Compact Desk Top Air Ionizer Vertical Type Model BF-SZA is based on High Frequency Technology from SSD Japan (since 1938). Easy product Maintenance with help of Louver easy attaches or detaches. Proprietary self adjust balance. Alarm LED Light when a high voltage abnormality Occur. Upto 8 unit can be connected serially. 
Custom Search
Compact Desk Top Air Ionizer Vertical Type BF-SZA
Compact Desk Top Air Ionizer Vertical Type Model BF-SZA is based on High Frequency Technology from SSD Japan (since 1938). Easy product Maintenance with help of Louver easy attaches or detaches. Proprietary self adjust balance. Alarm LED Light when a high voltage abnormality Occur. Upto 8 unit can be connected serially. Air Ionizer Horizontal type BF-4
Air Ionizer Horizontal type Model BF-4 is based on AC Technology from SSD Japan (since 1938). Proprietary self adjust balance . Capacitive coupling for better ion balance. Ideal for on line or bench applications. To know more about it contact us…… For detail down load PDF……..
Desk Top Air Ionizer Vertical Type BF-2ZA
Desk Top Air Ionizer Vertical Type Model BF-2ZA is based on High Frequency Technology from SSD Japan (since 1938). Easy product Maintenance with help of Louver easy attaches or detaches. Proprietary self adjust balance. Alarm LED Light when a high voltage abnormality Occur. Airflow adjustmentDesk Top Air Ionizer Vertical Type BF-2DD
Desk Top Air Ionizer Vertical Type Model BF-2DD is based on Conventional DC Technology, Light Weight and economical from SSD Japan (since 1938). To know more about it contact us…… For detail down load PDF……..
Desk Top Air Ionizer Vertical Type BF-ZC
Desk Top Air Ionizer Vertical Type Model BF-ZC is based on High Frequency Technology from SSD Japan (since 1938). Easy product Maintenance with help of Louver easy attaches or detaches. Proprietary self adjust balance. Alarm LED Light when a high voltage abnormality Occur. The top-of-the-range Pride Go Go Elite Traveller 4 is the latest lightweight portable mobility scooter from Pride Scooters. Utilising the latest technology, the Pride Go Go Elite Traveller is perhaps the easiest scooter to assemble and disassemble and offers the highest level of comfort and refinement.
Product Highlights:
- State-of-the-art Portable Disabled Scooter
- Superb levels of comfort and refinement
- Auto lock-up mechanism permits simple frame separation with only one hand.
- Comes with interchangeable covers in 3 colours - can be changed in seconds without any tools.
- Bigger 17amp/h battery for increased range and performance (optional extra)
Best for: When only the best will do.
Go Go Elite Traveller 3 wheel version available
Interactive Tour & Video Demonstration
Your opinion is important to us. If you have used this product why not write a review?
ResMed Releases New High-Performance H4i™ Humidification System for S8™ Series II and Premium Bilevel Devices
ResMed announces the launch of the new H4i™ heated humidifier, the latest technology in heated humidification which integrates seamlessly with 
the revolutionary S8™ Series II positive airway pressure and premium bilevel devices.
ResMed's latest in airflow dynamics and heating technology ensures that the H4i heated humidifier delivers the most humidity output of any integrated device with pressure relief. The 30% higher humidity output and 60ml greater water capacity is an added advantage for patients on very high pressures, particularly with bilevel therapy.
Benefits of humidification
Humidification helps patients feel more comfortable and therefore improves compliance. Up to 40% of nasal CPAP users experience nasal congestion and dryness of the nose and throat. Research proves that the warm, moist air that humidification provides can relieve symptoms of dryness and make therapy more comfortable. In fact, compliance gains may be realized sooner if patients start with heated humidity at CPAP initiation.1-4
“We view humidification as an essential component of comfortable therapy and critical to achieving maximum patient compliance. The new H4i heated humidifier is the highest humidity output and the quietest pressure relief device available on the market, delivering 30% more humidity than earlier generation humidifiers,” stated Simon Johnson, Director of Product Management. “The H4i will set a new standard for exceptional quality, patient ease of use and superior comfort in humidification systems. The high humidity output is especially valuable for patients who previously may have faced challenges in achieving adequate humidification. Additionally, the low cost replacement chambers address the financial challenges of customers seeking reimbursement for these accessories.”
