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Bitcoin’s Expansion in the United States of America

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Bitcoin’s expansion in the United States of America has been on the rise in recent years. There are now more than 1,000 merchants that accept Bitcoin as a form of payment in the US, and this number is steadily growing.

Some notable examples include major retailers such as Overstock.com, Dell, and Expedia.

Bitcoin’s popularity in the US can be attributed to a few factors. For one, the country is home to a large number of Bitcoin enthusiasts and early adopters. [Read more…] about Bitcoin’s Expansion in the United States of America

‘We wrote the playbook’: Michigan reinvents itself as the global capital of autonomous mobility

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The US state of Michigan is reinventing itself as the global capital of autonomous mobility. From opening an air corridor for drones to building a stretch of road on which electric vehicles can charge themselves wirelessly as they move along, the state is creating an ecosystem which could become something of a template for the rest of America.

Michigan is, as most readers will know, the state in which Detroit is located. Detroit, the most populous city in the state, is the historic centre of the modern global automotive industry, or “Motor Town” as it was famously called many decades ago, inspiring the name “Motown” for the even more famous record label.

And while it may have lost some of its industrial status in recent decades, Detroit still provides homes and office space to some of the largest automotive companies in the world: Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz USA, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and a whole range of automotive components, systems and parts manufacturers. [Read more…] about ‘We wrote the playbook’: Michigan reinvents itself as the global capital of autonomous mobility

Scientists unveil robotic grippers ‘delicate enough to lift egg yolks and precise enough to lift a human hair’

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Engineering researchers from North Carolina State University have demonstrated a new type of flexible, robotic grippers that they say “are able to lift delicate egg yolks without breaking them, and that are precise enough to lift a human hair”. (See video below.)

The work has applications for both soft robotics and biomedical technologies.

The work draws on the art of kirigami, which involves both cutting and folding two-dimensional (2D) sheets of material to form three-dimensional (3D) shapes. [Read more…] about Scientists unveil robotic grippers ‘delicate enough to lift egg yolks and precise enough to lift a human hair’

Governor Whitmer launches air corridor for drones in Michigan and Ontario

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Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced that Michigan and Ontario are collaborating on a “first-of-its kind technology initiative” involving unmanned aerial systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones.

This effort involves studying the feasibility of a commercial drone skyway in three proposed areas, including an international connection between Michigan and Ontario, southeast Michigan, and any other suitable location in the state.

Through the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Michigan Aeronautics Commission (MAC), the State of Michigan, with support from the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME), the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and the Government of Ontario, through the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN), will explore whether small drones can be flown beyond the line of sight of a pilot and be used in operations like just-in-time delivery, medical transport, or other small-scale deployment of UAS. [Read more…] about Governor Whitmer launches air corridor for drones in Michigan and Ontario

Eavesdropping on our thoughts helps create robots like us

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Can intelligence be taught to robots? Advances in physical reservoir computing, a technology that makes sense of brain signals, could contribute to creating artificial intelligence machines that think like us.

In Applied Physics Letters, from AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Tokyo outline how a robot could be taught to navigate through a maze by electrically stimulating a culture of brain nerve cells connected to the machine.

These nerve cells, or neurons, were grown from living cells and acted as the physical reservoir for the computer to construct coherent signals. [Read more…] about Eavesdropping on our thoughts helps create robots like us

Learn More About Cloud Faxing Services

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Cloud computing is still a relatively new technology. Because of its comparative novelty, states are still trying to figure out how to tax transactions that occur within the cloud computing industry.

They regularly issue new policy statements, enact new legislation, and promulgate new rules regarding the taxability of cloud-based transactions, so it can be hard for the average business owner to keep up.

Modern companies that utilize cloud-based solutions must be aware of the complexity of state sales and use tax treatment. To that end, this article will offer a basic introduction to the tax treatment of the three types of cloud computing transactions. [Read more…] about Learn More About Cloud Faxing Services

Starship Technologies launches robot delivery service at South Dakota State University

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Starship Technologies has rolled out its robot food delivery service on the campus of South Dakota State University. SDSU becomes the first campus in the state of South Dakota to implement robot food delivery service.

Starship’s fleet of 30 autonomous, on-demand robots will deliver from three campus eateries to start: Grille Works, Papa Johns and Starbucks. Additional locations will be added soon.

The school’s nearly 14,000 students and faculty can now use the Starship Food Delivery app (iOS and Android) to order food and drinks from local retailers to be delivered anywhere on campus within minutes. The service works in conjunction with the student meal plan. [Read more…] about Starship Technologies launches robot delivery service at South Dakota State University

Florida Automated Vehicles summit to be held in Orlando for first time

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From November 29th through December 1st, 2021, the Central Florida Expressway (CFX) will host the 9th Annual Florida Automated Vehicles (FAV) Summit in Orlando, Florida.

In recent years, this event has been a sellout. The 2021 FAV Summit will focus on ACES mobility. ACES is an acronym for the four rising stars of mobility – Automated, Connected, Electric and Shared.

CFX is this year’s host agency. The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA), TEAMFL, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) have worked throughout the year to bring this summit to Orlando. [Read more…] about Florida Automated Vehicles summit to be held in Orlando for first time

Michigan Governor Whitmer awards substantial grants to accelerate mobility and electric vehicle investments in the state

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was joined by state, local and university officials at Kettering University’s GM Mobility Research Center in Flint to announce the first round of Michigan Mobility Funding Platform grants.

Five mobility companies – MUVE, Airspace Link, Kuhmute, GreenRoute and Michigan Flyer – received more than $444,000 in funding to deploy mobility pilots in Michigan that alleviate mobility barriers and help accelerate electric vehicle adoption.

Governor Whitmer said: “These grants are securing a foundation for mobility companies across the state that builds on our reputation as a global leader in testing and deployment of future mobility solutions, but also create a runway to future growth and jobs right here in Michigan. [Read more…] about Michigan Governor Whitmer awards substantial grants to accelerate mobility and electric vehicle investments in the state

High-energy shape memory polymer could enable robots ‘flex their muscles’

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A high-energy shape memory polymer could someday enable robots to “flex their muscles”, according its developers.

When stretched or deformed, shape memory polymers return to their original shapes after heat or light is applied.

These materials show great promise for soft robotics, smart biomedical devices and deployable space structures, but until now they haven’t been able to store enough energy. [Read more…] about High-energy shape memory polymer could enable robots ‘flex their muscles’