Lifeboat Foundation

Rethink Robotics co-founder and CTO, former CSAIL director and all-around robot luminary Rodney Brooks joined the Disrupt New York stage this afternoon to tackle some complex questions, ranging from robots place in the living room to the battlefield.

Brooks has a fair bit of experience in both categories, as a cofounder of iRobot, whose product offerings have ranging from vacuuming to bomb diffusion. And while his current company deals more in the realm of factory automation, a number of these ethical issues still clearly weigh heavily on the Australian roboticist.

It was a question about whether robots should be considered unfit for any human tasks that really caused Brooks to ponder their place in the world.

Continue reading “‘A robot doesn’t have to shoot back,’ Rodney Brooks says of machines in the military” »

Airbus has revealed a trip in its flying taxi will cost ‘the equivalent of a normal taxi’ — from $1.50 to $2.50. The firm is set to release a working craft in 2020 to alleviate the ever-growing issue of traffic jams.

These fighter jets can fly themselves.

Despite its Big Brother-ish nature, the rule was ostensibly enacted to improve safety as more and more drones take to the air. In his decision, Judge Kavanaugh noted that although the rule is unlawful, “aviation safety is obviously an important goal, and the Registration Rule may well help further that goal to some degree.”

The FAA said on Friday that it is reviewing the court decision, but did not immediately announce whether it would appeal.

“The FAA put registration and operational regulations in place to ensure that drones are operated in a way that is safe and does not pose security and privacy threats,” the agency said in a statement. “We are in the process of considering our options and response to the decision.”

Continue reading “Court Strikes Down FAA’s Drone Registration Rule” »

Toyota has its sights set on a Blade Runner future as the Japanese automaker backs a move to launch a flying car in time for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The company is giving about 42.5 million yen ($375,000) to the Cartivator project, which is developing the three-wheeled sci-fi car that relies on drone technology to take flight.

The manned vehicle, dubbed SkyDrive, will have four sets of propellors and — at 2.9 metres (9.5 foot) long and 1.3 metres wide — is aiming to be the world’s smallest flying car, according to the project.

Continue reading “Riding high: Toyota eyes ‘flying car’ future” »

A major new breakthrough in jet propulsion technology could revolutionize the aerospace industry, paving the way for plasma jet engines that could carry a craft to the edge of space using only air and electricity.

Berkant Göksel, the lead researcher in a new study by the Technical University of Berlin, says his team have successfully completed tests on plasma engines that could take future aircrafts to altitudes of 30 miles (50km) and beyond.

I’m talking #transhumanism, liberty, the Immortality Bus, politics, and overcoming death w/ science. I’ll be making a tribute to my recently deceased father too. There will be a Q & A after. http://sched.co/AGbE & https://moogfest2017.sched.com/artist/info6094

The truck also offers “major environmental upsides,” Volvo said, since “gear changing, steering and speed are constantly optimized for low fuel consumption and emissions.”

Volvo plans to test the autonomous truck with Renova through the end of the year.

Continue reading “Volvo’s Self-Driving Garbage Truck Wants Your Trash” »

No sweat: MIT researchers have designed bioLogic, moisture-responsive activewear — a workout suit and running shoe — with ventilating flaps lined with humidity-sensing cells. The flaps open and close in response to an athlete’s sweating.