iTray : Your food will come flying to you!!

As a way of easing the burden on waiting staff, it’s an idea that could certainly get off the ground.

British restaurant chain YO! Sushi has launched what it says is the world’s first flying tray, a kind of airborne waiter capable of delivering food to tables faster than the more traditional leg-equipped variety.

What is  iTray?

The so-called iTray (check it out in the video below), which is apparently capable of reaching speeds of up to 25mph, took off from the kitchen of the restaurant’s flagship store in London over the weekend.

How does it work?

Essentially a modified quad-copter , the flying machine is controlled by an iPad, with a member of staff tilting the tablet to control its movement. It features two built-in cameras so the ‘pilot’ can accurately guide the food-laden tray to diners’ tables before flying it back to the kitchen.

One customer who received his food on the iTray was evidently impressed. “When I ordered the burger, I didn’t imagine it was going to come flying across, into my face, on a tray,” he said, adding, “It was amazing, it was the weirdest thing.”

Speaking of food flying into faces – with customers constantly coming and going, not to mention those making their way to and from the bathroom, you might think the iTray is an accident waiting to happen, but thus far we’re happy to report that no iTray-diner entanglements have been reported. Presumably the tray flies well above the heads of diners, though if it hits a wall on its way to a customer, it could result in a bowl of miso soup landing on your head.

YO! Sushi boss Robin Rowland said the iTray was unveiled as part of the launch of a new rice burger.

“YO! Sushi is about delivering a new concept in an unusual and exciting way,” Rowland said. “The iTray concept came from our thinking of how are we going to show people how light and exciting and fun this food type is.”

If the flying tray proves popular with diners and doesn’t lead to any unfortunate accidents, it could be rolled out to its other stores next year.

YO! Sushi, which currently has more than 70 restaurants worldwide, was the first in the UK to introduce the conveyer-belt sushi system popular in Japan and also uses robotic trolleys to serve up drinks to diners.

To let you get a feel for how they look in action, here is a video showcasing iTray  on Youtube.

Powertrekk fuel cell charger : Charge your devices with water!!

Did your mobile run out of charge just when you were stranded in an unknown place without any electricity?

Well now you can recharge your mobile using water!!Yes, you heard it right, using water.

Researchers in Sweden have developed a new technique where you can charge your devices anywhere without electricity, provided there is a water source nearby. Just add a spoonful and get instant power, anytime anywhere. 

What is PowerTrekk fuel cell charger?

Handy for anyone who spends time away from electricity, the small, lightweight PowerTrekk could power critical devices for warfighters and aid workers deployed to remote areas of the world, Fox News reported. 

Developed by a team in Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology and made by MyFC, it's the world's first water-activated charging device that powers using fresh or salt water, the developers claimed. It can extend battery life up to 3 watts. 

So if you take an iPhone, the charge would be enough for between 25 and 100 per cent of its battery capacity. Any convenient water can be harvested for power, from a kitchen faucet through to a puddle in the jungle. 

Solar charging can be affected by the weather and the position of the sun, of course, and not hugely helpful if your urgent power shortage hits at night. Water charging isn't hindered by these external factors. Even in a desert, a spoonful of water from your thermos can give you power. 

How does it work?
The new device leverages the team's more than 15 years of research on micro fuel cell technology and small flat Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells at the Department of Applied Electrochemistry at KTH. 

To use the PowerTrekk charger, you fill-up water compartment with about one tablespoon, close the lid and connect it to the electronic device with a USB cable. It starts charging automatically as the water inside interacts with a small disposable metal disc causing hydrogen gas to be released. 

When the gas combines with oxygen it converts chemical energy into electrical energy. While in many ways fuel cells are similar to batteries, they are different in that electrodes do not become consumed making them finite. 

Instead provided water and air is provided to the electrodes, these fuel cells will run. Very green power, water vapor is the only by-product. 

Currently, Powertrekk works with devices like cell and smartphones, digital cameras, iPods and GPS. The company is looking into developing their fuel cells to function for larger devices like laptops.

To let you get a feel for how they look in action, here is a video showcasing Powertrekk fuel cell charger on Youtube.

WorldKit-Turn any surface into touchsreen with just a hand gesture!!

 Ubiquitous, gesture-controlled interfaces are one step closer to reality, thanks to a new system developed at Carnegie Mellon University. WorldKit lets you create interactive apps on any surface just by waving your hand. The project was announced by the university on Thursday.

Scientists previously have shown that a depth camera system, such as Kinect, can be combined with a projector to turn almost any surface into a touchscreen. 

What is WorldKit?

Instead of being tethered to your hardware, WorldKit is designed to make access to computing instant and mobile by making the world your touchscreen. Right now, the system involves a ceiling-mounted camera and projector that record hand movements and then project onto the surface of your choice. Some potential uses include TV remote controls, which can be accessed by rubbing the arm of a sofa, or calendars that can be swiped onto doors.

Researchers at the university's Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) used a ceiling-mounted camera and projector to record room geometries, sense hand gestures and project images on desired surfaces.

How does it work?

Robert Xiao, an HCII doctoral student, said WorldKit does not require such an elaborate installation. "Depth sensors are getting better and projectors just keep getting smaller," he said. 

"We envision an interactive 'light bulb' — a miniaturized device that could be screwed into an ordinary light fixture and pointed or moved to wherever an interface is needed," he said. The system does not require prior calibration, automatically adjusting its sensing and image projection to the orientation of the chosen surface.

The system currently allows for things like buttons, multitouch drawing (akin to a whiteboard), and counting the number of object within an interaction “bubble.” The existing prototype still has limited resolution and input dimensions, but hardware advances and future research could allow voice commands or even interaction in free space rather than on surfaces. 

Users can summon switches, message boards, indicator lights and a variety of other interface designs from a menu. Ultimately, the WorldKit team anticipates that users will be able to custom design interfaces with gestures. 

Future Work:

The findings will be presented at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, in Paris. In the future, users should be able to design their own interfaces with WorldKit.