Science & Technology News – Page 87

5,000 burgers a day: World’s first cultured meat-production plant opens in Israel

June 30, 2021

Rehovot-based Future Meat‘s plant makes cell-based, slaughter-free meat production a reality.

BY NOGA MARTIN

The world’s first industrial cultured meat facility has opened in the city of Rehovot, home to the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Agriculture, Israeli slaughter-free meat-production startup Future Meat Technologies announced on Wednesday.

With the capability to produce 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) of cultured products a day, equivalent to 5,000 hamburgers, this facility makes scalable cell-based meat production a reality.

“This facility opening marks a huge step in Future Meat Technologies’ path to market, serving as a critical enabler to bring our products to shelves by 2022,” said Rom Kshuk, CEO of Future Meat Technologies. “Having a running industrial line accelerates key processes such as regulation and product development.”

Science & Technology News, VR

Study suggests VR games may help children better cope with painful medical procedures

June 29, 2021

by Johns Hopkins University

A recent study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers suggests that gameplaying using virtual reality (VR) headsets may provide an engaging and practical distraction therapy for children undergoing painful medical procedures, such as venipunctures. Credit: Public domain, Jessica Lewis

Dealing with a painful medical procedure is difficult for anyone, but often more so if the patient is a child. For example, a venipuncture—the penetrating of a vein for a procedure such as drawing blood or inserting an intravenous tube—may make a young patient anxious or uneasy. Many hospitals, including Johns Hopkins Children’s Center (JHCC), have a dedicated child life services team to help children cope with these procedures, while others depend on more traditional methods of diversions such as toys or books. Now, a recent study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers suggests that gameplaying using virtual reality (VR) headsets—if the games are appropriate and carefully chosen for pediatric clinical situations—may be an engaging and practical addition to the list of distraction therapy options.

Medical Breakthrough, Science & Technology News

No lab required: New technology can diagnose infections in minutes

June 29, 2021

McMaster University researcher Richa Pandey displays new technology that can analyze a medical sample and return an accurate, definitive result in minutes. Credit: McMaster University

The idea of visiting the doctor’s office with symptoms of an illness and leaving with a scientifically confirmed diagnosis is much closer to reality because of new technology developed by researchers at McMaster University.

Engineering, biochemistry and medical researchers from across campus have combined their skills to create a hand-held rapid test for bacterial infections that can produce accurate, reliable results in less than an hour, eliminating the need to send samples to a lab.

Their proof-of-concept research, published today in the journal Nature Chemistry, specifically describes the test’s effectiveness in diagnosing urinary tract infections from real clinical samples. The researchers are adapting the test to detect other forms of bacteria and for the rapid diagnosis of viruses, including COVID-19. They also plan to test its viability for detecting markers of cancer.

drones, Science & Technology News

AN INSECT-LIKE DRONE THAT COULD HELP POLLINATE CROPS

June 29, 2021

MIT, Harvard University, and City University of Hong Kong are collaborating to create this unique-looking drone that shares some characteristics with insects. The goal of the project is to one day use the small drones to pollinate crops or perform rescue missions.

AI, Science & Technology News

Sidekicks holographic AI companion robot

June 28, 2021

By Julian Horsey

Sidekicks are a unique take on the trend for AI companion robots” offering a holographic artificial intelligent friend which is voice-enabled and equipped with emotions and more. Equipped with a holographic display the Sidekick artificial intelligent companion has been designed to interact with its owner offering a variety of different features. Launched via Kickstarter this month the project has already raised is required pledge goal thanks to over 160 backers with still 23 days remaining. The AI companion is available as a digital application or can be housed in its own special environment.

Specially priced early bird pledges are now available for the innovative project from roughly $69 or £50 (depending on current exchange rates). If the Sidekicks campaign successfully raises its required pledge goal and fullfilment progresses smoothly, worldwide shipping is expected to take place sometime around January 2022. To learn more about the Sidekicks holographic AI companions.

Science & Technology News, Virtual Reality

Varjo Reality Cloud lets you virtually experience a real place via ‘teleportation’

June 28, 2021

By Dean Takahashi

Varjo is unveiling its Reality Cloud platform for virtual teleportation. That means one person can capture the reality of a space in a particular location and share that reality in extreme detail for a remote person to experience, virtually.

The Varjo Reality Cloud shares the details of a room in photorealistic detail, showing someone remotely located a view of the room in real time. Yes, you read that. Varjo lets one person scan a 3D space and another person experience it virtually at almost the same time, as it can transfer the necessary data in compact streams of 10 megabits-to-30 megabits per second with almost no time delays, the company said.

