London, December 28 : Microsoft's mind reader has been proclaimed the topmost invention of 2007, in accordance with the responses of New Scientist readers to the various innovations reported throughout the year.
Microsoft's mind reader has been proclaimed the topmost invention of 2007, in accordance with the responses of New Scientist readers to the various innovations reported throughout the year.
The patent application refers to the company's plan to read data straight from people's brains. It proposes a way of using EEG's to monitor people's responses to new user interfaces.
A wide-angled gigapixel satellite surveillance system was the second top invention of the year. It comprises of a wide-angle camera that can photograph a 10-kilometre-square area from an altitude of 7.5 kilometres with a resolution better than 50 centimetres per pixel, which is enough to survey an entire city in one sweep.
Third on the list was the Brain radiator, a thermal pipe implanted into the brain to carry heat away, that may reduce the chances of severe epileptic fits.
Electronics giant Philips' vibrating razor, which the company claims may cause less skin irritation, came in fourth.
Wrapping up the top five was the hibernation diet, based on a researcher's discovery that he could trigger a state of fat-burning hibernation in mice, which usually do not hibernate.
It was followed by blood staunching bandages, made of about 65 per cent glass fibre and 35 per cent bamboo fibre. Such bandages not only absorb blood, but also stimulate the body's ability to staunch the flow.
A proposition about fitting aircraft tyres with built-in aerofoils that exploit the surrounding airflow to make them rotate before a landing, thus saving tyres excessive wear and tear, came in seventh.
The magazine's readers also supported Philips' plans to make wearable fabric displays that they believe may be used as switchable chameleon-like camouflage in military uniforms.
Sony's digit-saving biometrics that may prevent thefts attempted with the help of chopped hands to beat fingerprint recognition systems was at ninth position. This system proposes to photograph the patterns of blood capillaries just under the skin, which are no longer visible once the finger is cut off, using an infrared camera.
Wrapping up the top 10 was Sony's plan for a motor-powered skateboard the rider controls using his or her balance, like a Segway.
Top 10 inventions of 2007, according to New Scientist readers' responses:
Now, a humanoid robot that is no pushover Japanese researchers have developed a humanoid robot that has the ability to rebalance itself after accidental or intentional shoves or kicks land anywhere on its body.
Microsoft
top 10 inventions
mind reader
