APRIL 2021 – 3 MOST INTERESTING ARTICLES

SENSORS IN OUR TEETH TO MONITOR OUR DIETS

Tracking what you eat and drink can be quite tiresome…

Mobile apps have been created like MyFitnessPal which does make this process easier than writing it in a diary everyday, but what if we could get a truly hands-off approach?

This may be possible in the future thanks for the efforts of researchers from Tufts University School of Engineering.

They have developed a 2mm x 2mm sensor that fits to your tooth and tracks nutrition data in real-time. This data includes the levels of glucose, caffeine, salt and even alcohol consumption.

The data is collected and effortlessly transmitted wirelessly thanks to RF technology.

Depending on the amount of nutrients absorbed by the sensor, its electrical properties will shift. For example, if an influx of salt was absorbed by the sensor it would transmit a different level of intensity of RF waves in comparison to absorbing an influx of glucose etc.

This sensor seems to offer the most comprehensive and accurate diet tracking system of its kind.

It is still a prototype and not available to the public just yet, but the possibilities with this technology are endless and it is not only limited to the mouth but other areas of the body too.

AN AIR TAXI WITH NO FANS OR PROPELLERS – WHAT!?

Take a look at the J-2000 concept by Jetoptera (USA). 

Look at the likes of Lilium and Volocopter – big propellers power the air taxi through the skies, yet the J-2000 uses a “fluidic propulsion system” which has been deemed similar to the Dyson fans!

The J-2000’s FPS includes four hoop-like thrusters, two positioned in the front, two in the back. Each of these moves a small amount of compressed air through the outside air to create negative pressure that gives the aircraft lift, according to Popular Mechanics. All four thrusters are used to get the J-2000 into the air, but once there, the front two fold into the craft’s body, and the rear hoops propel it forward at speeds of up to 200 mph.

So why use this different design? The company claims its system is both lighter and much quieter than traditional propeller-based aircraft's. The air taxi should be a minimum of 10% more efficient than its competitors, while fuel consumption will halved according to Jetoptera.

We aren’t sure when we may see the J-2000 released, but they’ve secured a contract with the US Air Force, and so it may not be too long until this is a reality!

AIRBUS WANTS TO CONNECT AIRCRAFT TO THE INTERNET USING LASERS

UltraAir – a new program from Airbus to develop a demonstrator laser communication terminal for aircraft and ultimately provide aircraft's with internet connections.

With an increased demand of satellite services, the current radio frequency bands currently used by satellite systems are experiencing bottlenecks. This new technology will enable aircraft's to communicate with satellites without using the traditional RF bands. Instead, they will user lasers encoded with data which have a direct line to the satellites.

Aircraft's connected to the internet could see speeds of up to 1.8 Gbps according to Airbus.

Airbus want to improve in-flight connectivity in a more reliable and secure way. Laser links avoid interference and detection, plus they use less power than radio frequencies.

The UltraAir terminal is expected to be 36,000 km above the Earth!

This is still in the testing phase currently, with deployment in the commercial aviation space due to take place sometime between 2024 – 2026.

The main focus is for the military and unmanned aerial vehicles, but eventually Airbus hopes this technology could allow airline passengers to utlise these super-high speed internet connections in-flight too!