, respectively.

The suspicious activity reporting feature mentioned in this article will have a separate application in the future, according to an article by NBCDFW. The iWatch Texas application, along with an official overview, can be found by clicking here.

Are you developing an application that can save lives? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

The Longevity of Batteries: From lithium-ion to lithium-sulfur, latter signals new age in battery life

battery

It’s 2018, and when your phone battery dies, it feels like you die along with it–at least temporarily. Not being able to check social media, keep up with work emails, or access a map with directions to the latest craft beer taps seems (almost) anxiety inducing; for me it does, anyway. By way of the brilliant minds at The University of Texas at Dallas, the post-mortem phone blues may occur less frequently, thanks to their research and development efforts to create an efficient lithium-sulfur battery.

According to Dr. Kyeongjae “K.J.” Cho, a professor with research interests in renewable energy at UT Dallas, lithium-sulfur batteries “are less expensive to make, weigh less, store almost twice the energy of lithium-ion batteries and are better for the environment.”

“A lithium-sulfur battery is what most of the research community thinks is the next generation of battery,” Cho said. “It has a capacity of about three to five times higher than lithium-ion batteries, meaning if you are used to a phone lasting for three hours, you can use it for nine to 15 hours with a lithium-sulfur battery.”

To make the lithium-sulfur battery more efficient than a traditional lithium-ion battery, Cho and other researchers discovered that molybdenum, a metal that easily forms compounds with other elements, improved stability and compensated for the poor conductivity of sulfur, which makes lithium-sulfur batteries more practical. There are downfalls, however.

In an article for Nature Nanotechnology, the researchers explain, “Despite many advantages, Li–S batteries are plagued with practical issues that limit their applications: (1) the poor electronic conductivity of sulfur that retards electron transfer during the charge/ discharge processes; (2) the formation of intermediate polysulfides generated during cycling, which leads to the shuttle effect and increases the impedance of both electrodes; (3) the intrinsic issues of Li-metal anodes, which are often associated with uncontrollable dendrite formation during repeated Li deposition and dissolution processes; and (4) the formation of an unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer between the electrolyte and Li metal due to inhomogeneous deposition of Li. These issues lead to the reduction of Coulombic efficiency and the subsequent fast termination of battery life.”

Despite the downfalls, it’s arguably a matter of time before R&D initiatives, such as the one above, brings forth a commercially available lithium-sulfur battery.

Are you developing a rechargeable energy solution? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

AI ‘Fortune-telling’: Texas-based firm creates AI algorithm to prevent costly machine downtimes

gears

Veros Systems, a Texas-based AI tech firm, helps machinery owners to “gain actionable insights on rotating equipment reliability, performance and process abnormalities using only electrical signal analytics.” In essence, Veros has created a technology that can predict system failures using electrical waveform analysis. What does that mean, exactly?

According to the Veros website, their technologies use “edge measurements and processing,” which combines “rich electrical waveform data with machine learning and AI-based algorithms – leveraging over a decade of historical and event data – to provide predictive insights into machine operation and health, making the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) a reality.” To put it simply, Veros has created a technology that predicts mechanical failures; before they happen.  

Knowing when a machine will break down can help companies to decrease downtimes, improve efficiency and optimize maintenance, thus helping to cut costs and boost profits. In a recent statement, Harry Brekelmans, Projects and Technology Director at Shell Global, said, “We estimate that Veros could deliver an additional $300 million a year of production that would otherwise have been lost by unplanned shutdowns.” Impressive, to say the least!

Are you developing a technology that uses AI-based algorithms to deter production delays? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative

Surviving Hurricanes and Hopelessness: App to ‘rescue’ those in need, post-natural disaster

phone

The frequency of natural disasters is on the rise in the United States. From Hurricane Katrina, to the more recent Hurricane Irma, the need for efficient, temporary resettlement for displaced persons will, arguably, also rise. The good news? There may be an app for that!

Adam Huminsky and Brian Hilinski, founders of the Charlotte-based startup, Harmany, were tired of watching evacuees struggle to find places for temporary shelter in the wake of catastrophic events, such as hurricanes. Huminsky said, “People have grown tired of watching disasters unfold, with no way to help until much later […] Harmany was created to give everyone the ability to make a difference in the moment.” The application connects the profile of an evacuee (person with needs) with a host (person with offerings). In an article featured on techstartups.com, “After completing a series of security measures, profiles are visible on an interactive map. Harmany believes secure matches can be made in as little as two hours.”

The app will offer other benefits, such as less crowding on roads, specifically evacuation routes, which translates to safer highway conditions. There is hope that the application will also reduce surge pricing for essential needs, such as hotel rooms.

Developing an app that will improve the lives of others? Did you know your R&D experiments could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative

 

Smart Glass at DFW Airport: It’s more than just looking through rose-colored glasses

April 23 2018 airport

Waiting for your flight under the blistering Texan sun? The heat making the waiting experience even more unbearable and excruciating? Well, if you’re one of the lucky few by Gate A28 in Dallas-Fort Worth Airport where smart glass was installed last autumn, you’d be happy to know that you’re safe from the glaring heat. The electrochromatic smart glass at DFW Airport, America’s fourth-busiest airport, adapts its opacity levels to sunlight and can better manage temperature than regular glass, which prevents overheating and provides a cooler atmosphere for the comfort of weary travellers.

Located near a burger joint’s east-facing bar in the airport, the smart glass creates a noticeably chiller vibe. In fact, the burger restaurant saw a boost in alcohol sales over the past year, up 80 per cent in October 2017 from October 2016. The smart glass at DFW Airport was the only difference to the restaurant. Turns out travelers are more willing to order a second pint from the burger joint if they are relaxed and not uncomfortable from the heat.

The smart glass is manufactured by the Silicon Valley-based company View Inc. The company claims its product will contribute to lower cooling costs and improve customer satisfaction, thanks to the more natural light and better thermal comfort created by the glass’ transitional tints. A study from Cornell University of the smart glass at DFW Airport confirms View Inc’s claims. Researchers found that surface temperatures of seats by Gate A28 were 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit lower, making them more comfortable to sit on. There were also an 83 per cent increase of dwelling time and a 102 per cent increase in concession spending by Gate A28 compared to areas where the smart glass was not installed. Evidently, installing the smart glass at DFW Airport was a lucrative move.

Rahu Bammi, View Inc’s chief business officer, said, “We spend 90 per cent of our time indoors. The things that really matter are light, air quality, temperature and sound. We impact at least three of those in a positive way.”

Are you also engaging in research activities to improve the light, air quality, temperature and sound of our great indoors? Did you know your experiments, even those that were unsuccessful, could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you could receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is Texas’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firm, offering tax credibility assessments, claim preparation, and advisory services. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program in Texas, from claim prep & audit compliance to claim disputes. 

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPA’s.  For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative