With the introduction of new technologies pressing challenges are being tackled. Innovation is pushing boundaries and traditional practices are being disrupted. Here are but a few of the inventions we’ve been watching.
Giving hikers a boost
In a marriage of outdoor gear and robotics, Arc’teryx and Skip have introduced MO/GO, the first pair of high-tech powered pants designed to enhance human movement. Targeting those who wish to still enjoy the great outdoors but have mobility challenges stemming from aging, fatigue or injury, MO/GO is set to come to market in 2025 with a hefty price tag of $5,000 US. The system combines a pair of cuffs worn under the pants with a motorized external joint that clips onto Gamma pants. Using artificial intelligence, a suite of sensors and a computer module the pants can predict and assist movement for the wearer. Inventors promise a 40% boost to leg muscles during ascents and support during descents. They compare MO/Go to an electric bike: “it makes pedalling a lot easier, but you still have to turn the pedals yourself”.
Source: Trendwatch
Breast screening 2.0
Using low frequency electromagnetic energy emitted from an antenna similar to a smart phone, Dr. Omar Ramahi, a professor at The University of Waterloo Electrical and Computer Engineering and his team are developing a cost-effective and non-invasive breast screening tool.
Potentially surpassing current diagnostic tools such as X-ray mammography, the new technology is faster, (results in just two minutes) and safer. Ramahi claims his tool uses AI to interpret images, identify tumor size and location, even in dense breast tissue. Funding for human trials is currently being secured.
Source: University of Waterloo
Reimaging lab testing
A start-up has unveiled ‘VitalOne’, a desktop-sized blood diagnostics device that can run comprehensive lab-grade blood tests on small samples in 20 minutes. The device, which is said to be painless and easy to use, and provides results in real time. While it is not yet on the market, the revolutionary routine lab diagnostic closes care gaps by making it easier to engage patients early. VitalOne also aspires to provide actionable information instantly for faster treatment and access to offer new forms of care delivery.
Source: VitalBio.com
What colour is your tongue?
Back 2000 years ago Chinese medicine practitioners diagnosed by looking at the colour of a patient’s tongue. Now, UniSA researchers are following suit using data trained A! scanners which they claim can offer 96.6% accuracy for disease screening. Verifying that the human tongue has unique characteristics and features that connect it to the body’s internal organs, they claim that people with diabetes have yellow tongues, white tongues suggest anemia, purplish tongues appear with cancer and red and violet can identify other conditions. The goal is to introduce a screening tool that’s simple, cost-effective and user-friendly method using machine learning.
Source: popsci.com
