Technology

When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) deployed the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) to support the complex communication and coordination needs of the multi-jurisdictional responders. Most of the operators provided with ATAK in Texas had never used it before. Still, …

Normal solid surfaces are wetted by liquids such as water and oil. In many cases, surface wetting is undesirable due to the fact that the liquids may largely deteriorate the functionality of the surface, or cause unwanted effects. For example, evaporation of liquid droplets could leave behind chemical or dirt …

The information and communication technology (ICT) sector has played an important role in India’s economic growth and the emergence of an informed citizenry.   Indian IT industry s critical pillar in India’s economic growth contributing around 8% to India’s GDP. As per NASSCOM, the Indian IT/ITES industry is expected to …

Quantum key distribution (QKD), establishes highly secure keys between distant parties by using single photons to transmit each bit of the key. A unique aspect of quantum cryptography is that Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle ensures that any attempts to intercept and measure quantum transmissions, will introduce an anomalously high error rate …

Insects are the most successful creatures on the planet, endowed with millions of years of evolution. Attempting robots that mimic the insect form has turned out to be a complex affair. Therefore  researchers planned to turn bugs into robots  to exploit insects’ natural abilities to achieve feats that are not …

Synthetic biology represents an intersection of biology and engineering that focuses on the modification or creation of novel biological systems. The current state of synthetic biology is mostly the result of research in biology, engineering, computer science, and information technology dating back to the mid-1900s. Synthetic biology has drawn increasing …

Terahertz (THz) waves lie in the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and infrared radiation. They are invisible to the human eye. Since they are low in energy, there is no need for be concerned with their impact on human. Today, they play a role in medical and communications technology, but also …

Aerogels are among the lightest materials in the world and are highly porous with strong absorption capacity and low thermal conductivity which make them highly suitable for applications oil-spill cleaning, personal care products like diapers and heat, and sound insulation.   “Aerogel is what NASA uses to insulate the space …

In 2006 the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) asked America’s scientists to submit “innovative proposals to develop technology to create insect-cyborgs.” The Hybrid Insect Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (HI-MEMS) program, also known as the cybug program, was a proposal from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to encourage the …

Early Warning and Response System (EWRS) systems aim to: Identify the causes of a conflict, anticipate their outbreak, and mitigate their impact. The EWRS are mechanisms for preventing and addressing conflicts that focus on the systematic collection, processing and analysis of information (quantitative or qualitative) about conflict situations for the …