ResMed's H4i is a fully integrated humidifier, which clicks easily into place and supports ResMed's full S8 Series II platform – from entry-level CPAP/APAP to premium VPAP™ bilevel devices. The compact design is unobtrusive in the bedroom and easily packed for travel.
Featuring user-friendly dials and a convenient flip-top lid design, it is easy for patients to use and clean.
The high-volume humidification chamber has a water capacity of 390ml, allowing for optimal humidification throughout the night. It is also available with an optional cleanable water chamber which can be easily opened for cleaning by hand or in a dishwasher.
For ordering convenience, the H4i Humidification System is also offered in Resmed's ever popular “co-packaging,” which includes a CPAP/APAP or VPAP flow generator in the same shipping carton.
To learn more about ResMed's H4i or other premium sleep apnea treatment products, visit the company website at www.resmed.com < http://www.resmed.com > , or call Customer Service at 800.424.0737.
About ResMed
ResMed is a global leader in medical equipment for the screening, treatment and management of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and other respiratory disorders, selling a comprehensive range of products through direct offices in the United States and more than 70 other countries.
ResMed provides reliable products, quality systems and complete solutions for its customers and their patients.
Latest technology: Uno, the self balancing motorcycle…
MonoTracer? Well here’s another vehicle classed within the motorcycle category but an entirely different concept! The Uno, designed by the 18-year old Ben J. Poss Gulak and his team is a self-balancing motorcycle that uses a pair of gyroscopes to constantly keep its rider upright. This means it only needs a set of wheels placed together and not like any motorcycle you’ve seen. It may not look really easy to ride but apparently it’s just controlled by an on/off switch and all you need to do to accelerate is lean forward. If you lean back, it reverses too - there’s something normal motorcycles can’t do!
Hotels Offer Guests the Latest Technology Tools
Hotels are under such pressure to keep up with their gadget-obsessed guests that they are working with technology companies to regain their edge.
Skip to next paragraph 
David Kadlubowski for The New York Times
Chris Robertson, left, and Cynthia Carlariello at one of the computers in the lounge.
Sheraton teamed with Microsoft to create its new Link@Sheraton lounges, as part of an overhaul of the brand that includes carving out spaces in lobbies where guests can use public computers to check their e-mail, print boarding passes and record video greetings to send to family and friends.
Westin struck a deal with Nintendo to outfit some of its fitness centers with
Even smaller brands are turning to technology leaders to equip their public spaces and guestrooms with the latest electronics. The Gansevoort Hotel Group is working with Sony to develop a lounge at its new Gansevoort South property in Miami Beach. The goal is to relocate the traditional business center to a more social setting near the lobby. The lounge will have Sony computers and PlayStation 3 game consoles as well as digital book readers and cameras.
“What we’re trying to do is give people the chance to experience firsthand the latest in technology,” said Elon Kenchington, Gansevoort’s chief operating officer, explaining that choosing the right technology has become as critical as other elements of a hotel’s design.
“It’s an integral part of not only the success of an operation, but also what makes one brand better than another or more interesting to travelers than other brands,” he said.
Establishing a business relationship with a technology company also makes it easier for hotels to keep up with new products and trends. “One of the challenges for hotels is that you buy equipment that everyone wants today, but within 18 months, it’s not considered unique,” Mr. Kenchington said.
By meeting regularly with Sony, he said, “We already have those products within our business model, so we’re not waiting for them or being asked why don’t we have them.”
Technology companies, in turn, have a chance to show off their wares to a desirable demographic. “The same guests that walk through the hotel lobby are the same consumers Microsoft targets,” said Sandra Andrews, hospitality industry solutions director for Microsoft.
In addition to running Windows software, the PCs in Sheraton’s lounges have Web cameras and a Microsoft application that walks guests through recording and sending a video clip. The goal is to encourage people to try a task they may have found too daunting to explore on their own: for example, having guests use Web cameras to say good night to their kids, Ms. Andrews said.
Yet one challenge for hotels is making sure guests are comfortable using the technology and not being forced to wrestle with products that are too complex. That is particularly the case with guestroom amenities, because customers staying for just a night or two do not have the time, or the patience, to master a complicated process to accomplish a generally simple task like finding a television channel.
