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China's 'makers' battle mistrust in hi-tech community![]() Shenzhen, China (AFP) April 24, 2018 Engineers, computer programmers and children tinker with self-made radio-controlled toy cars and robotic arms in China's southern city of Shenzhen, home to "makers" who belie the country's reputation as a hub for technology copycats. The group works in a special space inside a high-rise in a city considered a nerve centre for the "maker movement" of tech whizzes who invent, design and make their own gadgets and devices from scratch. China is trying to shed its notoriety as a hub for counterfeit ... read more  | 
 
Face recognition for galaxies: Artificial intelligence brings new tools to astronomySanta Cruz CA (SPX) Apr 24, 2018 A machine learning method called "deep learning," which has been widely used in face recognition and other image- and speech-recognition applications, has shown promise in helping astronomers analyz ... more  
Transparent eel-like soft robot can swim silently underwaterSan Diego CA (SPX) Apr 26, 2018 An innovative, eel-like robot developed by engineers and marine biologists at the University of California can swim silently in salt water without an electric motor. Instead, the robot uses artifici ... more  
Invertebrates inspire first fully 3-D printed active materials for robotsAdelphi MD (SPX) Apr 22, 2018 To overcome the material rigidity and actuation limitations in current robotic systems, a joint U.S. Army Research Laboratory and University of Minnesota research project sought inspiration from inv ... more  
For heavy lifting, use exoskeletons with cautionColumbus OH (SPX) Apr 23, 2018 You can wear an exoskeleton, but it won't turn you into a superhero. That's the finding of a study in which researchers tested a commercially available exoskeleton - a mechanical arm attached ... more  | 
 
