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Ghost Ships

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DARPA Bots At Sea The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency - DARPA - has developed a "ghost" ship.  It's called SEA Hunter and has an all-robotic crew.  No humans allowed on board.  It's the first prototype of an autonomous, robotic sub hunting ship.  It's been christened and is now being tested, deployed and developed by the Office of Naval Research.  It gives new meaning to Wagner's Opera "The Flying Dutchman". SEA Hunter's Awesome Technology Robo ship uses a 5th generation medium frequency sonar system mounted on the hull.  It conducts both active and passive sonar passes.  DARPA is also working on the development of nonconventional sensor technology to further enable the vessel to precisely spot and track enemy subs, mines and vessels on the high seas. Revolutionary Prototype DARPA believes SEA Hunter is a revolutionary prototype vehicle that could ultimately lead to a new class of ocean going vess

Robo News Reporters

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I am Not a Robot! Yesterday, I blogged about robot attorneys.  It's forecasted that by 2030, robotics and artificial intelligence will dominate the legal profession and totally restructure it. The robotic revolution goes across industries. Oxford University researchers forecast 47% of all US jobs will be held by robots within 20 years.  As a journalist, I wondered if similar disruptions could possibly happen in the world of news and sports reporting.  Much to my chagrin, the answer is yes. Robo News on a TV and NewsStand Near You Robotics have had a significant photographic role in the news business.  Robotic cameras have been in television studios for news and entertainment programs in the US for about 15 years.  And drone cameras are used by the print and broadcast press to shoot stills and video particularly in breaking news situations. Drone cameras are common even in small news markets, like Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  But traditionally the live observations and fact

Robot Attorneys

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My Attorney The Robot The robotic workforce is on the rise.  Oxford University estimates that 47% of all US jobs will be held by robots within the next twenty years.  The most vulnerable jobs are repetitive tasks such as assembly line work and restaurant wait and kitchen staff.  But more intellectual, creative positions are also being claimed by robots.  Case in point: robot attorneys. Scales of Justice Tilt Robotic Instead of an army of lawyers and paralegals reviewing reams of documents and billing on an hourly basis, robots can do it efficiently and at a fraction of the cost.  A Palo Alto, California company has developed software that can analyze 1.5 million documents for under $100,000.  That means law firm staffs billed out to do document reviews are becoming passe, thanks to artificial intelligence and robotics.  As one law firm managing partner put it, robots don't get bored, don't get headaches and don't make mistakes.  They also don't bill at astronom

Dawn of Mass Market Solar Cars

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Solar Cars Go Mass Market Source:  Tokai Challenger Solar Prototype Solar cars are typically electric vehicles powered solely or mainly by solar energy.  Photovoltaic cells contained in the solar panels convert the sun's energy into electricity.  They combine some of the technologies used in the aerospace, alternative energy, automotive and bicycle industries.  The design of the cars has been limited by the amount of solar panels needed to draw in enough solar energy to power the vehicles.  As a result, prototype solar cars have primarily been built for solar car racing.  But now that is changing. Road Ready Chinese solar panel manufacturer Hanergy has developed four prototype solar cars for the consumer mass market.  Production is scheduled for 2019.  The cars are equipped with lithium ion batteries powered by the sun.  They'll first be offered to Chinese consumers and are styled like a normal car. Hanergy says exposure to 5 to 6 hours of sunlight enables the

Hybrid Eco-Friendly Planes

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Wednesday Series:  Innovation Addressing Pressing Global Needs - Hybrid Electric Planes Cutting CO2 Emissions The signs of climate change are all around us.  Extreme weather, rising sea levels, melting polar icecaps, deadly disease outbreaks, severe environmental stress on animals.  The Union of Concerned Scientists says the cause is too much heat trapping carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. A major contributor is global aircraft exhaust.  Enter a solution - the dawn of electric powered planes.  The biggest player:  hybrid electric planes Take-Offs Current aircraft spew 500 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year.  Scientists warn if the amount of CO2 isn't cut 80% by 2050, it will be disastrous.  As it stands right now, the amount of CO2 is expected to triple by mid-century.  By contrast, electric planes spew no CO2.  They are clean, green technology and can be cheap to operate.  An example is the 2-seat e-Genius.  It successfully f

Exoskeleton Extraordinaire

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Super Smart Exoskeletons Bionic Smarts Exoskeletons, the wearable medical devices, that help people to walk, just got very smart.  Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University School of Engineering have developed a new algorithm for the bionic devices.  It's called "the human in the loop".  The algorithm learns and customizes the bionic assistance based on the wearer's every step, helping to facilitate and smooth out their walking. Bionic Man The exoskeleton is worn on the shin and the foot.  It applies force to the ankles and toes.  Tested on a dozen able-bodied people, it took an hour to optimize  Once optimized, it cut the amount of energy expended walking on a treadmill by 24%.  Previous testing of exoskeletons resulted in a 14% energy exertion cut at best. Multiple Uses - Running and Walking For those impacted by stroke, neurological disorder and paralysis etc., this innovation could provide significant hope and help.  The "human in the loop" al

