Tech United Builds New, Superfast and Really Strong Soccer Robot

The robot soccer’s world champions of 2016 has been incorporated actually robust and powerful 8 wheeled robot platform. “These powerful new platforms are going to rock the playground at the imminent Portuguese Robotics Open,” the sources said. It is the most anticipated technology news for the Robotic enthusiasts that this great robust automaton as going to first appear in the crew at the World RoboCup in Nagoya. An outstanding datum is that the undercarriage of this automaton will also be carrying out self-directed tough work in infirmaries.

This soccer robot band may have been capped world victors last year however the specialists distinguished a couple of feebleness: their chief adversaries were that bit faster and fared to shove to the side the Eindhoven automatons a little too simply. The team consequently got unruffled by the Drunen-based corporation SMF Ketels to improve an entirely new platform, that comprises of eight afore the existing three wheels. The well balanced system of eight wheels not only offer the robot loads of and rapidity, they correspondingly make it great firm and pilotable at extreme speeds.

As a matter of fact, the Football robots are an ideal learning tool to teach students various concepts of computer-assisted visual perception and automation. There are two major innovations we can find this challenge: the game is planned to play on artificial grass rather than carpet and it can be played next to large window surfaces, so that sunlight can fall directly onto the field. The artificial grass is a great challenge for the running movements of the robots. The variable lighting requires new solutions for the exposure control of the cameras and for image processing.

Other enhancements that ought to benefit Tech United to a fourth world award this year take account of the software structural design. This was set upon its dome last year to facilitate the automatons to answer back well to rivals and to the game surroundings. Crew coach Lotte de Koning said they are going to challenging it out this year particularly for the duration of the dead-ball status quo like open kicks, and formerly for the entire game. It will take a couple of years afore it has seasoned.

Over the long-gone year the automatons have turn out to be cleverer in defence and in capturing passes. Since the computer in the head of the robot is about as powerful as an average smartphone, it is a challenge to make the codes as short as possible. Despite their limited computing power, they must be efficient and can regulate the complex behaviour and the perception of the wireless and autonomous robots. The speed at which a kicker moves across the field is also programmed.

This robust 8-wheel undercarriage is the end result of the European Ropod venture, where the TU/e takes part in consort with SMF Ketels, the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg and KU Leuven, amongst others. The goal of Ropod was to grow within your means, friendly automaton tumbrils that are capable to unconventionally and docilely execute passage chores in infirmaries, for example moving beds in the hospitals.

The new-fangled robust machine will be tried out for the first in this year’s primary contest, the Portuguese Robotics Open from April 26 to 30. The posse will be observing whether the robot is capable to execute unconventionally, and it would also come to be unblemished unerringly how fast the machine is. The expectation of this team is that the machine to be about four times faster than its prototype.

NASA Tests Next Generation Passenger Planes with Fat Test Dummies

NASA/FAA – Guidelines for New Airplane Crash-Worthiness

NASA in association with FAA have come together for a petrifying drop testwhich will be making way for guidelines for new airplane crash-worthiness. The scientists have strapped ten dummies of different body formsinto model of a regional jet fuselage dropping itt straight down at a speed of 30 feet per second.

 Moreover they also involved baggage in the cargo and though human would probably not withstand severe injuries in the situation, the bags got ragged right through the floor. The test had been piloted at Langley Research Centre of NASA in Virginia as part of the effort of Federal Aviation Administration – FAA, in order to consider the reliability of new planes which contains non-metallic parts.

Martin Annett, crash test engineer of NASA had informed that they were working with the FAA to update the necessities essential for the testing of next generation airframe concepts, particularly those which could comprise of composite materials. The scientist had examined what could have occurred to the structure of an airplane and the humans on board, should an accident take place. In order to do this, they released the fuselage cut-out from a height of 14 feet.

Collecting Data on Regional Jet-Sized Aircraft

Joseph Pellettiere, chief scientist and technical advisor for crash dynamics for FAA informed that they have been looking on collecting data on regional jet-sized aircraft and its performance especially metallic planes.

He further added that this way they could improve a regular baseline data which could be utilised in comparing with new and novel designs which could use changed materials. They then equipped ten dummies with transducers for testing the loads as well as strains on their bodies buckling them into conventional airplane seats.

The dummies had been designed to imitate actual travellers representing a variety of body categories. As per NASA, eight of the dummies were said to be 50th percentile males that had been exhibited after the average man in height, mass and proportion.

One is said to be a 95th percentile male and is designed to be heavier as well as taller than 95% of men while the tenth is a 5th percentile female of around five feet tall and 110 pounds. Together with the setting of the dummies with transducers, the engineers had also connected instrumentation in the model cross section of the fuselage also which enabled them to view how it held up under the effect.

Data Recorder to Measure What Occurred During Crash

Moreover they also placed baggage into the mix. Annett commented that one thing which was unusual in the test was that they had included baggage in the cargo hold which was an actual unclaimed baggage from an unclaimed baggage centre in Alabama.

