Blog

US Air Force used AI to control a U-2 spy plane

Catwell

The United States Air Force flew a U-2 spy plane with an AI system working as a co-pilot with a human crew member. (Image Credit: Airman 1st Class Luis A. Ruiz-Vazquez/US Air Force) For the first time, artificial intelligence controlled a U.S. Air Fo...
- 31 Dec 2020
Autonomous Robots Used on Construction Sites - and more!

Catwell

Autonomous machines are starting to perform tasks on construction sites. (Image Credit: Built Robotics) The construction industry is very labor-intensive, but due to social distancing rules and labor shortage, it had to adapt to fewer on-site w...
- 23 Dec 2020
Hyundai Motors is acquiring Boston Dynamics for nearly $1bn

Catwell

Hyundai Motor Group is acquiring Boston Dynamics for $917 million. The deal is expected to close in June 2021. (Image Credit: Boston Dynamics) Just search for "Boston Dynamics" here at element14, and you'll find dozens of articles...
- 14 Dec 2020
AVNET SmartEdge IIOT Gateway: the 2020 Linux Image and IoTConnect Scripts

Jan Cumps

AVNET published an updated image for the SmartEdge IIOT GatewaySmartEdge IIOT Gateway.Not a huge leap. It's still Raspbian GNU/Linux 9 (Stretch).There are some improvements and changes worth updating for. The most important reason is the improved sta...
- 11 Dec 2020
England to benefit from the biggest farming overhaul in 50 years - robots?

Catwell

The UK’s newly unveiled farming policy is designed to benefit England’s wildlife and climate for 50 years. It also introduces the biggest cuts for the wealthiest farmers. (Image Credit: Richard Bell/Unsplash) The UK government has unveiled a new...
- 8 Dec 2020
Metal scrapping through wastewater?

Catwell

Researchers have developed a new technology that targets and captures copper in contaminated wastewater. Decontaminating wastewater polluted with heavy metals is complex, expensive, and usually involves a slow-paced process. Scientists at...
- 7 Dec 2020
Yet another space cleanup plan − ClearSpace’s giant claw gets funded

Catwell

The ESA expects to launch the ClearSpace-1 mission in 2025, which uses a four-armed claw to capture the VESPA and bring it down to a lower orbit. Afterward, the claw and space debris are expected to burn-up in the Earth’s atmosphere. (Image Credit: C...
- 4 Dec 2020
Watch the Iconic Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico Collapse

Catwell

The Arecibo Observatory telescope collapsed Tuesday morning weeks after it was set for demolition. The telescope sustained significant damage after an auxiliary cable slipped from its socket and left a gash in the dish weeks prior. (Image credit: NSF...
- 3 Dec 2020
SpaceX’s Resilience spacecraft docks at the International Space Station with 4 crewmembers and Baby Yoda

Catwell

For the first time, SpaceX’s Resilience spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station with four Expedition 64 crewmembers, including a Baby Yoda plush doll. (Image Credit: NASA TV) For the first time, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, named ...
- 30 Nov 2020
Brainwaves and Eye Movements: The New Way Our Heads are Inspiring Better Robots

Catwell

The field of robotics has come really far, with humanoids robots behaving more and more like humans. Take Sophia 2020, for example; she would impress anyone with the many facial expressions and body language she possesses. Thanks to the renowned Hans...
- 27 Nov 2020
CAN programming in C on Linux: Filter and Mask

Jan Cumps

Linux supports CAN networks. I'm using a CAN-enabled Raspberry Pi to test some examples. Design and code are not my own. This exercise is to investigate the Linux way of doing CAN.The code I'm using is Craig Peacock's CAN example. For the ...
- 22 Nov 2020
Industry 1.0 to 5.0 − A Brief History of Progress

Catwell

It is the histories of our various pursuits that inform their futures, and manufacturing is no different. For centuries, goods, including food, clothing, and shelter, were manufactured by hand; the first industrial revolution marked the beginning of ...
- 20 Nov 2020
Japanese town deploys two robot wolves to prevent bear attacks

