Mobile Human-Friendly Assistive Robot

Researchers at Rensselaer created a robotic assistant that is more versatile, cheaper, and which can be remotely controllable by anyone whose mobility is impaired. The disclosed robotic assistant generally comprises a motorized base and dual arm robot mounted thereon. The robotic assistant is designed to be utilized by mobility impaired individuals through a sip-and-blow interface, tongue command device, eye/blink tracker, a joystick, etc., to, e.g., command the motion of the assistant to pick up objects from floor or shelf, to inspect suspicious noise, etc.

Acoutic Attenuators Based On Porous Nanostructured Materials

This technology relates to sound absorption material. Reduction of noise in the environment is important for avoiding hearing loss and for improving psychological health in humans. This technology provides sound absorbing composition that includes particles embedded in a network of nanofibers. The composition contains pores ranging in size from less than 10 nm to more than one micron in diameter and exhibits acoustic transmission loss ranging from 20 to 60 dBcm thickness of the composition.

Decorrelating Audio Signals for Stereophonic and Surround Sound Using Coded and Maximum-Length-Class Sequences

This technology relates to the decorrelation of audio signals for use in surround sound techniques. Decorrelation improves listener envelopment and spatial immersion, but prior techniques suffer from unwanted timbre coloration and are computationally expensive. The present technology improves decorrelation by utilizing a pseudorandom sequence and a reciprocal of the pseudorandom sequence to convolve the audio signal into the desired number of output signals.

Method and Apparatus for Coastline Remediation, Energy Generation, and Vegetation Support

Coastal urban development has resulted in buildings and civil structures extending to the waters edge, which has significantly reduced the coastlines natural mechanisms for resisting erosion from wave action. There is a need to restore the ability of many coastlines to absorb wave energy and to restore native shoreline plants. To address this problem, this technology provides biomechanical structures for coastline remediation.

Solar Enclosure for Water Reuse

Rensselaer researchers have developed a water treatment system that is integrated with the faade of a building. The system includes a lens that forms part of the building faade and that guides sunlight through wastewater carrying conduits so that the wastewater is treated by the sunlight. The system therefore provides an inexpesive water treatment solution, but also increased thermal storage, as the water absorbs heat energy from the sunlight as well.

CONCENTRATING TYPE SOLAR COLLECTION AND DAYLIGHTING SYSTEM WITHIN GLAZED BUILDING ENVELOPES

Conventional technologies used for the generation of solar power include building-integrated flat-plate photovoltaic (PV) systems, and stand-alone concentrating PV systems that are removed from the location of power application. Although these technologies work, widespread adoption of them for general use has been hampered by a number of impediments, such as the large amount of silicon needed for flat-plate systems, the cost and appearance of the stand-alone systems, and the relatively weak solar-to-electric operating conversaion efficiencies of both systems.