Funds freed up for UK innovation

More than £1 billion has been awarded in UK grants

UK pioneers of research into new materials, green energy and future communications will share a £100m government fund to back innovation.

More than 76 research and development projects covering eight technology priority areas will share the money.

The money has been made available through the Technology Strategy Board which promotes innovation in business.

The board has funded more than 700 projects with a total of £1bn since it was formed in 2004.

The new money for projects starting this year was announced by Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary John Denham.

Pioneers in healthcare, green energy and business competitiveness will benefit, along with work on advanced cell therapies to treat wounds and eventually organs, and ways to allow patients with chronic conditions to be monitored from home.

Environmental priorities include better materials for use in wind and wave farms, efficient lighting for shop fronts and systems to better exploit small-scale local energy production.

Mr Denham said: "New research in these important eight key technology areas will make a real difference to the economy and to our lives.

"This is an excellent programme that fills the gap between pure science and industry Dr Nicholas Warrior, Nottingham University

"Our work on innovation will help businesses to succeed and improve public services, meeting the challenges of the 21st century and enhancing people's life chances."

The new round of funding has been welcomed by the Science Council, the body which represents scientific bodies and professionals around the UK.

The council's chief executive Diana Garnham said the eight target areas touched "almost all areas of science, engineering, technology and mathematics".

She added: "The funding will involve many different types of professionals, not just in science and technology but in business as well."

Dr Nicholas Warrior, who received funding from previous rounds of the Technology Strategy Board, said the grants had made a huge difference to his research at Nottingham University.

"This is an excellent programme that fills the gap between pure science and industry.

"We would not have been able to pursue our work without the help of the Board."

Dr Warrior is working on research to develop advanced materials from recycling carbon fibre, which provide a lightweight and strong alternative to metals like steel.

Carbon fibre materials are often found in planes, boats, racing cars and body armour.

World production of carbon fibre is about 25,000 tonnes per year but it is difficult and costly to recycle.

Dr Warrior's research project aims to make the process of recovering carbon fibre from composite materials much simpler.

Factfile: XO laptop

The One Laptop Per Child project is one step closer to releasing the completed machine to millions of schoolchildren in the developing world. But what makes the computer so unique?

INTERNAL HARDWARE

To ensure the laptop is robust and can be maintained as easily as possible it omits all moving parts. It has no hard drive, CD or DVD drive. As it also packs a low power processor it has no cooling fans.

Storage: Instead of a large hard drive the laptop has 1GB of flash memory, similar to that used in some digital cameras.

The memory can be expanded using an SD memory card slot underneath the screen or by plugging in peripheral devices through the USB ports.

Files can also be backed up on to a "school server" - a larger computer installed in a classroom - or via an online system provided by search giant Google.

HARDWARE OVERVIEW Processor: AMD 433 MHz Memory: 256MB SDRAM Storage: 1GB Flash

Processor: The chip, made by AMD, is much slower than most in today's PCs, operating at a speed of just 433Mhz. In comparison , some of today's high performance machines have multiple chips with speeds of up to 3GHz.

The off-the-shelf processor is designed to be energy efficient. Unlike a standard chip, which remains active even when nothing changes on screen, the AMD processor is able to shut itself down, only waking when it is needed. It has an inbuilt graphics card.

Wi-fi: To conserve as much battery power as possible the wi-fi adapter can operate even when the main processor is switched off or asleep. It is able to do this by having its own in-built low power chip. The adapter supports standard wireless protocols used in most homes and offices.

Return to top

SOFTWARE

Different programs appear in the doughnut icon as they are opened

The laptop has a bespoke Linux operating system (OS) developed by leading open source software company Red Hat.

In contrast to sometimes costly proprietary software, open source software is free and allows users to access and alter the code. OLPC hopes some children will tinker with the code to develop new programs.

In comparison to standard operating systems (OS), it is very small when compressed, taking up just 130MB of space. By comparison, Windows XP takes up around ten times that amount, requiring 1.5GB of hard drive space.

Its user interface is known as Sugar. At the centre of the screen is a customised icon surrounded by a white circle known as the "doughnut". As different programs are opened icons appear in the doughnut.

Different programs take up different amounts of space on the ring depending on their size and system requirements. Because of the machine's limited memory, when the doughnut is full, no more programs can be opened.

