Robot News from RoboDaily.com
August 31, 2018
MARSDAILY
NASA's InSight has a thermometer for Mars



Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 31, 2018
Ambitious climbers, forget Mt. Everest. Dream about Mars. The Red Planet has some of the tallest mountains in the solar system. They include Olympus Mons, a volcano nearly three times the height of Everest. It borders a region called the Tharsis plateau, where three equally awe-inspiring volcanoes dominate the landscape. But what geologic processes created these features on the Martian surface? Scientists have long wondered - and may soon know more. NASA and DLR (German Aerospace Center) pla ... read more

STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Shape-shifting material can morph, reverse itself using heat, light
Boulder 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
ROBO SPACE
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
SPACE TRAVEL
Students experience the power of controlling satellites in space
Houston 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
WATER WORLD
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 Systema ... more
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WATER WORLD
Australia unveils starfish-killing robot to protect Barrier Reef
Sydney (AFP) Aug 31, 2018
A robot submarine able to hunt and kill the predatory crown-of-thorns starfish devastating the Great Barrier Reef was unveiled by Australian researchers on Friday. ... more
ROBO SPACE
Robot teachers invade Chinese kindergartens
Beijing (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
ROBO SPACE
UNC builds better particle tracking software using artificial intelligence
Chapel Hill NC (SPX) Aug 27, 2018
Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have created a new method of particle tracking based on machine learning that is far more accurate and provides better automation than t ... more
ROBO SPACE
Sony to release AI-infused robotic pups in the US
San Francisco (AFP) Aug 23, 2018
Sony on Thursday announced that its Aibo robotic dogs infused with artificial intelligence will be unleashed on the US market by the year-end holiday season, with a price tag of $2,899. ... more
ROBO SPACE
Must do better: Japan eyes AI robots in class to boost English
Tokyo (AFP) Aug 21, 2018
English-speaking AI robots will be helping out in some 500 Japanese classrooms from next year as the country seeks to improve its English skills among both children and teachers. ... more
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TERROR WARS
Nanobot pumps destroy nerve agents
Washington DC (SPX) Aug 22, 2018
Once in the territory of science fiction, "nanobots" are closer than ever to becoming a reality, with possible applications in medicine, manufacturing, robotics and fluidics. Today, scientists repor ... more
SPACEWAR
Robotic payload for RSGS mission moves to next phase of development
Washington DC (SPX) Aug 20, 2018
DARPA has completed a major review milestone for its Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites, or RSGS, program. Results from a recently completed preliminary design review showed that the rob ... more
ROBO SPACE
Robot wars: China shows off automated doctors, teachers and combat stars
Beijing (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
WATER WORLD
DIY robots help marine biologists discover new deep-sea dwellers
New 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
ROBO SPACE
UCLA-developed artificial intelligence device identifies objects at the speed of light
Los 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-shaped

EXO WORLDS
Scientist begins developing instrument for finding extraterrestrial bacteria
Greenbelt 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
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ROBO SPACE
A system to synthesize realistic sounds for computer animation
Stanford CA (SPX) Aug 09, 2018
Advances in computer-generated imagery have brought vivid, realistic animations to life, but the sounds associated with what we see simulated on screen, such as two objects colliding, are often reco ... more
MARSDAILY
Aerojet Rocketdyne delivers power generator for Mars 2020 Rover
Los 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
ROBO SPACE
A kernel of promise in popcorn-powered robots
Ithaca 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
ROBO SPACE
Chip labour: Robots replace waiters in China restaurant
Shanghai (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
ROBO SPACE
Research identifies key weakness in modern computer vision systems
Providence 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
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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
+ General Atomics receives contract for Gray Eagle drones
+ Insitu to provide RA-21 Blackjack UAVs to the Marine Corps and Poland
+ General Dynamics contracted for advanced MQ-9 Reaper sensors
+ Drones fly to rescue of Amazon wildlife
+ 26 days in the air: Airbus drone smashes world record
+ Threat from on high: race on to bolster drone defences
+ Insitu tapped for RQ-21A spare, sustainment parts
New compact hyperspectral system captures 5-D images
Washington DC (SPX) Aug 30, 2018
Researchers have developed a compact imaging system that can measure the shape and light-reflection properties of objects with high speed and accuracy. This 5D hyperspectral imaging system - so-called because it captures multiple wavelengths of light plus spatial coordinates as a function of time - could benefit a variety of applications including optical-based sorting of products and identifyin ... more
+ Maxar's SSL selected by NASA to explore commercial satellite assembly and manufacturing in LEO
+ Structural fluctuation evaluation in substances from measurement data
+ Ironing out the difficulties of moving fluids in space
+ China to limit number of online games over myopia fears
+ Researchers 3D print prototype for 'bionic eye'
+ Game over? China to rein in online games in latest industry setback
+ Watching two-dimensional materials grow


