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Researchers at the University of Michigan have unveiled their latest breakthrough:  a tiny solar power system that contains a processor, battery and solar cells all in 9 cubic millimeters! The miniature system measures 2.5 by 3.5 by 1 millimeters -- 1,000 times smaller than any comparable commercial system.  It's extremely energy efficient and the scientists say that it could almost operate perpetually if the battery didn't have to be replaced after many years. The system uses an ARM processor, a popular, widely-used processor which will make commercial adoption of this technology much easier. The system could be remodeled to generate power from movement or heat instead of light, making it fit for a variety of uses.  Like the small, flexible kinetic-energy harvester we profiled a last month, the scientists also see this device serving as a power source for medical implants like pacemakers.  Other possibilities include powering environmental sensors that track air and water quality and motion sensors for buildings, homes and bridges. The good news is that the researchers are already working on commercially developing the system.  With a host of possible applications, who knows where this itty bitty power generator might end up.

LumiSheet is the world's first unified BLU(Back Light Unit), which contains several reflected LEDs as a source of light unlike existing BLUs. For more complete information, a catalog is available below, or you can see more photos in the LumiSheet Gallery. Advantages:     • Available in 4mm and 8mm     • Long Lifetime: Over 50,000 hrs/11 years @ 12 hours a day     • 12 volt system uses 70% less power than T5 fluorescents     • Eco-Friendly: Contains no mercury or other heavy metals     • Waterproof: IP67 & IP68 Approved     • Custom Sizes up to 4'x8' with Quick Delivery Times     • Licensed LED's, Crystal Acrylic, UL, CE approved Applications:     • signage     • trade show and exhibition design     • sports and entertainment     • architecture and enviromental design     • point-of-purchase

Luna feature, glass — By Blaine Brownell on November 18, 2009 at 9:00 am Luna is a unique cast glass building material that contains a phosphorescent chemical, absorbing light during the day and glowing for hours at night. Luna is manufactured using glass recycled from car windshields and is ideal for bar fronts, tops, feature walls, flooring applications, or any interior or exterior area.

This is the discovery that could put the College of Wooster on the map: glass that swells like a sponge.  Put together like a nano-matrix, the new glass can unfold to hold up to eight times its weight.  The glass binds with gasoline and other pollutants containing volatile organic compounds but it does not bind with water, so it acts like a “smart” sponge, capable of picking and choosing from contaminated groundwater.