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Want computers to see better in the real world? Train them in a virtual realityBeijing, China (SPX) Apr 13, 2018 Scientists have developed a new way to improve how computers "see" and "understand" objects in the real world by training the computers' vision systems in a virtual environment. The research t ... more  
MSAB and URSA Partner on Drone Forensic TechnologyStockholm, Sweden (SPX) Apr 13, 2018 MSAB reports that the company has partnered with URSA Inc., expanding tremendously on its' drone forensic capabilities. URSA's Idetic Unmanned tools are designed to collect, integrate, analyze ... more  
The raw power of human motionThuwal, Saudi Arabia (SPX) Apr 13, 2018 Autonomy is a much-anticipated feature of next-generation microsystems, such as remote sensors, wearable electronic gadgets, implantable biosensors and nanorobots. KAUST researchers led by Husam Als ... more  
'Ideas' conference to grapple with dark side of techSan Francisco (AFP) April 9, 2018 At a conference where thinkers and luminaries gather to discuss world-changing ideas and innovations, the talk is shifting to the dark side. ... more  
NASA's Idea to Send Swarm of Robots to MarsMoscow (Sputnik) Apr 05, 2018 NASA has announced their intent to fund research which will send a swarm of Robot bees up to Mars to explore the red planet. Sputnik spoke to Sethu Vijayakumar, Professor of Robotics at the Universi ... more  | 
![]() Cargo-packed Dragon arrives at space station  
Russia's Robot FEDOR to Be the First to Fly to Space on Board New SpacecraftMoscow (Sputnik) Apr 04, 2018 The new Russian manned spacecraft Federatsiya (Federation) is designed to deliver people and cargo to low earth orbit, as well as to the moon. The first such spaceship is expected to be commissioned ... more  | 
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Space Maid: Robot Harpoon and Net System to Attempt Space CleanupMoscow (Sputnik) Apr 05, 2018 Humanity has grown accustomed to autonomous cleaning robots since the Roomba's debut in 2002. Now, we might have an upgrade: scientists have sent a prototype satellite equipped with a net and harpoo ... more  
Visual recognition: Seeing the world through the eyes of rodentsTrieste, Italy (SPX) Apr 05, 2018 Man or woman, happy or sad. Sometimes a glance is enough to say it. Yet, the visual process that allows us to recognize the gender or emotional state of a person is very sophisticated. Until recentl ... more  
OFFSET "Sprinters" to Pursue State-of-the-art Solutions for Second Swarm SprintWashington DC (SPX) Apr 03, 2018 DARPA's OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) program envisions future small-unit infantry forces using small unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) and/or small unmanned ground systems (UGSs) in swarm ... more  
Marsquakes could shake up planetary sciencePasadena CA (JPL) Mar 29, 2018 Starting next year, scientists will get their first look deep below the surface of Mars. That's when NASA will send the first robotic lander dedicated to exploring the planet's subsurface. InS ... more  
Opportunity making extensive study of rock target Aguas CalientesWashington DC (SPX) Mar 28, 2018 Opportunity is continuing the exploration of "Perseverance Valley" on the west rim of Endeavour Crater. The rover is positioned about half way down the approximately 656 feet (200-meter) valle ... more  | 
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Army taps AeroVironment for Switchblade missiles Washington (UPI) Apr 23, 2018  
 AeroVironment has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army to provide hardware and parts for Switchblade miniature aerial missile systems. 
 The deal, announced Friday by the Department of Defense, is valued at more than $44.6 million, which is a modification to a previous award. 
 The contract from Army Contracting Command enables AeroVironment, out of Simi Valley, Calif., to provid ... more | 
Cheap 3-D printer can produce self-folding materials Pittsburgh PA (SPX) Apr 25, 2018  Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have used an inexpensive 3-D printer to produce flat plastic items that, when heated, fold themselves into predetermined shapes, such as a rose, a boat or even a bunny. 
Lining Yao, assistant professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute and director of the Morphing Matter Lab, said these self-folding plastic objects represent a first step t ... more | 
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Researchers illuminate the path to a new era of microelectronics Boston MA (SPX) Apr 24, 2018  
A new microchip technology capable of optically transferring data could solve a severe bottleneck in current devices by speeding data transfer and reducing energy consumption by orders of magnitude, according to an article published in the April 19, 2018 issue of Nature. 
Researchers from Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California Berkeley and Uni ... more | 
Balancing nuclear and renewable energy Argonne IL (SPX) Apr 26, 2018  
Nuclear power plants typically run either at full capacity or not at all. Yet the plants have the technical ability to adjust to the changing demand for power and thus better accommodate sources of renewable energy such as wind or solar power. 
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently explored t ... more | 
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Iran, Iraq, Syria, Russia hold 'anti-terrorism' meet Tehran (AFP) April 19, 2018  
 Iran, Iraq, Syria and Russia held a meeting in Baghdad on Thursday of military and security officials to coordinate "anti-terrorism" efforts, the Iranian defence ministry said. 
"Cooperation in intelligence between the four countries for common aims and anti-terrorism missions has been successful in restoring stability and security, and it should form the basis for future cooperation," Defenc ... more | 
Carbon taxes can be both fair and effective, study shows Boston MA (SPX) Apr 11, 2018  
Putting a price on carbon, in the form of a fee or tax on the use of fossil fuels, coupled with returning the generated revenue to the public in one form or another, can be an effective way to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. That's one of the conclusions of an extensive analysis of several versions of such proposals, carried out by researchers at MIT and the National Renewable Energy Laborat ... more | 
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New testing of model improves confidence in the performance of ITER Plainsboro NJ (SPX) Apr 23, 2018  
Scientists seeking to bring fusion - the power that drives the sun and stars - down to Earth must first make the state of matter called plasma superhot enough to sustain fusion reactions. That calls for heating the plasma to many times the temperature of the core of the sun. 
In ITER, the international fusion facility being built in France to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion power, the ... more | 
China outlines roadmap for deep space exploration Harbin, China (XNA) Apr 26, 2018  
China is planning four deep space exploration missions before 2030, including probes to Mars, asteroids and Jupiter, says Pei Zhaoyu, deputy director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration. 
China would launch its first Mars probe in 2020, and it was expected to orbit around, land and put a rover on the Red Planet, Pei told a space confe ... more | 
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2020 Decadal Survey Missions: At a Glance Greenbelt MD (SPX) Apr 25, 2018  
Any telescope that reaches the launch pad in the 2030s likely will look much different than the concepts four teams are currently studying to inform the 2020 Decadal Survey for Astrophysics, but the studies do offer a roadmap. Here's a brief overview of each: 
LUVOIR, now being studied by a team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is conceived as a great observator ... more | 
Bernese Mars camera CaSSIS sends first colour images from Mars Bern, Switzerland (SPX) Apr 27, 2018  
The Mars camera CaSSIS on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has returned its first colour images of the red planet. The camera system, which was developed at the University of Bern, is now ready for the start of its prime mission on April 28, 2018. 
The Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) has been designed by an international team under guidance of the University of Bern. The Mars ... more | 
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Vostochny Cosmodrome preps for first tourist visit Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia (Sputnik) Apr 24, 2018  
Foreign tourists interested in checking out the inner workings of Russia's brand new spaceport, or making a selfie against the backdrop of a rocket as it blasts off into space will soon get their chance, with Moscow tour operators working on the excursion details. 
Representatives from Roscosmos, Russia's space tourism industry and officials from Amur region's tourism ministry have met with ... more | 
Trump environment chief grilled by Congress amid ethics scandals Washington (AFP) April 26, 2018  
 US President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency chief on Thursday received a tongue-lashing by members of Congress alarmed by mounting ethical scandals surrounding his tenure, with Democrats demanding his resignation. 
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has faced several weeks of criticism over spending taxpayer dollars for first-class travel, construction of a sound-proof booth in hi ... more | 
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China's electric carmakers bloom at Beijing auto show Beijing (AFP) April 26, 2018  
 Auto executives from across the globe are plugging their plans for an electric car future in China at the Beijing auto show, but they will find their Chinese counterparts are already motoring ahead. 
Local carmakers and upstarts flaunted their latest plug-in models at the industry extravaganza this week, from sedans to SUVs and futuristic supercars fitted with the latest gadgets. 
While Am ... more | 
Course set to overcome mismatch between lab-designed nanomaterials and nature's complexity Washington DC (SPX) Apr 22, 2018  
Cells and the machinery they encase are soft matter - shape-shifting multicomponent systems with an overwhelming richness of forms. But, these squishy packages are hard targets for potential therapeutic and diagnostic applications that exploit nanomaterials, from quantum dots that light up specific tissues to nanocages carrying drug payloads. 
The problem, according to a team of 12 experts  ... more | 
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Cheap 3-D printer can produce self-folding materials Pittsburgh PA (SPX) Apr 25, 2018  Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have used an inexpensive 3-D printer to produce flat plastic items that, when heated, fold themselves into predetermined shapes, such as a rose, a boat or even a bunny. 
Lining Yao, assistant professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute and director of the Morphing Matter Lab, said these self-folding plastic objects represent a first step t ... more | 
Mediterranean fears bitter future for citrus crops Paris (AFP) April 25, 2018  
 Could we soon be forced to do without a glass of orange juice or a slice of grapefruit at breakfast? The answer is unfortunately yes. 
After decimating orange groves in Florida and trees in California and Brazil, citrus greening disease now threatens the key producing region of the Mediterranean, according to researchers. 
The disease "has spread since the mid-2000s with a phenomenal speed ... more | 
 
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