Blog @ NanoVic - Nanotechnology Blog

Explay, an Israeli company, has created the world’s smallest projector.  The revolutionary nano-projector engine is small enough to fit inside your pocket or be embedded in your mobile device, allowing you to truly enjoy the big picture wherever you are.

The revolutionary laser based projection technology enables high-resolution images 20 times larger than the mobile device itself. Its unique battery-operated, nano-projector ensures an eye-safe, always focused superior quality, powerful projected image, elements essential for frequent usage by mobile product consumers.

The main benefits of the device are matchbox size; large screen projection from a small device; compact and light weight; low power consumption; high reliability and safe.  What a great idea especially as most people possess a mobile which goes wherever they do.  Would certainly cut down on the excess baggage of a large projector or forgetting to take it with you when you leave to give your presentation!

I have been reading with interest about a wiperless windshield.  Designed by Italian car designer, Leonardo Fioravanti of Pininfarina the ”Hidra” is a working prototype concept car.  The Hidra has an aerodynamic design and uses four layers to achieve this effect.

The top layer repels water and protects from the sun.  The second layer features “nano-dust” which pushes the dirt to the outer edges of the windshield.  This layer is activated by the third layer which senses the dust in the first place.  The last layer conducts electricity which keeps it all up and running.

Sounds like a great idea - although it mentions it will take around five years before it finds its way to the family car.  Would be good if they could create a completely self cleaning car, especially as here in Melbourne at the moment, we have plenty of dust gathering on our cars due to lack of rain and restrictions on washing them! 

I always like seeing what products are around using nanotechnology. This one caught my eye - laser safety goggles with an anti-fog insert which avoids fogging even “under extreme conditions”. It even claims you could take them jogging although I think one might look a bit silly running around in safety goggles!

The anti-fog insert is a plastic sheet coated with nanoparticles that absorbs humidity and avoids saturation of the air with water vapour. Consequently, a sequestration of water and therewith a fogging of the goggle is impossible.

I wonder if these inserts would work on normal glasses? I always have trouble when opening the hot oven as my glasses fog up and I can’t see. This makes life a little dangerous especially when carrying a hot roast! Perhaps it might be easier to make glass lenses incorporating this feature - may be there are some already out there? Another great feature would be lenses that repelled water as it is a little difficult to see in the rain - guess I don’t ask for much!

NanoVic in association with AZoNetwork recently released the third in its series of podcasts.  The first in the series talked about nanotechnology in general; the second looked at the health, safety and environmental issues and this podcast focuses on how nanotechnology research and development can be taken through to successful commercial outcomes.
 
NanoVic’s illustrious leader, Peter Binks, finally features in one of our podcasts talking about how NanoVic is moving forward into the product development phase.  Other prominent contributors to the podcast are Greg Smith - SciVentures, Paul McCormick - Advanced Technology, Calum Drummond - CSIRO, John Kapeleris - Australian Institute of Commercialisation and Tina Rankovic of the ANBF.

Interesting listening and perspectives from those who have a passion for nanotechnology.  Let us know what you think of this podcast or either of the others NanoVic has produced?

Tata Motors - the automotive component of India-based Tata Group, recently unveiled it’s latest gem - the Tata Nano.  The tiny 5-door car, which is being dubbed “The People’s Car“, costs the equivalent of A$3000, which Tata believes will help them to further expand their market to countries in the developing world.

Despite major technological advances being achieved during the manufacture of the Nano, which have resulted in over 34 international patents being filed, I can’t find any evidence that nanotechnology has actually been used!  However, as Carol commented, there is huge potential for incorporating nano in the form of self-cleaning windows, stain-resistant materials for seating or even silica nanoparticles for wear-resistant tyres!

I’m often asked: “Is there nano in the iPod nano, or is it just a marketing ploy?”. I’ve been confident in myself that the circuitry, the memory, and the screen all contained nanostructured materials, but I’d privately wondered if these were important – did they make the device as distinctive and powerful as it is?

The latest issue of Nature has provided the answer. In an article about “The physics prize inside the iPod”, Geoff Brumfiel explains that the key effect is giant magnetoresistance (GMR). The effect has been heralded as one of the first major applications of the fields of nanotechnology and ’spintronics’, opening up a way to build much smaller magnetic heads. Basically the heads consist of multiple layers of magnetic and non-magnetic materials only tens of nanometres thick. When all the layers were aligned in the same direction, electrons with the same alignment passed through the material easily, whereas those with the opposite alignment struggled. But when the layers were organized in an alternating ‘up-down’ alignment, all electrons encountered resistance. The net effect was a rise in resistance that was much bigger than any seen before. This led to devices that are very sensitive to tiny magnetic fields.

I’m delighted. The iPod is one of the most exciting developments of the last decade, and we can now confidently claim it in the nano family!

What is nanotechnology? What are MEMS? And what makes them so special?  A book by Marlene Bourne titled ‘MEMS and Nanotechnology for Kids‘ will be able to answer these and many other questions.  Targeted to kids over 11 years of age, the book explores what you can find at the micro- and nano-scale.  You will discover all sorts of amazingly small sensors, structures and materials and will learn what they do and how they work.  You can then find out why they are useful in all kinds of products, from bikes to video games.

Marlene has also written a book titled ‘A Consumer’s Guide to MEMS and Nanotechnology‘ which covers the history of MEMS and nanotechnology as well as looks at examples of real life applications.

With the education section of the NanoVic website recently updated, these two publications appear to provide even more information to those seeking easy to understand explanations around nanotechnology.

Happy reading!

RASIRC™, the steam purification company, announces that its RainMaker Humidification System (RHS) was selected by the editors of R&D Magazine and MICRO/NANO newsletter as one of the most innovative products of 2007 in their Inaugural MICRO/NANO 25 Competition. RASIRC’s RHS is the first and only system to deliver precise amounts of ultra pure water vapor and simultaneously remove contaminants and dissolved gases. According to MICRO/NANO, technologies that are revealed to be the most innovative, the most groundbreaking, and those having the largest impact on a specific industry or society in general are selected for this award.

A colleague and I recently attended an award ceremony in Melbourne, which was held to announce the winners of the Australian L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowships. Four women were each awarded $20,000, in order to further develop their own particular scientific research interests. The technical fields represented by the four winners displayed huge diversity, highlighting the significant role women are now playing within the scientific community. The three winners who attended the ceremony also stated that within the workplace, they had never felt disadvantaged or held back as a result of their gender. As a woman in science myself, this was very encouraging to hear!

The winners of the 2007 Australian Fellowships are:

Jenny Gunton for her studies into the relationship between Vitamin D and diabetes

Ilana Feain for engaging girls boarding schools into her investigations of hydrogen jets from black holes

Sarah Pryke for her studies into the evolution and conservation of Gouldian finches in the Kimberley Ranges

Catriona Bradshaw for investigating the cause of spread of bacterial vaginosis

If like me you are looking for that perfect night’s sleep, then this may be the answer. On a recent episode of Oprah aired here in Australia, Dr Michael Breus (a sleep expert) suggested a list of items that might make sleeping a little easier. One of those was the “Ambient Pillow” which by using nanotechnology increases oxygen levels in your body by up to 29 percent. It does this by taking the ambient energy in the air and pulling it in, so when you lie on the pillow, it helps give oxygen back to your skin.
Apparently, sleep deprivation in the US affects more than 70 million people who are spending $24 billion on products. With that amount of $’s being spent, I guess those people involved in the business of sleep certainly wouldn’t have any trouble dozing off!