Move over, Tony Stark; the US Navy is going Iron Man. The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) has ordered a pair of Fortis exoskeletons from Lockheed Martin for testing and evaluation. The unpowered exoskeletons won’t give sailors superhuman strength, but they will allow them to handle heavy equipment for longer periods with less fatigue... Continue Reading
US Navy to test Fortis exoskeletons Section:
Robotics Tags:
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Lockheed Martin,
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Lockheed Martin's HULC Robotic Exoskeleton MK IIThe Incredible HULC: Lockheed Martin unveils exoskeleton technologyHonda begins leasing Walking Assist ExoskeletonParalyzed woman walks again with 3D-printed robotic exoskeletonLockheed Martin reveals glimpse of Sea Ghost UAVDARPA awards contract to create "smart suit" to improve soldiers' endurance
In some cases, a pilot discovering damage to an airplane involves noticing a frightening thump on the hull. That may indicate that something is wrong, but not what or where. On the other hand, when human beings are injured, the network of nerves in the skin tell us almost exactly where and what is wrong. Stealing a march on nature, BAE Systems’ Advanced Technology Centre is working on a "smart skin" that covers the fuselage of an aircraft with thousands of microsensors to send back a wide variety of detailed information in real time. .. Continue Reading
BAE Systems developing "smart skin" for aircraft Section:
Aircraft Tags:
BAE Systems,
Multi-functional,
Sensors Related Articles:
Paint-on "sensing skin" is designed to detect damage in concrete structuresON-WINGS takes ice detection to the next levelScientists create artificial skin that stretches like the real thingNew plastic bleeds and heals like human skinWearable smart veins locator could help nurses see below the skinHexagonal plate skin gives robots sense of touch
Northrop Grumman, in partnership with Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic, has unveiled the preliminary design it is developing as part of DARPA’s
XS-1 Spaceplane project. Looking like a windowless update of a 1960s Dyna Soar orbiter, it’s the next step in producing launch systems that will dramatically reduce the costs of getting into orbit... Continue Reading
Northrop Grumman gives early look at its XS-1 Experimental Spaceplane design Section:
Space Tags:
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DARPA,
Northrop Grumman,
Virgin Galactic,
XS-1 Related Articles:
DARPA announces Phase 1 of its XS-1 spaceplane programX-47A Pegasus unmanned flight milestoneWant to launch a satellite? Call Virgin Galactic CargoVirgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo glides towards first powered flightVirgin Galactic steps up the pace with latest SpaceShipTwo glide flight testDARPA's XS-1 sets goal of space launches with one-day turnaround
Like a traveler on a very long road trip, a deep space probe has passed the last sign post before its destination. NASA has announced that its New Horizons probe has passed the orbit of Neptune – its last milestone before it flies by Pluto on July 14 next year. Launched in 2006, the piano-sized unmanned spacecraft is almost 2.75 billion mi (4.42 billion km) from Earth and is the fastest man-made object ever sent into space. .. Continue Reading
New Horizons passes Neptune orbit on way to Pluto encounter Section:
Space Tags:
NASA,
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New Horizons,
Solar System,
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Hubble to seek new targets for New Horizons spacecraftHubble uncovers fifth moon orbiting PlutoHubble finds tiny new moon orbiting NeptuneNASA loses contact with Deep Impact probeJuno sets off on 1,740 million mile journey to unlock Jupiter’s secretsNASA declares Deep Impact lost
After you become the
first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid, what do you do for an encore? For ESA’s Rosetta comet probe, the answer is to get ready for the first soft landing on a comet nucleus. Only weeks after going into orbit around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the unmanned Rosetta explorer is engaged in a fast-paced reconnaissance of the comet and has identified five candidate sites for putting down the Philae lander in November. .. Continue Reading
