Digital: 21^st Century train set
Lodged deep somewhere in the masculine mind is the desire for a train set, and this Christmas Santa has been working overtime. Classic train set design company Hornby launches its innovative and sexily titled ‘Digital Command Centre’.  It allows the user to control the trains directly rather than using the track’s power supply. The command centre can control 255 different trains and 250 accessories including lights, barriers and points. And, with a USB PC connection users will also be able to download extra sounds and features for the trains.

Design: Robot Roomie
Could your best pal in the future be a Tin Man? The Adaptive Systems Research Group at the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Computer Science are studying how we get along with robots as part of their research on improving the way robots interact with humans. Should the robot have a human face? If so, how human? How should the robot move around us? Can the robot be taller or smaller? Their findings prove fascinating.

Life: molecules that do logic
Molecules capable of basic logic operations have been created by Prasanna de Silva and colleagues at Queen's University in Belfast, that could serve as tiny ID tags for identifying individual cells or nano-devices. The technique, called molecular computational identification (MCID) could be used in medical research, allowing researchers to tag and identify individual cells, for instance, which would fluoresce in the presence of a specific chemical. It might also be useful for nanotechnologists who need to keep track of thousands or millions of tiny nanostructures.

Digital: designing acoustics
An innovative software is being developed by acoustic engineers at the University of Salford that accurately measures exactly how sound behaves in 'real-world' situations. The technique could improve acoustics in buildings ranging from concert halls to railway stations and assist in the development of more effective hearing aids. They are exploring how music played at an average level of audibility, and even the conversation of people in the indoor environment can be sound-tested. Since loud test sounds are not required, this approach avoids the need to vacate the environment when testing takes place, enabling more realistic acoustic data to be gathered.

John
December 2006/January 2007

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