“If you need your neighbor’s teenage kid to help you figure out how to use something,” said Henry H. Harteveldt, a travel analyst with Forrester Research, “it’s probably too complex for a hotel to implement.”
That is why the James hotel in Chicago has been spending the last few months testing technology made by Control4, known for its home automation systems. On trial in one guestroom, the system allows guests to operate the lights, the blinds, the thermostat and the television using one remote. It can even be used to set a more customized wake-up experience, in which, for example, the TV turns on and gradually increases in volume.
“Everything slowly comes to life in the room,” said Patrick Hatton, general manager of the James, adding that the hotel was taking time to receive feedback on the Control4 technology to make sure the innovations did not create headaches. “The most important thing for us is to make sure the technology is easy to use.”
Another company working with Control4 is the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, which plans to use the system to create a welcome experience at its Las Vegas property, scheduled to open in late 2009. Guests arriving in their room after checking in will be greeted by the drapes opening, the lights automatically turning on and the television displaying a customized message with the guest’s name.
“When you open the door, that’s what will welcome you instead of a dark room where you’re fumbling for a light switch,” said Monika Nerger, Mandarin’s vice president of technology for the Americas.
She said, though, that the main technology challenge for hotels was increasing their Internet bandwidth to keep up with guests doing more file-intensive activities online. The Las Vegas hotel will offer 400 megabytes of bandwidth, more than double the 160 megabytes at the new Mandarin Oriental in Boston.
Given the economic climate, Mr. Harteveldt cautioned that hotels ought to focus on Internet access and other essential technologies that either help justify a higher room rate or attract more guests.
“Hotels have to make sure they address the basics before they think about the fanciful,” he said. “This is not a time for the fanciful.”Latest technology: USC creates cool 3D holographic displays, bringing TIE Fighter to life!!!
Maybe 3D holograms are not the very latest in trend, but these are! The geniuses at ICT Graphics Lab of USC have managed to create these holographic displays via a new low cost method, which means bring a geek’s dream to reality has just become much more easier!
I won’t even go into how it was done, it wasn’t simple, but the whole process involved the clever use of spinning mirrors, high-speed DLP projections and lots of calculations in order to get the correct and most precise positioning. The result, Star Wars TIE Fighter brought to life!
Watch the video below, it’s really interesting!
Most Impressive/Imposing Demo
At the IOGear booth, the main live demo was a laptop connected to two large 720p TVs using their WUSB-to-VGA adapters. With a single host transmitter they were sending the video signal to both receivers attached to the VGA inputs of the TVs. The TV on the right was running a video as the one on the left had a large Excel spreadsheet and a window that they were moving from one screen to the other. Everyone would at first think the TVs were running a regular video loop like so many of the other TVs on display at CES, only to be surprised when the mouse on the laptop would move a window from one to the other.
posted by DisplayLink Blog Admin at 6:45 PM 1 Comments 
Sunday, January 11, 2009
DisplayLink and Windows 7 at CES
CES brought a host of announcements of new monitors, docks, and adapters--from the likes of Acer, Samsung, and HP--adding the simplicity of connecting their devices with a simple, inexpensive USB cable: all enabled by DisplayLink technology.Once you've gotten used the simplicity of needing only a single USB cable to dock all your laptop's devices, or gotten used to a futuristic desktop extended across two, three, or even six displays with the same cable -- it's hard to go back.
Of course, another little announcement at CES 2009 was the public beta of Windows 7.
So, not wanting to put any Windows 7 enthusiasts through any withdrawal pains, DisplayLink made preview drivers available this week, just before Microsoft's official release of the beta. We've been working on these drivers for several months now, and these are the same drivers shown at CES. There are still some months to the release of Windows 7, and these are early, preview drivers only... but DisplayLink is working to insure that the "it just works" simplicity of USB is matched with updated drivers when this new operating system hits the streets.
DisplayLink Customer Presence at CES
With over a dozen customers having DisplayLink products on display at the show, our presence at the show was quite significant. With all the products on display there were bound to be demos that stood out. Here's our vote for the best DisplayLink USB graphics demos at CES 09.
