Trilobite Takes on Your Living Room

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- People often have a love/hate relationship with their household appliances, but that might change with the Trilobite -- a new, autonomous vacuum cleaner that hit UK stores in May.

"Many people become very attached to their Trilobites and treat them like family pets," said Martin Hedström, product manager at Trilobite manufacturer Electrolux in Västervik, Sweden.

The vacuum is independent and conscientious, but it does need somebody to press the start button. The Trilobite uses ultrasound to navigate through a room -- first the vacuum sends out an ultrasound signal that reflects off the walls and furniture, then eight microphones inside the Trilobite receive and measure the returning signals, giving the vacuum an accurate picture of the room and allowing it to avoid collisions.

The vacuum then calculates the size of a room by following around the walls. It does this for a minimum of 90 seconds and up to 15 minutes. After it finishes mapping the room, it automatically starts cleaning.

The company settled on a design of a low, round body to help the machine maneuver in small spaces and under furniture.

The machine can vacuum around a glass of water without spilling a drop, the company said. In addition, if the machine senses it's losing its charge, it automatically returns to the charging bay. It also turns itself off when finished.


GPS: Up Close and Personal

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Forget about tracking somebody's location via cell phone. A Florida company said it successfully field-tested a new subdermal GPS personal location device (PLD).

The implantable device wirelessly transmits location, movement and vital signs via the Internet, storing the info in a database, according to Applied Digital Solutions, maker of the PLD. Currently the size of a pacemaker, the company said it plans to shrink the PLD to one-half to one-tenth of that size in the future.

Applied Digital Solutions said field-testing and follow-up lab testing showed proper functioning of the disk-shaped prototype, which incorporates a specially designed antenna and uses induction-based recharging similar to that used by implantable pacemakers. This recharging technique requires no physical connection between the power source and the implant.

"While reaching the working prototype stage represents a significant advancement in the development of PLD, we continue to pursue further enhancements, especially with regard to miniaturization and the power supply," said Dr. Peter Zhou, vice president and chief scientist of Applied Digital Solutions. "We should be able to reduce the size of the device dramatically before the end of this year."

Last year, the company said it accelerated development of the PLD in response to demand from potential customers, but also acknowledged that the exact timing of commercial availability is unclear pending further technological refinements and achieving any required regulatory clearances.

The PLD is part of Applied Digital Solutions' line of "personal safeguard technologies," which also includes the VeriChip, an implantable chip that stores personal information such as medical conditions, and the Digital Angel -- a GPS that uses wristwatch-like devices to track the location of people, pets and objects.


Yakima Police Get the Picture

YAKIMA, Wash. -- The Yakima Police Department will soon have a digital video system (DVS) for its fleet of police cruisers. The DVS will allow officers to capture video of traffic stops and criminal activity in progress.

"The new system will enhance public safety by providing evidence that will help convict lawbreakers," said Capt. Jeff Schneider of the Yakima Police Department.

Installed in each of the department's 32 cruisers, the DVS will collect data via digital video cameras mounted in the cars, as well as from audio microphones worn