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MIT's Cheetah 3 robot avoids obstacles without the help of vision![]() Washington (UPI) Jul 5, 2018 Cheetah 3, a robot designed by engineers at MIT, can run, jump and climb across complex terrain, avoiding obstacles along the way - all without the benefit of sight. Researchers have dubbed the robot's technological abilities "blind locomotion." Robots with similar maneuverability rely on cameras or some other kind of sensor to "see" the world, but Cheetah 3 is effectively blind. The 90-pound robot relies instead on "feel" to make its way through dynamic environs. "Vision can be ... read more |
Illinois' crop-counting robot earns top recognition at leading robotics conferenceUrbana IL (SPX) Jul 06, 2018 Today's crop breeders are trying to boost yields while also preparing crops to withstand severe weather and changing climates. To succeed, they must locate genes for high-yielding, hardy traits in c ... more
Rough terrain? No problem for beaver-inspired autonomous robotBuffalo NY (SPX) Jul 04, 2018 Autonomous robots excel in factories and other manmade spaces, but they struggle with the randomness of nature. To help these machines overcome uneven terrain and other obstacles, University a ... more
Next-generation robotic cockroach can explore under water environmentsBoston MA (SPX) Jul 04, 2018 In nature, cockroaches can survive underwater for up to 30 minutes. Now, a robotic cockroach can do even better. Harvard's Ambulatory Microrobot, known as HAMR, can walk on land, swim on the surface ... more
'Flying brain' blasts off on cargo ship toward space stationTampa (AFP) June 29, 2018 A ball-shaped artificial intelligence robot nicknamed the "flying brain" because it is trained to follow and interact with a German astronaut blasted off Friday toward the International Space Station aboard SpaceX's Dragon cargo ship. ... more |
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| Previous Issues | Jul 10 | Jul 09 | Jul 07 | Jul 06 | Jul 05 |
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NASA will seek partnership with US Industry to develop lunar gatewayWashington DC (SPX) Jun 25, 2018 As part of the agency's Exploration Campaign, NASA's Gateway will become the orbital outpost for robotic and human exploration operations in deep space. Built with commercial and international partn ... more
Rutgers researchers develop automated robotic device for faster blood testingNew Brunswick NJ (SPX) Jun 22, 2018 Rutgers researchers have created an automated blood drawing and testing device that provides rapid results, potentially improving the workflow in hospitals and other health-related institutions to a ... more
NASA, NSF plunge into ocean twilight zone to explore ecosystem carbon flowWashington DC (SPX) Jun 22, 2018 A large multidisciplinary team of scientists, equipped with advanced underwater robotics and an array of analytical instrumentation, will set sail for the northeastern Pacific Ocean this August. ... more
Shapeshifting minibots printed with 3-D 'ink'Paris (AFP) June 13, 2018 Engineers have created a soft, malleable 3-D "ink" to print devices that can roll, jump, even grasp objects at the wave of a magnet, they said on Wednesday. ... more
Robots learn by checking in on team membersThuwal, Saudi Arabia (SPX) Jun 19, 2018 The software and hardware needed to co-ordinate a team of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can communicate and work toward a common goal have recently been developed by KAUST researchers. ... more |
![]() Future robots need no motors
A fast, low-voltage actuator for soft and wearable roboticsSanta Barbara CA (SPX) Jun 18, 2018 In the world of robotics, soft robots are the new kids on the block. The unique capabilities of these automata are to bend, deform, stretch, twist or squeeze in all the ways that conventional rigid ... more |
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'iPal' robot companion for China's lonely childrenShanghai (AFP) June 14, 2018 It speaks two languages, gives math lessons, tells jokes and interacts with children through the tablet screen in its chest - China's latest robot is the babysitter every parent needs. ... more
Cometh the cyborg: improved integration of living muscles into robotsTokyo, Japan (SPX) Jun 12, 2018 The new field of biohybrid robotics involves the use of living tissue within robots, rather than just metal and plastic. Muscle is one potential key component of such robots, providing the driving f ... more
C2-A2 AGRODROID the world's new Smart Farming productMoscow, Russia (SPX) Jun 12, 2018 European software developer 'Cognitive Technologies' has developed the world's first industrial agrodroid for international agricultural market. Cognitive Technologies - one of the top develop ... more
Self-healing material a breakthrough for bio-inspired roboticsPittsburgh PA (SPX) Jun 12, 2018 Many natural organisms have the ability to repair themselves. Now, manufactured machines will be able to mimic this property. In findings published this week in Nature Materials, researchers at Carn ... more
New Tesla software to offer 'full' autonomy, Musk saysWashington (AFP) June 11, 2018 An update to Tesla's Autopilot software coming in August will enable "full self-driving features" for the automaker's electric cars, chief executive Elon Musk says. ... more |
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Fire Scout unmanned helicopter finishes first flight tests from LCS Washington (UPI) Jul 9, 2018
A MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter finished its Initial Operational Test and Evaluation from the littoral combat ship USS Coronado, U.S. Navy officials said.
The crew of the Coronado and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1, or VX-1, conducted combat simulations to evaluate the Fire Scout on target identification, intelligence and surface warfare, the results of which will help the Na ... more |
Astronomer Reveals When Soviet-Era Interplanetary Station Will Crash to Earth Moscow (Sputnik) Jul 09, 2018
A station was unsuccessfully launched as a part of the USSR's space exploration program and has been orbiting the Earth ever since, but the station's deterioration is bringing its "homecoming" closer with each passing year.
