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Underwater robots help NASA plan future deep-space missions![]() Moffett Field CA (SPX) Aug 30, 2018 An expedition that will help NASA search for life in deep space launched today - not with a rocket's roar, but with a gentle splash into the deep Pacific Ocean. The project, called the Systematic Underwater Biogeochemical Science and Exploration Analog, or SUBSEA, will use underwater robots to explore the biology, geology and chemistry of the environment around a deep-sea volcano off the coast of Hawaii. Scientists believe this is similar to what may exist on Saturn's moon Enceladus. S ... read more |
Shape-shifting material can morph, reverse itself using heat, lightBoulder CO (SPX) Aug 27, 2018 A new material developed by University of Colorado Boulder engineers can transform into complex, pre-programmed shapes via light and temperature stimuli, allowing a literal square peg to morph and f ... more
Activists urge killer robot ban 'before it is too late'Geneva (AFP) Aug 27, 2018 Countries should quickly agree a treaty banning the use of so-called killer robots "before it is too late", activists said Monday as talks on the issue resumed at the UN. ... more
Students experience the power of controlling satellites in spaceHouston TX (SPX) Aug 28, 2018 Earth-bound electronic games can't compete with actually controlling a squadron of miniature robotic satellites in space. Through the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient Experimental Satell ... more
Robot teachers invade Chinese kindergartensBeijing (AFP) Aug 29, 2018 The Chinese kindergarten children giggled as they worked to solve puzzles assigned by their new teaching assistant: a roundish, short educator with a screen for a face. ... more |
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Robot wars: China shows off automated doctors, teachers and combat starsBeijing (AFP) Aug 19, 2018 Robots that can diagnose diseases, play badminton and wow audiences with their musical skills are among the machines China hopes could revolutionise its economy, with visitors to a Beijing exhibition offered a glimpse of an automated future. ... more
DIY robots help marine biologists discover new deep-sea dwellersNew York NY (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 While the cold and airless deep sea is inhabitable for humans, it is filled with delicate organisms that thrive in its harsh environment. Studying those organisms requires specialized equipment moun ... more
UCLA-developed artificial intelligence device identifies objects at the speed of lightLos Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 A team of UCLA electrical and computer engineers has created a physical artificial neural network - a device modeled on how the human brain works - that can analyze large volumes of data and identif ... more
Soft multi-functional robots get really small and spider-shapedBoston MA (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 Roboticists are envisioning a future in which soft, animal-inspired robots could be safely deployed in difficult-to-access natural and man-made environments, such as in delicate surgical procedures ... more
Scientist begins developing instrument for finding extraterrestrial bacteriaGreenbelt MD (SPX) Aug 10, 2018 A NASA scientist wants to create a planetary robot that would mimic what biologists do every day in terrestrial laboratories: look through microscopes to visually identify microbial life living in s ... more |
![]() A system to synthesize realistic sounds for computer animation
Aerojet Rocketdyne delivers power generator for Mars 2020 RoverLos Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 08, 2018 Aerojet Rocketdyne, in collaboration with Teledyne, recently delivered the electrical power generator for NASA's Mars 2020 rover to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Idaho National Laboratory (I ... more |
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A kernel of promise in popcorn-powered robotsIthaca NY (SPX) Aug 07, 2018 Cornell University researchers have discovered how to power simple robots with a novel substance that, when heated, can expand more than 10 times in size, change its viscosity by a factor of 10 and ... more
Chip labour: Robots replace waiters in China restaurantShanghai (AFP) Aug 5, 2018 The little robotic waiter wheels up to the table, raises its glass lid to reveal a steaming plate of local Shanghai-style crayfish and announces in low, mechanical tones, "Enjoy your meal." ... more
Research identifies key weakness in modern computer vision systemsProvidence RI (SPX) Aug 03, 2018 Computer vision algorithms have come a long way in the past decade. They've been shown to be as good or better than people at tasks like categorizing dog or cat breeds, and they have the remarkable ... more
Optical fibers that can feel the materials around themLausanne, Switzerland (SPX) Aug 02, 2018 In recent years optical fibers have served as sensors to detect changes in temperature, like a thermometer, and pressure, like an artificial nerve. This technique is particularly useful in structure ... more
An insect-inspired drone deforms upon impactLausanne, 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 or ... more |
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General Atomics receives contract for MQ-9 drones for France Washington (UPI) Aug 24, 2018
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has been awarded a contract for $123 million for the French 3rd/4th Systems MQ-9 Block 5 program.
Work on the contract, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, will be performed in Poway, Calif., and is expected to be completed by May 2020. The program falls under a foreign military sale to France.
The MQ-9 SkyGuardian, also known as ... more |
A materials scientist's dream come true Nuremberg, Germany (SPX) Aug 27, 2018
In the 1940s, scientists first explained how materials can deform plastically by atomic-scale line defects called dislocations. These defects can be understood as tiny carpet folds that can move one part of a material relative to the other without spending a lot of energy.
Many technical applications are based on this fundamental process, such as forging, but we also rely on the power of d ... more |
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Physicists show first proof of Dicke cooperativity in a matter-matter system Houston TX (SPX) Aug 28, 2018
After their recent pioneering experiments to couple light and matter to an extreme degree, Rice University scientists decided to look for a similar effect in matter alone. They didn't expect to find it so soon.
