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Hello everyone and happy new year! We are happy to announce the release of some new ultra compact board cameras! This is an update to a previous line of cameras that featured the same small footprint, and great technology. The update features the new 20B45 (NTSC) / 21B45 (PAL) ($79.95) 14x14mm board camera. This new camera features Day/Night functionality and is much more sensitive in low light situations compared to its predecessor the 20B44. This seriously small camera is also available with a mounted Pin-Hole lens (20B45M NTSC / 21B45M PAL) ($79.95) and an M-12 lens mount (20B45M-12 NTSC / 21B45M-12 PAL) ($89.95). Also featured (in the center of the image above) is the 20RD45 (NTSC) / 21RD45 (PAL). ($199.95). This 17×19.5mm rounded board camera that was once a dual board camera (20RD8) is now even smaller! As a single board OEM camera it can now fit into a much smaller build. Also available is the option for an even smaller 13mm round board and is more sensitive in low light situations as well. All of these new cameras are a low power, reliable solution for OEM’ers. Click on any of the model numbers above to learn more. Stay tuned for more updates in the future!

A Wrist Worn Device that Allows You to Control Your Gadgets Ever wish you could answer a call, turn up the volume, or play your favorite video game using just hand gestures? Enter Microsoft Digits, a wrist-worn sensor that turns your hand gestures into virtual movements with the use of small cameras and IR sensors. Digits allows you to interact with various gadgets wherever you go, all from the one device. As of now, Digits prototype is a bit large and cumbersome, however developers are working to reduce the size of the unit making it more practical for every day use. How it works: An infrared (IR) camera sensor located on the device detects an IR beam emitted from the device. The camera sensor detects the distance to the user’s fingers to determine how the hand is bent. Additional rings of IR LED’s illuminate the hand to determine the position and direction of the hand. Software then uses the data to construct a real-time 3D model of the hand. Because the sensors are located on the device, the user has no range restrictions, allowing them to move about freely. What do you think? Would use for Digits?

The sense of sight is arguably the most complex of the five senses. Take a few moments to consider, what if one day the world as you know it went black… The ability to see is one of the most intricate processes of the human body. Unfortunately every day thousands of people suffer eye injury or are diagnosed with eye disease, taking away this priceless function. In this video Rob Spence, self-named “Eyeborg”, suffered a debilitating eye injury that left him with only one eye. Spence teamed up with engineers and was fitted with at prosthetic eye containing a wireless video camera. This sparked Spence’s interest in bionic implants and how close current technology is to reaching what once seemed like science fiction. For more information on emerging technology in retinal implants click here.

Watch as this snake-like robot slithers then coils its way up a tree! The Biorobotics Lab at Carnegie Mellon University has created a bio-inspired Snakebot which mimics the motion of a snake, pushing the development of robots one step further. The team at CMU has focused on two models of Snakebots – one to traverse land, and the other for surgical use. Both varieties are equipped with a small camera located in the head and numerous moving joints that propel it forward. At this point, the Snakebots are tethered to a power source and are controlled by an operator, however scientist say it is not long before bots are completely wireless. Developers plan to us the larger Snakebot which operates on land, to perform search and rescue missions, pipe inspections, and other tasks that are difficult or dangerous for people to explore. With the direction of an operator, the robot can coil around a tree or pipe and use the camera to observe its surroundings. The medical Snakebot is basically a mini surgeon equipped with its own scalpel and forceps. The surgeon makes a keyhole incision then inserts the snake. The snake then navigated remotely by the doctor. The incision is smaller than the size of a US dime, reducing recovery time and making operation time faster. Thus making surgery less invasive and less expensive. Surgeons have already successfully tested the Snakebot on pigs and have begun trials on human tissue. How do you feel about Snakebots doing the jobs of humans?