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Modified helicopters help in search and rescue missions
Researchers in Hong Kong develop a helicopter installed with a video camera and linked to the Global Positioning System (GPS), and which flies on its own on a preset course; helicopter used to survey the Sichuan earthquake area; researchers in U.K. work on a similar concept — but one which envisions using a swarm of self-coordinating helicopters
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Robot allows chemists to conduct experiments remotely
Many chemical lab experiments involve explosions, noxious fumes, burns, stains, and all manner of unpleasantness; new robot allows chemists to conduct experiments remotely
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New detection method for food toxins found
Japanese researchers develop new technique to detect toxins in food; the method involves artificially produced human enzymes that act as sensors for toxins in food samples
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Aussie student has answer to save Earth from asteroid attack
The bomb dropped on Hiroshima had an explosive yield of 12.5 kiloton; asteroid Apophis, which is now hurtling toward Earth and which will come uncomfortably close to our planet in 2029, packs a punch of 1,375,000 kilotons; competitions are being held to find the best way to stop it in its tracks
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U.K. start-up to demo serious flying robo-saucer in 2009
Innovative British company will demonstrate a robotic flying saucer next year; the hovering craft is based on the Coanda effect, and will be of help to soldiers and first responders in urban settings
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New system thwarts Internet eavesdropping
The growth of wireless networks has increased the risk of eavesdropping on Internet communications; Carnegie Mellon researchers develop a low-cost system that can thwart these Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks
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Making precast concrete structures safer
Precast concrete helps builders save time and money, and also increase buildings’ durability; new research aims to make them better able to withstand earthquakes
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Robot aircraft rides thermal currents to save fuel
Soaring birds use thermal air currents to keep them aloft for hours and save energy; the same principle is now being applied to UAVs
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New U.K. center's mission: Use science to make world safer
The Institute for Security, Science and Technology at Imperial College London will scour the research world for innovations which would make the world safer
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Team Stellar wins U.K. MoD's Grand Challenge
The U.K. Ministry of Defense holds a competition to determine the best autonomous robots that can identify, monitor, and report military threats faced by U.K. troops; Team Stellar, comprising several technology-savvy companies, wins
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Mexicans turn to radio implants as kidnapping for ransom soar
Kidnapping for ransom has become a growth industry in Mexico; in response, more and more Mexicans are having tiny radio transmitters implanted under their skin so they can be quickly tracked and rescued
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Unmanned helicopter to aid in search and rescue
The UAVs will search for people in isolated regions, monitor large-area disasters such as floods or forest fires, sample gas emissions over industrial disaster sites, and act as a communication platform when the regular infrastructure is down
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Grant for hand gesture-computer technology
University of Buffalo researcher develops technology that would allow a user automatically to manipulate a computer through hand gestures
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NASA awards general aviation technology prizes
NASA wants to encourage innovations that would lead to aircraft that are safer, more affordable, easier to fly and also have less of a negative impact on the environment and on the communities that surround airports
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U.K. Grand Challenge mini-vehicle competition held this weekend
Eleven teams made it to the final of the U.K. Ministry of Defense mini-vehicle competition, aiming to promote devising highly autonomous vehicles capable of identifying threats that are being encountered by U.K. troops on overseas operations
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The long view
New Technology is Keeping the Skies Safe
DHS S&T Baggage, Cargo, and People Screening (BCP) Program develops state-of-the-art screening solutions to help secure airspace, communities, and borders
Factories First: Winning the Drone War Before It Starts
Wars are won by factories before they are won on the battlefield,Martin C. Feldmann writes, noting that the United States lacks the manufacturing depth for the coming drone age. Rectifying this situation “will take far more than procurement tweaks,” Feldmann writes. “It demands a national-level, wartime-scale industrial mobilization.”
How Artificial General Intelligence Could Affect the Rise and Fall of Nations
Visions for potential AGI futures: A new report from RAND aims to stimulate thinking among policymakers about possible impacts of the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) on geopolitics and the world order.
Keeping the Lights on with Nuclear Waste: Radiochemistry Transforms Nuclear Waste into Strategic Materials
How UNLV radiochemistry is pioneering the future of energy in the Southwest by salvaging strategic materials from nuclear dumps –and making it safe.
Model Predicts Long-Term Effects of Nuclear Waste on Underground Disposal Systems
The simulations matched results from an underground lab experiment in Switzerland, suggesting modeling could be used to validate the safety of nuclear disposal sites.