They wanted to see how the luggage would interact with the subfloor separating it from the dummies. Justin Littell, test engineer of NASA also commented that they had put a data recorder in one of the bags in order to measure what occurred to it during the crash.

The engineers had dropped the cabin onto two feet in one trial. With the use of a technique known as full field photogrammetry, the camera was capable of capturing distinct deformations of the craft, created on black dots that had been painted around the tube.

Recording 500 frames per second, the camera followed each of the dots showing the changes. Though, the dummies received a `good jolt’, the researchers informed that they probably would have made it through all right.

Wi-fi on Infrared Rays of Light 100 Times Fast

Wi-fi connection is made simple with Wi-fi on Infrared rays technique. Wi-Fi network has turned out to be one of the common ways of having internet connection at home and office. Often, the wireless gadgets, used by us, consume much amount of data. As a result, the Wi-Fi system becomes congested. Slow speed of internet is a major issue, which often annoys us. We always blame our internet connection providers, whenever we face problem at any place. However, recently, some researchers of TU/e have found out an easy and effective solution. With the use of Infrared rays, they have made Wi-Fi connectivity faster at a significant level.

Thus, research process involves the use of safe Infrared rays for sending out data wirelessly within limited area. Retina of the user will have no impact due to this system. We can avoid bandwidth-related issue that we experience regularly while we link more than one device simultaneously in order to get the connection.

Faster connection for better experience-

The foremost thing, to be noted, is that the new system for Wi-fi on Infrared rays connection is really impressive. The capacity for sending data has also become increased considerably in Wi-fi on Infrared rays. Every Infrared ray has the ability to put out over forty Gigabits at every second, while the present one with the standard, 802.11ac, transfers only one gigabit/second. Thus, the rate of transmitting data will be forty times speedier in Wi-fi on Infrared rays. Moreover, as individual device has link to every ray, you will not have slow connectivity due to traffic.

Use antennae for utilizing IR light-

The head of the research team is Tom Koonen, and he has informed that their new technology is based on some simple principles. Besides, it is quite easy to install their Wi-fi on Infrared rays system, and its function for passing on signals depends on some light antennae. You may place this unit on any place, such as the ceiling of your room. Such antennae have the responsibility of supplying IR rays with the help of optical fiber.

These rays then reach each of the devices. The overall system is much affordable, and thus, the users will have no issue in utilizing it. In addition to it, you won’t require dealing with any moving accessory. There is also no need of using extra power.

The optical part of every antenna helps in distributing the rays to a specific direction based on wavelength. As everything is done with IR rays, you may not see any noticeable thing with your eyes. In fact, since Wi-fi on Infrared rays is different from traditional network of Wi-Fi, you will have no interference in connectivity.

However, Eindhoven researchers have tested the IR light just for the purpose of downloading. All the tasks of uploading are carried out with the application of conventional radio signals. It is because only limited capacity is essential to upload anything for most of cases.

According to the researchers, the new Wi-fi on Infrared rays technology will be available to all within 4 to 5 years. You need to choose new model of devices, which are compatible to this type of Wi-Fi connection.

Building Cities of the Future Now

Cities Upgraded for Future

New cities are being built around the world and the ones that have been lived in for years are being upgraded for the future. It is partially the cause of over-crowding as well as pollution and partly due to an ever-connected world that makes sense to peg entire cities up to the network.

A smarter city would mean that utilises data on traffic for easing congestion or one which focuses in linking services for provision of improved information for the citizens. For several it could be about making cities much greener as well as efficient.

Some of the technology companies like IBM and Cisco tend to see smart cities as large business opportunity though in conjunction with the schemes being advertised by technology companies seems to be more grass root project that targets to empower citizens enabling them a say in how the city would be viewed.

For several of them, Songdo in South Korea is the poster boy of the smart city and the $35bn project situated on reclaimed land towards the Yellow Sea has been generally considered to be a model for smart cities across the world when it had begun in 2005.

Information System – Universal City of U-city

Songdo’s information systems, also known as a universal city of U-city, seemed to be connected to each other. Moreover it had led critics to label it as a `city in a box’, a showcase for technology though not essentially the perfect city for people. Sensors seem to be on everything in Songdo, for instance, escalators tend to move only when someone is on them.

A telepresence system built in like a dishwasher is present in every home. Besides permitting users to control the heating system and locks, it also provides video conferencing and is designed to deliver education, government services together with health care. Offices as well as schools also tend to be linked to the network. The digital organizer behind Songdo is said to be Cisco supplying the network-based technologies that are needed.

Masdar, United Arab Emirates

Masdar which is meant as `source’ in Arabic is said to be a city which tends to stand in the centre of the desert of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and is created to be one of the most ecological on the earth. Having solar power station at its core and wind farms giving energy for the same it tends to be carbon free. Besides this, it is also a hub for clean-tech companies.

From water right up to garbage, everything in the city is said to be measured and monitored, thus being a source of information. The city is said to be constructed on raised platform enabling easy access for the `digital plumbers’ to the system of progressive technologies which seem to run it. It is also pedestrian friendly and totally car free.

