Word: sensor
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...soul of the new machine, developed in conjunction with the David Sarnoff Research Center, is the same basic technology used by U.S. missiles to distinguish between Soviet and American warplanes. A sensor scans the space in front of the TV searching for patterns of light and dark -- the shine of a nose, the line of a mouth -- that suggest the presence of a face. A computer then makes more detailed scans at higher and higher resolutions, trying to match facial features to those of family members stored in its memory. (An unfamiliar face would be recorded as a "visitor.") When...
...bowl-cum-bidet, the Washlet sprays a water jet, then dries with a blast of warm air. For added comfort, the seat is heated. It even has a safety device: to prevent the mechanically inquisitive from being sprayed in the face, the water nozzle will not work until a sensor registers the presence of a seat upon the seat. The fruit of a two-year survey of the Japanese anatomy -- in search of the perfect angle for the water nozzle -- the Washlet is being aggressively marketed by its manufacturer, TOTO, Japan's largest maker of toilets. Promise the ads: "Your...
...have been strictly limited by law. The reason: a devastating fire in an underground shopping mall in Shizuoka that killed 15 people in 1980. Subterranean structures are resistant to earthquakes and water leaks but generally vulnerable to fire and smoke. Architects believe they can beat the problem with sophisticated sensor systems to warn of fires and temporary shelters in which the inside air pressure is kept slightly higher than normal to repel smoke...
When the system switches into automatic mode on Columbus Day, the computer calculates a composite temperature from space sensor readings and switches the steam valves accordingly. Facilities Maintenance estimates that 85 percent of the University is controlled by this system. The remaining buildings--mostly offices--run on their own thermostats...
...William Garman, 51, contracted Lou Gehrig's disease in 1982 and within two years was paralyzed, unable to speak or write. Then, last summer, a group of Westinghouse engineers outfitted Garman with an infrared sensor that moves a computer screen's cursor in response to his blinking. For the first time since his illness struck, Garman has been able to communicate with family and friends. His first words, painstakingly spelled out one letter at a time...