FROM breathing doors and designer eggs to an anti-ageing gel and bio-ceramic bone implants, the mind-boggling display of gadgets beggared belief.
There was even an electronic nose and tongue device to “tantalise” the crowd at the four-day British Invention Show, which ended yesterday.
Then again, it was Britain’s largest expo to showcase the latest inventions, innovations and new technology from around the globe.
And a group of Malaysians were among the 250 inventors from 17 countries who presented their unique ideas for the benefit of mankind.
Led by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM’s) Dr M. Ratnasamy, the 30 researchers were from Universiti Teknologi Mara (Uitm), Universiti Malaya, USM, UKM, UPM, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (Unimap), Mardi and the National Defence University.
Azimin Samsul Mohd Tazilan literally breathes life into his innovative door, which is based on the traditional kampung house design. “I was inspired by my grandparent’s house in Selama, Perak, which is breezy and has plenty of natural lighting,” said the UKM lecturer/researcher.
Azimin noted that houses with conventional doors were often warm and stuffy due to lack of good ventilation. “Imagine both the front and back doors closed and somebody’s cooking in the kitchen,” he said, describing a typical Malaysian home.
He said his breathing door comprised four pieces “sandwiched” together – a perforated inner layer, a movable screen panel, a safety metal/polymer plate and an external unit.
The unique combination allows for easy air movement with cross-ventilation, natural lighting, privacy, safety and health, he explained. “This is a low-tech, cost-effective but smarter way to cool the house by up to 30%,” he added.
Azimin said his aim was to design a functional house complete with breathing ceilings, walls and roof within five years.
Source: The Star
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Malaysia Spaceman returns today
MOSCOW: Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor will return to earth today after an 11-day stint in space.
He will receive a warm welcome from a Malaysian delegation, which includes his parents, led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The Angkasawan will return with Russians Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov on board the previous mission’s vehicle Soyuz TMA-10 or Soyuz 14S, which will undock from the docking port at the International Space Station’s functional cargo block or Zarya at 11.15am (3.15pm Malaysian time).
The spacecraft will travel for just over three hours before landing within a 10km radius in Arkylk, Kazakhstan, at 2.37pm (6.37pm Malaysian time).
The Soyuz TMA-11 or Soyuz 15S was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Oct 10, bringing Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, new ISS commander Peggy Whitson and Russian Yuri Malenchencko to the ISS two days later.
Najib, Science, Technology and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Jamaludin Jarjis, Malaysian Ambassador to Russia Datuk Mohamad Khalis Ali Hassan and other dignitaries will watch the landing sequences from the Mission Control Centre here.
Malaysians, meanwhile, can watch the historic event live on Astro Channel 58.
Upon landing, a recovery team including the Malaysian Mission Flight Surgeon and Russian crew support personnel will reach the landing area in a convoy of Russian military helicopters.
Once the capsule touches down, the helicopters will land nearby to begin removing the crew and set up a portable medical tent.
Russian technicians will open the module’s hatch and begin removing the crew one at a time before the cargo is retrieved. The crew will be seated in special reclining chairs for initial medical tests and to re-adapt to earth’s gravity.
Back at mission control, the participating agencies will hold a press conference after the crew’s safe retrieval, with Najib taking questions on behalf of Malaysia.
Officials from the Russian Federal Space Agency, Nasa and Malaysia will then congratulate each other for a successful mission.
This will be followed with a simple traditional landing ceremony led by Najib, Jamaludin, the scientists and technical crew members at the Malaysian Technical Control Centre at mission control – the National Angkasawan Programme mission logo sticker will be placed on the room wall to commemorate completion of the mission and the officials will sign on the wall.
Meanwhile, two hours after landing, the Soyuz crew will be flown via helicopters to a staging site in Kustanai, near the Kazakh-Russian border, where Kazakh officials will welcome them.
At 7pm (11pm Malaysian time), the crew will board a military plane to fly to the Chkalovsky Airfield adjacent to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Russia. They are expected to land there at 8pm (midnight Malaysia).
At the Chkalovsky airport, the delegation including Dr Sheikh Muszaphar’s parents Datin Zuraida Sheikh Ahmad and Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Shukor will be waiting to welcome him home.
He will receive a warm welcome from a Malaysian delegation, which includes his parents, led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The Angkasawan will return with Russians Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov on board the previous mission’s vehicle Soyuz TMA-10 or Soyuz 14S, which will undock from the docking port at the International Space Station’s functional cargo block or Zarya at 11.15am (3.15pm Malaysian time).
The spacecraft will travel for just over three hours before landing within a 10km radius in Arkylk, Kazakhstan, at 2.37pm (6.37pm Malaysian time).
The Soyuz TMA-11 or Soyuz 15S was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Oct 10, bringing Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, new ISS commander Peggy Whitson and Russian Yuri Malenchencko to the ISS two days later.
Najib, Science, Technology and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Jamaludin Jarjis, Malaysian Ambassador to Russia Datuk Mohamad Khalis Ali Hassan and other dignitaries will watch the landing sequences from the Mission Control Centre here.
Malaysians, meanwhile, can watch the historic event live on Astro Channel 58.
Upon landing, a recovery team including the Malaysian Mission Flight Surgeon and Russian crew support personnel will reach the landing area in a convoy of Russian military helicopters.
Once the capsule touches down, the helicopters will land nearby to begin removing the crew and set up a portable medical tent.
Russian technicians will open the module’s hatch and begin removing the crew one at a time before the cargo is retrieved. The crew will be seated in special reclining chairs for initial medical tests and to re-adapt to earth’s gravity.
Back at mission control, the participating agencies will hold a press conference after the crew’s safe retrieval, with Najib taking questions on behalf of Malaysia.
Officials from the Russian Federal Space Agency, Nasa and Malaysia will then congratulate each other for a successful mission.
This will be followed with a simple traditional landing ceremony led by Najib, Jamaludin, the scientists and technical crew members at the Malaysian Technical Control Centre at mission control – the National Angkasawan Programme mission logo sticker will be placed on the room wall to commemorate completion of the mission and the officials will sign on the wall.
Meanwhile, two hours after landing, the Soyuz crew will be flown via helicopters to a staging site in Kustanai, near the Kazakh-Russian border, where Kazakh officials will welcome them.
At 7pm (11pm Malaysian time), the crew will board a military plane to fly to the Chkalovsky Airfield adjacent to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Russia. They are expected to land there at 8pm (midnight Malaysia).
At the Chkalovsky airport, the delegation including Dr Sheikh Muszaphar’s parents Datin Zuraida Sheikh Ahmad and Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Shukor will be waiting to welcome him home.
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