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Snore-no-more pillow
Available from Hammacher Schlemmer, New York, the Snore Activated Nudging
Pillow features a built-in microphone that listens for snoring. Once detected, the
sleeper is gently nudged to change positions. The pillow inflates an internal air
bladder that causes the nudging, without a painful jab from someone being kept
awake. The elevation alone could open a person’s airways to stop the snoring.
The pillow allows the user, or sleepless companion, to adjust the microphone for light
or heavy snoring, while the air bladder can be manually inflated to a desired thickness
between 4 and 7 in. It automatically deflates back to its original thickness. The device
also has a 30-minute delay setting that allows one to fall asleep without triggering
inflation. Researchers used the pillow
in a study a few years ago and
found that the longest snoring
episodes were reduced
by 43.8%.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES • MAY 2014 67
How many ways to tie a tie?
Most men do not consider more than one, two, or maybe three ways to tie their tie, if
they tie one at all—but the fact is, there are far more ways to do it than most would ever
imagine. In 1999, researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK, came up with a
mathematical language to describe all the actions that can be performed in tying a tie
and used it to calculate that the total number of possible outcomes was a reasonable
85. However, researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, now say that
number is far too small because it leaves out many possibilities. They extended the
mathematical language and used it to create a new upper limit—177,147.
Researchers adjusted the 1999 parameters and added terminology for describing tie
movements. After putting it all together, they used the revised math language to
calculate the new total number of possible tie knots. This may not be
the last word, however, as some of the parameter assignments,
such as maximum winds, could be adjusted for longer ties or
those made of thinner material.
Dirty diaper?
New sensor knows
for sure
A disposable organic sensor
that can be embedded in a diaper
to wirelessly alert caregivers was
developed by researchers at the
University of Tokyo. The flexible
integrated circuit printed on a
single plastic film transmits
information and receives its power
wirelessly. According to
researchers, it could potentially
be manufactured very
inexpensively.
Sensors could be put directly
on the skin like a plaster, in place
of the ring-shaped devices
currently used in hospitals to
monitor pulse and blood oxygen
levels, say researchers. The
flexibility of a single sheet of
plastic film reduces discomfort
and can be applied to a larger
number of places than other
options—offering greater potential
to monitor well-being. The
prototype system is capable of
monitoring wetness, pressure,
temperature, and other
phenomena that cause a change
in electrical resistance, but the
team would like to refine it to
reduce power consumption
before it goes into widespread
use.
Different examples of tie knots. Left, a Four-in-Hand; middle, a Double
Windsor; right a Trinity. The Four-in-Hand and Double Windsor share
the flat facade, but have different bodies that produce different
shapes. The Trinity has a completely different facade, produced by a
different wind and tuck pattern. Courtesy of arXiv:1401.8242 [cs.FL].