Rice physicist Junichiro Kono, graduate student Xinwei Li and their international colleagues have discovered the first example of Dicke cooperativity in a matter-matter system, a re ... more |
S.Africa drops Zuma's nuclear expansion dreams Johannesburg (AFP) Aug 27, 2018
South Africa confirmed on Monday it had scrapped plans to build a series of nuclear power stations, burying one of former president Jacob Zuma's most controversial policies.
Zuma's nuclear expansion plan was a key battleground for control over South Africa's finances, with his opponents accusing him of seeking a deal that could have bankrupted the country to enrich his allies.
Zuma, whos ... more |
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US military says IS member killed in Libya air strike Tripoli (AFP) Aug 28, 2018
The US military said it carried out an air strike Tuesday in Libya, killing an Islamic State member described by a source as a former local leader of the jihadist group.
The US Africa Command said it "conducted a precision airstrike near Bani Walid, Libya, on August 28, killing one ISIS-Libya terrorist," referring to the Islamic State group.
The strike around 170 kilometres (105 miles) s ... more |
Electricity crisis leaves Iraqis gasping for cool air Baghdad (AFP) Aug 1, 2018
As the stultifying summer heat sends Iraqis in search of cool spots, restaurateur Ali Hussein provides sanctuary - even though it means hooking up to an expensive generator.
"The clients must be comfortable when they eat," said Hussein, who stakes his reputation on ensuring customers are constantly blasted by air conditioning.
Outside, temperatures at this time of year can reach 50 degr ... more |
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AECOM and Lockheed Martin enhance energy resilience at Fort Carson with battery peaker Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 24, 2018
AECOM, a premier, fully integrated global infrastructure firm, announced that it has begun construction of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Fort Carson, Colorado, using Lockheed Martin's GridStar Lithium energy storage system. The 4.25 MW/8.5 MWh BESS is part of an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) project to reduce Fort Carson's energy costs and increase its energy resilience. ... more |
China tests propulsion system of space station's lab capsules Beijing, China (SPX) Aug 30, 2018
Engineers have successfully tested the propulsion system of China's planned space station lab capsules, a key step in its space station program.
Weighing 66 tonnes, the space station will comprise a core module and two lab capsules. The propulsion system will determine whether lab capsules can move in space.
Engineers designed 36 engines for the propulsion system with four to adjust ... more |
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Star Gosling took flying lessons for new astronaut film Venice (AFP) Aug 29, 2018
Hollywood star Ryan Gosling said Wednesday that he tried to learn to fly to play astronaut Neil Armstrong in an emotional new biopic about the strong but silent space hero.
The Canadian actor renewed his Oscar-winning partnership with "La La Land" director Damien Chazalle for "First Man", which tells how Armstrong overcame tragedy after tragedy to become the first man to walk on the moon. ... more |
No word from Opportunity as skies begin to clear Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 30, 2018
No signal from Opportunity has been heard. The dust storm on Mars continues to decay.
There has been no new storm activity within ~1,864 miles (3,000 kilometers) of the rover site. The atmospheric opacity (tau) over the rover is decreasing. As reported previously, it is expected that Opportunity has experienced a low-power fault, and then perhaps, a mission clock fault.
Subsequent to ... more |
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Aerojet Rocketdyne demonstrates advanced electric propulsion capabilities Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 30, 2018
Aerojet Rocketdyne successfully completed its early systems integration test for NASA's Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) program, a next-generation propulsion capability that will further enable deep space missions.
Under the AEPS contract, Aerojet Rocketdyne will develop and qualify a 13-kilowatt Hall thruster string for NASA, bolstering future exploration missions, as well as c ... more |
Algal blooms a threat to small lakes and ponds, too Columbus OH (SPX) Aug 30, 2018
Harmful algae isn't just a problem for high-profile bodies of water - it poses serious, toxic threats in small ponds and lakes as well, new research has found.
A team of researchers from The Ohio State University examined water samples from two dozen ponds and small lakes in rural Ohio and found plenty of cause for concern, with particularly high levels of toxins at one lake.
Toxins ... more |
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Toyota pours $500 mn into driverless car tie-up with Uber Tokyo (AFP) Aug 28, 2018 Toyota will pump about $500 million into ride-share firm Uber as part of a deal to work together on mass-producing self-driving vehicles, the Japanese car giant said on Tuesday.
The deal, which reportedly values Uber at about $72 billion, aims at "advancing and bringing to market autonomous ride-sharing as a mobility service at scale", Toyota said in a statement.
Analysts said the move s ... more |
Nanotubes change the shape of water Houston TX (SPX) Aug 27, 2018
First, according to Rice University engineers, get a nanotube hole. Then insert water. If the nanotube is just the right width, the water molecules will align into a square rod.
Rice materials scientist Rouzbeh Shahsavari and his team used molecular models to demonstrate their theory that weak van der Waals forces between the inner surface of the nanotube and the water molecules are strong ... more |
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A materials scientist's dream come true Nuremberg, Germany (SPX) Aug 27, 2018
In the 1940s, scientists first explained how materials can deform plastically by atomic-scale line defects called dislocations. These defects can be understood as tiny carpet folds that can move one part of a material relative to the other without spending a lot of energy.
Many technical applications are based on this fundamental process, such as forging, but we also rely on the power of d ... more |
Plant biodiversity essential to bee health Washington (UPI) Aug 22, 2018
New research suggests bees can maintain healthy colonies in agricultural regions if provided habitat islands with sufficient plant biodiversity.
Many studies have detailed the threats - pesticide use, habitat loss and monoculture farming - facing honey bees, pollinators essential to global food systems. But new research suggests plant biodiversity can at least partially mitigate these ... more |
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