Lifeboat Foundation

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For nearly 60 years, the dream of flying cars that many Baby Boomers grew up on while watching TV’s George Jetson jet around the skyways has remained unfulfilled.

But the dream is still alive. A dozen startups around the world are developing VTOLs (“vertical takeoff and landing”) – the technical term for flying cars.

Continue reading “Israeli-made flying cars may be floating into our future” »

TuSimple, a trucking technology company, has announced a plan for the world’s first Autonomous Freight Network (AFN) – an ecosystem consisting of autonomous trucks, digital mapped routes, strategically placed terminals, and TuSimple Connect, a proprietary autonomous operations monitoring system.

Collectively, these components will work together to create the safest and most efficient way to bring self-driving trucks to market. Partnering with TuSimple in the launch of the Autonomous Freight Network are UPS, Penske Truck Leasing, U.S. Xpress (who operate one of the largest carrier fleets in the country) and McLane, a Berkshire Hathaway company and one of the largest supply chain services leaders in the United States.

“Our ultimate goal is to have a nationwide transportation network, consisting of mapped routes connecting hundreds of terminals to enable efficient, low-cost, long-haul autonomous freight operations,” said Cheng Lu, President of TuSimple. “By launching the AFN with our strategic partners, we will be able to quickly scale operations and expand autonomous shipping lanes to provide users access to autonomous capacity anywhere and 24/7 on-demand.”

Text is backward. Clocks run counterclockwise. Cars drive on the wrong side of the road. Right hands become left hands.

Intrigued by how reflection changes images in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, a team of Cornell researchers used artificial intelligence to investigate what sets originals apart from their reflections. Their algorithms learned to pick up on unexpected clues such as hair parts, gaze direction and, surprisingly, beards – findings with implications for training machine learning models and detecting faked images.

The new bullet train can run up to 360 kilometers per hour, a new record set during a test run in 2019, making it one of the fastest trains in the world.

Japan’s latest record-breaking bullet train doesn’t only run faster and smoother — it’s also able to transport passengers to safety in the event of an earthquake.

The N700S — the ‘S’ stands for ‘Supreme’ — entered into service July 1 and serves the Tokaido Shinkansen line, which links Tokyo Station and Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka.

Continue reading “Japan debuts new bullet train that can run during an earthquake” »

Rosenbauer has looked to Volvo for a heavy-duty battery-electric powertrain to suit emergency duty—although there’s still a diesel engine on board.

Tesla is working on a compact car that will be manufactured in China and distributed worldwide. The battery technologies required for a compact car will be unveiled at Tesla Battery Day that will enable Tesla to make a small car for less than $25,000, possibly close to $20,000 or less. The battery cost is the main factor to drive down the cost of an electric vehicle. The compact car is coming soon after Tesla Battery Day technologies are revealed. The new batteries will allow Tesla to shrink the battery pack’s size while offering enough range for everyday driving. Elon Musk’s speech at the launch event in China suggests the car will be quite unique, just like the Cybertruck.

WATCH NEXT: https://youtu.be/3ni0T6yxJ_U

Continue reading “Tesla’s $20,000 Compact Car — Coming Soon After Tesla Battery Day Reveals New Batteries” »

Stride Gum Presents Heaven Sent
Luke Aikins, the first person to accomplish a planned jump out of an airplane without a parachute or wing suit from a very high altitude (25,000 feet) (7,620 meters). Aikins eventually lands in a net.

“Jumpers are away. Now he’s practicing the flip. That’s how he’ll have to land. He’ll have to land on his back. At 18,000 feet the oxygen mask will come off. There goes the oxygen mask. Now at 12,000 feet he’ll hear a beep in his helmet that will tell him he’s halfway home.”

Continue reading “Luke Aikins No Parachute 25,000 Feet Airplane Jump Complete Video” »

On a cold March night last year in Portsmouth, England, an entirely new type of aircraft flew for the first time, along a dimly lit 120-meter corridor in a cavernous building once used to build minesweepers for the Royal Navy.

This is the Phoenix, an uncrewed blimp that has no engines but propels itself forward by varying its buoyancy and its orientation. The prototype measures 15 meters in length, 10.5 meters in wingspan, and when fully loaded weighs 150 kilograms (330 pounds). It flew over the full length of the building, each flight requiring it to undulate up and down about five times.

Flying in this strange way has advantages. For one, it demands very little energy, allowing the craft to be used for long-duration missions. Also, it dispenses with whirring rotors and compressor blades and violent exhaust streams—all potentially dangerous to people or objects on the ground and even in the air. Finally, it’s cool: an airship that moves like a sea creature.