Tech News
Solar Powered Airplanes
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Solar Impulse 2 is an experimental long endurance airplane that has been designed to fly around the world powered exclusively by solar power. The idea of solar powered airplanes is considered impossible by some, but with the engineering
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MEET THE SELF-DRIVING RUBBER DUCKIE TAXIS OF DUCKIETOWN
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Though it's a funny and adorable idea, there's some very serious science behind it. Each of the robot taxis is equipped with only a single camera, and makes its way around the roads without any preprogrammed maps. That's different from many of the automated or semi-automated cars in development today, many of which rely on multiple cameras and/or preprogramed maps telling them what route to take.
The students in the class built the Duckiebots and programmed them to recognize traffic signs. A lot of the work was similar to what traffic and auto engineers face in the real world. “We thought about key problems like integration and co-design,” says Andrea Censi, one of the leaders of the course and a scientist with MIT's Laboratory for Information & Decision Systems (LIDS). “How do we make sure that systems that developed separately will work together? How do we design systems that maximize performance while sharing resources? It’s a delicate balancing act in weighing the relative importance of different infrastructure elements.” |
3D Print Body Parts
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Researchers at Wake Forest University have developed the technology to be able to 3D print living tissue, such as bone, muscle fibers or cartilage. While there has been a lot of research into 3d printing replacement body parts, most of those efforts are in replacing bones with plastic or metal materials. Wake Forest's project is instead focused on using living tissue. They use a biodegradable polymer to build scaffolding that supports growing tissue such as blood vessels, nerve endings, and bone formation. After the printed part is implanted, the plastic slowly gives way to the body’s cell growth until it is effectively dissolved. The teams hope is that in the coming years, they will be able to print anything from bones and muscles needed to mends battlefield injuries, to far more complex body organs like kidneys or heart valves.
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Underwater Servers
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Microsoft's Project Natick is finding ways of installing data centers on the bottom of the ocean. Part of the reasons is to put the data centers closer to major populations (keeping your internet connections faster) but the rest is eco-conscious. The servers and water proof housing are designed to entirely reusable or recyclable, the units are powered with renewable energy, and most importantly designed to use less energy. This is accomplished by operating "lights-out" with no one having to be present to manage the servers. Finally the heat exchanged between the servers and the surrounding ocean can potentially generate a small amount of electrical power, and otherwise demanding far less energy than is needed for cooling traditional data centers.
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De-icing Concrete
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After a heavy snow or ice storm, someone needs to clear the roads, be it the city paying for snow plows or simply parents telling you to shovel the drive way, but what if we could just have the road melt the ice? Researchers at University of Nebraska - Lincoln have developed a conductive concrete that when activated can de-ice itself making it safer to drive in the winter, and potentially will be used to melt snow and ice off of the runways at airports. The researchers are also looking at using the same concrete technology to block radio signals, which could be used to help with national security.
Full article from University of Nebraska at Lincoln |
Billions in Change
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The time for raising awareness is over. It is time to implement solutions to the most important global problems – water, energy and health. The availability of electricity affects both rich and poor as well. For the rich, pollution from fossil fuel sources has created huge health problems for people and the planet. For the poor, lack of electricity has kept them in poverty by putting education, livelihood and basic necessities out of reach. |
Firefly
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The Firefly is an electric bike you attach to a manual wheelchair.
It uses 4 self-locking ball-joints for quick and easy attachment. By attaching the Firefly your manual wheelchair becomes an electric wheelchair, thereby allowing for greater range and speed. The Firefly is designed primarily for use outdoors and has a maximum reach of 30 km. It runs forward and backwards. Due to its small turning radius though, it can also be used indoors in, for example, public buildings, shopping malls and rehabilitation centres. The Firefly is developed by Rio Mobility in San Francisco. |
Key Features:
- The mounting and removing of the Firefly is done quickly and easily.
The Firefly turns your manual wheelchair into an electric wheelchair.
The Firefly fits on most manual wheelchairs.
The F (= Fast) version of the Firefly has a max speed of 18km/h or 12 km/h.
The S (= Slow) version has a max speed of 15km/h or 8 km/h and a tuning screw to determine the max. speed of your own choice.
Are Beats Headphones worth the money?
Dr. Dre once mused, “if you ain’t in it for the money then get out the game.” That explains why he got into the headphone business, because the profit margin on Beats cans is bat-crap insane. That’s according to some new in-depth analysis published over on Medium. The report was put together by engineer Avery Louie, who has loads of experience helping startups figure out how to refine their designs and get their products manufactured.
