Impact Lab – Page 320 – A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience

America’s Best-Selling Electric Vehicles Ride on Two Wheels

February 13, 2022

Import data shows e-bikes outpacing electric cars in 2021.

The U.S. electric bike market continues to boom according to the latest figures from the Light Electric Vehicle Association. The U.S. imported nearly 790,000 electric two-wheelers in 2021 according to LEVA’s estimate, up from 463,000 in 2020. While not a sales figure, LEVA’s tally is a useful proxy for the state of the U.S. e-bike market. The trade group’s research suggests that e-bikes are the best-selling EVs in the country. Americans bought 652,000 electric cars in 2021, including plug-in hybrids, according to data from BloombergNEF:

Science & Technology News, Space Flight

Billionaire space barons want to build ‘mixed-use business parks’ in low Earth orbit

February 12, 2022

Three full-fledged commercial space stations could be in orbit by the end of the decade

By A. Tarantola @terrortola

Axiom’s ISS-grown space station
Nanoracks’ Starlab
Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus-based space station

The Space Race is no longer a competition between the global superpowers of the world — at least not the nation-states that once vied to be first to the Moon. Today, low Earth orbit is the battleground for private conglomerates and the billionaires that helm them. With the Mir Space Station having deorbited in 2001 after 15 years of service and the ISS scheduled for retirement by the end of the decade, tomorrow’s space stations are very likely to be owned and operated by companies, not countries. In fact, the handover has already begun.

“We are not ready for what comes after the International Space Station,” then-NASA-administrator Jim Bridenstine explained at a hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee’s space subcommittee in October. “Building a space station takes a long time, especially when you’re doing it in a way that’s never been done before.”

NASA is on board with this transference, having drafted and published its Plan for Commercial LEO Development (CLD) in 2019, which calls for “a robust low-Earth orbit economy from which NASA can purchase services as one of many customers,” as part of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at Johnson Space Center. The CLD plan lays out the agency’s necessary steps towards establishing a commercial space station ecosystem. These start with allowing private corporations “to purchase ISS resources,” i.e. lease space on the station for commercial activities, “allow companies to fly private astronauts to the ISS,” which SpaceX did last April, as well as initiating “a process for developing commercial LEO destinations” and working to “stimulate demand” for those destinations and services.

AI

MySize unveils AI interactive smart mirror

February 12, 2022

By Rachel Douglass

Artificial intelligence (AI) provider MySize has announced its interactive, touch-screen mirror is now available to business clients, with the intention to bring a new omnichannel implementation into the customer store experience.

The FirstLook Smart Mirror, which was unveiled at the National Retail Federation 2022: Retail’s Big Show, allows brands to provide their customers with both an in-store and online shopping experience.

Features incorporated into the mirror include interactive avatar fittings, personalised size guidance, third-party POS systems, styling recommendations and contactless payment options.

DNA

Rapid DNA Sequencing Promises Timely Diagnosis for Thousands of Rare Diseases

February 12, 2022

For children suffering from rare diseases, it usually takes years to receive a diagnosis. This “diagnostic odyssey” is filled with multiple referrals and a barrage of tests, seeking to uncover the root cause behind mysterious and debilitating symptoms.

A new speed record in DNA sequencing may soon help families more quickly find answers to difficult and life-altering questions.

In just 7 hours, 18 minutes, a team of researchers at Stanford Medicine went from collecting a blood sample to offering a disease diagnosis. This unprecedented turnaround time is the result of ultra-rapid DNA sequencing technology paired with massive cloud storage and computing. This improved method of diagnosing diseases allows researchers to discover previously undocumented sources of genetic diseases, shining new light on the 6 billion letters in the human genome.

More than 7,000 rare diseases affect 300 million people worldwide, 50% of whom are children. Of these diseases, 80% have a genetic component. The onset of some rare genetic diseases can be swift and debilitating. Spotting symptoms and identifying the root cause is a race against the clock for many families.