Scientists predict superelastic properties in a group of iron-based superconductors
Ames IA (SPX) Aug 31, 2018
A collaboration between scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory and the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main has computationally predicted a number of unique properties in a group of iron-based superconductors, including room-temperature super-elasticity. Ames Laboratory produced samples of one of these iron arsenide materials with ... more
+ Physicists show first proof of Dicke cooperativity in a matter-matter system
+ Helping the microchip industry go with the flow
+ Researchers achieve multifunctional solid-state quantum memory
+ New material could improve efficiency of computer processing and memory
+ Multi-purpose silicon chip created for quantum information processing
+ Once a performance barrier, material quirk could improve telecommunications
+ Magnetic antiparticles offer new horizons for information technologies
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
+ Experts voice safety concerns about new pebble-bed nuclear reactors
+ Framatome supports its customers with a solution to increase plant efficiency
+ Extreme makeover: Fukushima nuclear plant tries image overhaul
+ Framatome becomes main distributor of Chesterton valve packing and seals for the nuclear energy industry
+ SUSI submarine robot enables successful visual Inspection at Asco Nuclear Power Plant
+ EDF sees new delay, cost overruns for nuclear reactor
+ First Ukraine nuclear reactor loaded 'solely' with non-Russian fuel
Iraqi court clears German-Turkish woman of IS links
Baghdad (AFP) Aug 29, 2018
An Iraqi judge on Wednesday cleared a German-Turkish woman of having ties to the Islamic State group, a judicial source said, more than a year after she was detained. Hadya Abdel Qader had been held without charge since her arrest by Iraqi security forces in Mosul, in a part of the northern city held by IS. The jihadist group was ousted from Mosul in July last year after a months-long ba ... more
+ US military says IS member killed in Libya air strike
+ After stinging defeats, IS revamps to survive
+ Counting Islamic State members, an impossible task
+ Nanobot pumps destroy nerve agents
+ Preparing for chemical attacks with improved computer models
+ IS chief Baghdadi urges 'jihad' in purported new recording
+ Israel eases gun controls following lone-wolf attacks
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
+ Energy-intensive Bitcoin transactions pose a growing environmental threat
+ Germany thwarts China by taking stake in 50Hertz power firm
+ Global quadrupling of cooling appliances to 14 billion by 2050
+ Equinor buys short-term electricity trader
+ China reviewing low-carbon efforts
+ Path to zero emissions starts out easy, but gets steep
+ Green electricity isn't enough to curb global warming


Water vapor annealing technique on diamond surfaces for next-generation power devices
Kanazawa, Japan (SPX) Aug 29, 2018
Diamonds are adored for their dazzling beauty, often displayed in exquisite jewelry. But, this solid form of carbon is also renowned for its outstanding physical and electronic properties. In Japan, a collaboration between researchers at Kanazawa University's Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology and AIST in Tsukuba, led by Ryo Yoshida, has used water vapor annealing to form hy ... more
+ This bright blue dye is found in fabric. Could it also power batteries?
+ AECOM and Lockheed Martin enhance energy resilience at Fort Carson with battery peaker
+ Scientists tame damaging plasma instabilities in fusion facilities
+ These lithium-ion batteries can't catch fire because they harden on impact
+ Juelich researchers are developing fast-charging solid-state batteries
+ A paper battery powered by bacteria
+ Scientists turn to the quantum realm to improve energy transportation
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
+ China unveils Chang'e-4 rover to explore Moon's far side
+ China's SatCom launch marketing not limited to business interest
+ China to launch space station Tiangong in 2022, welcomes foreign astronauts
+ China solicits international cooperation experiments on space station
+ Growing US unease with China's new deep space facility in Argentina
+ China developing in-orbit satellite transport vehicle
+ PRSS-1 Satellite in Good Condition


For first time in decades, astronaut quits NASA training
Washington (AFP) Aug 29, 2018
For the first time in five decades, a NASA astronaut candidate has resigned from training, the US space agency said Tuesday. Robb Kulin resigned from NASA effective August 31 for personal reasons, spokeswoman Brandi Dean said, declining to provide further details. It's not an easy gig to get - some 18,000 people routinely seek the 12 spots that open each year. Kulin, who joined his ... more
+ Students experience the power of controlling satellites in space
+ When cars fly? Japan wants airborne vehicles to take off
+ NASA competition aims to convert carbon dioxide on Mars into useful products
+ Lockheed Martin begins final assembly on NASA's Orion
+ Space station reports 'leak', crew not in danger
+ Russia's Kalashnikov branches out from rifles to robots and e-cars
+ Star Gosling took flying lessons for new astronaut film
Martian skies clearing over Opportunity Rover
Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 31, 2018
A planet-encircling dust storm on Mars, which was first detected May 30 and halted operations for the Opportunity rover, continues to abate. With clearing skies over Opportunity's resting spot in Mars' Perseverance Valley, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, believe the nearly 15-year-old, solar-powered rover will soon receive enough sunlight to automatic ... more
+ No word from Opportunity as skies begin to clear
+ NASA's InSight has a thermometer for Mars
+ NASA's InSight passes halfway to Mars, instruments check in
+ Six Things About Opportunity'S Recovery Efforts
+ The Science Team Continues to Listen for Opportunity as Storm Diminishes
+ Planet-Encircling Dust Storm of Mars shows signs of slowing
+ Aerojet Rocketdyne delivers power generator for Mars 2020 Rover