Rosetta narrows down potential comet landing sites Section:
Space Tags:
Comets,
ESA,
Reconnaissance,
Rosetta,
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Rosetta becomes first spacecraft to enter orbit around a cometRosetta comet probe wakes up, phones homeFresh images from Rosetta reveals surface detail of comet quarryRosetta Comet chaser starts observations with NASA instrumentsRosetta spacecraft captures comet's developing comaESA awaiting signal from Rosetta comet probe
NASA’s
Space Launch System (SLS) program has received the green light to progress after the completion of a critical design review. The next generation heavy launch system, which is designed to lift the
Orion spacecraft for manned missions into deep space, is NASA’s most ambitious project since the 1960s and the most powerful rocket ever built, with 12 percent more thrust than the Saturn V booster used to send the Apollo missions to the Moon... Continue Reading
SLS completes key development review Section:
Space Tags:
Construction,
NASA,
Orion Spacecraft,
Space Launch System,
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ESA to provide service module for NASA's Orion spacecraftBoeing wins Instrument Unit Avionics contract for Ares I launch vehicleTwo parachutes out of three ain’t bad for NASA’s Orion spacecraftNASA uses F/A-18 to test Space Launch SystemNASA powers up Orion for the first timeNASA building world's largest solid-fuel rocket
Whether driven by Inspector Morse or the less-than-pristine example in Withnail and I, the Mark 2 is one of the most memorable Jaguars. It may not have the flash and stand-out gorgeous lines of the
E-Type, but since it was introduced in 1959, the Mark 2 had a reputation as a fast, capable saloon. Now an 18-month collaboration between Jaguar Director of Design Ian Callum and Classic Motor Cars Limited (CMC) has produced an updated riff on the Mark 2 suitable for the 21st century... Continue Reading
Updated Jaguar Mark 2 puts new spin on a classic Section:
Automotive Tags:
Classic Motor Cars,
Jaguar,
Vintage Related Articles:
Jaguar's new generation XK sports car unveiledFormula One star revs-up for Terminator 3 premiereCanon EOS 5D Mark II firmware update updatedJaguar to build six brand new Lightweight 1963 E-typesBremont creates limited edition Jaguar Lightweight E-Type watchJaguar to reveal C-X17 Concept in Frankfurt
Tel Aviv-based start up Effective Space Solutions claims that its DeOrbiter microsatellites could not only be used to dispose of defunct geosynchronous satellites, but could also rescue a pair of errant Galileo satellites currently trapped in the wrong orbit and put them back into service... Continue Reading
DeOrbiter microsatellite could put wayard satellites back on track Section:
Space Tags:
Communications,
Galileo Satellite Navigation System,
Satellite Related Articles:
NASA working on refueling satellitesESA mission operators prepare for post launch control of twin Galileo satellitesDARPA plans on scrounging parts from dead satellites - while they're still in orbitBoeing announces Phantom Phoenix family of small satellitesSwiss satellite being sent to clean up the mess in outer spaceFirst asteroid-tracking satellite will be Canadian
Since the dawn of the Space Age, boffins have worked on how to provide astronauts travelling to distant worlds with food, water, and oxygen. But what about the big question? What about drinkies? Scotland’s Ardberg distillery is working on how to provide future explorers and colonists with a wee dram with an experiment in how whisky matures in zero gravity... Continue Reading
Space whisky coming home from the ISS Section:
Space Tags:
Distillery,
International Space Station,
Scotland,
Whisky Related Articles:
Fancy a US$30,000 bottle of Whisky?Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937 – the World's Oldest Bottle of Whisky to go to auctionBottle of Dalmore Oculus whisky sells for GBP27,600One for the road: Researchers develop biofuel from whisky wasteWhisky - Demon drink becomes sound financial investmentHDEV allows us detailed views of our planet from space
