England – Impact Lab

Automation, Automobiles, Driverless vehicles, Science & Technology News

25 ton self-driving trucks to be tested on British roads for the first time

May 20, 2019

The government is testing driverless trucks on the A14 highway

Self-driving trucks that could help to speed up roadworks are being tested on Britain’s highways for the first time.

A 25-tonne autonomous truck, capable of moving huge amounts of earth without human supervision will take to the roads on a stretch of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon as part of a trial by Highways England.

The trucks, capable of carrying a load of 40 tonnes, can be programmed remotely to follow a pre-determined route along road work sites and can detect and avoid obstacles, like other vehicles, along the route as they drive.

Continue reading… “25 ton self-driving trucks to be tested on British roads for the first time”

Agriculture, Artificial Intelligence, Farming, Food, Robotics

How small robots may kill the tractor and make farming efficient

November 19, 2018

The Bristol-based Small Robot Company has created a series of agile robots for farming. By being customisable they could help to replace the tractor

Agriculture has a reputation of being stuck in the past. In reality, for farmers, their workplaces are a fertile testbed for innovative technology – they were among the first to embrace commercial drone use, and autonomous vehicles that could work effectively (and safely) in confined areas of farmland. Among the latest developments in agri-tech are small, farming robots that can improve crop yield and reduce farming’s impact on the environment.

Continue reading… “How small robots may kill the tractor and make farming efficient”

government, Human Behavior, People Making a Difference, Science & Technology News

How the world’s first loneliness minister will tackle the sad reality of modern life

April 30, 2018

A woman holds the report of the Jo Cox Commission on December 15, 2017 in Batley, England. The report has highlighted that the UK should appoint a “minister for loneliness.”

Tracey Crouch knows what it’s like to feel frighteningly alone. After giving birth to her first child, Freddie, in 2016, the British lawmaker says that despite having a “network of friends, family and a wonderful partner,” she began feeling cut off from the world. It wasn’t a new sensation; Crouch says she also suffered from depression six years earlier, when she first became a member of parliament. It felt like she was “in a very dark place, a very lonely place” she recalls.

Continue reading… “How the world’s first loneliness minister will tackle the sad reality of modern life”

Alternative Transportation, Future, Science & Technology News

England is testing out roads that charge electric cars as you drive along them

August 20, 2015

The UK is hoping to significantly boost the range of electric cars by introducing roads in an 18-month trial that can charge the vehicles as they drive along them.

Continue reading… “England is testing out roads that charge electric cars as you drive along them”

Analysis, Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

Death rate from heart attacks in England drop in half

January 26, 2012

Heart attack deaths in England are half the 2002 level.

The death rate from heart attacks in England has dropped by half in the last decade, according to British researchers.

Continue reading… “Death rate from heart attacks in England drop in half”

Analysis, Latest Trend

Britain’s Population Growth Over the Last Decade Driven by Non-white British

May 19, 2011

England and Wales experienced a 2.45 million increase in population between 2001 and 2009.

Britain’s 2.5 million increase in population over the last ten years has been driven entirely by non-‘white British’ people migrating to the country and higher birth rates among ethnic minority groups, official figures have indicated. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics have shown that between 2001 and 2009 the population of England and Wales increased by 2.45 million to 54.8 million.

Continue reading… “Britain’s Population Growth Over the Last Decade Driven by Non-white British”

Analysis, Education, Latest Trend

Higher Education Reforms in England Will Triple Fees in 2012

April 10, 2011

Two thirds of universities will charge the highest possible tuition fee.

The Coalition’s policy on tuition fees risked descending into chaos after it emerged that two thirds of universities would charge the maximum £9,000 a year for degree courses. Ministers were accused of “losing control” of their flagship higher education reforms as growing numbers of vice-chancellors unveiled plans to almost triple fees in 2012.

Continue reading… “Higher Education Reforms in England Will Triple Fees in 2012”