India readies baby rockets to tap small satellites' market
New Delhi (Sputnik) Aug 31, 2018
The ISRO is developing a small rocket of not more than 100 tons that can send a 500 kg satellite into a 500 km orbit. The ISRO, which is earning around $40 million annually through launching small satellites of foreign customers, aims to increase its revenue manifold by using the baby rocket. The small satellite launch vehicles (SSLV) will not require a mission control center to launch sat ... more
+ Space launch training cooperation
+ Commercial Spaceports 2018
+ How an LWO and his team guided a Minotaur IV rocket out of the labyrinth
+ Chinese private space company to launch first carrier rocket
+ GEOStar-3 mission success enabled by Aerojet Rocketdyne XR-5 Hall Thruster System
+ Stratolaunch announces new launch vehicles
+ Stennis Begins 5th Series of RS-25 Engine Tests
Particulate pollution's impact varies greatly depending on where it originated
Washington DC (SPX) Aug 31, 2018
When it comes to aerosol pollution, as the old real estate adage says, location is everything. Aerosols are tiny particles that are spewed into the atmosphere by human activities, including burning coal and wood. They have negative effects on air quality - damaging human health and agricultural productivity. While greenhouse gases cause warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere, som ... more
+ Algal blooms a threat to small lakes and ponds, too
+ Sent packing: Hong Kong's elderly cardboard collectors
+ Sofia theatre group explores 'invisible hands' of recycling
+ Paris, Tokyo, New York and others pledge to slash waste
+ Air pollution reduces global life expectancy by more than one year
+ The Australians putting the brakes on fast fashion, fearing for environment
+ Flushed contact lenses are big source of microplastic pollution


Tesla wins green rebate lawsuit against Canada's Ontario province
Ottawa (AFP) Aug 28, 2018
US electric automaker Tesla has won a lawsuit against Canada's most populous province of Ontario after its new government scrapped a rebate initiative for electric car purchases. The Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Incentive Program, launched by the previous Ontario Liberal administration, offered rebates of up to Can$14,000 (US$11,000) on qualifying vehicles. But the program was scrapped ... more
+ China's Didi apologises for safety lapses after murder
+ California advances electric vehicle legislation
+ Toyota pours $500 mn into driverless car tie-up with Uber
+ Startup delivers groceries in self-driving cars
+ China's transport ministry censures Didi after murder
+ Move over, Musk: Kalashnikov unveils 'electric supercar'
+ Uber hires CFO on the road to IPO
First-ever colored thin films of nanotubes created
Helsinki, Finland (SPX) Aug 31, 2018
Single-walled carbon nanotubes, or sheets of one atom-thick layers of graphene rolled up into different sizes and shapes, have found many uses in electronics and new touch screen devices. By nature, carbon nanotubes are typically black or a dark grey. In their new study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), Aalto University researchers present a way to control t ... more
+ Nanotubes change the shape of water
+ Fast visible-UV light nanobelt photodetector
+ Big-picture thinking can advance nanoparticle manufacturing
+ Hybrid nanomaterials bristle with potential
+ Nanotube 'rebar' makes graphene twice as tough
+ Individual silver nanoparticles observed in real time
+ Researchers use nanotechnology to improve the accuracy of measuring devices


New compact hyperspectral system captures 5-D images
Washington DC (SPX) Aug 30, 2018
Researchers have developed a compact imaging system that can measure the shape and light-reflection properties of objects with high speed and accuracy. This 5D hyperspectral imaging system - so-called because it captures multiple wavelengths of light plus spatial coordinates as a function of time - could benefit a variety of applications including optical-based sorting of products and identifyin ... more
+ Maxar's SSL selected by NASA to explore commercial satellite assembly and manufacturing in LEO
+ Structural fluctuation evaluation in substances from measurement data
+ Ironing out the difficulties of moving fluids in space
+ China to limit number of online games over myopia fears
+ Researchers 3D print prototype for 'bionic eye'
+ Game over? China to rein in online games in latest industry setback
+ Watching two-dimensional materials grow
Epigenome of bread wheat mapped to piece together its genetic heritage
Norwich UK (SPX) Aug 31, 2018
Globally, wheat, together with maize and rice, provides the most human nutrition. It can thrive in a whole range of different environments, even within a similar geographical region. Exploring one hundred different wheat lines worldwide, the research team led by the Earlham Institute in collaboration with Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, University of Liverpool and the John Innes Centre have rev ... more
+ Global warming will make insects hungrier, eating up key crops: study
+ Environmentally friendly farming practices used by a third of global farms
+ Plant biodiversity essential to bee health
+ Bees get hooked on harmful pesticide: study
+ French tomato grower takes on Monsanto over weedkiller
+ 'No grass': Europe's livestock sector stricken by drought
+ The wheat code is finally cracked
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