While he doesn’t have access to Beats’ books, he does know the kinds of costs typically associated with producing something like a pair of headphones — and it turns out they’re pretty minimal.
Louie figures that a pair of Beats headphones that retails for $199 costs about $17 to produce — but wait, there’s a zinger. The most expensive part of the entire package? It’s the package. The manual, soft case, box, and sleeve run about $7. The speakers themselves — you know, the things they put in Beats to keep the heads ringin’— cost less than $1 each.
So, why would anyone spend $199 on a pair of Beats? The marketing dollars help, and so did the fact that Dre was pimping them back in the day. Louie also discovered one clever trick: the use of metal parts to add weight, which makes the headphones feel more substantial.
A little added heft can go a long way toward convincing shoppers that a product is worth a few extra bucks. In the case of these headphones, just four little pieces of metal account for 30% of the total weight. Louie says there’s no real reason they need to be made from metal. It’s all about creating an illusion.
Images courtesy Medium
While he doesn’t have access to Beats’ books, he does know the kinds of costs typically associated with producing something like a pair of headphones — and it turns out they’re pretty minimal.
Louie figures that a pair of Beats headphones that retails for $199 costs about $17 to produce — but wait, there’s a zinger. The most expensive part of the entire package? It’s the package. The manual, soft case, box, and sleeve run about $7. The speakers themselves — you know, the things they put in Beats to keep the heads ringin’— cost less than $1 each.
So, why would anyone spend $199 on a pair of Beats? The marketing dollars help, and so did the fact that Dre was pimping them back in the day. Louie also discovered one clever trick: the use of metal parts to add weight, which makes the headphones feel more substantial.
A little added heft can go a long way toward convincing shoppers that a product is worth a few extra bucks. In the case of these headphones, just four little pieces of metal account for 30% of the total weight. Louie says there’s no real reason they need to be made from metal. It’s all about creating an illusion.
Images courtesy Medium
Drift Board Scooters “Two Wheels Smart Self Balancing Scooters Drifting Board Electric (blue),” and it’s kind of like a Segway—but with no handlebars. It’s not a skateboard, but it’s kind of like a sideways skateboard? It’s like a scooter, ish? I don’t know what to call it, but scooter seems good enough.
Link to Wired Magazine Article |
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TF-X flying-car designGetting a light plane-car hybrid off the ground seems to be an arduous process. The TF-X -- from flying-car company Terrafugia -- was announced more than two years ago but will be in development for some years to come.
If your interest needed a pique, though, the company has something new to offer: an updated exterior design of the TF-X (aka an outer mold line). In addition, US-based Terrafugia said Monday, the new design for the TF-X will be tested as a one-tenth scale model in a wind tunnel. The model is currently on display at the EAA AirVenture aviation convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. "The model will be tested at the MIT Wright Brothers wind tunnel, the same tunnel that was used to test models of Terrafugia's Transition. The wind tunnel test model will be used to measure drag, lift and thrust forces while simulating hovering flight, transitioning to forward flight and full forward flight," Terrafugia said in a statement. The original 2013 design of the TF-X.TerrafugiaThe TF-X will be the successor to the company's Transition aircraft, which was flown at EAA AirVenture in 2013. |
The company, founded in 2006 by MIT aeronautics and management graduates in Woburn, Massachusetts, had projected delivery of its first Transition units for around $279,000 in 2015 or 2016. However, delivery has been postponed several times -- and it's still expected to take a couple more years and cost up to $400,000, according to a report on Engadget.
The newer flying car will be a hybrid electric vehicle. It will have the capacity to carry four people, fit into a standard single-car garage, and be both street-legal and easy to fly -- taking, on average, around five hours to learn to operate in the skies, the company said. It will also, according to Terrafugia , be able to take off and land vertically, with "auto-landing" at approved sites. |
Electric Generators
Most of us don’t think about where our water comes from or how it gets there. We just turn on the tap and expect it to be there.
