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Catching Getaway Cars
Joy-riders, car thieves, escaping terrorists, and the law-enforcement officers who chase after them can cause a lot of damage to property and lives. A new nonlethal entrapment device promises to put a stop to such chases--literally. The Super X-Net developed by QinetiQ, an independent British science and technology company, is a portable spike-and-net system that, when thrown in a vehicle's path, wraps itself around the wheels and axle, punctures the tires, and prevents the getaway. And since the net can be "shot" at the target vehicle from a safe distance, police and security officers are protected from the threat of car bombs.

Hydrogen Power On Demand
A new method for obtaining hydrogen could make it easier to switch small internal combustion engines like lawn mowers from gasoline to fuel cells. Purdue University researchers have found that hydrogen is generated spontaneously when water is added to an alloy of aluminum and gallium. "The hydrogen is generated on demand, so you only produce as much as you need when you need it," explains electrical and computer engineering professor Jerry Woodall, who invented the process.

Source: Purdue University, News Service, 400 Centennial Mall Drive, Room 324, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907. Web site http://news.uns.purdue.edu/ .
 

Music-Making for the Disabled
Playing a musical instrument requires dexterity that few people can master, let alone individuals whose mobility is impaired, such as those with severe cerebral palsy. But that may soon change thanks to a new virtual keyboard created by Renssaelaer Polytechnic Institute media communications student Zane Van Dusen. With the keyboard interface, the user sits in front of a camera and chooses a point to track, such as the tip of the nose; when the user "points" at the keyboard image, the software tracks the correct note to play. Van Dusen notes that the device could have therapeutic benefits, providing an outlet for creative expression among people with extremely limited mobility and motivating young children with disabilities to work harder in physical therapy.

Source: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Media Relations 2021, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180. Web site www.rpi.edu .

Laser Surveillance
Privacy advocates object to public video cameras watching innocent citizens' every move. But public-safety advocates argue that video surveillance protects us from criminals and terrorists. Now, a new laser-based item monitoring system could provide a better balance of privacy and protection. Developed by the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the system scans reflective tags on objects and can detect small changes in reflected signals, indicating possible tampering. The laser-based system thus bypasses the need for privacy-invading videos, and it less susceptible to jamming than bar-code readers and radio frequency identification, according to the developers.

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831. Web site www.ornl.gov .

Dissolving Clothes
"How sweetly flows the liquefaction of her clothes." When poet Robert Herrick praised a woman's silk dress, he had no idea that liquefaction would one day be seen as a solution to future environmental problems. "Melting material" for dissolvable dresses are under development at the universities of Ulster and Sheffield as part of a collection of eco-friendly designs. The fabric is made of a clear polymer that breaks down very slowly under normal wear. Rather than throwing it out once it's gone out of style, the user will drop the dress into a bowl of hot water to liquefy. No more rags in the world's overflowing landfills.

Source: University of Sheffield Polymer Center, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TE, United Kingdom. Web site www.shef.ac.uk/polymer .

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