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Sep 20, 2019

Houston Mechatronics unveils underwater transforming robot ‘Aquanaut’

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

Houston Mechatronics (HMI) unveiled Aquanaut at the NASA Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, one year after the announcement of the platform concept.

Aquanaut is a revolutionary multi-mode transforming all-electric undersea vehicle. The vehicle is capable of efficient long-distance transit and data collection in ‘AUV’ (autonomous underwater vehicle) mode.

After transforming into ‘ROV’ (remotely operated vehicle) mode the head of the vehicle pitches up, the hull separates, and two arms are activated so that Aquanaut may manipulate its environment.

Sep 20, 2019

These AI-generated people are coming to kill stock photography

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

None of these people are real—but their images are free to download and use in any way you choose.

[Images: generated.photos]

Sep 20, 2019

AI learns to defy the laws of physics to win at hide-and-seek

Posted by in categories: physics, robotics/AI

Bots built by artificial intelligence lab OpenAI worked together to find solutions to problems that humans hadn’t thought of.

Sep 20, 2019

Researchers build a quantum dot energy harvester

Posted by in categories: nanotechnology, quantum physics, robotics/AI

Over the past few years, thermoelectric generators have become the focus of a growing number of studies, due to their ability to convert waste heat into electrical energy. Quantum dots, semiconductor crystals with distinctive conductive properties, could be good candidates for thermoelectric generation, as their discrete resonant levels provide excellent energy filters.

In a recent study, researchers at the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with colleagues in Madrid, Rochester, Duisburg and Sheffield, have experimentally demonstrated the potential of an autonomous nanoscale harvester based on resonant tunneling quantum dots. This harvester is based on previous research carried out by part of their team, who had proposed a three-terminal energy harvester based on two resonant-tunneling quantum dots with different energy levels.

The energy harvester device was realized at Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge by a researcher called Gulzat Jaliel. The original theoretical proposal for the device, however, was introduced by Andrew Jordan in 2013, and the theoretical work behind the harvester was carried out by him in collaboration with renowned semiconductor physicist Markus Büttiker and a team of post-doctoral students in Geneva.

Sep 20, 2019

Bill Gates warned that a devastating ‘quirk of nature’ could kill 30 million people in less than a year. Experts say we’re still not doing enough to prepare

Posted by in category: futurism

An outbreak could easily spread around the globe in 36 hours, sickening millions and costing $3 trillion. Epidemiologists say we’re not prepared.

Sep 20, 2019

World unprepared for global pandemic that could wipe out 80 million people, WHO report says

Posted by in category: futurism

The world is unprepared for a global pandemic that could wipe out 80 million people in less than 36 hours along with 5% of the global GDP, a new report from the WHO says.

Sep 20, 2019

During Ken Hu’s keynote at #HuaweiConnect 2019, he invites partners to seize this historical opportunity to collaborate, actively engaging and creating new ideas

Posted by in category: futurism

There’s an ocean of boundless potential waiting: https://tinyurl.com/y6jvuau7

Sep 20, 2019

Can you wear that on Mars?

Posted by in category: space travel

If you can’t get to Mars, what’s the next best thing? Apparently Iceland. A team of renowned explorers and researchers recently journeyed to Iceland to test a Mars analog suit in a Martian-like environment.

The United sponsored expedition, led by The Explorers Club — an internationally recognized organization that promotes the scientific exploration of land, sea, air and space — and in partnership with Iceland Space Agency, involved the team venturing inside the Grímsvötn volcano and across the Vatnajökull ice cap. The group traveled to the remote location and lived for six days in the Grímsvötn Mountain Huts and endured harsh weather conditions and unstable terrain.

Sep 20, 2019

Lunar Polar Mining Technology

Posted by in category: space

≈2 km craters near the lunar poles provide landing sites on permafrost with permanent sunlight low enough to reach with solar arrays on deployable masts. Radiant Gas Dynamic (RGD) mining in small polar craters will allow human exploration of the Moon at vastly reduced cost. RGD mining combines radio frequency, microwave, infrared, and optical radiation with a surface-enclosing cryotrap and instrumentation to enable large scale (1,000s of tons/yr) ISRU without excavation equipment.

Sep 20, 2019

The future of food: what we’ll eat in 2028

Posted by in categories: food, robotics/AI

We’ve all heard that the future menu may involve less meat and dairy. But don’t worry, we could have customised diets, outlandish vegetables, robot chefs and guilt-free gorging to look forward to instead. And we reckon that makes up for missing out on the odd sausage.