Lucid Energy CEO Greg Semler, is interested in changing the way we think about our drinking water, specifically in terms of hydroelectricity. With the help of innovators at Lucid Energy, your tap water may soon be able to power your house. The startup plans to place small turbines inside existing as well as new water pipes to capture the energy from water already flowing to your home, business and under your streets and convert it to electricity. With energy being the critical component, which drives the cost of delivering and purifying water, Lucid Energy could help offset a city’s costs without damaging the environment. The company has installed a pipe along with four turbines in its home city of Portland, Oregon. Lucid Energy and its investors are funding the project and will share a small percentage of revenue with the city. As for consumers, Portland’s Water Bureau Administrator plans to pass on any of the city’s savings to its residents, but does not anticipate a noticeable difference |
So just how much energy are we talking about? On a small scale, one turbine could generate enough electricity to power about 50 homes. On a larger scale, if the turbines were installed in every major city across the country, Semler envisions Lucid Energy as a new way of “giving power to the people.” |
- See more at: http://www.planetforward.org/tv-segments/turning-water-pipes-into-electric-generators#sthash.V4SVa1jS.dpuf
3D Printer for only $100
The Peachy Printer is photolithographic, which means it uses lasers to liquid resin into objects. It does this through an interconnected series of mirrors. The resin floats on top of water. So creating the object from the ground up is done by drip feeding additional water to the container. This raises the water level, and hence the resin level. Software for the product is an add-on to the the Blender software suite. All data is compiled into a waveform and is ‘played’ to the 3d printer. It’s quite a novel concept and it has made this one of the most affordable 3d printers on the market.
Further down in this Peachy Printer review, you’ll find out why going with the cheapest version isn’t necessarily the best idea when it comes to 3D printing. Not that I don’t think that this product is awesome, but there might be better alternativesdepending on your needs. |
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If you are one of those people that would rather buy something already assembled, you might want to look at something different. The Peachy Printer comes with instructions and several moving parts that you must review before you start trying to put the thing together yourself. This can be difficult for those of us who are not technically inclined. Once you have the 3d printer put together, you have to install the software and convert your desired shape into waveform. Then, you have to hook up the audio jacks in your computer to the printer and watch it work. It looks really cool as the object is taking form!
Google Self-Driving Cars
Imagine if everyone could get around easily and safely, regardless of their ability to drive.
Aging or visually impaired loved ones wouldn't have to give up their independence. Time spent commuting could be time spent doing what you want to do. Deaths from traffic accidents—over 1.2 million worldwide every year—could be reduced dramatically, especially since 94% of accidents in the U.S. involve human error. How it worksOur self-driving cars are designed to navigate safely through city streets. They have sensors designed to detect objects as far as two football fields away in all directions, including pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles—or even fluttering plastic shopping bags and rogue birds. The software processes all the information to help the car safely navigate the road without getting tired or distracted. |
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What we’re up to:
We’ve self-driven over 1 million miles and are currently out on the streets of Mountain View, California and Austin, Texas.
Our testing fleet includes both modified Lexus SUVs and new prototype vehicles that are designed from the ground up to be fully self-driving. There are safety drivers aboard all vehicles for now. We look forward to learning how the community perceives and interacts with us, and uncovering situations that are unique to a fully self-driving vehicle.
Say hello if you see us around!
We’ve self-driven over 1 million miles and are currently out on the streets of Mountain View, California and Austin, Texas.
Our testing fleet includes both modified Lexus SUVs and new prototype vehicles that are designed from the ground up to be fully self-driving. There are safety drivers aboard all vehicles for now. We look forward to learning how the community perceives and interacts with us, and uncovering situations that are unique to a fully self-driving vehicle.
Say hello if you see us around!
Virgin Galactic will build its satellite launcher at California's Long Beach Airport -By Sean O'Kane
Companies like SpaceX and Orbital ATK (formerly Orbital Sciences) will soon have big competition when it comes to putting satellites into space. Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic just completed a deal to build a facility for the design and manufacturing of LauncherOne, a two-stage orbital launch vehicle that can carry satellites weighing up to 500 pounds. The 150,000-square-foot facility will be built at the Long Beach Airport in a spot formerly occupied by Boeing.
There is at least one mission already on the books for LauncherOne. A company called OneWeb is trying to create a satellite-based internet by launching a network of 648 of them into orbit. Branson announced a deal with the company last month.
Instead of using launchpads like SpaceX, LauncherOne is designed to be released mid-flight from Virgin's WhiteKnightTwo aircraft. (Orbital's Pegasus I rocket works in a similar way but is designed to carry heavier satellites, and the company's working on a "Pegasus II" project that echoes Virgin's current setup.) Virgin Galactic claims this method allows it offer a launch price that is the "lowest in the nation or perhaps the world."
LAUNCHES EVERY THREE OR FOUR HOURS, INSTEAD OF TWICE A MONTH
This method could also make it easier for companies to place their satellites in the desired orbit since the launch doesn't have to take place from a fixed position. Branson told CNBClast month that the LauncherOne and WhiteKnightTwo combination could allow the company to "literally take off every three or four hours." For comparison, SpaceX performs launches bimonthly at best.