Sexiest Displaylink Product Demo
This one was a toss-up between the Samsung wireless Sidekick 19" 1360x768 monitor and the LG wireless W2286L 22" 1680x1050 monitor. If there has to be an absolute winner, the nod goes to the Samsung, because of the better presentation and collateral used in the demo. Both monitors use the Realtek radio to provide the WUSB link so should be getting the same throughput. With Asus also showing a WUSB monitor at the show, this will be an interesting space to watch to see how these get adopted in the marketplace.
Best Explanation and Collateral for a Demo
The Asus booth had both a three-screeen Displaylink monitor demo as well as a wireless monnitor demo, and the USB monitor demo had great signage as well as a rolling flash demo and a super-stretched Excel spreadsheet. Congratulations to Asus for showing people how easy it is to connect and display with USB graphics.
Sexiest Displaylink Product Demo
This one was a toss-up between the Samsung wireless Sidekick 19" 1360x768 monitor and the LG wireless W2286L 22" 1680x1050 monitor. If there has to be an absolute winner, the nod goes to the Samsung, because of the better presentation and collateral used in the demo. Both monitors use the Realtek radio to provide the WUSB link so should be getting the same throughput. With Asus also showing a WUSB monitor at the show, this will be an interesting space to watch to see how these get adopted in the marketplace.
Best Explanation and Collateral for a Demo
The Asus booth had both a three-screeen Displaylink monitor demo as well as a wireless monnitor demo, and the USB monitor demo had great signage as well as a rolling flash demo and a super-stretched Excel spreadsheet. Congratulations to Asus for showing people how easy it is to connect and display with USB graphics.
CDMA technology
The latest technology being used in mobile communication is Code Division Multiple Access(CDMA). The communication technology has improved vastly over the last decade. Starting from Time division multiple access(TDMA) and then moving on to frequency division multiple access(FDMA) and then now we have code division multiple access(CDMA). All these technologies have helped in bringing more users into the system. Now most of the Phones support CDMA technology although it is not yet used in all parts of the world. It is a method that is being utilized by many radio communication technologies. Slowly it is now being used in mobile communication too.In mobile technology it is referred to as CDMA2000 OR cdmaone. In mobile communication, CDMA is the basic technology that is being used to send voice, data signals. There are various CDMA2000 standards that are being used and the basic one being 1xRTT.
BlueAnt SuperTooth Light
Supertooth Light Visor Hands-Free
Stylish in design, easy to use and with no installation requirements, the new BlueAnt Supertooth Light offers the latest in sun-visor mounted handsfree speakerphone technology.
Currently, the most powerful speakerphone on the market today, the BlueAnt Supertooth Light incorporates the very latest technology from Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR). Its outstanding audio quality is achieved via the integration of the cutting edge Clear Voice Capture (CVC) Digital Signal P
rocessor (DSP) technology, providing truly superior sound.
PICTURES FROM THE 2002 CONFERENCE
| |||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||
![[So many people, now what was I going to talk about?]](http://www.sigaccess.org/assets02/images/keynote.jpg)
Mitsubishi HC5000BL projector
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics Presentation Products Division, known for award-winning, high-quality presentation and display products, today introduced its 1080p home theater projector, the HC5000BL. Based on the latest LCD technology and High Quality Video (HQV) high-performance video processor from Silicon Optix, Mitsubishi's HC5000BL offers true 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution for the highest definition of detail and action, and performs seamlessly with the latest Blu-ray or HD DVD technology. "Our new HC5000BL brings the best of the best to our customers," said Frank Anzures, product manager, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America's Presentation Products Division.
Mitsubishi projector HC5000BL
"We have the latest technology, the latest features, and the highest quality performance available today." The HC5000BL is designed with new inorganic LCD panels that are more durable and provide a more color-consistent, even-toned image than previous generation LCD panels. The LCD optical engine is enclosed to prevent dust from entering the engine, which decreases the number of particles landing on the LCD panels, and keeps the image cleaner. Mitsubishi's HC5000BL delivers HQV through Silicon Optix's Reon-VX chip, which provides true HQV four-field, motion-adaptive, per-pixel, high-definition (HD) deinterlacing that delivers the sharpest and most detailed HD images possible. The HQV multi-direction diagonal filter removes any "jaggies" and/or stair-step artifacts from deinterlaced video sources without blurring the image, while sophisticated noise reduction technology removes the noise and artifacts caused by compression.