The problem with nuclear waste is that it needs to be stored for many thousands of years before it’s safe, which is a tricky commitment for even the most stable civilization. To make this situation a bit more manageable, Hitachi, in partnership with MIT, the University of Michigan, and the University of California, Berkeley, is working on new reactor designs that use transuranic nuclear waste for fuel; leaving behind only short-lived radioactive elements... Continue Reading
Hitachi developing reactor that burns nuclear waste Section:
Environment Tags:
Hitachi,
MIT,
Nuclear,
Reactors,
Transuranic,
University of California,
University of Michigan Related Articles:
Floating nuclear plants could prove tsunami-proofThorium: A safer alternative for nuclear power generation?Intelligent absorbent removes radioactive material from waterReport examines feasibility of nuclear-powered submarines for AustraliaA nuclear battery the size and thickness of a pennyCannonball-like underwater robots being developed for nuclear reactors
Renault is taking aim at the urban car market with a major redesign for its third-generation Twingo, with the goal of recapturing the spirit of the original release in 1992. Based on last year’s
Twin’Z and Twin’Run concept cars, the new Twingo was developed jointly with Daimler and is manufactured at the Novo Mesto plant in Slovenia as what Renault calls a fun, ultra-maneuverable city car... Continue Reading
Renault targets city streets with reinvention of the Twingo Section:
Automotive Tags:
Cars,
Daimler,
Renault,
Twingo,
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Renault’s Twingo communicating city car conceptRenault unveils high performance GT racer with its own championshipMazda joins the downsizing party with 1.5-liter SKYACTIV dieselRenault Twizy EV goes firefightingCaterham and Renault teaming up to bring back the AlpineRenault Z17 Urban Concept car for Geneva Show
GE is looking to a new generation of carbon-fiber composites to make the fan blades for its GE9X jet engine. That engine is being developed for the Boeing 777X passenger airplanes that are set to enter service in 2020 and the new blades promise to provide larger, lighter engines with greater fuel efficiency... Continue Reading
GE's next-generation composite turbine blades to improve aircraft fuel efficiency Section:
Aircraft Tags:
Blades,
Fuel efficiency,
GE,
Jets,
Materials,
Turbine Related Articles:
Blade Dynamics to make first 100-meter wind turbine blades?Carbon nanotube-reinforced polyurethane could make for bigger and better wind turbinesSiemens unveils world's largest wind turbine bladesPlastic/metal composite material is able to monitor itselfGE and NASA to give open-rotor jet engine systems a spinHigh efficiency wind turbine based on jet engine technology
A week after the unveiling of its updated version of the classic
Jaguar Mark 2, Classic Motor Cars (CMC) has announced that what was initially a one-off of the 1960s luxury car, will now go into limited production. Redesigned and built for Jaguar designer Ian Callum, the new Mark 2 enjoys new engineering and interior features to make it suitable for modern day-to-day driving... Continue Reading
Jaguar Mark 2 replica to enter production Section:
Automotive Tags:
Cars,
Classic Motor Cars,
Jaguar,
Production Related Articles:
Updated Jaguar Mark 2 puts new spin on a classicJaguar's new generation XK sports car unveiledBremont creates limited edition Jaguar Lightweight E-Type watchFormula One star revs-up for Terminator 3 premiereJaguar to reveal C-X17 Concept in FrankfurtJaguar to build six brand new Lightweight 1963 E-types
The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded General Dynamics UK a contract to deliver 589 light-armor Scout Specialist Vehicles (SV) to the Army between 2017 and 2024. .. Continue Reading
General Dynamics to build British Army's next light tank Section:
Military Tags:
Armor,
British Army,
General Dynamics UK Related Articles:
British Army's Foxhound vehicle gives soldiers better protection, higher-speedFire Scout UAV completes first autonomous ship landingsUS Army testing autonomous Stryker Combat VehiclesFire Scout helicopter UAV successfully fires test rocketsHandheld Black Hornet Nano drones issued to U.K. soldiersAdvanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) competition
The first Range Rover to roll off the production line has sold at auction for £132,250 (US$213,000). The vintage, fully-restored 4x4 with chassis No. 001 was sold in London to a private owner by Silverstone Auctions and Salon Privé in a sale that was not only about automotive history, but the end of a motoring mystery... Continue Reading