WhiteKnightTwo is the same aircraft that Virgin Galactic uses to launch SpaceShipTwo, the company's crewed vehicle. The company has been testing that ship in the hopes of eventually offering commercial spaceflight to the masses in the next few years, but a fatal test flight accident in the fall has stalled that timeline.
There is at least one mission already on the books for LauncherOne. A company called OneWeb is trying to create a satellite-based internet by launching a network of 648 of them into orbit. Branson announced a deal with the company last month.
Instead of using launchpads like SpaceX, LauncherOne is designed to be released mid-flight from Virgin's WhiteKnightTwo aircraft. (Orbital's Pegasus I rocket works in a similar way but is designed to carry heavier satellites, and the company's working on a "Pegasus II" project that echoes Virgin's current setup.) Virgin Galactic claims this method allows it offer a launch price that is the "lowest in the nation or perhaps the world."
LAUNCHES EVERY THREE OR FOUR HOURS, INSTEAD OF TWICE A MONTH
This method could also make it easier for companies to place their satellites in the desired orbit since the launch doesn't have to take place from a fixed position. Branson told CNBClast month that the LauncherOne and WhiteKnightTwo combination could allow the company to "literally take off every three or four hours." For comparison, SpaceX performs launches bimonthly at best.
WhiteKnightTwo is the same aircraft that Virgin Galactic uses to launch SpaceShipTwo, the company's crewed vehicle. The company has been testing that ship in the hopes of eventually offering commercial spaceflight to the masses in the next few years, but a fatal test flight accident in the fall has stalled that timeline.
Click Here for Pictures and Video http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/12/8029447/virgin-galactic-satellite-launcher-long-beach-california
These drones have a higher calling
http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/04/technology/drones-for-good/index.html
http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/04/technology/drones-for-good/index.html
Seabreacher Customized Boat
"Push the limits -- take it to the new extreme. "Take boating to a whole new level when you jump out of the water -- just like a shark. "The Seabreacher is the latest must-have toy for people who play hard -- especially on the water. Unlike conventional watercraft that only operate on a two dimensional plane, the Seabreacher operates more like an aircraft with full three-axis of control. This allows the vessel to carve left and right, jump over, dive under, and cut though the waves. "The acrylic canopy and underwater view ports give pilot and passenger a near 360-degree view as they fly through the water at breathtaking speed. It reaches speeds of 55 mph on the surface and 25 mph underwater. The pilot and passenger sit comfortably in a fully enclosed watertight cockpit. "Each Seabreacher is tailor made and customers can select from an endless array of options and custom paint schemes." $85,000 |
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Disney's Sand-Sketching Robot Turns Beaches Into an Artist's Canvas by Andrew Liszewski
If you thought elaborate sand castles were the only way one could express their artistic vision on the beach, Disney Research and ETH Zürich want to introduce you to their Beachbot. Slightly larger than a Roomba, the cartoonish robot turtle uses innovative soft balloon-like wheels so that it doesn't leave a trail while rolling across a beach, but can deploy a built-in rake as needed to draw elaborate designs in the sand.
Beachbot can be controlled remotely allowing an operator to use it to draw directly on a beach, but it can also be programmed with a pre-loaded design or image. In that case, four white poles are placed in the sand to establish the size of the giant canvas, which the Beachbot then uses to keep track of its position—with a high degree of accuracy—as it autonomously reproduces a design. Practical applications of the technology seem limited to companies creating giant advertisements on a crowded beach, but resorts could use the Beachbot to designate private sections of their waterfront property, letting guests reserve a premiere spot to soak up the sun. And were you and the Beachbot (and a laptop) the only survivors of a shipwreck that washed ashore, it would certainly be a useful tool for spelling out S.O.S. and rescue messages. |
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Kiva robot
Meet Amazon's busiest employee. Click on the link below and read the article and watch the video.
http://www.cnet.com/news/meet-amazons-busiest-employee-the-kiva-robot/
Meet Amazon's busiest employee. Click on the link below and read the article and watch the video.
http://www.cnet.com/news/meet-amazons-busiest-employee-the-kiva-robot/
Graphene-Based Supercapacitors Could Lead To Battery-Free Electric Cars Within 5 Years
November 12, 2014 | by Lisa Winter
Batteries seem to be the limiting factor in the popularity of electric cars. They are one of the most expensive components of the vehicle, and have limited range compared with gasoline powered vehicles. While there have been some impressive advances in recent years, a team of researchers have created a supercapacitor film that could replace the need for a battery altogether within the next five years. The collaboration between scientists at Rice University and Queensland University of Technology resulted in two papers, published inJournal of Power Sources and Nanotechnology.