Catwell

The monster wolf robot was installed in Takikawa, Japan, in an attempt to prevent bear attacks. Each robot is outfitted with motion detectors. Once triggered, it emits 60 sounds, moves its head, and flashes its eyes. (Image Credit: KYODO/Reuters)&nbs...
- 19 Nov 2020
Light and Diamonds: New Solutions to Fight Climate Change

Catwell

Pollution and its effect on the environment are much-debated subjects. Those who believe in global warming are doing their part to reverse it, whether it is at an international level like Greta Thunberg or a personal level like the proponents of the ...
- 18 Nov 2020
3D Printed Homes: The Future of Housing

Catwell

One of Mighty Buildings' units in progress. (Image credit 6sqft) I love this. On-demand structures! Though, I do see this as a rather expensive shed option. Perhaps they'll get cheaper over time. Housing is one of the biggest common expense...
- 6 Nov 2020
85-year old primary school building “walks” to a new location in China

Catwell

Engineers were able to relocate this 85-year-old primary school building to a new location with the held of 196 robotic legs. (Image Credit: Shanghai Evolution Shift) Sometimes you have to move a building, I guess. In Shanghai, engineers have mo...
- 3 Nov 2020
RS3 Firefighting Robot Extinguishes L.A. Textile Fire on the First Day

Catwell

The Los Angeles Fire Department raised $272,000 to purchase the country’s first firefighting robot, the Thermite RS3 that can spray 2,500 gallons of water or foam per minute for up to 20 hours. Los Angeles Firefighters watch a demonstration of the co...
- 3 Nov 2020
Burger Flipping Robot - Flippy ROAR - Selling for $30,000

Catwell

Flippy ROAR is attached to a rail under the kitchen hood, allowing it to move around. It's convenient because it stays out of a worker's way. (Image Credit: Miso Robotics) Whenever I see this type of innovation, I can’t help but think of...
- 30 Oct 2020
Artificial Intelligence and Clever Solutions for Smart Cities

Catwell

Image by Jason Goh from Pixabay Until earlier this year, urban areas were on a steady path of upward growth and expansion. At the time, more and more people were moving back to cities to live and work. Companies shuttered sprawling suburban camp...
- 29 Oct 2020
Robots to Take Over In Agriculture

Catwell

Robots are becoming an integral part of agriculture. A new type of robots will soon be helping farmers with harvesting cauliflowers and other produce. This is a "Fieldworks Robotics" harvesting robot. (Image credit: Fieldworks Robotics)&nbs...
- 27 Oct 2020
Machine Learning Ends World Hunger

Catwell

An AI was tasked with combing through 500,000 studies and white papers to find the most relevant information to help end world hunger. Could machine learning help us bring an end to world hunger? (Image credit: Shuttershock) It’s hard to believe...
- 16 Oct 2020
Japan to come up with decision on releasing Fukushima wastewater into the ocean

Catwell

The Japanese government is expected to make a decision on disposing of the wastewater from the storage tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. (Image Credit: Reuters) Japanese fish industry representatives recently opposed rel...
- 13 Oct 2020
Space Tourism: Why Live On A Planet When You Can Live On Orbit?

Catwell

While many space tourism companies are planning to settle on the moon or Mars, there is a company working on building settlements in orbit. 3-D model of the orbital habitat's important features. (image credit: Texas A&M University) Many of u...
- 7 Oct 2020
Artificial intuition is the 4th generation of AI

Catwell

The 4th generation of AI, artificial intuition, is similar to human intuition. It can be used in various industries, especially financial services. (Image Credit: pixabay) Artificial intelligence has proven to be one of the most active technolog...
- 1 Oct 2020
Autonomous aircraft are taking over the skies, here's a few

Catwell

Pipistrel has unveiled its eVTOL aircraft, which comes in two models that are capable of delivering cargo over certain distances, depending on the payload. (Image Credit: Pipistrel) Pipistrel, a Slovenian aircraft manufacturer, has recently unve...
- 28 Sep 2020