Mitsubishi projector HC5000BL - Details
Using Mitsubishi's exclusive algorithms to control its dynamic iris, the HC5000BL also boasts one of the highest contrast ratios available today, achieving an unprecedented 10,000:1 for the most exacting features in dark areas of an image. These new algorithms detect and maximize color information as well as luminance, creating realistic detail in film noir and action flicks. With up to 5000 hours of lamp-life (in low mode), HC5000BL owners won't have to change them often, but when it's necessary, the new projector offers a design that makes replacement quick and easy. Through an easily accessed lamp housing, users simply switch the lamps without taking the mounting structure apart and physically handling the projector.
Alcatel looks forward to retro-styled 'vintage' slider
Alcatel Mobile Phones' latest offering may not appeal to phone fans looking for the latest technology, but it looks a solid enough handset for consumers with more modest needs.
Dubbed the OT-C825 Vintage Slider, it's anything but old fashioned: the handset has dedicated music playback keys; a 176 x200, 262,144-colour display; Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP wireless stereo technology; and a six-hour talk time.
The camera's resolution is a little behind the times - it's just 1.3 megapixels - but it'll work as a webcam if the phone's connected to a PC's USB port.
Perhaps it's the phone's "smokey brown" colour scheme that gives it that "vintage" feel? It's certainly got a dour, retro quality to it reminscent of bakelite radios and their ilk.
The OT-C825 comes with a 128MB MicroSD card for song storage. It's a tri-band GSM device.
Alcatel said the phone will go on sale in the June/July timeframe, but it didn't say how much the Vintage Slider will cost.
Sony Expo Showcases Latest Tech
The annual Sony Hawaii Expo was held this week at the Ala Moana Hotel Hibiscus Ballroom. Highlight of this year’s Sony Expo was the desktop Sony OLED flatscreen TV (shown above). The hallmark of this high tech wonder is its small size and crystal clear high definition picture. The screen itself is thinner than a compact disc jewel case.
Another hyped product at the Sony Hawaii Expo is the new Sony Rolly MP3 player. It is a new portable device that is shaped like a little barrel and moves to the beat of the music. The speakers on this device are positioned at both ends and open up with winglike flaps on each end. The device will not be marketed in the U.S. and is aimed only at consumers in Japan. If it were sold in the U.S. the price would be at around $400.
Face recognition “smile” technology for Sony Cybershot cameras were also a new this year. The new Cybershots can sense when a person smiles and fires only at that time. People were happily smiling for the demo at the Sony Cybershot booth. There were many other Cybershot digital still and video cameras that were also on display for consumers to play with.
I was most interested in the small super zoom, SLR-like cameras that I may want to get in an effort to find a capable SLR-like digital camera without all of the weight and bulk.
Last year’s hot product, the Sony Playstation 3 was almost like a has-been this year. Yes, there were displays of the venerable Playstation 3 for people to use, but the crowds around those stations were not very big. Sony is still marketing the Playstation 2 which is still the most popular game console of all time, despite Nintendo running away with the market lead on their new generation Wii product.
I am still interested in perhaps getting a Sony PSP, mainly for the fact that it can surf the web with its wireless internet feature. Another wifi device that was touted last year, the Sony Mylo, was nowhere to be seen this year. Sony still sells the device.
HDTV are the big products Sony is pushing this year as the Expo was dominated by flatscreen high definition sets all over the place. Going hand in hand with that were several Sony Blu-Ray HDTV DVD players. the pictures on the sets and from the players are incredibly clear.
Don’t know if I am ready to sink money in either of these technologies, especially Blu-Ray since it is locked in a format war with the rival HD-DVD. Beta vs. VHS all over again. I’ll wait for the dust to settle on this one.
Overall the Sony Expo was a great little venue to check the latest technology from one of the most popular electronic companies on the face of the earth.