The supercapacitor consists of two layers of graphene with an electrolyte layer in the middle. The film is strong, exceedingly thin, and is able to release a large amount of energy in a short amount of time, which is essential.
"Vehicles need an extra energy spurt for acceleration, and this is where supercapacitors come in. They hold a limited amount of charge, but they are able to deliver it very quickly, making them the perfect complement to mass-storage batteries," Marco Notarianni of QUT said in a press release. Notarianni was lead author of the Nanotechnology paper. "Supercapacitors offer a high power output in a short time, meaning a faster acceleration rate of the car and a charging time of just a few minutes, compared to several hours for a standard electric car battery.”
Ordinary batteries take up a large amount of space, whereas the supercapacitor film could be integrated into multiple areas of the vehicle, such as the body panels, roof, floor, and doors. A supercapacitor this large could provide the vehicle with the amount of energy it needs, while making the vehicle itself much lighter.
The graphene-based supercapacitor film would be able to be fully charged in a matter of minutes, rather than the several hours it takes for a conventional battery. But while it might charge and release energy faster than standard batteries, they currently don’t hold nearly as much energy. This is one aspect that the scientists hope to change with further study.
"In the future, it is hoped the supercapacitor will be developed to store more energy than a Li-Ion battery while retaining the ability to release its energy up to 10 times faster - meaning the car could be entirely powered by the supercapacitors in its body panels,” added co-author Jinzhang Liu. "After one full charge, this car should be able to run up to 500km (310 miles) - similar to a petrol-powered car and more than double the current limit of an electric car.”
Because the supercapacitors are made out of graphene, a layer of carbon only one atom thick, the film is a more ecological choice. Additionally, because carbon can be sourced more easily than the lithium found in conventional batteries, it could end up being fairly economical as time goes on and production becomes more widespread.
"The price of Li-Ion batteries cannot decrease a lot because the price of Lithium remains high. This technique does not rely on metals and other toxic materials either, so it is environmentally friendly if it needs to be disposed of,” explained lead researcher Nunzio Motta.
November 12, 2014 | by Lisa Winter
Batteries seem to be the limiting factor in the popularity of electric cars. They are one of the most expensive components of the vehicle, and have limited range compared with gasoline powered vehicles. While there have been some impressive advances in recent years, a team of researchers have created a supercapacitor film that could replace the need for a battery altogether within the next five years. The collaboration between scientists at Rice University and Queensland University of Technology resulted in two papers, published inJournal of Power Sources and Nanotechnology.
The supercapacitor consists of two layers of graphene with an electrolyte layer in the middle. The film is strong, exceedingly thin, and is able to release a large amount of energy in a short amount of time, which is essential.
"Vehicles need an extra energy spurt for acceleration, and this is where supercapacitors come in. They hold a limited amount of charge, but they are able to deliver it very quickly, making them the perfect complement to mass-storage batteries," Marco Notarianni of QUT said in a press release. Notarianni was lead author of the Nanotechnology paper. "Supercapacitors offer a high power output in a short time, meaning a faster acceleration rate of the car and a charging time of just a few minutes, compared to several hours for a standard electric car battery.”
Ordinary batteries take up a large amount of space, whereas the supercapacitor film could be integrated into multiple areas of the vehicle, such as the body panels, roof, floor, and doors. A supercapacitor this large could provide the vehicle with the amount of energy it needs, while making the vehicle itself much lighter.
The graphene-based supercapacitor film would be able to be fully charged in a matter of minutes, rather than the several hours it takes for a conventional battery. But while it might charge and release energy faster than standard batteries, they currently don’t hold nearly as much energy. This is one aspect that the scientists hope to change with further study.
"In the future, it is hoped the supercapacitor will be developed to store more energy than a Li-Ion battery while retaining the ability to release its energy up to 10 times faster - meaning the car could be entirely powered by the supercapacitors in its body panels,” added co-author Jinzhang Liu. "After one full charge, this car should be able to run up to 500km (310 miles) - similar to a petrol-powered car and more than double the current limit of an electric car.”
Because the supercapacitors are made out of graphene, a layer of carbon only one atom thick, the film is a more ecological choice. Additionally, because carbon can be sourced more easily than the lithium found in conventional batteries, it could end up being fairly economical as time goes on and production becomes more widespread.
"The price of Li-Ion batteries cannot decrease a lot because the price of Lithium remains high. This technique does not rely on metals and other toxic materials either, so it is environmentally friendly if it needs to be disposed of,” explained lead researcher Nunzio Motta.