Touchless Technology for Surgeons

Combine the skills of computer scientists and surgeons and what do you get? The answer is a form of technology that allows medical experts to interact with patients without touching them. According to a report at Physics Org, touchless technology is being implemented in operating theaters for heart surgery. The system relies on the manipulation of live fluoroscopic images of the heart. Surgeons can use the technology, by means of gesture or voice control, to interact within surgical settings, without contact. The system, developed by a team piloted by Dr. Mark Rouncefield and Dr. Gerardo Gonzalez from the School of Computing and Communications at Lancaster University UK, uses Kinect for Windows hardware and the Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit to give surgeons the advantage of a sterile environment while performing an operation. The technology is also being extended to neurosurgery.

Design yourself a 3-D Personal Robot

If you would like a social robot of your own and $1,500 is within your budget, check out Jimmy, the first of several 3-D printed robot kits. PC World details Intel’s latest project to produce a family of do-it-yourself robots. Jimmy, the two-legged bot, is 45 centimeters tall and uses cameras to view and recognize objects. Though he currently does not have a functional hand, developers at Intel hope that robot enthusiasts will add functionality so it will have the ability to pick up small objects, such as newspapers, turn on lights and have a conversation.

Got Cardboard? Create Virtual Reality

Google has introduced a way to make your own virtual reality headset, using only materials you can pick up at your nearest hardware store. According to News Discovery, if you have an Android smartphone (4.1 or above) you can download the design files from Google and with the help of a piece of cardboard, two magnets, a pair of optical lenses, a piece of Velcro and an elastic band, you can put together a VR headset for around $2. Once you have constructed the nifty gadget, you simply slide your Android phone behind the lenses and you can have a VR experience that costs significantly less that the Oculus Rift.

Image credit: Microsoft