Earth-i, a mapping service based in England, has launched a prototype of the world’s first full-colour, full-motion video satellite constellation.
British company Earth-i has successfully launched a prototype of its upcoming satellite constellation into orbit. The new network – known as Vivid-i – will be the first of its kind to provide full-colour motion video and the first European-owned constellation able to provide both video and still images.
One day, they may yet turn against us, but for now, they’re still our allies: A drone rescued two teenage swimmers in distress off the coast of New South Wales in Australia, according to a new report. The drone spotted two teenagers in trouble around a half-a-mile out from shore, and then dropped a flotation device it carries for the purpose to give them something to hang on to (via Verge).
This drone was actually not supposed to be saving anyone just yet – it was engaged in a pilot project to test its viability. But the Sydney Morning Herald reports that when a call came through about the swimmers in trouble, the drone happened to be in the Ari and nearby, positioned well to respond.
The drone’s pilot, a decorated veteran lifeguard for New South Wales, was able to Gert out to the swimmers’ position, and drop the pod in a minute or two, which is at least a few minutes less than it would’ve taken to respond directly with actual flesh and blood lifeguards.
Researchers hope their new approach, which works well in lab animals, may save more lives.
Posted in computing
Posted in robotics/AI, singularity
Has AI made significant progress over the years towards artificial general intelligence?
This decades-old debate could end by the new project from the Stanford 100 Year Study on AI, called The AI Index. If their goal is achieved.
Off to a good start, the AI Index’s first report includes many useful visualisations of the data they are collecting, such as the following outline of AI breakthroughs since 1980.
Over 85 percent of proteins in the body can’t be targeted with conventional chemical drugs. By working on the RNA responsible for problematic proteins, gene silencing opens up an enormous portion of the genome to intervention. If realized, a new class of drugs based on gene silencing could overhaul modern medicine.