Range Rover 001 sells for £132,250 (US$213,000) Section:
Automotive Tags:
Auction,
Automotive,
History,
London,
Range Rover,
Silverstone Auctions Related Articles:
Evoque will be the smallest Range Rover ever builtLand Rover teases Discovery Vision conceptRange Rover Sport SVR claims new Nürburgring recordRange StormerNew Range Rover flagship model – the HSTLand Rover's first diesel-electric hybrid Range Rovers hit the off-road
If you've ever gone outside on a foggy night and shined a laser pointer about, you’ve seen two things: how flashy a raygun it makes, and the problem laser weapons face in such conditions as fog and rain scatters the energy that should be destroying missiles. However, in recent tests at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, Boeing and the US Army have shown that their
High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) is capable of successfully locking onto and taking out targets in very laser-unfriendly foggy, rainy, and windy maritime conditions... Continue Reading
Neither rain, nor fog, nor wind stops Boeing's laser weapon destroying targets Section:
Military Tags:
Boeing,
Laser,
Laser weapon,
Oshkosh,
US Army,
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Boeing and BAE team up to develop laser weapon for the U.S. NavyBoeing solid-state laser weapon system outshines expectationsBoeing testing truck-mounted high energy laserAirborne Laser completes activation testsRheinmetall's 50kW high-energy laser weapon successfully passes testsHEL-MD takes out mortars and UAVs with vehicle-mounted laser
Home camera systems from baby monitors to full-blown security systems are nothing new, but living with them can be about as comfortable as living in the novel 1984. Making its debut at this year’s IFA electronics show in Berlin, the Withings Home video and environmental monitoring device tries to dispel that vibe in a user-friendly package that blends into modern home decor... Continue Reading
Withings Home acts as a security camera, environmental monitor and home diary Section:
Around The Home Tags:
Cameras,
Environment,
IFA 2014,
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Security,
Withings Related Articles:
Withings Smart Baby Monitor lets Apple-users be baby-watchersBelkin’s NetCam uses your smartphone for home securityiBaby monitor offers swiveling baby-watching actionSwann launches all-in-one Wi-Fi home monitoring systemThe Sentri offers smart home security with a personal twistWithings WiFi body scales weighs in with Google Health
Many see home automation as the next big thing in the consumer electronics space and D-Link is keen to plant a flag in the emerging connected smart home with its new mydlink Home range of smart devices. The line includes five modules aimed at letting homeowners control technology around the home using a smartphone or tablet, be it from the comfort of the sofa or when out and about. .. Continue Reading
D-Link breaks into the smart home market with mydlink Home Section:
Around The Home Tags:
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IFA 2014,
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Samsung's Smart Home service aims to automate the homeGE switches onto smart light bulb market with LinkHome Control Interfaces leap in usabilityRevolv brings multiple home automation devices togetherAlyt lets users control their home via voiceSecurity Phone
Scanning shop shelf after shop shelf in the search for that elusive item can be a frustrating task, particularly if it turns out the item is out of stock. This isn’t just annoying, but it can also mean lost sales as customers leave without buying anything at all. In a bid to help both customers and shopkeepers, Germany-based findbox GmbH has developed the findbox, a kiosk-like device that scans items and packaging, lets shoppers know if a replacement is in the shop and guides them to the right peg... Continue Reading
findbox scanner helps shoppers find what they're looking for Section:
Good Thinking Tags:
IFA 2014,
Internet of Things,
Retail,
Shopping,
Wireless Related Articles:
LED lighting could guide shoppers to products in storesTrackR bravo is claimed to be the thinnest item-tracking device everInteractive shop window displays in the worksThe perfect box for all shapesMen in Grocery Stores “need assistance”Fujitsu U-Scan Shopper Trolley designed to eliminate checkout queues
