I knew this was coming. Customer agent robots in Japan’s airports coming soon. Next will be baggage handlers, flight attendants, and maybe a co-pilot. Not totally sold on a robot captain besides FAA, NTSB, HHS has to approve that one.
Description: ‘Nao’ offers flight, airport information in three languages, Author: Ray Montgomery — TravelMole Media Group LLC, Publish Date: 10 February 2016, Image:, Category: Travel News.
Now, that’s a concept! Spray paint from a can that harnesses solar energy. Imagine, you can spray paint windows, patio tables, your car, a bike, etc. with Solar Spray Paint in a can; and watch your gadgets get charged. It is almost like the “Computer Screen in the Can” idea that I had last week. Geez, wonder if she could partner with me on that concept?
Researcher aims to engineer spray paint that can convert sun’s elusive energy to electricity.
Last month, Tesla Motors introduced the “Summon” feature in its 7.1 software update which allows its cars to enter or exit parking spots or garages without the driver in the car.
On Monday, in a blog post titled “Enhancing Safety and Convenience with Summon”, Tesla outlined three reasons why it believes the Summon feature will push automotive safety and convenience forward.
“While many of (the new features from the update) move the ball forward toward a safer autonomous future,” Tesla said in the blog post, “none is more significant than the remote parking technology known as Summon.”
Tesla’s next car will be a lot cheaper than previously expected.
In fact, it could cost as little as $25,000.
CEO Elon Musk confirmed last year that its first mass market car, the Model 3, would price at about $35,000.
Posted in transportation
Autonomous cars have finally arrived, and they’re pretty remarkable. Here’s a look at the best on the line.
What if computers could recognize objects as well as the human brain could? Electrical engineers at the University of California, San Diego have taken an important step toward that goal by developing a pedestrian detection system that performs in near real-time (2−4 frames per second) and with higher accuracy (close to half the error) compared to existing systems. The technology, which incorporates deep learning models, could be used in “smart” vehicles, robotics and image and video search systems.
Posted in materials, quantum physics, transportation
Researchers at the school of physics and astronomy at Tel Aviv University have created a track around which a superconductor (a material that is extremely efficient at transmitting electricity) can float, thanks to the phenomenon of “quantum levitation “.
This levitation effect is explained by the Meissner effect, which describes how, when a material makes the transition from its normal to its superconducting state, it actively excludes magnetic fields from its interior, leaving only a thin layer on its surface.
When a material is in its superconducting state — which involves very low temperatures — it is strongly diamagnetic. This means that when a magnetic field is externally applied, it will create an equally opposing magnetic field, locking it in place.
A material called yttrium barium copper oxide can be turned into a superconductor by exposure to liquid nitrogen — which makes it one of the highest-temperature superconductors.
Levitation isn’t just for Houdini anymore. Could this cool new tech lead to floating alternatives to traditional gas powered vehicles? Interesting times ahead!