Best bits
Tech heads and early adopters must have had a field day at CeBIT, Australia's largest technology trade show. It wrapped up this week, clearing the way for the latest hardware and software to be embraced by consumers and businesses. Some of the gear is already available, other devices will arrive later this year. Much of it capitalises on the trend toward mobile work.
Among the stars of the show was the ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC) - between a tablet PC and a personal digital assistant (PDA) - with full PC capabilities at half of the price of a tablet. The new $1650 EO from TabletKiosk is 50 per cent bigger than the average PDA, runs Windows XP and ditches Pocket PC applications in favour of full Windows software versions.
It's handier and lighter than a tablet or laptop and more useful than a PDA, primarily because of its 17cm touch screen. The UMPC will come with hard drives from 30GB to 160GB, and with memory up to 1GB. It is Wi-Fi and internet enabled, but does not have a mobile phone, although we are told one can be connected via Bluetooth.
Hugo Ortega, the principal of Tegatech Australia (http://www.tegatech.com.au), distributors of the EO, says demand has already outstripped initial estimates, with 250 units sold in the first two hours of orders opening. It arrives in June.
"From what we've seen, there is demand for digital ink to take notes on the screen and have it transcribed to Word or other [program]," Ortega says. He says it will finally do away with paper notebooks carried around by students and note-taking professionals.
Samsung and Asus also have ultra-mobile PCs on the way soon.
Still on the portable stakes, a new credit card-size USB flash drive has arrived.
The compact Wallet Flash (http://www.walletex.com) has a double-sided USB port that sticks out and is small enough to fit snugly with other cards in your wallet.
Gilad Grinbaum, the director of G-Innovations (http://www.ginnovations.com.au), distributors of the Israeli-developed device, says it is waterproof, and starts from $30 for 128MB of storage.
If you're a mobile worker in tough and secret conditions, Panasonic's Toughbook CF-51 arrives in September (http://www.panasonic.com.au). It is water and shock resistant and comes in a magnesium-alloy case. The 80GB hard drive is removable for security, and fingerprint and smart-card readers are optional. The series was designed to meet US military durability requirements.
Portable pain weapon may end up in police hands
HE Pentagon's efforts to develop a beam weapon that can deter an adversary by causing a burning sensation on their skin has taken a step forward with the development of a small, potentially hand-held, version. The weapon, which is claimed to cause no permanent harm, could also end up being used by police to control civilians.
The idea of the weapon is to "create a heating sensation that repels individual adversaries", according to the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD) in Quantico, Virginia, which develops less-lethal weapons for the US military and coastguard.
Tests with a rifle-mounted infrared laser, carried out at a US air force lab near Dayton, Ohio, have determined a combination of laser pulse power and wavelength that causes an alarming, hot sensation on the skin, but which stops short of causing a burn, says JNLWD project engineer Wesley Burgei.
"We have established the minimum irradiance to cause a sensation and have characterised where thermal injury begins," he says. "But the exact operating irradiance which balances a useful military effect with a conservative margin of safety has not been nailed down yet."
That's something that will have to be done before the weapon is deployed, as too powerful a laser beam could permanently blind someone if fired at their eyes. Weapons that do this are banned under the UN Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons.
Burgei says it is possible to create a beam that will affect the skin without damaging the cornea, and do so at a wavelength that does not penetrate to the retina "and would therefore be retina safe".
Pentagon researchers say they can create a beam that will affect skin without damaging the cornea
The JNLWD says that tests at the Air Force Research Laboratory's human effectiveness lab have established that the skin heating effect causes no permanent damage - suggesting it may have "military utility". The tests also highlighted areas in need of improvement before troops can use it, says lab manager Semih Kumru - though what those features are has not been revealed.
The proposed system is rifle mounted, with a sight above it and a visible low-power laser beam that the soldier uses to aim the invisible infrared laser. The solid-state laser system is battery-powered, and could become hand-held "in the near future", Burgei says.
The weapon, which has been evolving since 2005, is officially known at the Pentagon as the Thermal Laser System. The US National Institute of Justice, which is also funding the weapon's development in the hope that it may prove useful for the police, refers to it as the IR-Lesslethal device.
The Pentagon already has a large crowd control weapon called the Active Denial System that can heat whole groups of people, causing them to flee. It uses a flat-plate antenna mounted on a truck or aircraft to aim a 2-metre-wide microwave beam at the crowd.