Honda took the occasion of the 2014 ITS World Congress in Detroit to show off some of the company’s latest accomplishments in the field of intelligent transportation. The technologies on display are part of Honda’s goal of a "collision-free society" and "safety for everyone" through assisted driving systems that protect not only the car’s occupants, but pedestrians, cyclists, and others on the road... Continue Reading
Honda showcases latest intelligent transportation tech at ITS World Congress Section:
Automotive Tags:
Collision,
Communications,
Driving,
Honda,
Safety,
Traffic,
Transport,
vehicle-to-vehicle Related Articles:
Honda's self-balancing U3-X on showFord reveals new automated research vehicleHonda's smarter dummy2014 Honda Odyssey has a built-in vacuumNew Honda concepts include a dog-friendly car, a premium fuel cell sedan and a four seater sports carHonda Develops Intelligent Night Vision for automobiles
NASA’s return to manned spaceflight took a couple of major steps forward this week with the completion of the
Orion crew capsule and the attachment of it and the previously-completed service module to the adapter that will connect Orion to its rocket. This marks the completion of all major components of the spacecraft, which is due to make its first test flight in December... Continue Reading
Orion spacecraft crew capsule completed and ready for fueling Section:
Space Tags:
NASA,
Orion Spacecraft,
Space Launch System,
Spacecraft,
Unmanned Related Articles:
NASA powers up Orion for the first timeESA to provide service module for NASA's Orion spacecraftLargest heat shield ever constructed installed on NASA's Orion spacecraftTwo parachutes out of three ain’t bad for NASA’s Orion spacecraftOcean recovery methods for Orion spacecraft put to the testSLS completes key development review
One aggravating property of the housefly is that swatting one is harder than it looks. That’s because flies have eyes designed for avoiding such a day-ruining event by detecting motion over a wide field of vision. Since asteroids have the potential to do to Earth what rolled newspapers do to flies, ESA is developing a telescope based on a fly’s eye as a new asteroid-hunting tool that could be the basis for a new asteroid defense network. .. Continue Reading
ESA's bug-eyed "fly-eye" telescope to watch for Earth-threatening asteroids Section:
Space Tags:
Asteroid,
ESA,
Telescope,
Tracking Related Articles:
NASA brings WISE probe out of retirement to hunt asteroidsNEOWISE returns first test images post hibernationFirst asteroid-tracking satellite will be CanadianSentinel mission to place asteroid-hunting telescope into orbit around the SunAll systems go for Planetary Resources' Arkyd 100 space telescopeESA to test asteroid deflection
The Bible talks about beating swords into plowshares, but what about Kalashnikovs into timepieces? Swiss watchmaker Fonderie 47’s Inversion Principle has done just that with a luxury watch made in part from the steel of a deactivated AK-47 assault rifle and subtle design cues from the firearm. According to the company, part of the watch’s price goes toward helping to disarm and aid Africa... Continue Reading
Fonderie 47 Inversion Principle turns weapons into watches Section:
Wearable Electronics Tags:
AK-47,
Fonderie 47,
Luxury,
Tourbillon,
Watches,
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Harry Winston Opus XIII turns watchmaking inside outFesto's SmartInversion flying contraption turns itself inside out for propulsionVicenterra Luna volume 1 watch gives Earth and Moon the 3D treatmentWho needs a second hand anyway?Hublot/Ferrari partnership yields Big Bang Ferrari watchThe Jurassic Tourbillon watch contains dinosaur bones
Last year, Swiss watchmaker
Urwerk announced that it was working on a wristwatch containing the world's first mechanical movement with an electronic monitoring system. The fruits of its of labor are now on display in the Urwerk Electro Mechanical Control (EMC) watch, which uses advanced electronics to monitor the precision movement’s performance within 10 microseconds... Continue Reading
Uwerk EMC merges electronics with precision watchmaking Section:
Wearable Electronics Tags:
EMC,
Monitoring,
Urwerk,
