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Photos: Dell shows off connected classrooms, high-tech hospitals and military laptops

The latest line-up in RFID cards, gorilla glass and computer carts
By Nick Heath, Contributor
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1 of 11 Nick Heath/ZDNET

The latest line-up in RFID cards, gorilla glass and computer carts

Technology aimed at high-tech hospitals and connected classrooms is in the wings at computer maker Dell.

The systems were among the new tech on show at the Dell Technology Camp at The O2 arena in London last week, an event showcasing the company's latest line-up.

Shown here is Dell's mobile clinical computing system, which allows doctors to use a RFID card to log in and out of any machine in the hospital.

Doctors swipe their card against a RFID reader attached to a computer, as seen here, and can then use that machine to access any of their applications or data.

The system is being piloted in 11 hospitals in Europe, including six in the UK.

As well as working with Dell laptops and servers, the software used by the system can also be configured to work on legacy non-Dell hardware within the hospital.

Photo credit: Nick Heath/silicon.com

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This Ergotron computer cart allows doctors to wheel a computer around the hospital wards while doing their rounds.

In the picture, a small form factor Dell desktop computer is housed within the tray, which has a 15-hour battery in its base.

Photo credit: Nick Heath/silicon.com

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Dell's connected classroom system sees pupils swapping pen and paper for laptops.

Each pupil has a ruggedised Dell Latitude 2110 touchscreen laptop that they use during their lessons.

The teacher's computer can display thumbnails showing live video feeds of all the screens of the children's laptops, allowing the teacher to monitor what the pupils are up to.

Photo credit: Nick Heath/silicon.com

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The teacher is also able to take remote control of the laptop screen.

A light on the rear of the screen is able to flash different colours depending on what the pupils are doing.

Teachers can program the light using an API so it will flash in different patterns in response to how the computer is being used - for example, flashing red if a pupil is browsing a social network banned within the school.

Photo credit: Nick Heath/silicon.com

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This cart is able to store 24 of the pupils' laptops, as well as charging and updating their software via an in-built Ethernet connection.

It also acts as a wireless hub, providing a mobile wi-fi hotspot that pupils can connect to.

Photo credit: Nick Heath/silicon.com

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This is a 360-degree camera that can capture a panoramic video of the classroom.

The camera also uses a directional microphone to help capture video of the main speaker at any one time.

All of these shots are captured to be broadcast either to children in the class on their laptops or to people taking part in the lesson outside of the classroom.

Photo credit: Nick Heath/silicon.com

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7 of 11 Nick Heath/ZDNET

The projector screen seen here allows the teacher to use a board or wall at the front of the class as an interactive whiteboard.

The projector comes with a pointer that has motion sensors in it, allowing the teacher to navigate a projected computer desktop or to draw on the projected screen.

On the projected screen you can see slides in the presentation being given by the teacher.

Photo credit: Nick Heath/silicon.com

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8 of 11 Nick Heath/ZDNET

Here is a selection of video streams that can be sent to people outside of the classroom or to the laptops of the pupils inside the classroom.

At the top of the screen is the video of the teacher giving the lesson to the class, while at the bottom is the panoramic view of the classroom captured by the 360-degree camera.

These video and audio streams could be sent to a pupil working from home or to classes based in other schools, allowing different schools to share the same lesson.

Another use for the system would be to allow an outside expert to videoconference into the system to give a talk to the school pupils on a specific subject.

All of the audio and video is also recorded and can be distributed to pupils so they are able to play back lessons.

Photo credit: Nick Heath/silicon.com

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Standing on your laptop is usually not advisable - but this is no ordinary laptop.

This is the E6400 XFR, part of Dell's line-up of ruggedised laptops that are favoured by the US military.

The XFR range of laptops is coated in a material that has twice the tensile strength of magnesium alloy, and helps the laptop to be able to withstand being dropped from a height of four feet.

Photo credit: Nick Heath/silicon.com

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The XT2 XFR, pictured here, has a multitouch screen that is made of gorilla glass - reinforced glass that is able to withstand a punch.

Photo credit: Nick Heath/silicon.com

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Seals around the screen and the computer ports, as seen here, mean that the XT2 is able to keep dust, sand and water out of the laptop.

Photo credit: Nick Heath/silicon.com

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