Virtual Reality can help train paraplegics to regain movement and walk again

Recent breakthroughs in VR technology have allowed scientists to explore all kinds of unique applications for simulating reality (other than in games).

Virtual Reality can help train paraplegics to regain movement and walk again
Courtesy: Quartz.com

Eight patients who were paralyzed from the waist down from spinal cord injuries were chosen to conduct the trials.

Originally, the scientist were working on advanced robotic walking prosthetic project. While conducting tests, they discovered something unexpected: All the patients who prolonged their training  managed to regain some of the feeling and motor skills below their injury sites.

The process began by strapping the patient into an apparatus with a variety of sensors and inputs.

Two times a week, for approximate 1 hour per day, the patient was hooked up to an Oculus Rift headset.

Virtual Reality can help train paraplegics to regain movement and walk again
Courtesy: Quartz.com

The patient was then trained to teach their brainwaves to walk as an avatar in a virtual environment, rather than themselves walking.

Bu analyzing the brain activity, the scientists discovered how to trick the patient’s brain into actually believing that it was walking.

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Some patients were even able to regain some level of bladder control. For more information, please visit the source link or watch the video above.

 

 

 

IKEA launches their own version of a DIY hydroponic herb garden

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IKEA’s off-the-shelf mini hydroponic herb garden looks like a fun kitchen companion if you don’t want to get your hands dirty building your own system from scratch.

Ikea provides all the components you need along with step by step instructions.
Ikea provides all the components you need along with step by step instructions.

This stylish little unit is Ikea’s answer to a mine herb planter that can grow anything from basil to lettuce on your kitchen counter.

The herb garden comes in a foolproof kit format that actually has quite a few components that need to be assembled.

You begin by germinating and sprouting the seeds in small rockwool cylinders.

Timelapse of the seedlings sprouting from the herb garden
Timelapse of the seedlings sprouting from the herb garden

After the seedlings sprout, you move the baby plants to a tray filled with pumice stones that retain water. The roots will eventually grow through the rockwool medium and suck water up from the stones.

 

A revolutionary way to “grow” building bricks using bacteria and sand

Organisms like this Sporosarcina pasteurii bacterium deposit calcium carbonate to grow extremely strong natural structures
Organisms like this Sporosarcina pasteurii bacterium deposit calcium carbonate to grow extremely strong natural structures

Humans are natural builders and innovators. When a new construction method comes along and starts to become the go-to material (like concrete), we can sometimes forget that more optimal alternatives may exist. Deep infrastructure gets built around the material and it becomes costly to use anything else.

Concrete is made by mixing crushed rocks, cement, and water together. Aside from using huge amount of water, cement takes an incredible amount of energy to produce. Apparently, cement manufacturing consumes more energy than any other single manufacturing industry in the USA.

Instead of consuming massive amounts of energy to fire and produce bricks, Inventors have played with the idea of GROWING bricks using a similar concept as an organisms growing coral in the sea at ambient temperatures.

First, bacteria is injected into brick-shaped molds containing a media like sand.
First, bacteria is injected into brick-shaped molds containing a media like sand.

The bacteria binds the sand together by depositing calcium carbonate in the gaps between the grains of sand. The whole process takes about 5 days to get a complete hard brick.

Completed sand bricks bound together by bacteria at ambient temps.
Completed sand bricks bound together by bacteria at ambient temps.

This process could revolutionize the construction process as the bricks could be made ON SITE and require exponentially less energy.

Technologies like these could potentially be used to grow construction materials on other planets like Mars, where sand is abundant!
Technologies like these could potentially be used to grow construction materials on other planets like Mars, where sand is abundant!

 

Vintage Wooden Ford Truck with chassis made entirely out of wood

Some fine craftsmanship went into this vintage wooden Ford truck build. Not exactly sure what model the truck is as there appears to be a lot of creative license in the wooden body paneling. Nonetheless have a look and enjoy this beautiful example of fine woodworking. For a video walk-around of the truck, scroll to … Read more