Category Technology/Electronics

1. Flow Ambiguity: A Path Towards Classically Driven Blind Quantum Computation. Physical Review X, 2017; 7 (3) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.7.031004
2. Illustration of an exemplary run of Protocol 1

Researchers suggest you could operate a quantum computer in the cloud without revealing your data or the program you’re running. Here’s the scenario: you have sensitive data and a problem that only a quantum computer can solve. You have no quantum devices yourself. You could buy time on a quantum computer, but you don’t want to give away your secrets. What can you do? Writing in Physical Review X on 11 July, researchers in Singapore and Australia propose a way you could use a quantum computer securely, even over the internet. The technique could hide both your data and program from the computer itself...

1. This prototype glove includes soft sensors that are capable of registering movement of each finger individually. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 2. The silicone-textile hybrid sensors are highly flexible and resilient, making them excellent candidates for sensing body movement. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

Hybrid silicone-fabric sensor detects fine motor movements by flexing with the body. Wearable technologies – from heart rate monitors to virtual reality headsets – are exploding in popularity in both the consumer and research spaces, but most of the electronic sensors that detect and transmit data from wearables are made of hard, inflexible materials that can restrict both the wearer’s natural movements and the accuracy of the data collected...

Bioinspired supramolecular fibers drawn from a multiphase self-assembled hydrogel. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017; 201705380 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1705380114

A team of architects and chemists from the University of Cambridge has designed super-stretchy and strong fibres which are almost entirely composed of water, and could be used to make textiles, sensors and other materials. The fibres, which resemble miniature bungee cords as they can absorb large amounts of energy, are sustainable, non-toxic and can be made at room temperature...

The watchstrap contains piezoresistive fibers produced on a 3D printer. The wrist movements are transmitted to steer the drone. Credit: Image courtesy of Empa

Moving things with a wave of the hand: thanks to Empa technology this dream could soon become real. A sensor made of electroconductive piezo-resistive fibers integrated in a wristband measures wrist movements and converts them into electrical signals, which can be read by a terminal device and interpreted. This can be used to steer drones or other electronic devices without a remote control. A wave to the left: the drone moves to the left. A wave to the right: the drone turns right. Clench your hand into a fist and it lands gently on the table.

Although motion sensors are nothing new, until now movements were primarily recorded using...