RSS Feeds
Science
Philips Wants You To Be Able To Hug Your Unborn Baby
Posted by Nick Broughall at 10:37 AM on June 19, 2008
Even the roughest of characters among us would have to admit that babies can be cute. Not necessarily at first, but once they start smiling and giggling and stop crying and pooping all the time, they can be a symbol of pure beauty in this world.
But what about before they're born? We've already seen 3D ultrasounds that can be copied to your iPods to watch your unborn child writhing around inside the uterus, and the general consensus in the comments was that there wasn't anything too cute about that. Of course, it's not just about appearances - the technology also offers medical benefits, like the ability to spot defects and illnesses earlier in the pregnancy.
Now Philips is showing off its concept for what ultrasounds will look like in the future. Aside from having the child look like it's in a pod that you can reach out and touch, the biggest change to the process for Philips is creating a more welcoming atmosphere than the stench of death that tends to waft around hospitals (or is that just disinfectant?).
I'm not a parent yet, so I'm not really one to comment, but I don't like going to a hospital for any reason. What do you guys think? Would you prefer to be able to walk up to a weird-looking pod with a 3D ultrasound of your unborn child in a relatively welcoming environment?
But what about before they're born? We've already seen 3D ultrasounds that can be copied to your iPods to watch your unborn child writhing around inside the uterus, and the general consensus in the comments was that there wasn't anything too cute about that. Of course, it's not just about appearances - the technology also offers medical benefits, like the ability to spot defects and illnesses earlier in the pregnancy.
Now Philips is showing off its concept for what ultrasounds will look like in the future. Aside from having the child look like it's in a pod that you can reach out and touch, the biggest change to the process for Philips is creating a more welcoming atmosphere than the stench of death that tends to waft around hospitals (or is that just disinfectant?).
I'm not a parent yet, so I'm not really one to comment, but I don't like going to a hospital for any reason. What do you guys think? Would you prefer to be able to walk up to a weird-looking pod with a 3D ultrasound of your unborn child in a relatively welcoming environment?
Just because you have a baby at home doesn't mean that your partying days must come to an end. Fortunately, mothers that like to go out on Saturday nights and have a few drinks can prevent passing boob booze onto their kid using a system called Milkscreen. Basically, Milkscreen is a litmus test that screens breast milk for alcohol that could have a negative impact on a baby's health. The whole thing seems a little weird in a contentiously irresponsible sort of way, but I suppose it is better to be safe than have a drunken baby on your hands. Available for US$20 for a large pack.[
If you do like miniature versions of you that make funny noises and poop in their pants, then you may also like the idea of editing a website for parents.
Unless you want to spend money on replacing your AV gear or replacing your pet, you're going to have to protect one from the other. Sound & Vision Mag has seven suggestions on how to do just that. Among them are wrapping up your rat's nest of wires behind the TV, placing a ScatMat (not what it sounds like) to gently shock little animals that step near your goodies, shielding your screen and hiding your remotes. Sounds like a pretty good warmup for when you have to baby-proof your AV gear a few years down the line. Especially with that ScatMat thing. [
The stroller has undergone a radical redesign with this concept by designers Dan Levin and Evan Garrett, which places the baby passenger at almost normal eye-height. The design has sprung legs for ride comfort, and the seat unplugs so you can mount it easily on your bike too. Seems like a great idea, and frees the kid from having to look at endless sets of legs or ceilings rolling by, like in many normal strollers. But I can't help but worry that it looks very top-heavy, and a topple from that height would be terrifying. Might just need bigger, badder wheels. It's a concept, so don't expect to rush off and buy one. [
Hey ladies, imminently expecting to bring a child into the world? No, but you have a sneaking suspicion about the mysterious expansion of your abdominal area? Wouldn't you like to be absolutely sure when/if your water breaks to avoid implausible sitcom rush-to-the-hospital hijinks? The AmniScreen is a schmancy pantyliner that detects the elevated pH in amniotic fluid (gross) and turns teal if you're about to enter a world of birthing pain with a 96 percent accuracy rate. Wow, I got this whole post without puking! I'm pretty impressed with myself. [
Over at the University of Delaware, researchers are refuting the generally accepted rule of thumb that you have to be at least 3 years old to drive. The UD1 is a very slow moving robot, controlled by a joystick, that relies on smart robotics like infrared and sonar to keep the occupant from scooting into danger. In this test, the occupant is 6-month-old Aniya Harris. 
This is just weird, even for the giddy parents-to-be types who like to run around showing off copies of their ultrasound at work. A hospital in England is one (two?)-upping old-school 2D ultrasounds with 4D scans of your in utero spawn. The new scanner produces a moving 3D image, which is why we guess they're calling it 4D—not 'cause it's like tesseract, which I would much rather look at. The article about the new tech's kind of trend-fishing with the iPod angle, since the hospital gives you the file on a CD or DVD, which you can load up on any portable media player. But sweet christ, I hope this doesn't become a real trend. [