I’m a biotechnology and policy scholar who works on improving access to innovative health care technologies. Whether it’s simple and affordable tests or sophisticated and expensive gene therapies, medical breakthroughs need to reach populations around the world. I believe that ultra-rapid DNA sequencing is key to casting a wider net and providing a faster turnaround for diagnosing rare diseases.

Blockchain

Blockchain and Smart Contracts Have German Auto Dealers on the Fast Track to Financing

February 11, 2022

BY DAVID EDWARDS

ChinaTechNews reports on April 4 that German auto dealers are using the Ethereum blockchain to get around bank bureaucracy, speeding up dealer credit applications.

German car dealers and distributors have found a new use for blockchains – acquiring and financing their customers quickly and with less paperwork than traditional bank loans.

Using Ethereum smart contracts – computer protocols that facilitate, verify or enforce the negotiation of an agreement – dealerships can provide their clients with immediate access to fiat currencies through dealer credit applications.

But this family-owned dealership has embraced the blockchain by incorporating cryptocurrency into its auto finance services. The result? Shortening closing times on car loans using virtual money that’s seen a 1,400 per cent rise in value since January 2017.

Nanotechnology

This Micro-Sized Camera will Turn Nanorobots into Photographers

February 11, 2022

Nanorobotics, like graphene, have been trending topics in research for years but are still far from full industrial production. Everyone is aware of its potential, but the technical hurdles remain. Fortunately, research is progressing steadily. The latest invention that would allow the world’s tiniest robots to take a giant leap forward is a camera barely the size of a grain of salt.

Imagine for a moment that, instead of using a bulky CAT scan or intrusive endoscopy, an almost invisible robot could inspect your arteries or the most inaccessible corners of your heart. Those could be some of the of applications enabled by a new camera designed by scientists at Princeton University in the U.S. It is the size of a grain of salt and works in a radically different way from traditional lenses.

Robots

Feature Article: Robot Dogs Take Another Step Towards Deployment at the Border

February 11, 2022

A robot dog showing off capabilities during testing in Lorton, Virginia.

The American Southwest is a region that blends a harsh landscape, temperature extremes and various other non-environmental threats that can create dangerous obstacles for those who patrol the border. The territory is vast and monitoring it is critical to our nation’s security. That’s why the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is offering U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) a helping hand (or “paw”) with new technology that can assist with enhancing the capabilities of CBP personnel, while simultaneously increasing their safety downrange.

S&T has a deep understanding of CBP’s technology needs in the field. In its role as the research and development arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), S&T is always identifying solutions to support the complex CBP mission. For instance, S&T is currently supplementing CBP’s bipedal human personnel with quadruped mechanical reinforcements to help the agency better allocate resources. In this case, Man’s best friend comes with a very futuristic twist.

“The southern border can be an inhospitable place for man and beast, and that is exactly why a machine may excel there,” said S&T program manager, Brenda Long. “This S&T-led initiative focuses on Automated Ground Surveillance Vehicles, or what we call ‘AGSVs.’ Essentially, the AGSV program is all about…robot dogs.”

Space

EU launches billion euro fund for space startups

February 10, 2022

The Cassini fund has been announced for innovation in the space in Europe promising to be a far-reaching endeavor that acts a catalyst for private players in the space and earth observation sector.

By Snehil Manohar Singh

CASSINI is a €1 billion ($1.1 billion) space fund that intends to provide impetus to startups and space innovation within the EU. As the European Commission’s official page for CASSINI describes, the initiative seeks to support entrepreneurship among space-related businesses in the European Union (EU). In particular, it caters to the needs of companies in different growth stages from seed to mid-caps, and to companies developing space technology as well as digital applications for various markets, by improving access to investments and professional networks (CASSINI – Space Entrepreneurship Initiative).

