Thursday, April 28, 2016
Sunday, April 24, 2016
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Thursday, April 14, 2016
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Self-driving truck convoy completes its first major journey across Europe [feedly]
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Self-driving truck convoy completes its first major journey across Europe
// The Verge
This morning, a fleet of self-driving trucks arrived in the Dutch port of Maasvlakte, completing a cross-continent journey that organizers say demonstrates the future of transport in Europe. The experiment is known as the European Truck Platooning Challenge, and involved trucks from six different manufacturers traveling in miniature convoys. A driver in the lead vehicle of each convoy sets the speed and the route, while the other trucks follow automatically, a Wi-Fi connection keeping their braking and acceleration (but not steering) in sync.
less congestion, fewer accidents, reduced fuel consumption
This isn't a fully-automated system, but it's a clear step toward this goal and has tangible benefits of its own. Platooning, as the method is known, could mean less congestion, fewer accidents, and reduced fuel consumption. A whitepaper from Dutch research firm TNO says that each truck in a platoon — both those following and those leading — uses on average 10 percent less fuel per journey. The same report notes that 90 percent of driving accidents are caused by human error, and although a full analysis of the safety of platooning has yet to be undertaken, the suggestion is that automation would lead to fewer crashes.
In the recently-completed challenge, trucks from firms including Daimler, Volvo, and Scania (a subsidiary of Volkswagen) competed, with each convoy setting off from a different location. The Scania group travelled the longest distance, driving more than 2,000 kilometers through Sweden, Denmark, and Germany to reach its destination in the Netherlands. The trucks did not travel in platoon for the entire journey — only on motorways when traffic conditions were "normal" — and each vehicle, even those following the lead truck, had a human driver on hand.
The technology is here; regulations are next
The Platoon Challenge has successfully demonstrated the potential of its technology, but now EU companies and governments have to tackle the fiddly details of regulation and implementation. Cross-border rules for self-driving trucks need to be established, and so does the protocol for setting up platoons. Can convoys be established in an impromptu manner mid-drive, for example, or will they always have to start and finish in the same location? Will drivers in following trucks be able to take a rest while their vehicle is chained to one in front?
The next step for those involved will be to discuss these matters in an informal meeting of the European transport council on April 14th. Companies and local governments in the US pursuing similar schemes will undoubtedly be watching with interest.
Verge Video: This is what it's like to ride in Daimler's self-driving semi truck
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Sunday, March 27, 2016
Friday, March 18, 2016
Johns Hopkins' drone flies straight from an underwater station [feedly]
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Johns Hopkins' drone flies straight from an underwater station
// Engadget Mobile
A UAV developed by a Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab team can stay underwater for months, waiting out of sight until it's called to duty. When the machine does get deployed, it can swim up and fly into the air, just like any other quadco...
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Thursday, March 17, 2016
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Monday, February 29, 2016
Friday, February 26, 2016
Monday, February 22, 2016
Sony Xperia Ear Details [feedly]
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Sony Xperia Ear Details
// I4U News
Sony unveiled in a short but packed media event at the Mobile World Congress 2016 the Sony Xperia Ear. The new Xperia Ear adapts to your situation and environment, whether at home or on-the-go.The...
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Friday, February 5, 2016
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Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Friday, October 16, 2015
Monday, October 5, 2015
Flying Robot Bees Can Now Swim, Too [feedly]
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Flying Robot Bees Can Now Swim, Too
// Popular Science
Robot Bees
Robot bees as seen in 2013, soon after they first achieved controlled flight.
When given the choice between sinking and swimming, these RoboBees will swim every time.
We first wrote about Harvard scientists' invention of robotic bees back in 2013. In some ways, not much has changed. The bees are still leashed to their power supply, too small to carry onboard computers and batteries. But in the past two years, they've picked up a new trick: they've learned how to swim.
The bees are so small and light that the surface tension of the water prevents them from delicately sinking into a glass. But the researchers found that if the bees cannonball into the water, they turn into very happy swimmers. As it turns out, moving through the air and moving through water aren't that different for the RoboBees—they simply flap their wings more slowly underwater.
See the robot bees in action here:
Video of Harvard RoboBee Diving, Hovering, Swimming
Needless to say, real bees and water don't mix quite as well, and though RoboBees and real bees are similar sizes, they still have very different functions. Robot bees may one day be capable of pollinating crops, but that day is at least 20 years in the future.
For now, the researchers are focused on expanding the RoboBee's basic capabilities, including new tricks like swimming. And even if we got to a point where RoboBees were able to pollinate crops, the robotic option would remain far more expensive than the natural, biological source of inspiration.
In the absence of good robot alternatives, researchers are still focused on saving bee populations, which have been in decline for the past several years. Looking into a whole host of scientific research from conservation methods, to bee illnesses, and alternative pollinators, means that we probably won't have to rely on RoboBees to pollinate our food anytime soon. But they're still incredibly cool.
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