It includes standard programs such as a web browser based on Firefox; a word processor able to handle most common document types, including Microsoft formats; a PDF reader and media player. In addition, it comes with games, a music creation tool and drawing programs.

Return to top

WI-FI

Flash guide to mesh networking

The wi-fi antennas are also known as rabbit ears

One of the most recognisable features of the laptop is the dual wi-fi antennas, known affectionately as "rabbit ears". These boost the range of the wireless connection by between two-and three-times the normal range.

A test done in the outback of Australia under ideal conditions showed that two laptops could communicate more than 2km (1.2 miles) apart. In reality, the range will be much shorter than this.

Using standard wireless protocols, the laptops are automatically able to form a "mesh network" where each machine acts as both laptop and router, able to pass information between computers.

If one laptop is switched on in range of an internet connection (usually at a local school) all other laptops on the network can share the access.

Those computers furthest from the connection will have the lowest internet speeds. If there is no internet access, the laptops can still share data, video and information through the mesh.

It does not have an Ethernet port for use with wired internet connections .

Return to top

SCREEN

The screen can be used in colour or black and white mode

The laptop has a low power dual-mode display, allowing children to toggle between colour and black-and-white screens.

Designed for use in outdoor classrooms, the full-colour transmissive mode is similar to any other Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), but in ultra low-power black-and-white mode the screen is readable in direct sunlight.

Many companies are interested in using the technology in standard laptop displays.

SCREEN OVERVIEW 19cm (7.5 inches) LCD display Colour mode: Resolution 800x600 (133dpi); power consumption 1 watt Black and white mode: Resolution 1200x900 (200dpi); power consumption 0.2 watt; sunlight readable

The screen can also swivel around to convert the laptop into an e-book or a games console.

It is also easily maintained. For example, a faulty backlight - a common complaint on aging laptops - can be replaced by undoing two screws.

Return to top

POWER SUPPLY

The pull-string recharger is just one method of powering the laptop

A range of power supplies are available to countries buying the laptop. Two choices of rechargeable battery are offered with different chemistries. Both cost $10 (£5) to replace and hold their charge for at least four-times the amount of time as a normal laptop battery, according to OLPC.

For areas with an electricity supply, the computer can be used with an 18W power adapter.

In areas without access to the grid, various contraptions have been designed to plug directly into the laptop including a solar panel, a hand crank (similar to those used on wind-up radios), a foot pedal and a pull-string recharger, similar to a starter cord on a lawnmower.

The pull-string gives 10 minutes of charge for every minute of pulling. Group recharging stations can also be bought for schools where multiple batteries can be hooked up to solar panels or car batteries.

Return to top

KEYBOARD

The sealed rubber keyboard is child-sized and waterproof

The sealed green rubber keyboard is waterproof and its size is designed for a child's hands. As well as being offered in a standard QWERTY layout it has various configurations for different languages such as Thai, Arabic, Spanish, and Urdu.

In addition, the keyboard does away with low-use keys such as Caps Lock. In their place are new buttons such as the "geek key" or "view source", which allows children to quickly see the underlying code used to write the program running on screen.

A "grab" key allows children to pan and scroll around the screen while a slider key on the top left-hand-side of the keyboard allows users to quickly see who else is part of the mesh network, who they are working with on collaborative projects and which of their friends are online.

Keys either side of the screen below the inbuilt speakers are used for gaming and reading e-books. A touchpad allows children to control the cursor and can be used as a drawing tablet using a stylus or the back of a pen.

Return to top

PLASTIC CASE

The hard-wearing plastic case is waterproof and dustproof

The hard-wearing green and white plastic case is designed to be as waterproof and dustproof as possible for children walking to and from school.

When it is closed the wi-fi antennas lock the laptop and cover the only external openings, the data ports.

The laptop has been dropped from 1.6m (5ft), with the antennas up, with no breakages. According to OLPC, the laptop keyboard has also been dunked in water for 10 minutes with no effect.

The entire package is approximately half the weight and size of a standard laptop. Holes either side of the carry handle allow children to tie a scarf or string to the laptop so it can be carried over the shoulder.

It also features a coloured XO on the back cover. There are 400 different colour combinations so that children can easily distinguish their laptop.

In the future, the plastic case may be swapped for durable rubber.

