You, yes you, can help NASA with an investigation just by using your smartphone. Forests take up carbon from the atmosphere. Through satellite and airborne missions, NASA studies how carbon moves through the ecosystems here on Earth. And the agency has put part of that mission into the hands of the public with the GLOBE…
Smart Drone Delivery Mailbox Aims to Solve Last-Inch Problems
Startup Valqari has developed the patented Smart Drone Delivery Mailbox to solve last-inch drone delivery issues. Valqari describes the mailbox as a “universal drone receptacle for package delivery and pick-up” that offers a safe landing platform, and can integrate and communicate with any drone manufacturer during fully autonomous deliveries. “We knew the biggest hurdle facing…
Unmanned Vehicle Surveys Abandoned Estonian Mine
Milrem Robotics’ Multiscope unmanned ground vehicle recently lent its services to an Estonian energy company Enefit. It ventured into a mine that ended its mining efforts 10 years ago, checking the condition of underground pillars. The vehicle was an ideal candidate for the job, since the ceiling’s anchor support structures were removed after mining operations…
The Water Cannon and Hose Extension Autonomous Firefighting Robots
Two self-driving firefighting robots developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (HMI) are preparing to lend their disaster relief services—the Water Cannon Robot and the Hose Extension Robot. The first will cool fires too hazardous for humans, getting its water supply from the latter, which can lay up to 300 m of fire hose. Once on…
Your Voice Could Help a Lightning-Hunting Instrument Bound for Mars
Are you interested in lending your voice to the 2020 ExoMars program? Amidst a host of other investigations, the ESA-Roscosmos mission will be listening for the presence of lightning on Mars. Some of Earth’s planetary neighbors have already shown positive signs of lightning, such as Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, and Saturn. Now, scientists want to definitively…
A 26-Meter Long Flexible Printed Circuit Will Span the Wings of a UAV
Trackwise has supplied more than 50 circuits to a solar-powered, U.S.-manufactured unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), but one is making quite a statement. According to the company, it has “shipped a 26-m long multilayer, flexible printed circuit (FPC), believed to be world’s longest ever produced, for distributing power and control signals across the wings” of the…
Wireless Fast-Charging for Electric Taxis in Norway’s Capital
Oslo, Norway, is set to incorporate “the first” wireless fast-charging infrastructure via induction technology for electric taxis, according to clean-energy company Fortum. In addition to Fortum, the collaborative project includes American company Momentum Dynamics as well as the Norwegian capital. The taxi will be fitted with a receiver, while the taxis’ parking location will have…
Drone Sightings Interrupt Germany’s Frankfurt Airport
Germany’s Frankfurt Airport was suspended for 29 minutes after a drone was spotted in the area, Friday, March 22, according to the Associated Press (AP). Two drones were cited originally, but later that number was revised. After the federal police’s helicopter surveyed the area, the site was clear of any drone activity. In addition to drones,…
BAE Systems Earns $3.1M Contract to Advance Software for Air Battlespace Awareness
BAE Systems Inc. has received a $3.1 million Phase 3 contract from DARPA to continue its autonomy software developments, which aim to advance the resiliency of military air mission planning. This falls under the Resilient Synchronized Planning and Assessment for the Contested Environment (RSPACE) program. According to DARPA, the RSPACE program “is developing human-centered software…
New York and California to Welcome Fleet of Self-Driving Shuttles
Autonomous shuttles are making their way to New York and California, with self-driving vehicle tech company Optimus Ride announcing two sites to deploy its fleet: Brooklyn Navy Yard: an industrial park in New York spanning 300 acres that supports 400 businesses with 9,000 on-site workers. Paradise Valley Estates: an 80-acre, private community in Fairfield, California.…