April 2021 – Page 2

Wearable biofuel cells could generate electricity from sweat

April 26, 2021

Scientists develop biofuel cells that can power wearable electronics purely by using human sweat.

It cannot be denied that, over the past few decades, the miniaturization of electronic devices has taken huge strides.

Today, after pocket-size smartphones that could put old desktop computers to shame and a plethora of options for wireless connectivity, there is a particular type of device whose development has been steadily advancing: wearable biosensors.

These tiny devices are generally meant to be worn directly on the skin in order to measure specific biosignals and, by sending measurements wirelessly to smartphones or computers, keep track of the user’s health.

Although materials scientists have developed many types of flexible circuits and electrodes for wearable devices, it has been challenging to find an appropriate power source for wearable biosensors.

Science & Technology News, Space Flight

DARPA Taps Blue Origin for Nuclear-Powered Rocket

April 26, 2021

By Ryan Whitwam

Blue Origin, the private spaceflight firm founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, is still trying to get its New Shepard rocket ready for commercial launches, but it just accepted a contract to design something new. The contracts from the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) direct Blue Origin, as well as Lockheed Martin and General Atomics, to design a nuclear thermal propulsion system that could accelerate human spaceflight—literally.

Our current rocket technology relies mostly on chemical power, such as the liquid-fueled engines on a Falcon 9 or the upcoming SLS. These rockets have very high thrust, but they’re less efficient than electrically powered engines. Missions that need to travel a very long distance often use electric propulsion such as ion engines because they can remain active for long periods at low thrust. So, they’re efficient but slower.

A nuclear rocket engine could offer unique advantages by using a small reactor to heat and accelerate fuel. That could theoretically give a nuclear thermal rocket high thrust like chemical rockets and high efficiency like electric ones. The agency calls this the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program, and these first awards cover just Phase 1 of the program, which is expected to last 18 months.

brain hacking, Science & Technology News

Neuralink Could Implant Chips Into Human Brains ‘Later This Year,’ Says Musk

April 25, 2021

This video grab made from the online Neuralink livestream shows a drawing of the different steps of the implantation of a Neuralink device seen during a presentation on August 28, 2020 Photo: Neuralink

By Nica Osorio

KEY POINTS

Musk’s Neuralink was founded in 2016
Neuralink is a neurotech company developing implantable brain-machine interfaces
The company developed a surgical robot a few years a

Billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk mentioned that his brainchild, Neuralink, could implant a chip into a human brain later this year.

Neuralink, a brain-computer-interface company, could soon transition from studying and operating on monkeys to human trials within 2021, according to Musk. In a Twitter conversation following the release of Neuralink’s latest video, a follower reached out to the business magnate in the hope of getting the chance to be one of the subjects of the company’s clinical studies.

Driverless cars, Science & Technology News

WeRide’s cars to go fully driverless in California

April 25, 2021

By Song Jingli

The firm plans to roll out driverless mobility services for passengers in the US.

Guangzhou-based WeRide received approval from the California Department of Motor Vehicles on Monday to test driverless vehicles on public roads in San Jose, two and a half months after Baidu was granted a permit to do the same.

WeRide has been testing autonomous vehicles with safety drivers since 2017. The company will run trials without that precaution, using two cars that are confined to designated streets, the DMV said on its website. The vehicles will operate on roads with posted speed limits not exceeding 45 miles per hour, but not during heavy rain or foggy conditions.

Science & Technology News, Space

NASA CONSIDERING REALITY TV SHOW FILMED ON SPACE STATION

April 25, 2021

WHO’S GOING TO BE AN ASTRONAUT?

by VICTOR TANGERMANN

New Deal

NASA has signed paperwork to explore the prospect of letting a company film what would be the first reality show set in space Space.com reports.

The show, titled “Space Hero,” claims to be “the world’s first ever global casting show where contestants compete for a trip to the International Space Station,” according to a statement, with flights being offered up by Axiom Space.

Despite the agreement, nothing is set in stone just yet. The document signed by NASA this week “does not authorize a private astronaut mission to the International Space Station,” as a NASA spokesperson told Space.com. Instead, it’s meant to facilitate “initial cooperation and information sharing between NAS and Space Hero.”

Robots, Science & Technology News

Chick-fil-A is testing out deliveries with a robot that can wink and transport chicken sandwiches

April 25, 2021

The newest Kiwibot.

Kiwibot

Chick-fil-A is testing out robot delivery in California.
The chicken chain is working with Kiwibot, which makes tiny, semi-autonomous delivery robots.
Several other chains are also working on robot deliveries, including Domino’s and Chipotle.

Chick-fil-A is testing out robot deliveries in California, Restaurant Business Online reported.

Small, semi-autonomous Kiwibots will be an option at checkout for Chick-fil-A customers at three locations in Santa Monica, California through a partnership between the two companies. Deliveries will use the newest version, Kiwibot 4.0, to make short deliveries.

“What we promise is to at least halve the time it takes for all orders a mile or closer, and more than half the cost” of average deliveries, Kiwibot COO Diego Varela Prada told Restaurant Business Online. The average Chick-fil-A delivery costs $1.99 and takes 30 minutes, according to Chick-fil-A.

The Kiwibots are four-wheeled, semi-autonomous rovers. They’re designed to detect obstacles including people, vehicles, and traffic lights, and they’re able to navigate terrain like sidewalks. Though the new Kiwibots have the most advanced sensors of the brand’s robots yet, they aren’t totally autonomous and still require monitoring.

