Swarms of Autonomous Aerial Vehicles Test New Dogfighting Skills

Hummingbirds, dragonflies, bats, bees, cockroaches - around the world, autonomous mini robots are being worked on, which are not only to perform specific tasks but also to interact in groups as far as possible. We can go through a lot of Technology News that buds over online and also through tech magazines.

Unmanned aerial vehicle is an important addition to manned aviation. Compared to the use of robots in the industry, which carry out dangerous or monotonous activities to assist the worker, the unmanned flying pilot relieves the crew of dangerous or monotonous missions. Possible scenarios are flying in disaster areas, inspection of supply lines (overhead power lines, oil pipelines), traffic monitoring (flying between high-rise buildings) or in bad environmental conditions (fog, storm).

Missions to be undertaken by unmanned aircraft in the future are typically complex and therefore require a wide range of capabilities. For this reason basic research is necessary on several subject areas. The Unmanned Aircraft Division of the DLR Institute of Flight Systems Technology meets this complexity by carrying out research in the following fields.

Flight control and mission control solutions with highly uncertain system and environmental characteristics, Sensorfusion and environmental awareness with camera and laser as a sensor in flight control, System solutions for extremely small footprint.

The goal is the simple and safe operation of an unmanned aircraft in unknown terrain. For this purpose, necessary intervention by the pilot is to be minimized by a high degree of automation of the overall system. In addition, the department is concerned with the simultaneous operation of manned and unmanned aircraft in a common airspace, hardware and software development as well as admissions aspects.

The applications and the associated methods are focused on modern aviation and spacecraft with the different subsystems and support processes. Research on the unmanned aerial vehicle continues to include areas that are located outside the traditional aerospace themes.

Their research results have resulted in development and evaluation capabilities that make the department an attractive partner for industry, government agencies and other research institutions outside the aerospace industry. A number of experimental unmanned aerial vehicle is available to the department to carry out the research. In addition to a fleet of unmanned helicopters of different sizes, it is also possible to use automatically controlled surface aircraft and parachute load-bearing systems for research purposes.

It is already impressive when Honda's humanoid robot Asimo slowly rises up a flight of stairs. But what fascinates the viewer is probably primarily due to the endeavour to construct a being in his own image. In fact, Asimo is dumb, is controlled from a distance, and if he does not recharge the after 40 minutes, he falls asleep.

But even if creatures such as Asimo still dominate the coverage, robotic researchers have long since found new models for their designs. For a long time, they did not have to search for it: After the principle of trial and error, Mother Nature finally produced enough successful creatures. And, by the way, has three important lessons.

• Specialization is efficiency. 
•  It does not depend on the size. 
•  Intelligence is not a question of the brain volume.

Efficiency through specialization

Among other things in the world of social insects it is part of everyday life that the inhabitants of a colony share the work. Depending on the role a specimen is to fill, it often possesses an extremely deviant physique. Nor is science so far as the nature where workers and queens are born with the same genetic equipment.

In the EU-sponsored Swarmanoid project, which runs until spring 2020, more than 60 autonomous robots are to work together to fulfil different tasks. Foot bots roll on the ground and possess special sensory abilities. Hand bots can climb vertical surfaces and manipulate objects, while the camera-bearing eye bots are raised by four rotors.

The possibility to observe the world almost unrecognized from above, of course, makes the military of this world listen. And so the robotic bat, which the US Army has developed within the framework of the COM-BAT program of three US universities for tens of millions of dollars, specializes in this task: it is to look at the world in stereo, Serve as a flying hornpot, sniff out gases and detect radioactivity. The bat is about 15 centimetres long still quite large. As she sails through the air, she recharges her battery via a miniaturized wind turbine and solar cells.

Students Develop Products to Assist Disabled Veterans

Sweet news for brothers and sisters who are physically challenged living with strong will to face the world of challenges. Daily we can able to go through lots of Technology news while we take a look on Google. The students from the Detroit University and Lawrence Technological University exhibited five innovative systems for addressing the necessities of physically challenged veteran in a staging before veterans at a well renowned Medical Center in Detroit. The students of LTU take a part in this great effort were BME majors. They have started this wonderful program functioning by VA hospital patients in 2009. LTU linked up in this program as a co-worker on the assistive projects in 2014. And this great project of LTU has been overseeing by Mansoon Nasir, the assistant professor of Biomedical engineering.

The students intended the devices as capstone senior design ventures and their exertions pencilled admiration from the veterans who were their clienteles. These students are planning to make those products in profit making production.

The presentations comprised of:

·
 The Under Pressure Bed:
A novel method to treat pressure ulcers (bedsores), this gadget is a pad that comprises of eight chambers that a individual in a wheel chair sits on. The chambers expand and devalue under a controlled program, altering the position of a person recurrently, and as a consequence averting pressure ulcers. The gadget is expected to cost a Grand.
·
StretchPro: 
This excellent product which is based on an automatic jack that supports an individual by means of limited leg agility bask his/ her legs, refining the agility. The group has having some plans to make the device more innovative so they are still continued to work on the gadget, making it weightless and cheap. The retail cost is estimated to be around $200.
·
Walk & Lift: 
The real boon for a multiple sclerosis patients: This gadget was designed for a multiple sclerosis patient who is having complications in lifting their feet off the ground o'er a few inches. The cane is having a cloth and latex foot support that pops out of the nethermost on the impetus of a knob, permitting a person to fit the strap round their foot and lift their leg – for instance, into a car, or on a chaise longue. The cane is made up of carbon fibre combined and the weight of this gadget is below a pound sterling, and is expected to retail for just $150.
·
Squeaky Kleen: 
It is a handy bath for an individual who lies in a wheelchair. This gadget can be located in any place, entails of a malleable or aluminium structure as well as bath draperies, as well as having a tiny electrically powered propel to clean up the water from the end of the bath. It’s expected to cost around $600. It as well having a heat sensing shower pate to avert scorches in parts of the body an individual in a wheelchair might not be capable to sense.
·
A fine Grip: 
It is an electronic glove that can help a physically challenged individual who is having the limited hand movement to hold things. It is having the combination of a glove, actuator, and sensors as well software.

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.