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The claw game on Mars: NASA InSight plays to win![]() Pasadena CA (JPL) Oct 19, 2018 If you've ever played the claw machine at an arcade, you know how hard it can be to maneuver the metal "hand" to pick up a prize. Imagine trying to play that game when the claw is on Mars, the objects you're trying to grasp are far more fragile than a stuffed bear and all you have is a stitched-together panorama of the environment you're working in. Oh, and there might be a dust storm. NASA's InSight lander, slated to arrive on Mars Nov. 26, 2018, will be the first mission to use a robotic arm to ... read more |
Sound, vibration recognition boost context-aware computingPittsburgh PA (SPX) Oct 18, 2018 Smart devices can seem dumb if they don't understand where they are or what people around them are doing. Carnegie Mellon University researchers say this environmental awareness can be enhanced by c ... more
Invention of ionic decision-maker capable of self-learningTokyo, Japan (SPX) Oct 18, 2018 A NIMS research group has invented an ionic device, termed as ionic decision-maker, capable of quickly making its own decisions based on previous experience using changes in ionic/molecular concentr ... more
NASA calls for instruments, technologies for delivery to the MoonWashington DC (SPX) Oct 19, 2018 NASA has announced a call for Lunar Surface Instrument and Technology Payloads that will fly to the Moon on commercial lunar landers as early as next year or 2020. The agency is working with U.S. in ... more
Postman, shopper, builder: In Japan, there's a robot for thatTokyo (AFP) Oct 18, 2018 Forget the flashy humanoids with their gymnastics skills: at the World Robot Summit in Tokyo, the focus was on down-to-earth robots that can deliver post, do the shopping and build a house. ... more |
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| Previous Issues | Oct 18 | Oct 17 | Oct 16 | Oct 15 | Oct 12 |
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Army researchers' technique locates robots, soldiers in GPS-challenged areasAdelphi MD (SPX) Oct 10, 2018 Scientists at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory have developed a novel algorithm that enables localization of humans and robots in areas where GPS is unavailable. According to ARL researchers ... more
No more Iron Man: submarines now have soft, robotic armsBoston MA (SPX) Oct 10, 2018 The human arm can perform a wide range of extremely delicate and coordinated movements, from turning a key in a lock to gently stroking a puppy's fur. The robotic "arms" on underwater research subma ... more
Painting cars for MarsPasadena CA (JPL) Oct 10, 2018 When John Campanella's friend wanted his beloved Ferrari painted, he knew exactly who to call. After all, Campanella had been painting, pinstriping and even airbrushing flames on to cars, motorcycle ... more
Model helps robots navigate more like humans doBoston MA (SPX) Oct 09, 2018 When moving through a crowd to reach some end goal, humans can usually navigate the space safely without thinking too much. They can learn from the behavior of others and note any obstacles to avoid ... more
See the future at ESA's IAC Start-up Space ZoneParis (ESA) Oct 04, 2018 From Lego-style satellites that plug together to robot avatars for lunar exploration, satellite maps for Arctic navigation to a DNA-analysing 'tricorder': next week 24 of planet Earth's top start-up ... more |
![]() Increasingly human-like robots spark fascination and fear
NTU Singapore scientists develop smart technology for synchronized 3D printing of concreteSingapore (SPX) Oct 04, 2018 Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a technology where two robots can work in unison to 3D-print a concrete structure. This method of concurren ... more |
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Lockheed Martin to marry machine learning with 3-D printingDenver CO (SPX) Oct 02, 2018 Today, 3-D printing generates parts used in ships, planes, vehicles and spacecraft, but it also requires a lot of babysitting. High-value and intricate parts sometimes require constant monitoring by ... more
Touchdown! Japan space probe lands new robot on asteroidTokyo (AFP) Oct 3, 2018 A Japanese probe landed a new observation robot on an asteroid on Wednesday as it pursues a mission to shed light on the origins of the solar system. ... more
Japan Deploys Jumping Robots on Distant AsteroidWashington DC (VOA) Oct 01, 2018 Two small Japanese robots landed on a distant asteroid last weekend. The robots took small jumps, making it the first time that any device from our planet has moved on the surface of an asteroid. ... more
Machine learning could help regulators identify environmental violationsWashington (UPI) Oct 1, 2018 Regulatory agencies tasked with protecting environmental and public health are regularly understaffed and underfunded, but new research suggests machine learning could help officials more effectively monitor potential violators. ... more
How a tiny Curiosity motor identified a massive Martian dust stormGreenbelt MD (SPX) Sep 27, 2018 There is no shortage of eyeballs, human and robotic, pointed at Mars. Scientists are constantly exploring the Red Planet from telescopes on Earth, plus the six spacecraft circling the planet from it ... more |
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DARPA seeks proposals for 3rd OFFSET Swarm Sprint, awards 2nd Contracts Washington DC (SPX) Oct 15, 2018
DARPA's OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) envisions swarms of 250 collaborative autonomous systems providing critical insights to small ground military units in urban areas where vertical structures, tight spaces, and limited sight lines constrain communications and mobility. DARPA is soliciting proposals for its third swarm sprint, which will focus on the topics of human-swarm teaming an ... more |
Orbit Logic's scheduling software selected for NASA satellite servicing mission Greenbelt, MD (SPX) Oct 19, 2018
Orbit Logic reports NASA has selected the company's STK Scheduler software for the Restore-L technology demonstration mission. During its mission, the Restore-L spacecraft will demonstrate the technologies required to rendezvous with, grasp, refuel and relocate a government-owned satellite.
