Gemma Simpson
Chips that can sniff out explosives, in-train entertainment systems and mobile advertising are just some of the inventions that have been showcased at a Cambridge innovation centre.
Funded by East of England Development Agency, the St John's Innovation Centre operates the Cambridge Enterprise Hub and provides support from entrepreneurs needing office space to mature businesses seeking technology partnerships.
At an open day last week it showed off some of the innovations developed by companies that it supports.
For example, these chips are actually chemical detectors that can 'sniff out' explosives.
All explosives have a unique aromatic 'fingerprint'. Billy Boyle, co-founder of the chip producer Owlstone, said they are capable of detecting a suspicious substance the size of a 1p piece in a city the size of Paris.
The picture shows a sheet containing many of the chips, each one about the size of a penny.
Photo credit: Gemma Simpson
This interactive touchscreen projected image is a 'living kiosk' that will hang in a shop window and is capable of giving confused consumers advice.
The system features a virtual character that can respond when someone touches the glass of a shop window. Inside the window is a touchscreen foil, developed by Cambridge-based group Visual Planet, with a back-projected image to guide shoppers to what they're looking for.
One suggested application is table-top touchscreen projected images, to be used in meetings and exhibitions.
Photo credit: Gemma Simpson
Is it a plane? No. Is it a train? Yes.
This is an interactive in-train entertainment system with large touchscreens installed for travellers to choose from a variety of films and TV shows.
A working prototype recently hitched a ride on First Great Western Trains, where an entire carriage was decked out, garnering positive feedback from travellers.
First Great Western trains is still deciding whether to roll out the seats on more trains. The service is expected to have a price tag of between £1 and £5, depending on what you watch.
Photo credit: Gemma Simpson
Adverts and promos sent direct to your mobile might seem like a spammer's dream but Cambridge group OnMyMobile want to make sure consumers keep control of what they receive with opt-out services.
The OnMyMobile system uses small servers with a local area network connection for uploading and downloading files. These servers could be plonked anywhere from shops to bus shelters and work over distances of up to 10m.
The system will only send out messages to people who have spent a certain amount of time gazing into a shop window and works on any network or handset.
The picture shows a mock-up of a cinema. The mobile phone user wanders past and can find out information about what's on and whether the film is fully booked, as well as downloading video clips of the flicks they want to see.
Photo credit: Gemma Simpson
If you think atomic clocks should be consigned to the labs, think again.
This atomic clock provides a more accurate alternative to businesses where milliseconds matter.
Most existing time-keeping systems use a rubidium clock, which can gain or lose one second over a 30-month period. A GPS signal is used to correct these clocks.
But Dominic Mikulin, chief executive of OptiSynx, the company behind the clock, said GPS signals can be disrupted by weather, environmental conditions or warped using basic equipment, leaving the system open to tampering.
This new type of atomic clock allows secure and accurate time-keeping without the vulnerability of the existing GPS-based correction, he claimed.
Photo credit: Gemma Simpson
What would the London Eye look like in Norwich? Using 3D computer modelling, East Anglian company Urban Modelling Group provides councils with a way to see what new structures would look like within cities.
This shot of a proposed wheel in Norwich provides the user with a 3D world where you can go for a virtual ride or fly through the streets of Norwich.
Photo credit: Urban Modelling Group
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