Like all supposedly non-lethal weapons that could be used to control civilians, the Pentagon's new portable weapon is raising concerns. "I'd like to know why they want another advanced pain compliance weapon like this," says Steve Wright, non-lethal weapons analyst at Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK. "Persuading by pain rather than brain - through conversation - has led to push-button torture in the past. If it leaves no mark on the skin how will anyone prove it's been abused?"
Portable pain weapon may end up in police hands
causing a burning sensation on their skin has taken a step forward with the development of a small, potentially hand-held, version. The weapon, which is claimed to cause no permanent harm, could also end up being used by police to control civilians.
The idea of the weapon is to "create a heating sensation that repels individual adversaries", according to the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD) in Quantico, Virginia, which develops less-lethal weapons for the US military and coastguard.
Tests with a rifle-mounted infrared laser, carried out at a US air force lab near Dayton, Ohio, have determined a combination of laser pulse power and wavelength that causes an alarming, hot sensation on the skin, but which stops short of causing a burn, says JNLWD project engineer Wesley Burgei.
"We have established the minimum irradiance to cause a sensation and have characterised where thermal injury begins," he says. "But the exact operating irradiance which balances a useful military effect with a conservative margin of safety has not been nailed down yet."
That's something that will have to be done before the weapon is deployed, as too powerful a laser beam could permanently blind someone if fired at their eyes. Weapons that do this are banned under the UN Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons.
Burgei says it is possible to create a beam that will affect the skin without damaging the cornea, and do so at a wavelength that does not penetrate to the retina "and would therefore be retina safe".
Pentagon researchers say they can create a beam that will affect skin without damaging the cornea
The JNLWD says that tests at the Air Force Research Laboratory's human effectiveness lab have established that the skin heating effect causes no permanent damage - suggesting it may have "military utility". The tests also highlighted areas in need of improvement before troops can use it, says lab manager Semih Kumru - though what those features are has not been revealed.
The proposed system is rifle mounted, with a sight above it and a visible low-power laser beam that the soldier uses to aim the invisible infrared laser. The solid-state laser system is battery-powered, and could become hand-held "in the near future", Burgei says.
The weapon, which has been evolving since 2005, is officially known at the Pentagon as the Thermal Laser System. The US National Institute of Justice, which is also funding the weapon's development in the hope that it may prove useful for the police, refers to it as the IR-Lesslethal device.
The Pentagon already has a large crowd control weapon called the Active Denial System that can heat whole groups of people, causing them to flee. It uses a flat-plate antenna mounted on a truck or aircraft to aim a 2-metre-wide microwave beam at the crowd.
Like all supposedly non-lethal weapons that could be used to control civilians, the Pentagon's new portable weapon is raising concerns. "I'd like to know why they want another advanced pain compliance weapon like this," says Steve Wright, non-lethal weapons analyst at Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK. "Persuading by pain rather than brain - through conversation - has led to push-button torture in the past. If it leaves no mark on the skin how will anyone prove it's been abused?"
Campaign asks for international treaty to limit war robots
A robotics expert, a physicist, a bioethicist and a philosopher have founded the International Committee for Robot Arms Control (ICRAC) to campaign for limits on robotic military hardware.
Roboticist Noel Sharkey at the University of Sheffield, UK, and his colleagues set up ICRAC after a two-day meeting in Sheffield earlier this month. Sharkey has spoken before of ethical concerns about military systems that make their own decisions.
"Robot weapons are likely to change the character of warfare," Sharkey told New Scientist. "We seem to be rushing headlong into the development of autonomous weapons systems without any real concern for the long-term impact on civilian populations."
Preventative measures
In its opening declaration the committee called for a military robots to be banned from space and said no robotic systems should carry nuclear weapons.
The other founding members of ICRAC are physicist Jürgen Altmann of Dortmund University of Technology, Germany; Robert Sparrow of the Centre for Human Bioethics, Monash University, near Melbourne, Australia; and philosopher Peter Asaro of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
The committee will recruit more people to monitor the development of autonomous weapons and to campaign for the preventative arms control – like the regulations that govern nuclear and biological weapons – to be applied to robots.
