#sports

Space Olympics: Astronauts on the ISS Just Held Their Own Olympic GamesWhy let all those gravity-bound athletes have all the fun at the Olympic Games?Astronauts at the International Space Station has just held their own "Space Olympics" with a weightless twist. There was the lack-of-floor routine gymnastic event, the No-handball where astronauts had to get a ping-pong ball through the hatch by blowing on it, synchronized space swimming, and weightless sharpshooting.European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet tweeted: "The first Space Olympics. 4 disciplines. 7 athletes. 2 teams, and a boost for crew cohesion."In Space Olympics, everybody wins!#Olympics #SpaceOlympics #InternationalSpaceStation #ISS #astronaut #weightless #sports

Everyday Olympics by Adrian Hogan: Whimsical Illustrations of the Daily Heroic Feats of Athleticism of the People of TokyoThe Tokyo 2020 Olympics is where the world's most elite athletes compete, but Tokyo-based artist and illustrator Adrian Hogan noticed that the gestures of people he saw in everyday life in Tokyo were very much like those of the athletes."I saw a shop clerk recently who threw open their store shutters and it reminded me of a weightlifter throwing their barbell into the air," Hogan wrote on this Instagram post below. And so he drew the shop clerk as as if he was in the Olympics weightlifting competition.That sparked a series of whimsical illustrations showing the "heroic feats of athleticism outside the arenas" performed by the people in Tokyo on a daily basis. View them all on Hogan's Instagram page.Image above: Hogan wrote that a gust of wind blowing someone's umbrella inside out and watching them scramble to get out of the rain reminded him of the Olympic Torch runners.#Olympics #Tokyo2020 #AdrianHogan #Tokyo #sports

Skin Displays: The Ultra-Thin Future of Wearable Devices“I believe skin displays can get us to a future of technologies that are gentle, kind, and spread warmth, not just information.”These are just some of the words of Takao Someya, a University of Tokyo professor that envisions a “future of electronic devices that not only transmit data but also feelings.” While smartwatches and other wearable devices are already available in the market, some people still find them clunky and impractical to use given their small display.Professor Takao, along with his group and Dai Nippon Printing Co, aims to resolve this by working on a 46mm square, 2mm thin display capable of sticking to one’s skin and other surfaces. This is made possible by using micro-LEDs attached to a stretched silicon substrate connected via silver wiring. This silver wiring comes in the form of a paste that is conductive even as it is stretched and molded into the curvature of one’s hand. The silicone material also acts as a natural adhesive, making attachment easy.  Apart from the obvious health monitoring benefits, skin displays also make accessing information easier and can be very useful in situations where both hands are preoccupied. The flexible design also makes it viable for contact sports, where traditional devices may easily break when struck.  While this design is surely promising, it is not without room for improvement. Professor Takao notes improving power sources, pixel density, and striking a balance between comfort and durability. He and his team are aiming to bring skin displays into consumer’s hands within the next three years. Image: University of Tokyo | Yoshiaki Tsutsui #wearable #display #future #technology #electronics #sports #wellness #microLED #medicaldevice