Computer Security, Science & Technology News

Samsung’s new Galaxy Quantum 2 uses quantum cryptography to secure apps

April 24, 2021

Launched in South Korea, the Quantum 2 smartphone has a quantum random number generator chip built in.

By Daphne Leprince-Ringuet

Developed together with SK Telecom, the Galaxy Quantum 2 is the second quantum-equipped smartphone released by Samsung. Image: SK Telecom

Samsung is launching a new smartphone equipped with quantum cryptography technology, which promises to deliver a new level of security to consumer applications like mobile banking.

Developed together with South Korean telecoms giant SK Telecom, the Galaxy Quantum 2 device will be — at least for the foreseeable future — only available to the South Korean public, and is the second quantum-equipped smartphone released by Samsung.

With a 6.7-inch display, a 64MP main camera, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ chipset, the Quantum 2’s feature set matches some of Samsung’s flagship smartphones, with the additional security of quantum cryptography for some of the device’s services.

The Quantum 2’s predecessor, called the Galaxy A Quantum, made its debut last year in South Korea, as the world’s first 5G smartphone with integrated quantum cryptography technology. Like the new Quantum 2, the Galaxy A includes a quantum random number generator (QRNG) that’s designed to secure sensitive transactions against the most sophisticated attacks.

Science & Technology News, Space

New laser to help clear the sky of space debris

April 24, 2021

by James Giggacher , Australian National University

Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) have harnessed a technique that helps telescopes see objects in the night sky more clearly to fight against dangerous and costly space debris.

The researchers’ work on adaptive optics—which removes the haziness caused by turbulence in the atmosphere—has been applied to a new ‘guide star’ laser for better identifying, tracking and safely moving space debris.

Space debris is a major threat to the $US700 billion of space infrastructure delivering vital services around the globe each day. With laser guide star adaptive optics, this infrastructure now has a new line of defense.

The optics that focus and direct the guide star laser have been developed by the ANU researchers with colleagues from Electro Optic Systems (EOS), RMIT University, Japan and the U.S. as part of the Space Environment Research Centre (SERC).

Science & Technology News, Space Flight

The US plans to put a nuclear-powered rocket in orbit by 2025

April 24, 2021

Nuclear thermal rockets could be more manoeuvrable in space

By David Hambling

The US is taking steps to put a nuclear-powered rocket in orbit by 2025, paving the way for navigation in space to become much easier.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plans to turn the long-studied concept of a nuclear thermal rocket into a reality. The technology isn’t powerful enough to launch a rocket from Earth, but could give a spacecraft propulsion for an extended period once in space. This would make it ideal for prolonged manoeuvring in orbit or in deep-space missions requiring acceleration and deceleration.

Via NewScientist.org

Driverless vehicles, Science & Technology News

Domino’s, Nuro to begin autonomous pizza deliveries in Houston

April 23, 2021

By Rebecca Bellan

Starting this week, some Domino’s customers in Houston can have a pizza delivered without ever interacting with a human.

The pizza delivery giant said Monday it has partnered with autonomous delivery vehicle startup Nuro to allow select customers to have their pizzas dropped at their door via Nuro’s R2 robot.

“There is still so much for our brand to learn about the autonomous delivery space,” Dennis Maloney, Domino’s senior vice president and chief innovation officer said in a statement. “This program will allow us to better understand how customers respond to the deliveries, how they interact with the robot and how it affects store operations.”

On certain days and times, customers ordering from the Woodland Heights store on the Domino’s website can request R2, which uses radar, 360-degree cameras and thermal imaging to direct its movement. They’ll get texts to let them know where the robot is and what PIN they’ll need to access their pizza via the bot’s touchscreen.

Over the course of the pandemic, the contactless, autonomous food delivery industry has accelerated quickly, and Nuro is currently poised to become a leader in this space.

“Nuro’s mission is to better everyday life through robotics,” Dave Ferguson, Nuro co-founder and president, said in a statement. “We’re excited to introduce our autonomous delivery bots to a select set of Domino’s customers in Houston. We can’t wait to see what they think.”

Robots, Science & Technology News

‘Wearable Robot’ Exoskeletons Could Reduce Factory Injuries

April 23, 2021

SuitX’s Iron Man-like exoskeleton prevents injuries in a variety of jobs that involve heavy lifting.

By Chris Young

Much has been said about the rising need for warehouse robots to meet the recent surge in demand for e-commerce products.

One company, SuitX has a different plan altogether. By using mechanical exoskeletons, the company, founded by the University of California, Berkeley’s Human Engineering Lab, is improving the efficiency of warehouse workers as well as preventing injuries.

3D Printer, Science & Technology News

This ceramic ink can 3D-print bones directly into a patient’s body. Here’s how

April 23, 2021

A newly discovered 3D-printing method could be revolutionary for bone cancer treatment.

By Douglas Broom

How can patients recover from surgery that removes parts of their bones?
Up to now the answer has been to build a ceramic replica in a laboratory.
But now scientists have invented a way to 3D-print bone tissue inside the body.
Ceramic material that mimics bone structure is mixed with living cells.
Its inventors say it will reduce suffering and speed up recovery.

A new 3D printing process which can be used inside the human body is offering hope to trauma and cancer patients who need bone replacements, reducing pain and speeding up recovery time.

The treatment of bone cancers can lead to sections of bone being removed and accident victims may require extensive bone repairs. Up to now, 3D bone printing has involved producing material outside the patient’s body.

But now a new technique developed at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, offers the prospect of doctors being able to create new bone tissue exactly where it is needed during a surgical operation.