Watches Related Articles:
The Urwerk EMC – for when you really, really want to be on timeURWERK compressed-air powered wristwatchURWERK's 'lethal' Black Cobra watchTorpedo time: The URWERK UR-110Limited edition URWERK UR-110 ZrN - a timepiece built for discretionAlong comes a spider - UREWERK UR103T watch
DARPA has awarded a first-phase US$2.9 million follow-on contract to the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University as part of its
Warrior Web program to create a soft exoskeleton. The Wyss Institute is studying the biometrics of walking as part of an effort to develop a soft fabric exoskeleton called the Soft Exosuit that uses robotics and biomimetics to augment the wearer’s musculoskeletal system as a way to reduce fatigue and injuries in soldiers and the disabled. .. Continue Reading
DARPA awards contract to continue development of soft exoskeleton Section:
Robotics Tags:
DARPA,
Exoskeleton,
Robotics,
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Soft exosuit offers an alternative to rigid exoskeletonsDARPA awards contract to create "smart suit" to improve soldiers' enduranceSpleen-on-a-chip could treat bloodstream infectionsSoft pneumatic exoskeleton could be perfect for use in rehabDARPA's Warrior Web augments carrying capacity and enduranceCloaked DNA devices evade the body's immune system
The dawn of manned commercial spaceflight received a major boost as NASA announced in a news conference today that Boeing and SpaceX have been chosen to ferry US astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The US$6.8 billion contract was divided between the two companies to cover the cost of certification of the Boeing CST-100 and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, one demonstration mission for each, plus six commercial missions to the station... Continue Reading
NASA selects Boeing and SpaceX to ferry astronauts to space station Section:
Space Tags:
Boeing,
CST-100,
Dragon,
International Space Station,
NASA,
Space Shuttle,
Spacecraft,
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SpaceX Dragon successfully grappled by ISSNASA awards US$269 million to stimulate privately operated spacecraft developmentSpaceX Dragon returns from first commercial missionSpaceX Dragon to be first private spacecraft to dock at ISSISS crew enter the SpaceX DragonDragon docking with ISS rescheduled after malfunction
Today, when we think of the dangers of the battlefield, we think of wounds caused by bullets, bombs, and other weapons. But as late as the Spanish American war of 1898, the number of soldiers who died from infectious diseases as opposed to directly from combat injuries was seven to one. Thanks to the discovery of penicillin and other antibiotics, that ratio has swung dramatically the other way, but it’s still a major problem, not only for military personnel, but civilians too. DARPA is developing an
artificial spleen, or "biospleen," as a way to help fight deadly infections without antibiotics... Continue Reading
DARPA working on portable and ruggedized artificial "biospleen" to fight sepsis Section:
Health and Wellbeing Tags:
Bacteria,
Blood,
DARPA,
dialysis,
Infections,
Prototype Related Articles:
Spleen-on-a-chip could treat bloodstream infectionsStudent-designed device could make dialysis safer and easierThe wearable kidneyCredit card-sized diagnostic platform provides fast sepsis testArtificial human blood substitute could help meet donor blood shortfallFrog skin could thwart antibiotic-resistant germs
Our stereotype of a
spacesuit involves an astronaut clad in a bulky white outfit like some outer space Michelin Man wearing a rucksack – and about as graceful. But if an MIT team has any say, the spacesuit of the future will be a snug, form-fitting outfit that’s not only lighter and more flexible but also easier to get on, automatically tightening up to a proper fit at the touch of a button. .. Continue Reading
Future skintight spacesuits could snug up at the touch of a button Section:
Space Tags:
Astronauts,
MIT,
Space Suit Related Articles:
NASA's first new spacesuit in 20 years is its own airlockShannon Lucid's spacesuit heads to auctionNASA announces winner in Z-2 spacesuit contestNASA testing lighter space suits for asteroid workThe Activelink Power Loader suit to become a realityDARPA's Warrior Web augments carrying capacity and endurance