4D Printing

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4D Printing - Adding the 4th Dimension of Time Is 4D Printing a real possibility? It would add the dimension of time to length, width and height in the creation of objects. The research behind its development is certainly real.  Experts at MIT, Harvard, Cornell and many other outstanding research centers are aggressively pursuing it.  It will create structures that construct and deconstruct themselves.  As one of the world's leading 3D printing/additive manufacturing experts Avi Reichenthal told me in a news interview:  "It will create zero waste, sustainability forever and if you're tired of one geometry, you can reorganize it into another, just like a protein chain." Benchmarks toward 4D MIT's Self Assembly Lab and BMW just revealed a program called Liquid Printed Pneumatics (LPP) for self-assembling car interiors.  The Lab's "Rapid Liquid Printing" (RLP) technique is being utilized. The system is a challenge to 3D printing's speed, si

Artful Dodger Drone

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MIT's Drones with NanoMaps MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has developed new technology that guides drones to avoid collisions as they fly.  It's an artificial intelligence "Artful Dodger" system.  And it's important new innovation. No Collision Course MIT's NanoMap models in the uncertainty of changing conditions as the drones fly.  The system includes depth sensors that constantly measure the distance between  the drone and objects around it.  This creates an image for the machine of where it's been and where it's headed.  That information storage allows the drone to plan its motion and avoid crashing into objects in its path. Passed the Pilots Test DARPA,  the US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency, is part of the funding behind this research. And, the "Artful Dodgers" have been successfully tested.  The drones flew through dense forests and warehouses at 20 mph without any

Israeli Light Beams of Invisibility

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It's called Cloaking Technology and essentially promises "Now you see me, now you don't."  It reads like science fiction and the worlds of Harry Potter and Star Wars.  But, researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have successfully manipulated light to make an object - a cloaking optical chip - totally invisible.  They seem to have cracked the code and created light beams of invisibility. Shedding Light on Innovation The Israeli approach is brand new.  It bends and scatters light away from the cloaking tech chip's surface, making it invisible.  The next step for the Israeli researchers is to develop a prototype. And the potential for this "hide and seek", invisibility tech is huge. According to experts, it ranges from highly advanced radar avoidance to camouflage and scattering of electromagnetic waves. An Eye-Opener in Vienna Cloaking tech research is underway globally. Researchers at the University of Vienna have taken a different app

Designing Robots

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Fashionista Meets Robotics It's being called fashion design by algorithm.  Artificial intelligence creating the perfect suit.  Startup companies around the world are starting to deploy robotic designers.  It's a fashion statement on the ubiquity of robotics and AI.   Robot Blouse An example is a billion dollar plus Silicon Valley based company Stitch Fix. It was founded by Harvard Business School grad Katrina Lake out of her Cambridge, MA student apartment.  The company uses data science as a foundation for its personalized online styling services.  Algorithms based on customer feedback are used to create "the perfect blouse".  The algorithms provide a template on styles that are most successful and popular to least.  Key components such as collar type, sleeve length and decorative touches are included.  The top performers are stitched together into the prototype garment.  But the customer can personally customize the garment to their specifications and t

Supersonic Getaways

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Travelling Commercial at Double the Speed of Sound The age of supersonic passenger travel is coming very soon, if Virgin's Sir Richard Branson has his way.  He's heavily investing and banking on it.  American startup Boom Technology, which Branson is bankrolling, is developing a Mach 2.2 supersonic passenger jet. That converts into approximately 1,676 mph or 27.94 miles per minute. Its Baby Boom XB1 demonstrator jet will be tested next year to validate key technologies for commercial flights. XB1 is a 2 seater. Boom already has the Baby Boom engines in the hanger and is currently building the wings and tail.  The supersonic commercial jet, carrying 55 passengers, will debut in 2023.  Five airlines, including Virgin, have ordered 76 jets.  Boom is getting ready for takeoff. Come Fly with Me As you can see in the artist's rendering, Boom resembles the Concorde.  It's an evolutionary design with a lot of extra lift.  It has a range of 4500 nautical miles.  At Mach

Robots with Manners

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Polite Robots for Better Human Interaction The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA is teaching robots manners.  They've created a machine algorithm that allows robots to intuit how to behave like polite human beings in specific circumstances.  For example, the robots say thank you when someone opens a door for them.  And, they intuit to turn off a cellphone disturbing the peace in a library.  DARPA has long been at the forefront of robotic innovation.  This extraordinary research program is instilling civility, social norms and manners in robots to promote better human-robot interactions.  In some cases, their behavior may be a lot better than that of some human beings. "Please and Thank You" with Important Purpose DARPA envisions a future in which robots play increasingly important and integral roles with humans.  Researchers believe that in order to capitalize on a robotic future of driverless cars, restaurant robots and

Back-flipping Robots

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Atlas, the Acrobat Robot with Purpose Atlas can backflip and do half-turn jumps.  It's an amazingly agile athlete and acrobat.  Boston Dynamics created Atlas.  It's the latest in their series of highly advanced humanoid robots.  Boston Dynamics works with DARPA, the US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency. DARPA's mission is to provide the US military with overwhelming technological advantages including robotic. The company calls Atlas, the world's most dynamic robot.  Back-flipping and On a Mission Atlas is designed to operate in emergency and disaster situations.  For instance, going into buildings leveled by bombing or earthquakes to search for signs of life.  It's primary purpose is to help the military and first responders stay our of harms way.  In dynamic military and emergency situations, robotic flexibility and agility such as backflips and jumps are keys to mission success.  Atlas can do all of that. Humanoid Jumping R