Intelligent Kneesleeve – an athlete’s dream?
The University of Wollongong and CSIRO researchers report that they have developed an Intelligent Kneesleeve – an intelligent fabric joint sleeve for training and rehabilitation of athletes.
The fabrics are coated with conducting polymers to form strain gauges that can be integrated into clothing. These can be used to provide immediate feedback (through a beep or non-beep) with respect to human motion for a diverse range of activities. It can help to teach players correct landing techniques to prevent injuries in sports such as basketball, netball and football codes.
It can also be used as a rehabilitation device following injury by assisting to reteach patients correct joint movement during treatment.
For more information, contact details can be found at www.uow.edu/research/mic/staff.html
I & I wonders what other potential applications might be out there. Lifting training?
AIMEX – as big as Kenny’s Toilets and Pumpers Expo?
Yes it is big. I&I does not know if the Asia-Pacific International Mining Expedition (AIMEX) is as big as Kenny’s Expo in the US, but it must go close. Besides, if you are into big toys, there are plenty of big ones (i.e. machines) at AIMEX. It’s happening at Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush from September 4 to 7. Entry is free.
But it’s not just for miners – mining operations and material processing use plenty of technologies and processes common to many industries. For example, the Pennsylvania Mining Industrial Group (PAMIG) from the USA will have 10 companies represented and they want to have representatives in Australia to support their particular manufactured products.
To check out the range of companies and products involved and to pre-register go to www.aimex.com.au
Wacky Water Ideas?
As reported in EnvironmentalManagementNews.net (20/8/07) the Queensland Government has been searching for alternative supplies for the parched south-east.
Among the ideas suggested was to have bags of water floating down the Queensland coast from the wet north.
I&I wonders if icebergs from Antarctica also got a run.
Go Blasting with Kerry
The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy is obviously prepared to take a few risks! It is:
• hosting EXPLO 2007 on Blasting Techniques and Technology in Wollongong from
September 3-4. (I&I hopes it has been cleared by the Australian Federal Police!)
• having cricket wit Kerry O’Keefe as the guest speaker at the official dinner (I&I wonders if his famous laugh is part of the new blasting techniques to be discussed.)
For more details:
Register: http://www.ausimm.com/main/explo2007/registration.php
Technical Program: http://www.ausimm.com/main/explo2007/program07.pdf
For further information please contact dedwards@ausimm.com.au Former BHP IT Manager takes on Smart Transport
Former BHP Information Technology Manager Geoff Goeldner is now the Strategic Projects Manager for National ICT Australia (NICTA). As reported in The Australian newspaper’s IT section (p31, Aug 21), one of the projects Geoff manages is the Smart Transport and Roads Project.
Coming out of the researchers’ Smart Cars Project have been techniques which can automatically detect the state of road signs and road surfaces. This can be fed back to road maintenance operators to more accurately plan and assess costs. In future it could also be used to read speed signs, including one off limits due to road works and accidents and then relay the information to the driver or automatically control the speed of the driver.
Ultimately, the idea is to have Smart cars which can drive themselves. (I & I does not think car smash repairers are funding this one!)
NICTA is also researching the use of smart cameras to help relieve traffic congestion – the technology is currently being trialed near Albion Park, south of Wollongong.
Specialist Technical Courses
These are for the really technically inclined:
NICTA in conjunction with the University of Wollongong is looking to provide three one to three day duration courses to upskill employees with leading edge knowledge to bring about greater efficiency in the workplace. These are:
1. Introduction to Digital Signal Processing with FPGAs, a one-day course presented by Abbas Bigdeli of NICTA in which different design flows for implementing DSP functions in Field Programmable Gate Arrays are described. System Generator from Xilinx is used.
2. Introduction to Linux for Embedded Developers is a two-day course presented by Peter Chubb of NICTA. Linux is becoming a leader in embedded operating systems. This two-day course will teach enough of the basics to get a quick start for a developer already familiar with other operating systems.
3. GPS Receivers: Applications and “Inside the Box” is a three-day course by Andrew Dempster of UNSW and is designed to provide an introduction to GPS and various enhancements to the system, and the electronic and signal processing aspects of receivers.
Further information on these courses can be found at www.nicta.com.au/short_courses Please indicate your interest to anne-marie.eliseo@nicta.com.au or phone 08 830 23928; mobile 0438 860216.
Your Ideas, Innovations or Events?
If you want publicity for an idea, innovation or technically related event, contact the I&I editor, Colin Seaborn on 4254 0258 or 0419 841 829 or colins@youronlinecommunity.com.au
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