The city is said to be carrying out trial with a network of electric driverless podcars. The personal rapid transit – PRT would be running 6m beneath the street level through the city. The architects’ firm of Norman Foster who had designed various striking buildings inclusive of The City Hall in London have designed the buildings in the city.

It is expected that around 40,000 people would ultimately reside in the city with around 50,000 shuttling there daily.

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 

City mayor Eduardo Paes had commissioned IBM in creating a city-wide operation centre connecting all the 30 agencies of the city from transport to emergency facilities. This shows that the officials from all over the city could join forces in handling the movement of traffic together with the public conveyance system as well as ensure the power and the water supplies function proficiently.

Synchronized response can be taken in case of a crisis, like collapsing building. Shutting down of transport system, emergency services can be organised together with gas supplies to be cut off while citizen can be updated of substitute routes through Twitter.

The research team of IBM have developed a sophisticated weather forecasting system wherein it takes data from the river basin, land surveys, the historical rainfall logs of the municipality and radar feeds to forecast rain together with the probable flash floods.

It has also begun appraising the effect of weather occurrence on other city conditions like city traffic or power outages. Several citizen-centric apps have been laid by the centre with updates on weather and traffic.

Barcelona, Spain

Last year, Manel Sanroma, chief information officer of Barcelona city council had made a daring statement that the cities of the future could be more powerful than nation states. He had stressed at smart city conference around the world the need of having a strong mayor who would be willing to take control in drawing up blueprint for this type of a city.

Barcelona is considered to be leading and tends to have some remarkable projects which are being rolled out. It has developed well-organized bus routes, modernized rubbish collection utilising sensors as well as introduced smart street lights. The development of a city operating system bringing all systems together in one location is also organized.

 Mr Sanroma had informed BBC that contrasting to Rio no central control room will be there. Presently the biggest projects under development would be to present contactless payments all over the transportation services of the city.

 Besides this, Mr Sanroma also intends collaborating with the other cities. With this it has set up the City Protocol Society with the intention of joining up cities all over the world with businesses, universities together with the other organisations in developing standards for technology platform which would operate in any city.

London, England

Several areas of London dating back to Roman eras seems to be an apparent choice as a future city though there seems to be numerous projects that are presently being developed. On a £24m prize awarded by the Technology Strategy Board in creating a future city it had lost out to Glasgow, though it remained a testing ground for smart technologies.

London has been chosen as an incubator by IBM for testing the algorithms which could power the cities of the future and has been partnering with Imperial College and University College London on various projects, inclusive of a network of sensors in monitoring air quality, water supply and the traffic flow.

Controlling a Robot is Now as Simple as Point and Click

Robots are on the rise: They ride, fly, swim or run on two or more legs. They work in the factory, are used in war and in disaster areas. Soon they will have conquered the household: they keep the apartment clean, serve the party guests, or maintain the grandparents. Even the toy will lead a life of its own. Each and every day the field of Robotics are getting more and more advanced.

Recently, a group of tech guys in Georgia Institute of Technology has found a new interface to Controlling Robot in just a point and click. The outmoded edge for tenuously functioning robots works just well for roboticists. They use a computer to autonomously switch six degrees, whirling three simulated rings and regulating arrows to get the robot into location to snatch items or execute an exact job.

This new interface seems to be cumbrous and erroneous for the older people or the people who are technically not advanced try to govern the assistive personal robots.

It is much modest, more well-organized and doesn’t involve major training period. The manipulator just points and clicks on a thing, then selects a clench. And the rest of work is done by the Robot itself.

It is said by Sonia Chernova, Catherine M. and James E. Allchin Early-Career Assistant Professor in the school of interactive computing that as an alternative of successions of rotations, lowering and hovering arrows, amending the grasp and fathoming the exact depth of field, they have abridged the procedure in just couple of clicks.

Her college students had found that the point & click mode ensued in suggestively littler errors, permitting accomplices to achieve tasks more hurriedly and consistently than using the outmoded method.

The outmoded ring-and-arrow-system is a split screen process. The chief screen shows the robot and the scene it plays; the next one is 3-D, collaborating view where the operator regulates the cybernetic gripper and communicates with the robot precisely what to do. This process makes no use of scene info, providing operators a thoroughgoing level of control and suppleness. However this choice and the magnitude of the terminal can develop an affliction and upsurge the number of booboos.

Controlling Robot by the means of point-and-click set-up doesn’t take account of 3-D representing. It only affords the camera interpretation, ensuing in a humbler edge for the user. Later a person snaps on an area of an element, the robot’s acuity system examines the objective’s 3-D apparent geometry to regulate where the gripper ought to be placed. It’s analogous to what we ensure once we place our fingers in the accurate positions to grip something. The computer formerly proposes a limited grasps. The user agrees, placing the robot to work.

In addition it considers the geometrical shapes, with creating conventions about minor sections where the camera cannot perceive, for example the backside of a flask. To do this work, they are influencing the robot’s aptitude to do the similar thing to make it conceivable to merely communicate the robot which thing we would like to be selected.