The Kosmos 482 interplanetary station, which was unsuccessfully sent towards Venus in 1972 by the USSR, may crash land on Earth between 2023 and 2025, astronomer and co ... more |
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US hits Chinese firm Sinovel with $1.5 mn fine for stealing technology Washington (AFP) July 6, 2018
A US court on Friday imposed the maximum fine of $1.5 million of Chinese firm Sinovel for stealing trade secrets from an American company producing wind turbines, the Justice Department said.
The decision comes on the day Washington unleashed 25 percent import tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese products to punish the country for what President Donald Trump has said is the rampant theft of Ame ... more |
New microscopy works at extreme heat, sheds light on alloys for nuclear reactors Raleigh NC (SPX) Jul 11, 2018
A new microscopy technique allows researchers to track microstructural changes in real time, even when a material is exposed to extreme heat and stress. Recently, researchers show that a stainless steel alloy called alloy 709 has potential for elevated temperature applications such as nuclear reactor structures.
"Alloy 709 is exceptionally strong and resistant to damage when exposed to hig ... more |
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The Islamic State group in Iraq Baghdad (AFP) July 10, 2018 The Islamic State (IS) group in 2014 launched a lightning offensive in Iraq, seizing nearly a third of the country before being beaten back by operations there and in neighbouring Syria.
The biggest loss for the jihadists - who still hold pockets of land and continue carry out deadly attacks - was that of Iraq's second city of Mosul on July 10, 2017.
On the anniversary of the city's fa ... more |
Equinor buys short-term electricity trader Washington (UPI) Jul 6, 2018
Norwegian energy company Equinor said Friday it agreed to take over a Danish energy trading company in an effort to add support to portfolio diversification.
Equinor on Friday agreed to pay $468 million to acquire Danske Commodities. With last year's trade volume in electricity equaling twice what the Norwegian economy consumed, the trading company is one of the largest short-term trade ... more |
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PPPL diagnostic is key to world record of German fusion experiment Plainsboro NJ (SPX) Jul 10, 2018
When Germany's Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) fusion facility set a world record for stellarators recently, a finely tuned instrument built and delivered by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) proved the achievement. The record strongly suggests that the design of the stellarator can be developed to capture on Earth the fusion that drives the sun and stars, c ... more |
China launches new space science program Beijing (XNA) Jul 06, 2018
China Wednesday launched a new space science program focusing on the origin and evolution of the universe, black holes, gravitational waves and relationship between the solar system and human.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced to develop a group of four satellites in the program.
The program includes a satellite named "Einstein-Probe (EP)", which is tasked with discover ... more |
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Russian cargo ship docks at ISS in record time Moscow (AFP) July 10, 2018
A Russian cargo vessel took just three hours and 40 minutes to reach the International Space Station on Tuesday, Roscosmos space agency said, smashing the record flight time by two hours.
The "Progress" launched at 2151 GMT on Monday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and arrived at the space station in the early hours of Tuesday, the agency said.
"The length of the flight, be ... more |
Mars to Pamper Gazers With Stunning Sight Amid NASA's Dust Storm Concerns Washington DC (Sputnik) Jul 06, 2018
On July 27 and several days afterwards, the Red Planet will become especially visible due to a so-called "opposition," with Earth coming equally close both to Mars and the sun, international media reported.
Although it generally occurs nearly every two years, this year is unique, as in light of a Martian year being almost twice as long and both planets orbiting more elliptically than circu ... more |
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Experimental Spaceplane Program Successfully Completes Engine Test Series Washington DC (SPX) Jul 11, 2018
DARPA's Experimental Spaceplane (XSP) advances toward its goal for rapid turnaround and on-demand launch with the completion of a test series that put the spaceplane's AR-22 Experimental Spaceplane Main Engine through a rigorous campaign. In the two weeks preceding the campaign, the engine ran twice to establish initial performance characteristics and turnaround processes.
Then, starting J ... more |
India's most populous state bans plastic, yet again New Delhi (AFP) July 6, 2018
India's most populous state Uttar Pradesh, home to 220 million people, announced Friday a ban on plastic cups and polythene use from July 15, in its third such attempt.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to make India free of single-use plastic by 2022, and the majority of India's 29 states have a full or partial ban.
However the law is rarely enforced, and Uttar Pradesh's previou ... more |
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Uber joins scooter wars with Lime investment Washington (AFP) July 9, 2018
Uber made a move into electric scooters Monday, as the ride-service giant agreed to a strategic partnership with Lime, one of the major players in the fast-growing segment.
Lime announced the new $335 million investment to be led by GV - formerly Google Ventures - with additional funding from Google parent Alphabet and others including Uber.
Uber will make "a sizable investment," accor ... more |
Squeezing light at the nanoscale Boston MA (SPX) Jun 18, 2018
Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a new technique to squeeze infrared light into ultra-confined spaces, generating an intense, nanoscale antenna that could be used to detect single biomolecules.
The researchers harnessed the power of polaritons, particles that blur the distinction between light and matter. This ultra ... more |
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Astronomer Reveals When Soviet-Era Interplanetary Station Will Crash to Earth Moscow (Sputnik) Jul 09, 2018
A station was unsuccessfully launched as a part of the USSR's space exploration program and has been orbiting the Earth ever since, but the station's deterioration is bringing its "homecoming" closer with each passing year.
The Kosmos 482 interplanetary station, which was unsuccessfully sent towards Venus in 1972 by the USSR, may crash land on Earth between 2023 and 2025, astronomer and co ... more |
Expansion of agricultural land reduces CO2 absorption Karlsruher, Germany (SPX) Jul 10, 2018
Climate change is heavily related to the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. During photosynthesis, plants absorb some of the industrial CO2 emissions from the atmosphere, making them contribute significantly to climate protection.
"The CO2 increase in the atmosphere is currently lower than to be expected from anthropogenic emissions," says Professor Almut Arneth from the Institute of Meteo ... more |
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