The Army’s first laser weapon is almost ready for a fight

A Northrop Grumman photo illustration of the defense contractor’s Stryker-mounted laser weapon in action.  (Northrop Grumman)

BY JARED KELLER 

Pew pew pew!

Slowly but surely, the Army is inching towards fielding its first true combat-capable, high-powered laser weapon mounted on a Stryker infantry carrier vehicle.

The service announced on Tuesday that it had successfully completed its first-ever Directed Energy-Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (DE M-SHORAD) “combat shoot-off” between two unique laser systems at Fort Sill in Oklahoma earlier this summer. 

The shoot-off saw the two 50-kilowatt laser weapons — developed in a competition between defense contractors Northrop Grumman and Raytheon — participate in “a series of vignettes designed to emulate realistic threats and combat scenarios,” according to the service.

Continue reading… “The Army’s first laser weapon is almost ready for a fight”

Fecal Transplants Could Be New Tool in Fight Against Age-Related Decline

By Brandon May

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an innovative procedure studied in several conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease. Recent animal research reportedin Nature Aging on Monday suggests fecal transplants may actually reverse the signs of brain aging.

The study transplanted gut microbes from the feces of young mice into older mice to reverse age-related declines of the brain. Intestinal bacteria have been shown to play a role in a variety physiological processes and also influence different dimensions of overall health.

Continue reading… “Fecal Transplants Could Be New Tool in Fight Against Age-Related Decline”

ROBOTIC GYNECOLOGIC SURGERY: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Robotic gynecologic surgery provides surgeons a greater range of motion and precision

Robotic surgeries in healthcare are not new, especially in the field of gynecology. In 2005, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of robotic surgery for gynecological procedures. When both medication and non-invasive procedures fail to treat gynecological disorder symptoms, doctors recommend surgery. Robotic Gynecologic Surgery stays the acknowledged and best treatment for most gynecological conditions such as cervical cancer, excessive uterine bleeding, uterine fibroids, and more.

Before robotic surgery, surgeons sometimes used to held cameras in their hands, which means they could shake or gradually move. Now, the specialist can get a 3-D perspective on the activity site and the video is steady all through the process. Control has likewise improved with robotic technology. This allows surgeons to work normally and instinctively which can prompt better outcomes and speed up the process. It also helps to reduce the risk of blood loss and quicker recovery.

Continue reading… “ROBOTIC GYNECOLOGIC SURGERY: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW”

Batteries made from trees could help transform the future of electric travel

Finnish sustainable material developers have opened a mill that turns powdered tree macromolecules into energy   



By Shannon McDonagh 

A material found in the wood of our plants is being trialled as a way to produce sustainable battery power.

Finnish designers Stora Enso have built a new production facility costing €10 million that will create renewable bio-based carbon by turning trees into batteries. This will be achieved by the use of a wood-based material called lignin.

The plant is based beside the company’s Sunila Mill in Kotka, southern Finland, which employs over 150 people and specialises in producing softwood pulp, and biofuels like tall oil and turpentine.

The company is responsible for developing a number of wood and biomaterial-based solutions for everyday problems that require eco-friendly solutions. Their innovative product offerings range from mouldable woods to formed fiber food packaging.

Continue reading… “Batteries made from trees could help transform the future of electric travel”

Machine Learning Bot Can Replace Your Gardener, It Plants and Weeds on Its Own

 By Cristina Mircea

Gardening is a rewarding activity indeed, both for your mind, as well as for your body. Unfortunately though, most of us can’t find enough time to dedicate to it, as our hectic lifestyles get in the way. That’s where this smart garden robot comes in, to make sure you don’t have to sow yourself, but just reap the benefits.

Sybil is a small, but a very capable device with machine learning capabilities. It can autonomously plant, weed, and map your entire garden.

Continue reading… “Machine Learning Bot Can Replace Your Gardener, It Plants and Weeds on Its Own”

Magnetic ‘millirobots’ climb and swim to deliver drugs to neural tissue

Researchers from Purdue University have developed magnetic ‘millirobots’ which can climb slopes, move against a current, and deliver substances to rodent neural tissue with great precision.

The study investigated how the robots – ‘Magnetically Aligned Nanorods In Alginate CapsuleS’ (aka ‘Maniacs’) – could perform as drug delivery vehicles inside the body. It found that, when controlled using a magnetic field, the robots can move against fluid flow, climb slopes and move through neural tissue, such as the spinal cord, to deposit substances at precise locations.

Disease in the central nervous system can be very difficult to treat. Lamar Mair of Weinberg Medical Physics, which partnered with the academics on the study, explained: “Delivering drugs orally or intravenously, for example, to target cancers or neurologic diseases, may affect regions of the body and nervous system that are unrelated to the disease. Targeted drug delivery may lead to improved efficacy and reduced side-effects due to lower off-target dosing.”