Robot proliferation
The US air force's remote-controlled aircraft – MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers – are playing an ever-growing role in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. And thousands of ground-based robots have been used to help western forces carry out surveillance in dangerous areas of these countries and to locate and disarm bombs worldwide.
Among the most advanced military robots are Talons – small tractor-mounted units with chemical, temperature and radiation sensors that can also carry grenade launchers, machine guns and 50-calibre rifles.
Close to 50 countries either already have or are working to obtain robotic military systems, says Sharkey. So far these are all controlled remotely by pilots or other operators.
Man in the loop
ICRAC fears the principle of keeping a "man in the loop" will be eroded, so that the next generation of robot soldiers will be trusted with life-or-death decisions. Indeed, research into just such scenarios is taking place with US military funding.
The committee is also worried that countries will be more likely to go to war if their casualties will be robots rather than human soldiers. They have also raised the danger of autonomous systems starting and escalating conflicts automatically.
They are drawing up a report on their concerns to present to the European parliament and plan to invite researchers, politicians and representatives of the military to a conference in Germany next summer.
Good in parts
However, robot soldiers have their place, says Michael Codner, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, a defence think tank in London.
"If you are using them to clear mines and there is no one at risk, it makes absolute sense to use them.
"If one reaches the stage of artificial intelligence where robots become unpredictable because they are making their own minds up, it will be difficult to retain responsibility in the user," he concedes. "But that is an issue that will be some way in the future. There is time for ethics and law to cope with this eventually."
Robotics engineer Ron Arkin at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, has argued that machines could perform more ethically than humans in some battlefield situations if they had ethical rules and biases incorporated into their control software.
Roboticist Noel Sharkey at the University of Sheffield, UK, and his colleagues set up ICRAC after a two-day meeting in Sheffield earlier this month. Sharkey has spoken before of ethical concerns about military systems that make their own decisions.
"Robot weapons are likely to change the character of warfare," Sharkey told New Scientist. "We seem to be rushing headlong into the development of autonomous weapons systems without any real concern for the long-term impact on civilian populations."
Preventative measures
In its opening declaration the committee called for a military robots to be banned from space and said no robotic systems should carry nuclear weapons.
The other founding members of ICRAC are physicist Jürgen Altmann of Dortmund University of Technology, Germany; Robert Sparrow of the Centre for Human Bioethics, Monash University, near Melbourne, Australia; and philosopher Peter Asaro of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
The committee will recruit more people to monitor the development of autonomous weapons and to campaign for the preventative arms control – like the regulations that govern nuclear and biological weapons – to be applied to robots.
Robot proliferation
The US air force's remote-controlled aircraft – MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers – are playing an ever-growing role in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. And thousands of ground-based robots have been used to help western forces carry out surveillance in dangerous areas of these countries and to locate and disarm bombs worldwide.
Among the most advanced military robots are Talons – small tractor-mounted units with chemical, temperature and radiation sensors that can also carry grenade launchers, machine guns and 50-calibre rifles.
Close to 50 countries either already have or are working to obtain robotic military systems, says Sharkey. So far these are all controlled remotely by pilots or other operators.
Man in the loop
ICRAC fears the principle of keeping a "man in the loop" will be eroded, so that the next generation of robot soldiers will be trusted with life-or-death decisions. Indeed, research into just such scenarios is taking place with US military funding.
The committee is also worried that countries will be more likely to go to war if their casualties will be robots rather than human soldiers. They have also raised the danger of autonomous systems starting and escalating conflicts automatically.
They are drawing up a report on their concerns to present to the European parliament and plan to invite researchers, politicians and representatives of the military to a conference in Germany next summer.
Good in parts
However, robot soldiers have their place, says Michael Codner, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, a defence think tank in London.
"If you are using them to clear mines and there is no one at risk, it makes absolute sense to use them.
"If one reaches the stage of artificial intelligence where robots become unpredictable because they are making their own minds up, it will be difficult to retain responsibility in the user," he concedes. "But that is an issue that will be some way in the future. There is time for ethics and law to cope with this eventually."
Robotics engineer Ron Arkin at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, has argued that machines could perform more ethically than humans in some battlefield situations if they had ethical rules and biases incorporated into their control software.
