Science

Scientists create ‘first’ map of agroforestry and ecosystem services in Asia-Pacific

July 3, 2020 by Mai Tao Leave a Comment

A team of scientists have mapped for the first time the research trends in agroforestry and the current state of knowledge in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the research gaps about the ecosystem services provided by agroforestry, in a new study.

The team, Seongmin Shin, Khaing Thandar Soe, Haeun Lee, Tae Hoon Kim, Seongeun Lee and Mi Sun Park from Seoul National University in the Republic of Korea, found that the number of agroforestry-related articles in the region has been growing fast but is still small compared to all the literature globally on the subject.

India and China were noted as hotspots of research, which is not surprising given the two nations’ supportive policies and institutes of agroforestry. [Read more…] about Scientists create ‘first’ map of agroforestry and ecosystem services in Asia-Pacific

Scientists develop new method of teaching surgery to a robot

June 12, 2020 by Mai Tao Leave a Comment

A team of scientists has developed a new way of teaching surgery to a robot that they say is far more efficient than other methods.

In a paper entitled Semi-Supervised Representation Learning from Surgical Videos, the team at Cornell University calls its algorithm Motion2Vec.

The team – which is backed by Intel’s AI Labs, Google Brain, and UC Berkeley – says Motion2Vec learns from video observations “by minimizing a metric learning loss”. [Read more…] about Scientists develop new method of teaching surgery to a robot

Arctic pollution: Air quality monitoring at 40°C below zero

June 12, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

Most people think of the Arctic as a highly pristine clean environment, but this is not always the case. During the long dark Arctic winter, the urban atmosphere can become extremely polluted.

Indeed, at some point during the year, the remote Alaskan city of Fairbanks turns into the most polluted city in the whole of the US.

This is due to the very cold Arctic winter when emissions of gases and particles (such as from wood-burning stoves, traffic, power stations) can become trapped locally at ground level due to the very stable meteorological conditions, with poor vertical mixing. [Read more…] about Arctic pollution: Air quality monitoring at 40°C below zero

Oman establishes innovation center for Liquid Robotics’ autonomous vessel

June 8, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

The oil-rich Gulf Arab state of Oman has established an innovation center built around the Wave Glider, a small, solar-powered autonomous sea-going vessel mainly used for research developed by Liquid Robotics, a Boeing company.

The Research Council of Oman says its Wave Glider Hub at Innovation Park Muscat is the first of its kind in the region, and is designed to serve as a center of excellence for Wave Glider operations.

It adds that the facility is tooled with necessary equipment to support maintenance, training and piloting of Wave Glider fleets, both in Oman and within the region. [Read more…] about Oman establishes innovation center for Liquid Robotics’ autonomous vessel

Heraeus and Aachen University develop ‘fastest-ever’ artificial synapses

June 4, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

The boffins say that the secret is ‘foreign atoms in the oxide layer’ which have so far gone unnoticed by experts

Scientists and researchers from the materials science-oriented technology group Heraeus and the Jülich Aachen Research Alliance have developed what they describe as “artificial synapses” similar to the ones found in the human brain.

The collective of brainboxes say that their discovery could be useful in the development of branches of artificial intelligence, such as machine learning and deep learning.

The boffins discovered how the switching properties of artificial synapses can be specifically influenced. [Read more…] about Heraeus and Aachen University develop ‘fastest-ever’ artificial synapses

How automation can help fast track a vaccine

June 4, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

When there’s a Covid-19 vaccine, we’ll all want one fast. Here’s how Honeywell says digital tools can help speed up the process…

The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the need to develop a vaccine as quickly as possible.

The typical vaccine development and production process depends on how the vaccine is created, with the manufacturing process taking anywhere from several days to several weeks for a single batch.

As the coronavirus spreads around the world, the urgency of being able to scale up a vaccine is even more critical. [Read more…] about How automation can help fast track a vaccine

Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power

May 20, 2020 by Polly Leave a Comment

In today’s advanced and technological upbringings, the power of electricity has become more than a human necessity. People use electricity for heating, cooling, refrigerating, using a computer, and many more.

Similar to your mobile and home appliances, you cannot function and be productive without plugging in your devices or charging your mobile phones in a day. Hence, electricity has recalibrated our lives since the day of its discovery.

Today, the United States accounts for one of the economic leaders in the $6 trillion global energy market. [Read more…] about Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power

Toyota develops fuel cell system for maritime applications

February 6, 2020 by Mai Tao Leave a Comment

The former racing catamaran turned ship of the future, Energy Observer, has made waves as it has been navigating its six-year odyssey around the world as the first energy-autonomous hydrogen vessel.

Today, Toyota, official partner of Energy Observer and an avid supporter of their project from the start, announces that it has developed a fuel cell system for maritime applications, with its first delivery destined for Energy Observer.

Embarking in June 2017 from Saint Malo Port in France, Energy Observer is an electrically propelled vessel of the future that is operated using a mix of renewable energies and an on-board system that produces carbon-free hydrogen from seawater. [Read more…] about Toyota develops fuel cell system for maritime applications

India to send humanoid robot astronaut into space

January 23, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

India is planning to send a humanoid robot astronaut into space, according to a number of media reports. (See video below.)

Called “Vyommitra”, the humanoid robot has been given a female form and does not have any legs. India Today reports that it can “recognise astronauts, converse with them and answer their questions”.

Sam Dyal, a scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation, says Vyommitra is referred to as “half humanoid” because it only has an upper body and has limited movement – “it can only bend sidewards and forward”. [Read more…] about India to send humanoid robot astronaut into space

Scientists use supercomputer to create ‘first living robot’

January 15, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

Scientists at the University of Vermont and Tufts University have created what they claim is the world’s first living robot. (See video below.)

The scientists say they have repurposed living cells, taken from frog embryos, and assembled them into “entirely new life-forms”.

The millimeter-wide “xenobots” can move toward a target, perhaps pick up a payload – like a medicine that needs to be carried to a specific place inside a patient – and heal themselves after being cut. [Read more…] about Scientists use supercomputer to create ‘first living robot’