It’s a pretty amazing technology that comes from the pioneering work that Varjo has done in creating high-end virtual reality and mixed reality headsets for enterprises such Volvo, which uses it to design cars in virtual environments.

The caveat, of course, is if the tech really works as envisioned.

Driverless vehicles, Science & Technology News

Infineon creates radar sensors to monitor people in self-driving cars

June 28, 2021

Infineon’s radar sensors can detect human movement in self-driving cars.

By Dean Takahashi

When self-driving cars hit the market, they will need to monitor the well-being of the “driver” and passengers in the car. Today, Infineon Technologies is announcing some sensors that can do just that using radar technology.

The radar can detect subtle movements from people in a car, including noticing children who may have been inadvertently left behind, drivers who are having a heart attack or some other emergency, and passengers who have simply fallen asleep in the car.

With this data, the intelligent car can send out emergency alerts or make adjustments, such as ensuring seat belts and emergency air bags are in the correct positions.

Medicine, Science & Technology News

Third Rock-backed startup launches to develop cell therapies for MS, diabetes

June 27, 2021

“T Regulatory Cells” [Microscope image].

By Ned Pagliarulo

Five cancer cell therapies are approved in the U.S. Scores more are in clinical testing as drugmakers work to repurpose human cells as a platform for new medicines, many of which are similarly targeted at different types of cancer.

Military, Science & Technology News

DoD Pioneering NextGen Satellites, Sensors in Space

June 27, 2021

The Department of Defense (DoD) is pioneering a slew of next-generation satellites and sensors to deliver critical data to military command centers from space, and to track and target missile threats and other time-sensitive targets, officials from the Space Development Agency (SDA) and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said at the Defense One Tech Summit on June 22.

drones, Science & Technology News

This drone tracks human screams (to save lives)

June 27, 2021

By I. Bonifacic

A team of researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer FKIE institute has created a drone that can locate screaming humans. While it sounds like the stuff of dystopian fiction, it’s actually something they set out to create to make it easier for first responders to find survivors following a natural disaster.

“(Drones) can cover a larger area in a shorter period of time than rescuers or trained dogs on the ground,” Macarena Varela, one of the lead engineers on the project, told The Washington Post. “If there’s a collapsed building, it can alert and assist rescuers. It can go places they can’t fly to or get to themselves.”

To create their drone, the researchers first recorded themselves screaming, tapping and producing other sounds that someone in need of help might make. They then used those recordings to train an artificial intelligence algorithm and tweaked the software to filter out ambient sounds like the hum of the drone’s rotors. Outside of software and UAV, the rest of the system isn’t that complicated. The team used the type of microphones you might find on your smartphone, mainly because they wanted to keep the drone light and agile.

Medical Breakthrough, Science & Technology News

A Bioprinted Pancreas Could Spell the End for Diabetes

June 26, 2021

https://youtu.be/ryTyKJFnOv4

The newly printed pancreas secretes a spectrum of critical hormones like insulin.

By Loukia Papadopoulos

We have all heard of diabetes and its debilitating effects on those afflicted with it. Scientists have been looking for a cure for this disease for years and they may have now stumbled on one in the form of a bioprinted pancreas.

How does it work? And who is leading this medical breakthrough? Readily3D, a spin-off of EPFL, has engineered a new method to print biological tissues using a biological gel that contains the patient’s stem cells.

Science & Technology News, Tesla

Tesla to launch ridesharing app, with Tesla’s Driver Insurance

June 26, 2021

While Uber and Lyft have been dominating the ridesharing industry and revolutionizing urban mobility, they’re likely to meet a new top competitor in Tesla.

The company has had its own ridesharing app in the works for some time. Uber and Lyft are at a disadvantage, as neither of them has made a profit.

Much of this has been attributed to how they’ve relied heavily on venture capital and IPO filings to stay afloat which has put them in a bind.

A loss of $1 billion like Uber took in 2019 will take its toll.Uber’s profit margins have been a point of increasing concern for investors. The company collects fares from each ride to pay off its revenue and operating costs, but the amount it earns doesn’t even cover that expense.

Therefore, Uber has continued to lose money every quarter since their IPO in 2017. The debate over whether the Transportation Network Companies (TNC) will remain unprofitable or could be a booming new industry of the future continues.

A new competitor with something greater to offer entering the picture could change all of that. This has led many to keep their eyes on Tesla to see how it performs because of its advancements. While talk of an autonomous driving network is on the horizon, Tesla is set to launch their ridesharing app with drivers.

Because of this, the company will be able to utilize one of its latest services — a car insurance program. Drivers for the Tesla network will be covered directly through the company.

It is believed that a human-driven ridesharing app will give Tesla multiple advantages over the competition, especially when it comes to financial and insurance efficiency.