Restore-L chose an Orbit Logic solution because STK Scheduler's timing and event constraint checking ... more |
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Announcing the discovery of an atomic electronic simulator Edmonton, Canada (SPX) Oct 16, 2018
Targeting applications like neural networks for machine learning, a new discovery out of the University of Alberta and Quantum Silicon Inc. in Edmonton, Canada is paving the way for atomic ultra-efficient electronics, the need for which is increasingly critical in our data-driven society. The key to unlocking untold potential for the greenest electronics? Creating bespoke atomic patterns to in t ... more |
Scientists discover new properties of uranium compounds Moscow, Russia (SPX) Oct 16, 2018
Scientists from Russia, China, and the United States predicted and experimentally identified new uranium hydrides, predicting superconductivity for some of them. The results of their study were published in Science Advances.
The phenomenon of superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by a group of scientists led by Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes. Superconductivity means complete dis ... more |
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US strike in Somalia killed 60 militants: Pentagon Washington (AFP) Oct 16, 2018 The United States conducted its largest air strike in nearly two years against militants in Somalia, killing about 60 Al-Shabaab fighters, the US military said Tuesday.
"This precision air strike was the largest air strike against Al-Shabaab since November 21, 2017," when air-dropped US munitions targeted one of the group's training camps, killing about 100 extremists, US Africa Command said ... more |
Spain's Ibedrola sells hydro, gas-powered assets in U.K. for $929M Washington (UPI) Oct 16, 2018
Spain's Iberdola, an electricity generation company that also operates in the U.K., U.S., Brazil and Mexico, said Tuesday that it was selling to the U.K.-based Drax group $929 million worth of hydro- and gas-powered assets.
Iberdrola's President Ignacio Galan said the company's energy production in the U.K. - where it owns the unit Scottish Power-- is now completely emission free.
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3D-printed lithium-ion batteries Washington DC (SPX) Oct 18, 2018
Electric vehicles and most electronic devices, such as cell phones and laptop computers, are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Until now, manufacturers have had to design their devices around the size and shape of commercially available batteries. But researchers have developed a new method to 3D print lithium-ion batteries in virtually any shape. They report their results in ACS Applied Energy ... more |
China's commercial aerospace companies flourishing Moscow (Sputnik) Oct 19, 2018
Many new companies have entered the commercial aerospace industry in China, supported by the government. Most of the CEOs come from government aerospace agencies or national scientific institutions. These companies still have a long way to go to catch up with Elon Musk's SpaceX.
The aerospace industry used to be a battleground for superpowers. Space agencies were all sponsored by governmen ... more |
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Plant hormone makes space farming a possibility Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Oct 18, 2018
With scarce nutrients and weak gravity, growing potatoes on the Moon or on other planets seems unimaginable. But the plant hormone strigolactone could make it possible, plant biologists from the University of Zurich have shown. The hormone supports the symbiosis between fungi and plant roots, thus encouraging plants' growth - even under the challenging conditions found in space.
The idea h ... more |
The claw game on Mars: NASA InSight plays to win Pasadena CA (JPL) Oct 19, 2018
If you've ever played the claw machine at an arcade, you know how hard it can be to maneuver the metal "hand" to pick up a prize. Imagine trying to play that game when the claw is on Mars, the objects you're trying to grasp are far more fragile than a stuffed bear and all you have is a stitched-together panorama of the environment you're working in. Oh, and there might be a dust storm.
NAS ... more |
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US astronaut Hague 'amazed' by Russian rescue team's work after Soyuz failure Moscow (Sputnik) Oct 19, 2018
NASA astronaut Nick Hague told NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine that he was impressed by the teamwork of the rescue crew that helped him and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin to get out of the rescue capsule after their recent emergency return to Earth over launch vehicle failure.
"They had three pararescue jumpers. As soon as they had found where we were at... they jumped in to get to u ... more |
Plastic piling up in Japan after China waste ban: survey Tokyo (AFP) Oct 18, 2018
Japan said Thursday it was facing a growing sea of plastic waste with limited capacity to process it after China stopped accepting foreign waste imports.
The environment ministry said about a quarter of major regional and municipal governments surveyed reported seeing accumulating plastic waste, sometimes going beyond sanitary standards.
The costs of processing waste plastic were rising, ... more |
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Carbon fiber can store energy in the body of a vehicle Gothenburg, Sweden (SPX) Oct 19, 2018
A study led by Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has shown that carbon fibres can work as battery electrodes, storing energy directly. This opens up new opportunities for structural batteries, where the carbon fibre becomes part of the energy system. The use of this type of multifunctional material can contribute to a significant weight-reduction in the aircraft and vehicles of the futu ... more |
Big discoveries about tiny particles Newark DE (SPX) Oct 09, 2018
From photonics to pharmaceuticals, materials made with polymer nanoparticles hold promise for products of the future. However, there are still gaps in understanding the properties of these tiny plastic-like particles.
Now, Hojin Kim, a graduate student in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Delaware, together with a team of collaborating scientists at the Max Planck ... more |
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Orbit Logic's scheduling software selected for NASA satellite servicing mission Greenbelt, MD (SPX) Oct 19, 2018
Orbit Logic reports NASA has selected the company's STK Scheduler software for the Restore-L technology demonstration mission. During its mission, the Restore-L spacecraft will demonstrate the technologies required to rendezvous with, grasp, refuel and relocate a government-owned satellite.
Restore-L chose an Orbit Logic solution because STK Scheduler's timing and event constraint checking ... more |
Diversity is key to sustainability for local chicken farming in Africa Liverpool UK (SPX) Oct 18, 2018
Adopting a more local and flexible approach to sustainable development could be key to boosting the productivity of small-scale chicken farms in Africa, a new study reports.
Research led by the University of Liverpool, in collaboration with UK and African partners, reveals village chicken populations in Ethiopia to be genetically diverse and highly adapted to their local physical, cultural ... more |
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