Cerebral palsy(脑瘫)is the most common motor disability in children. The condition,which affects about 1 in 345 children, can make daily activities like walking, eating, or even lifting a cup difficult. A team of researchers from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) hopes to reduce the daily struggles with robotic clothing that will allow kids with cerebral palsy to better control their arm movements.

Wearable robotic units to help people with mobility issues have been around for many years. However, they are rigid and uncomfortable to wear. The UCR team plans to use light-weight materials to create a robotic sleeve that is cheap, durable, and, most importantly, comfortable to wear on a daily basis.

“Hard materials don’t interact well with humans,” said Jonathan Realmuto, UCR assistant professor of mechanical engineering and project lead. “What we’re going for by using materials like nylon and elastic are essentially robotic clothing.”

The scientists envision the robotic sleeves to have sealed areas that can be inflated. When filled with air,they would become temporarily rigid and provide the force needed for movement. The clothing will be fitted with sensors to detect small muscle contractions and anticipate what the wearer wants to do. The inflated bladders(气囊) will then help move the arm to complete the intended action.

“If we can help kids brush their own teeth, pour water or open doors, actions that others take for granted, it’s a huge win for them,” Realmuto said. “And it’s also a huge win for their families and caretakers.”

The UCR engineers are not the only ones working on soft robotic clothing to help those with motor disabilities. San Francisco-based startup CIONIC is on a similar mission. The company’s first product, the CIONIC Neural Sleeve, is designed to improve mobility for people with conditions like cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and stroke. Jeremiah Robison, the founder of CIONIC, was inspired to develop the product after seeing his daughter struggle with cerebral palsy.

Backpacks are convenient. They can hold your books, your lunch, and a change of clothes, leaving your hands free to do other things. Someday, if you don't mind carrying a heavy load, your backpack might also power your MP3 player, keep your cell phone running, and maybe even light your way home.

Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the. Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass. , have invented a backpack that makes electricity from energy produced while its wearer walks.

The backpack's electricity-creating powers depend on springs used to hang a cloth pack from its metal frame. The frame sits against the wearer's back, and the whole pack moves up and down as the person walks. A mechanism with gears(传动装置)collects energy from this motion and transfers it to an electrical generator.

Surprisingly, the researchers found, people walk differently when they wear the springy packs. As a result, wearers use less energy than when carrying regular backpacks. Also, the way the new packs ride on wearers' backs makes them more comfortable than standard packs.

The backpack could be especially useful for soldiers, scientists, mountaineers, and emergency workers who typically carry heavy backpacks. These people often rely on global positioning system(GPS)receivers, night-vision goggles(夜视镜), and other battery-powered devices to get around and do their work. Because the pack can make its own electricity, users don't need to give up space in their packs to lots of extra batteries.

For the rest of us, power-generating backpacks could make it possible to walk, play video games, watch TV, and listen to music, all at the same time. Electricity-generating packs aren't on the market yet, but if you do get one eventually, just make sure to look both ways before crossing the street!

With energy bills rising, and global temperatures changing, Deep Green, a small data center startup, and Exmouth Leisure Center have found a way to help each other.

The Internet and computer systems are now integral to the running of most businesses, so there are more and more data centers. In order to keep temperatures down, data centers have to use an effective air conditioning system. In 2022, the data center industry used around 4% of global electricity. The data center market will grow three times in the next ten years.

Since 2020, energy costs for a swimming pool have reportedly increased three times, leaving many centers with no choice but to close. They say by March 2024, 40% of council areas could risk losing their swimming pools if nothing changes. Similarly, data centers have had to raise their fees in order to cover the extra cost of cooling their equipment, making it impossible to offer a competitive rate.

Where most normal data centers waste the heat that the computers create, Deep Green has found a solution to benefit everybody. They have built a small data center in Exmouth Leisure Center, allowing the heat from the servers to heat the swimming pool.

This solution is free of charge, and Exmouth Leisure Center is expecting to save around £20,000 a year. Because the data centers run 24 hours a day and are necessarily built with backup power systems, they make for excellent and continuous heat output.

Deep Green is already in discussion with Greenwich Leisure Limited who run seven swimming pools across London, as well as the Commons Project Foundation who hope to set up a data center to warm 70 London flats.