Grip strength, as well as walking speed and gait length, can be indicators of a person’s physical and mental health. A variety of conditions and treatments can be monitored from the grip strength, but such measurements are typically only performed infrequently at the doctor’s office. IBM Research has just developed a sensor that is attached to a fingernail on the index finger, that can measur...

The world has experienced a rollercoaster ride in recent years. That journey is a reminder, if any were needed, that the future is uncertain. How might 2019 pan out? We turned to the wisdom of crowds (including prediction markets, financial futures, expert panels) to gauge the likelihood of certain events. So take your pick: you can see the future as lying in the lap of the gods—or in our map...

It was just this July that Japan's Yanmar Agri Corporation unveiled a line of driverless agricultural tractors. Now, as part of the same Smartpilot system, the company has announced an autonomous rice seedling-transplanter.Known as the YR8D, A, the new diesel-powered vehicle is wirelessly programmed/monitored via an included waterproof 10.1-inch tablet. It can operate in either of two modes, de...

The FeelReal Multi-Sensory VR Mask is designed to add a sense of smell to VR videos and games.Our sense of smell is often overlooked, but it plays a bigger part in our perception of the world around us than we might give it credit for. Now it's being used to help sell the illusion of virtual reality with the FeelReal VR Mask, which not only wafts certain scents your way but can also simulate ra...

Our cities are nearing their limits for the number of vehicles on the road, and navigating their overpopulated streets is as difficult as ever. The demand for a compact and maneuverable form of transport has never been greater. The team behind the Unicorn Scooter has identified this need, and seized the opportunity to create a unique mode of transport!On the first glance, you will probably noti...

Copper’s special relationship with electricity has been apparent since ship designers first regularly began installing copper to protect the masts of wooden ships from lightning in the early 19th century.Today, of course, you might be more used to seeing copper’s electrical applications through the use of power lines, telephone wires, and wiring in practically every major home appliance you o...

Large organizations are running an average of 29 different pre-deployment initiatives to digitize the supply chain, but 86% have failed to scale any of them.A new study from the Capgemini Research Institute “The digital supply chain’s missing link: focus”, has identified a clear gap between expectations of what supply chain digitization can deliver, and the reality of what companies are curr...

Technology and science, the engines that propel the skin-care industry, are moving faster than ever. This year, new treatments, gadgets, and beauty products arrived at a fevered clip. Some, no doubt, are fated for the novelty aisle. Others, however, have revolutionary potential.Here, today’s innovations—from the cutting edge to the downright practical—that just might become tomorrow’s bench...

There are millions of clinicians fighting on the front lines of the obesity epidemic every day, but there doesn’t seem to be a winning strategy. The population of seriously overweight people around the world is rising and will soon reach one billion. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers may have a technological, drug-free solution to the problem for many of those afflicted.The te...