New Technology Uses Body Sensors, GPS to Track Skiers
New Scientist reports that a new motion capture system uses a network of sensors to detect high speed movement. The system uses a network of as many as fifteen lightweight sensors attached to the skier. There are also GPS receivers incorporated into the skiers' helmet. The data is used to generate computer animations that may help to show the skier what they are doing wrong and what they could do to increase speed.
Skip Ciccarelli, a 60-year-old survivor of prostate cancer, is a high school carpentry instructor at Shawsheen Technical High School in the Boston suburb of Billerica. On Father's Day he set out on a 54-day, 1,700 mile kayak trek from the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago to the Hudson River in New York City. His goal is to raise awareness for one of the most prevalent forms of cancer, second only to melanomas.
In 2002, Skip was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer and was told by his doctors that he had two months time before the cancer spread to other parts of his body. After consultation with a team of doctors in Boston, he placed his bet on surgery and won. He is now cancer-free.
"At the time I realized, that like most men, I was clueless about prostate cancer and soon became flummoxed at how little men know about their own bodies," says Skip, a husband and father of three adult children. "I realize I need to use my own abilities to help raise awareness. By drawing attention to prostate cancer, I'm hoping more men will get prostate checkups and PSA screenings, and that more research will focus on this disease. When was the last time you heard someone talk about prostate cancer?"
According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly 28,000 men will die from prostate cancer in 2008 while 186,000 new cases are diagnosed. With the aging of the baby-boomer generation, the number of new cases diagnosed annually is projected to reach 300,000 by 2015-an increase of more than 60 percent-with an accompanying annual death rate of approximately 45,000. Early detection and treatment can result in a five-year survival rate of more than 90 percent.
The course charted by Skip will take him through Lakes Michigan, Huron, St. Claire and Erie. It will also take him through the Detroit River and the Erie Canal before he starts his trip down the Hudson River. Covering 40 miles a day, with six days built in for bad weather delays and two days off to join his students at a technical competition in Kansas City, Missouri, Skip is planning on arriving at Manhattan's Pier 66 on August 9 - the seven year anniversary of his surgery.
You can visit the website here which contains a map of Skip's 1,700 mile course as well as information about his progress on the Paddle 4 Prostate website. Go Skip go!
New York is trying to use the popular "I Love New York" logo to apply to the state's wildlife and nature as well. You can see that with this recently introduced logo that is more outdoorsy with its inclusion of a butterfly, grass and a squirrel. You can read about some of the outdoor activities the state of New York has to offer here, here, here, here, here and here.
A Wikipedia entry says the I Love New York logo was first introduced in 1977.
Biologist and penguin expert Dr. Dee Boersma tells CBS reporter Dr. Debbye Turner that penguins numbers are dwindling rapidly. She also says that penguins are like a canary in the coalmine and it means there could serious climate consequences ahead for humans.
Skip Ciccarelli, a 60-year-old survivor of prostate cancer, is a high school carpentry instructor at Shawsheen Technical High School in the Boston suburb of Billerica. On Father's Day he set out on a 54-day, 1,700 mile kayak trek from the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago to the Hudson River in New York City. His goal is to raise awareness for one of the most prevalent forms of cancer, second only to melanomas.
