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An insect-inspired drone deforms upon impact![]() Lausanne, Switzerland (SPX) Jul 26, 2018 In recent years, robotics experts have taken a page from the traditional Japanese practice of origami and come up with light and flexible - and highly innovative - robots and drones. Two types of origami-inspired structures have emerged: rigid structures that have a certain weight-bearing capacity but that break if that capacity is exceeded, and flexible yet resilient structures that cannot carry much of a load at all. EPFL researchers, applying what they observed about insect wings, have develope ... read more |
Russia Mulls Sending Two of Its FEDOR Humanoid Robots Into Space Next YearMoscow (Sputnik) Jul 23, 2018 The ambitious FEDOR project has received a number of upgrades in recent years, with plans to make the robots self-learning and even to use them to create colonies on the moon and fly solo space miss ... more
Microbots capable of sensing environs could explore intestines, pipelinesWashington (UPI) Jul 23, 2018 Engineers at MIT have designed tiny, new robots capable of sensing their surroundings. The microbots, roughly the size of a human egg cell, could be used to explore hard-to-reach passageways, like the human intestines or a gas pipeline. ... more
Cell-sized robots can sense their environmentBoston MA (SPX) Jul 25, 2018 Researchers at MIT have created what may be the smallest robots yet that can sense their environment, store data, and even carry out computational tasks. These devices, which are about the size of a ... more
If only AI had a brainPittsburgh PA (SPX) Jul 24, 2018 Digital computation has rendered nearly all forms of analog computation obsolete since as far back as the 1950s. However, there is one major exception that rivals the computational power of the most ... more |
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In China, yellow robots deliver snacks to your homeBeijing (AFP) July 18, 2018 Along a quiet residential street on the outer edges of Beijing, a yellow and black cube about the size of a small washing machine trundles leisurely to its destination. ... more
Maxar Technologies' MDA Announces Acquisition of Neptec Design GroupBrampton, Canada (SPX) Jul 18, 2018 MDA reports it has acquired Neptec Design Group Ltd. (Neptec), the leading electro-optical and electro-mechanical systems and high-performance intelligent Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) company ... more
Training artificial intelligence with artificial X-raysToronto, Canada (SPX) Jul 17, 2018 Artificial intelligence (AI) holds real potential for improving both the speed and accuracy of medical diagnostics. But before clinicians can harness the power of AI to identify conditions in images ... more
Reducing the Data Demands of Smart MachinesWashington DC (SPX) Jul 13, 2018 Machine learning (ML) systems today learn by example, ingesting tons of data that has been individually labeled by human analysts to generate a desired output. As these systems have progressed, deep ... more
Dutch city to unveil world's first 3D-printed housing complexThe Hague (AFP) July 11, 2018 The southern Dutch city of Eindhoven plans to unveil the world's first 3D-printed housing complex next year, which its inventors believe could revolutionise the building industry by speeding up and customising construction. ... more |
![]() Illinois' crop-counting robot earns top recognition at leading robotics conference
MIT's Cheetah 3 robot avoids obstacles without the help of visionWashington (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. ... more |
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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
Low-cost prosthetic foot mimics natural walkingBoston MA (SPX) Jul 03, 2018 Prosthetic limb technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, giving amputees a range of bionic options, including artificial knees controlled by microchips, sensor-laden feet driven by artificial in ... more
'Flying brain' designed to follow German astronaut launches FridayTampa (AFP) June 28, 2018 A floating, ball-shaped, artificial intelligence robot, specially trained to follow around a German astronaut at the International Space Station, is scheduled to blast off Friday on its ground-breaking mission. ... more |
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Insitu awarded contract for RQ-21 unmanned aerial vehicles Washington (UPI) Jul 24, 2018
Insitu has received an $8.9 million order for spare parts and maintenance services for an existing contract for RQ-21A unmanned aerial vehicles.
Work on the contract, announced Monday by the Department of Defense, will be performed in Bingen, Wash., and is expected to be completed by March 2019. Marine Corps fiscal 2017 procurement funds in the amount of $8.9 million will be obligated a ... more |
Researchers unravel more mysteries of metallic hydrogen Rochester NY (SPX) Jul 24, 2018
Metallic hydrogen is one of the rarest materials on Earth, yet more than 80 percent of planets - including Jupiter, Saturn, and hundreds of extrasolar planets - are composed of this exotic form of matter.
Its abundance in our solar system - despite its rarity on Earth - makes metallic hydrogen an intriguing focus for researchers at the University of Rochester's Laboratory of Laser Energeti ... more |
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Writing the future of rewritable memory Edmonton, Canada (SPX) Jul 27, 2018
Scientists at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada have created the most dense, solid-state memory in history that could soon exceed the capabilities of current hard drives by 1,000 times.
Faced with the question of how to respond to the ever-increasing needs of our data-driven society, the answer for a team of scientists was simple: more memory, less space. Finding the way to do ... more |
First Ukraine nuclear reactor loaded 'solely' with non-Russian fuel South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine (AFP) July 19, 2018
Ukrainian authorities said on Thursday that the first unit of a nuclear power plant was fully loaded with fuel from Westinghouse Electric Co as Kiev seeks to break its dependence on Russian energy supplies.
