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Case Studies + Situated Technologies

[1]

[1] Pedestrian Detection SystemGM

General Motors researchers are developing a driver assistance feature potentially capable of

detecting pedestrians and bicyclists on congested streets or in poor

visibility conditions before the driver notices them.

The feature relies on Wi-Fi Direct, the peer-to-peer wireless standard that

allows devices like some smartphones to communicate

directly with each other rather than through a shared access point like a

cell phone tower.

Unlike 3G-based systems, there's little lag between locating and

identifying bikes or people crossing the street since the signal doesn't have to be bounced off a satellite.

It also has a leg up on radar detection since Wi-Fi can be a two

way pipeline -- alerting someone out for a stroll of an oncoming vehicle.

Wi-Fi Direct allows Wi-Fi devices to connect to each other without the

need for a wireless access point. This also allows Wi-Fi Direct devices to

directly transfer data between each other with greatly reduced setup.

The product will likely not be available on the market for a few years, but this type of wireless

pedestrian detection is part of GM’s greater development of what they call “vehicle-to-infrastructure” and

“vehicle-to-vehicle” communication. The system could also potentially

provide warnings about hazards such as slowed or stalled vehicles,

slippery roads or intersections and stop signs.

[2]

[2] Safe PaintUniversity of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Researchers in Glasgow have devised a method that uses

nanotechnology that turns paint into a sensor network that's able to

detect minor structural faults before they become a severe problem.

The paint consists of a mix of highly aligned carbon nanotubes and a

recycled waste material known as ‘fly ash.’ When the nanotubes bend, the conductivity changes, indicating

that there could be a structural problem developing.

Fly ash is one of the residues generated in combustion- it usually

refers to ash produced during combustion of coal. It is generally captured by filtration equipment

before the gases reach the chimneys of coal-fired power plants.

Depending upon the source and makeup of the coal being burned,

the components of fly ash vary considerably.

Chris Poland, chairman and senior principal at the structural-

engineering firm Degenkolb Engineers, has stated “micro

cracking in the steel support shaft of a wind turbine may indicate that

there is a problem developing," he told CNET. "If it were a concrete

column, the micro cracks would only suggest that the column was starting

to do its job."

This isn’t the first paint that has had a tech-solution aspect to it. The chemical structure of Nissan's

Scratch Shield paint enables it to repair small auto surface scratches

by filling in the gaps.

Researchers at Rice University and City

College of New York came up with a way to embed silver nanoparticles in paint to infuse it with

germ-killing properties.

[3]

[3] Copenhagen Airport TrackingSITA

Airport officials at Copenhagen airport will get a real-time picture of

where travelers go and what they do. The officials can use this information to improve the design of the airport, direct the flow of passengers or shift employees to improve the efficiency

of security or immigration checkpoints.

SITA’s system of locating multiple Wi-Fi receivers at the airport means

that passenger locations can be determined within about 10 feet or

so of accuracy. This is enough to see where passengers congregate, how much time they spend in stores and restaurants and where there may be

bottlenecks. It will also enable airport retailers to communicate with

travelers directly.

Through wireless access points strategically placed throughout the terminals, the app will be able to

identify an individuals location with relative accuracy. Once the app

determines where the user is, they can choose services, and the app will display the appropriate information, such as directions to a gate or the

description of a shop.

Some people take issue with the privacy aspects of this app. Though you do have to download it to use it,

it could potentially lead to an increased level of surveillance in airports, places already ripe with

both security and surveillance concerns. People like Jill Magid have

responded to these types of surveillance efforts through art.

The Surveillance Shoe is a hybrid of surveillance hardware and high-

heeled shoes. A camera with infrared technology is built into the shoe's

design, fixed in a position to film up the wearers leg. “While this leg

appears stable like architecture, the actual architecture becomes

mobile.”

[4]

[4] LifeStrawVestergaard Frandsen

LifeStraw is a water filter designed to be used by one person to filter water

so that they may safely drink it. It filters enough for one person for one

year, and removes 99.9% of waterborne bacteria and parasites. It

is essentially a hollow stick containing a series of filtering

membranes that, through suction, propels water through it and cleans it

by the time it is ingested.

The tube is 310 millimeters long and 30 millimeters in diameter. Water

that is drawn up through the straw first passes through hollow fibers

that filter water particles down to 0.2 microns across, using only physical

filtration

The developer of the product will distribute LifeStraw for free rather than selling it, and will open free repair shops in Kenya. When

the product expires at the end of three years, the company will replace them for free. The

amount of carbon credits the company would receive would depend on how much boiling

the LifeStraw prevents. As a result, the more it is used, the more credits Vestergaard

Frandsen will be awarded, and the more money it will make.

Similar low-tech, low-cost solutions are being developed. One example are adaptive water

glasses.

These glasses rely on the principle that the fatter a lens the more

powerful it is. Inside the lenses are two clear sacs filled with fluid. The

wearer adjusts a dial on the syringe to add or reduce amount of fluid in the membrane, thus changing the

power of the lens.