Continue reading… “Magnetic ‘millirobots’ climb and swim to deliver drugs to neural tissue”

OpenAI can translate English into code with its new machine learning software Codex

‘We see this as a tool to multiply programmers’

By James Vincent

AI research company OpenAI is releasing a new machine learning tool that translates the English language into code. The software is called Codex and is designed to speed up the work of professional programmers, as well as help amateurs get started coding. 

In demos of Codex, OpenAI shows how the software can be used to build simple websites and rudimentary games using natural language, as well as translate between different programming languages and tackle data science queries. Users type English commands into the software, like “create a webpage with a menu on the side and title at the top,” and Codex translates this into code. The software is far from infallible and takes some patience to operate, but could prove invaluable in making coding faster and more accessible. 

“IT TAKES PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY PROGRAMMERS AND REMOVES THE DRUDGE WORK.” 

Continue reading… “OpenAI can translate English into code with its new machine learning software Codex”

Israeli Start-Up Creates Robotic Beehives To Support Dwindling Bee Colonies

Bharat Sharma

By Bharat Sharma

An Israeli startup has done the unthinkable by creating an artificial beehive to facilitate stable bee colonies under ideal conditions.

The next-gen hive which constitutes multiple layers of honeycombs can house up to 2 million bees… and that’s not it!

The robotic set-up also scans beehives for diseases, pesticides, and other hazards that may pose a threat to the gentle creatures.

On multiple occasions, scientists have highlighted how dwindling populations of bees threaten existing ecosystems on planet Earth.

In the face of new dangers posed by climate change clubbed with receding natural habitats for organisms, beekeepers are trying out new ways to preserve existing populations of bees. 

Continue reading… “Israeli Start-Up Creates Robotic Beehives To Support Dwindling Bee Colonies”

Hyundai and UL ally to give EV batteries a second life

The two agreed to advance safe deployment and use of second-life battery energy storage systems.

Underwriters Laboratories, a U.S. standards development organization, and Koren car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Co. signed a memorandum of understanding to help further the safe deployment and use of second-life battery energy storage systems (SLBESS). 

The two said they will collaborate on SLBESS initiatives, including safety testing and assessment, a North America product demonstration project, and evaluation process development. They said they intend to use their worldwide presence to further SLBESS market adoption.

Second-life batteries often consist of electric vehicle batteries that no longer meet the requirements of automotive applications, but are still worthwhile additions as grid-connected energy storage devices.

Continue reading… “Hyundai and UL ally to give EV batteries a second life”

NASA is training human-like robots to explore caves on Mars


BY SOPHIE LEWIS

When searching for signs of life on other planets, scientists say caves are a crucial place to look. But how can a team on Earth effectively explore intricate, dark, unfamiliar landscapes on another world? 

NASA and Boston Dynamics have found an answer: Fully autonomous robots.

Caves are one of the most likely places to find signs of both current and past life on other planets because they are capable of protecting life from cosmic rays and extreme temperature fluctuations around our solar system. A NASA project called BRAILLE is now working on exploring Mars-like caves that already exist on Earth in order to hone key technologies for future missions. 

Continue reading… “NASA is training human-like robots to explore caves on Mars”

Cleveron conducts ‘world’s first’ driving exams with a driverless semi-autonomous last-mile delivery vehicle

Cleveron, an Estonian-based technology company, partnered with LRK Driving School to conduct what they say are “the world’s first driving exams with an unmanned semi-autonomous car”.

The exams were carried out with Cleveron’s last-mile delivery vehicle Cleveron 701. All four Cleveron specialists passed the exam and received the world’s first tele-operated vehicle certificates.

Continue reading… “Cleveron conducts ‘world’s first’ driving exams with a driverless semi-autonomous last-mile delivery vehicle”

Personalized regenerative medicine company developing implanted cell pouches to treat chronic disease

In response to emailed questions, Encellin CEO offered an overview of the company’s device that functions like a pouch to help implanted cells survive in the body. 

By STEPHANIE BAUM

Crystal Nyitray, Ph.D., the CEO and Co-founder of Encellin provided an overview of the company’s emerging cell tech to treat chronic endocrine disorders hypoglycemia and hypocalcemia.

Why did you start this company?

Encellin was founded because we have unique opportunity to help millions of patients. The technology developed at UCSF needed a way to move forward, so we created Encellin. Also starting a company gives you the chance a create a specialized team of people dedicated to advancing a therapy forward. We get to create a culture that cares about helping patients, and has the courage to try new ways of thinking.  

Continue reading… “Personalized regenerative medicine company developing implanted cell pouches to treat chronic disease”
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