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Nov 15, 2020

An EV Conversion Engineered As A Drop-in Replacement

Posted by in categories: engineering, sustainability, transportation

With electric vehicles such as the Tesla or the Leaf being all the rage and joined by fresh competitors seemingly every week, it seems the world is going crazy for the electric motor over their internal combustion engines. There’s another sector to electric traction that rarely hits the headlines though, that of converting existing IC cars to EVs by retrofitting a motor. The engineering involved can be considerable and differs for every car, so we’re interested to see an offering for the classic Mini from the British company Swindon Powertrain that may be the first of many affordable pre-engineered conversion kits for popular models.

The kit takes their HPD crate EV motor that we covered earlier in the year, and mates it with a Mini front subframe. Brackets and CV joints engineered for the kit to drop straight into the Mini. The differential appears to be offset to the right rather than the central position of the original so we’re curious about the claim of using the Mini’s own driveshafts, but that’s hardly an issue that should tax anyone prepared to take on such a task. They can also supply all the rest of the parts for a turnkey conversion, making for what will probably be one of the most fun-to-drive EVs possible.

The classic Mini is now a sought-after machine long past its days of being dirt-cheap old-wreck motoring for the masses, so the price of the kit should be viewed in the light of a good example now costing more than some new cars. We expect this kit to have most appeal in the professional and semi-professional market rather than the budget end of home conversions, but it’s still noteworthy because it is a likely sign of what is to come. We look forward to pre-engineered subframes becoming a staple of EV conversions at all levels. The same has happened with other popular engine upgrades, and no doubt some conversions featuring them will make their way to the pages of Hackaday.

Nov 15, 2020

Researchers identify the genetic program that allows us to see in 3D

Posted by in categories: genetics, neuroscience

A group of researchers from the Institute of Neurosciences UMH-CSIC, in Alicante, led by Dr. Eloísa Herrera, has discovered a genetic program essential for the formation of bilateral circuits, such as the one that makes possible 3D vision or the one enabling motor coordination. The finding, carried out in mice, is published today in Science Advances.

This new study not only clarifies how images are transmitted from the retina to the brain in order to see in 3D, but also helps us to understand how laterality is established in other neuronal circuits, such as the one that allows us to coordinate movements at both sides of the body, Dr. Herrera explains.

The work also reveals the important role of a protein known as Zic2 in the regulation of a signaling called Wnt, which is fundamental for the correct development of the embryo and is highly conserved among species, from fruit flies to humans, including mice, in which this study has been carried out.

Nov 15, 2020

The flying car is here – and it could change the world

Posted by in categories: futurism, transportation

Article from BBC. It looks like flying cars are now becoming more prevalent.


Flying cars may seem futuristic – but from commercial jetpacks to personal air taxis, they are already here. Here’s how they could transform the way we commute, work and live.

Continue reading “The flying car is here – and it could change the world” »

Nov 15, 2020

China Has Caught Up To U.S. In AI, Says AI Expert Kai-Fu Lee

Posted by in categories: business, finance, robotics/AI

Skeptical. But, wonder if will trigger major funding boost if true.


Any credible list of influential books about tech from the last decade would include AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley and the New World Order by Kai-Fu Lee. Considered the world’s foremost authority on artificial intelligence, Taipei-born Lee got an early start, writing a pioneering speech-recognition program while a student at Carnegie Mellon in the 1980s. He later had a career in China and the U.S. at Apple, Microsoft, Silicon Graphics and Google, where he was president of Google China. Now based in Beijing, Lee runs a venture capital firm called Sinovation, which focuses on AI investments. The interview with Lee took place (virtually) in early October.

Forbes Asia: AI Superpowers made you a global business star. Why did you write the book?

Continue reading “China Has Caught Up To U.S. In AI, Says AI Expert Kai-Fu Lee” »

Nov 15, 2020

The new fuel to come from Saudi Arabia

Posted by in category: energy

It looks like they will be selling green energy as well.


Green hydrogen is taking off around the globe – its supporters say it could play an important role in decarbonisation, but sceptics question its safety and practicality.

Nov 15, 2020

Clothes That Grow With Kids

Posted by in category: futurism

With these, you don’t have to keep buying new clothes as the child grows.


These futuristic threads scream baby couture, but they actually keep money in the bank instead of breaking it!

Nov 15, 2020

Scientists Seek To Inject Microscopic Robots Into Patients To Hunt Disease

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, robotics/AI

Would you be okay to have these injected in you?


Engineers at Cornell University developed a microscopic robot – so small it’s invisible to the naked eye – that walks. It’s so tiny that ten could fit within a period. The team says they can manufacture one million of the robots per week.

The new robot is essentially a microchip on four origami-inspired legs that can be activated by lasers. It was designed to crawl inside the human body, find and eliminate diseases. It can be steered by beaming a laser at its feet, which causes their leg to bend.

Continue reading “Scientists Seek To Inject Microscopic Robots Into Patients To Hunt Disease” »

Nov 15, 2020

The Plan to Turn Scrapped Rockets Into Space Stations

Posted by in category: space travel

Spent rockets are dangerous space trash, but they could be the future of living and working in orbit.

Nov 15, 2020

AI vision could be improved with sensors that mimic human eyes

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

Using a material that only responds to changing light like a human retina would, a new digital sensor could let robots or self-driving cars better observe moving scenes.

Nov 15, 2020

Cave_Intro15s_MASTER_v013_11.9.20_720p

Posted by in category: virtual reality

Get ready to dive into the Virtual Cave Worlds next Tuesday 11/17. Watch as 16 teams navigate the virtual environments with natural terrain and dynamic rock falls — all from the comfort of your home! www.subtchallenge.com.