It was in January 2021 that Commissioner Thierry Breton announced that the European Commission would set up CASSINI. It is a watershed moment where, government agencies have for the first time, in the region, actively sought collaboration with private parties — not just for operational convenience, but for a truly symbiotic arrangement.

Robots

Rise of the robots: How restaurants can automate without losing the human touch

February 10, 2022

Instead of adopting tech to replace humans, employers should use digital tools that make jobs more satisfying.

By Raju Malhotra

The following is a guest post by Raju Malhotra, chief product and technology officer at PAR Technology Corporation.

Greetings, fellow human!

Robots seem to be everywhere these days, at least in the restaurant business. A week doesn’t go by without industry trades and mainstream press bringing us headlines like “Robots take over major casual dining chains.”

Robots are flipping burgers and frying chicken wings, and driverless bots and drones are delivering meals to hungry customers. No wonder those headlines include words like “take over” — at this rate, it’s starting to feel as if androids will replace all of us pretty soon.

Aviation

China unveils new 7,000mph ‘winged rocket’ hypersonic plane that could fly from New York to Beijing in ONE HOUR

February 10, 2022

By Tariq Tahir

PLANS for hypersonic plane capable of flying between Beijing and New York in an hour have been unveiled by a Chinese company.

The “rocket with wings” is being designed to fly at an astonishing 7,000mph and tests are reportedly due to begin next year.

Scientists hope it will be ready to take to the air by 2024.

The futuristic plane is being developed by Space Transportation, which hopes to conduct a full point-to-point flight by the end of the decade, reports Space.com.

A video released by the company shows the plane detaching from the wing powered by rockets after take-off, before continuing to its destination.

Meanwhile, the wing and boosters then land back on the launch pad.

When it arrives, the plane will land using three legs that unfold from the rear.

The company boasts it will be able to link New York with the capital of China in just an hour.

“We are developing a winged rocket for high-speed, point-to-point transportation, which is lower in cost than rockets that carry satellites and faster than traditional aircraft,” the firm told Chinese media.

Hyperloop

Virgin Hyperloop wants to revolutionize freight transport

February 9, 2022

Hyperloop developer working with global airports, ports for cargo movement systems

By Noi Mahoney

Virgin Hyperloop wants to accelerate the global supply chain using battery-powered pods gliding through sealed tubes at speeds of up to 670 mph.

The company is in discussions with airports and port facilities around the world to create a pilot program for cargo shipment services, said Ryan Kelly, Virgin Hyperloop’s vice president of marketing and communications.

“We aim to execute these projects by the end of 2024,” Kelly told FreightWaves. “The U.S. is definitely one of the places where we have multiple airports that have shown interest in the pilot, a vision of what we were proposing for the next decade. There’s also a lot of conversation going on in India and there’s also conversations going on in Europe as well.”

The Virgin Hyperloop pilot will most likely begin with connecting airports to logistics warehouses or connecting one airport cargo facility to another airport.

“Obviously COVID-19 has changed the world, especially in the cargo industry and supply chain,” Kelly said. “It has had humongous effects on an infrastructure that has been updated in some ways and in other ways, for big infrastructure and mass infrastructure, it has not.”

Blockchain, Science & Technology News

FDA: Blockchain-Based Food Tracking Bound for Widespread Adoption

February 9, 2022

By VICTORIA CAMPISI

A new rule could boost blockchain-based food tracking.

The rule, expected next November, would require the food industry to maintain records associated with the critical tracking events on the supply chain, according to Frank Yiannas, deputy commissioner for food policy and response at FDA, as reported by The Wall Street Journal (Feb. 1).

Events include growing, receiving, transforming, creating and shipping food products.

The Food Safety Modernization Act Proposed Rule for Food Traceability wouldn’t require companies to maintain electronic records. However, it is believed many would employ digital systems including blockchain to comply, Yiannas explained.

Blockchain is the distributed ledger technology supporting bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. It is a decentralized technology spread across many computers that manages and records transactions.