Ukraine's nuclear energy monopoly Energoatom said that a third unit of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant near the town of Yuzhnoukrainsk had become "the first power generation unit op ... more |
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Two Americans captured in Syria returned to US Washington (AFP) July 24, 2018
Two Americans who were captured in Syria and are accused of supporting the Islamic State group have been transferred back to the United States.
The two detainees were picked up by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed ground force that has been fighting IS across parts of northern and eastern Syria.
"Two US citizens, charged in separate cases with federal violations, have been transf ... more |
Germany buys stake in 50Hertz power firm, thwarting Chinese interest Berlin (AFP) July 27, 2018
The German government bought a 20 percent stake in the electricity network firm 50Hertz, the economy and finance ministries said Friday, thwarting Chinese investors from buying into the strategic company.
"On national security grounds, the federal government has a major interest in protecting critical energy infrastructure," the ministries said in a joint statement, adding that it has theref ... more |
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Organic Mega Flow Battery transcends lifetime, voltage thresholds Boston MA (SPX) Jul 25, 2018
To sustain human civilization in the future, clean energy sources must be harnessed to replace the fossil fuels that are now polluting our atmosphere. Solar and wind energy can supply all the necessary energy. However, storage will be needed when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing.
Organic flow batteries are a potentially safer, less expensive alternative to lithium ion bat ... more |
China developing in-orbit satellite transport vehicle Beijing (XNA) Jul 23, 2018
China is developing a space vehicle to help transport orbiting satellites that have run out of fuel, Science and Technology Daily reported Thursday.
Fuel is a key factor limiting the life of satellites. Most satellites function for years after entering orbit, but eventually, they have to end their missions and burn up into the atmosphere due to fuel exhaustion.
The vehicle is being d ... more |
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Sky's no limit: Japan firm to fly wedding plaques into space Tokyo (AFP) July 24, 2018
The sky is no longer the limit for lovers looking for unusual ways to commemorate their nuptials, with a Japanese company now offering to blast commemorative wedding plaques into space.
Warpspace, a start-up based in Tsukuba City outside Tokyo, is introducing the new service in partnership with a local hotel popular for wedding banquets.
For about 30,000 yen ($270), newly-weds marrying a ... more |
Is Mars' Soil Too Dry to Sustain Life? Moffett Field CA (SPX) Jul 25, 2018
Life as we know it needs water to thrive. Even so, we see life persist in the driest environments on Earth. But how dry is too dry? At what point is an environment too extreme for even microorganisms, the smallest and often most resilient of lifeforms, to survive? These questions are important to scientists searching for life beyond Earth, including on the planet Mars. To help answer this questi ... more |
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SpaceX launches, lands rocket in challenging conditions Washington (UPI) Jul 25, 2018
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket carried 10 Iridium satellites into orbit on Wednesday. The rocket blasted-off early Wednesday morning from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
"All 10 satellites have deployed into an on-target orbit," Spaceflight Now's Stephen Clark reported at 8:53 a.m. ET.
As usual, SpaceX safely landed the rocket's reusable first stage. The rocket stage landed on ... more |
China steps up controls on maritime emissions Washington (UPI) Jul 24, 2018
China's decision to regulate maritime fuels could have a significant impact on international efforts to lower emissions from shipping, analysis finds.
Following its so-called Blue Sky initiative, the Chinese Ministry of Transport announced extensions to emission control areas along the coastline. Yujiao Lei, a regional consultant for Wood Mackenzie, said in an emailed report the latest ... more |
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Uber resumes testing for autonomous cars in 'manual mode' San Francisco (AFP) July 24, 2018
Uber said Tuesday it was taking the first step toward restarting its autonomous ridesharing program, putting its self-driving cars back on the road in "manual mode," with a driver at the wheel at all times.
The ridesharing giant said its specially equipped vehicles would be back in service for the first time since it suspended tests following a fatal accident in Arizona.
"We're starting ... more |
A new 'periodic table' for nanomaterials Kyoto, Japan (SPX) Jul 24, 2018
The approach was developed by Daniel Packwood of Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) and Taro Hitosugi of the Tokyo Institute of Technology. It involves connecting the chemical properties of molecules with the nanostructures that form as a result of their interaction.
A machine learning technique generates data that is then used to develop a diagram t ... more |
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Researchers unravel more mysteries of metallic hydrogen Rochester NY (SPX) Jul 24, 2018
Metallic hydrogen is one of the rarest materials on Earth, yet more than 80 percent of planets - including Jupiter, Saturn, and hundreds of extrasolar planets - are composed of this exotic form of matter.
Its abundance in our solar system - despite its rarity on Earth - makes metallic hydrogen an intriguing focus for researchers at the University of Rochester's Laboratory of Laser Energeti ... more |
Wildfires, drought hit Sweden's Sami reindeer herders Stockholm (AFP) July 27, 2018
Sweden's unprecedented drought and devastating wildfires are destroying vital grazing pastureland for indigenous Sami reindeer herders, whose livelihoods are already under attack from mining and logging as global warming changes the face of the Arctic.
"Our winter land is burning," says Jonas Kraik, a 54-year-old herder, whose Sami village with as many as 8,000 reindeer is a popular tourist ... more |
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