Return to top

VIDEO CAMERA

The camera can also be used as a light meter

Situated on the right hand side of the screen, the still and motion capture camera allows video chat across the mesh network and the internet.

With a resolution of 640x480, the colour camera can also be used to take photographs or as a light meter for school projects.

Return to top

DATA PORTS

The rabbit ears cover the usb ports when the case is closed

Three USB ports will make it possible to connect a variety of peripherals including a mouse or larger keyboard. A microphone input and a line output will allow children to play music through external speakers and record sounds.

All of the ports are covered by the wi-fi antennas when the laptop is closed, preventing water and dust getting inside.

An SD memory card slot, underneath the screen can be used to expand the memory capacity or to load new software.

'$100 laptop' production begins

By Jonathan Fildes Science and technology reporter, BBC News

Five years after the concept was first proposed, the so-called $100 laptop is poised to go into mass production.

Hardware suppliers have been given the green light to ramp-up production of all of the components needed to build millions of the low-cost machines.

Previously, the organisation behind the scheme said that it required orders for 3m laptops to make production viable.

The first machines should be ready to put into the hands of children in developing countries in October 2007.

"There's still some software to write, but this is a big step for us," Walter Bender, head of software development at One Laptop per Child (OLPC), told the BBC News website.

The organisation has not said which countries have bought the first machines.

Continue reading story

$100 Laptop's chief software engineer Chris Blizzard on how the innovative memory and screen save energy.

• Embed this video on your site
• Watch in the News Player

Back up

Silencing critics

Getting the $100 laptop to this stage has been a turbulent journey for the organisation and its founder Nicholas Negroponte.

Since the idea was first put forward in 2002, the low-cost laptop has been both lauded and ridiculed.

Intel chairman Craig Barret famously described it as a "$100 gadget" whilst Microsoft founder Bill Gates questioned its design, particularly the lack of hard drive and its "tiny screen".

Other critics asked whether there was a need for a laptop in countries which, they said, had more pressing needs such as sanitation, water and health care.

Professor Negroponte's response has always been the same: "It's an education project, not a laptop project."

Clickable guide: XO laptop

The view was shared by Kofi Annan, ex-secretary General of the UN. In 2005, he described the laptop as an "expression of global solidarity" that would "open up new fronts" for children's education.

And as time passed, even some of the critics have changed their stance. Earlier this month, Intel, which manufactures what was considered a rival machine, the Classmate PC, joined forces with OLPC.

Functional design

The innovative design of the XO machine has also drawn praise from the technical community.

Using open source software, OLPC have developed a stripped-down operating system which fits comfortably on the machine's 1GB of memory.

"We made a set of trade-offs which may not be an office worker's needs but are more than adequate for what kids need for learning, exploring and having fun," said Professor Bender.

The XO is built to cope with the harsh and remote conditions found in areas where it may be used, such as the deserts of Libya or the mountains of Peru.

Professor Negroponte first proposed the laptop in 2002 Intel and OLPC join forces

For example, it has a rugged, waterproof case and is as energy efficient as possible.

"The laptop needs an order of magnitude less power than a typical laptop," said Professor Bender. "That means you can power it by solar or human power."

Governments that sign up for the scheme can purchase solar, foot-pump or pull-string powered chargers for the laptop.

And because it may be used in villages without access to a classroom, it has also been designed to work outside. In particular, the green and white machines feature a sunlight-readable display.

"For a lot of these children it's their only book and we want them to have a first class reading experience," said Professor Bender.

Name drop

The XO will be produced in Taiwan by Quanta, the world's largest laptop manufacturer.

The final design will bring together more than 800 parts from multiple suppliers such as chip-maker AMD, which supplies the low-power processor at the heart of the machine.

"This is the moment we have all been waiting for," Gustavo Arenas of AMD told the BBC News website.

"We certainly believe very strongly in the mission and vision of OLPC so finally starting to see it come to fruition is not only gratifying, it is also rewarding."

Test machines, on which the final design is based, are currently being put through their paces by OLPC.

"We keep laptops in the oven at 50 degrees and they keep on running," said Professor Bender.

Field testing is also being done in countries such as Nigeria and Brazil.

However, the names of the governments that have purchased the first lots of machines have not been released.

The XO currently costs $176 (£90) although the eventual aim is to sell the machines to governments for $100 (£50).