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Space Rovers to Paddle Out of Sandtraps

Jun 042020

Rover Prototype

For years, watching various moon rover type vehicles go into space and never come back has felt quite sad. The work, the hardship and the craftmanship that goes into their creation is very satisfying indeed. However, one of the main reasons that many items we send out into space only are able to return their data stems from one factor – terrain. Well, the new Mars rover from NASA looks like it might be about to change all of that entirely.

This comes from the fact that the latest rovers aimed at looking over Mars will come with some kind of sand trap protection system. The old Spirit Mars rover that was sent out in 2009 ended up freezing on Mars as it got stuck in a sand trap. The wheels were unable to get out of the sand, leaving it more or less unsaveable. Now, though, new editions of the rover are going to have a solid solution to avoid that problem.

Prototypes for such a reason have been underway for some time, with the Johnson Space Center in Houston building an impressive prototype that was able to sweep its wheels, crawling as opposed to rolling. Further work has gone into such a development since, with the end result being the latest innovations which are being further forward.

One similar new development is by that of Siddharth Shrivastava, who managed to create a high-quality miniature version of the RP15 model, utilizing 12 motors to help manage its quadrant of wheels. However, this was designed to be able to ‘paddle’ out of tight spot and to safety as and when needed.

NASA Rover

This is a big reason why today so many people are happy to invest their time and their effort into things like the space rover program. It offers exciting opportunities to help us slowly but surely overcome the limits that could stop us from achieving even more discovery in space.

The hope is that in time we’ll be able to see such hardware put to good use, offering simple yet effective solutions for getting vehicles out of a tight spot in the future. By having a combination of wheeling, paddling, and even lifting, future rovers should have no problem at all with overcoming the issues they face.

The aim, then, is simple: to make sure that in future we don’t have to worry about something as simple as sand curtailing a multi-million-dollar mission.

Citation

https://www.space.com/paddling-mars-moon-rovers-sand-traps.html

HOW TECHNOLOGY WILL CHANGE OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS AND THE ROLE OF BATTERY TESTING

Future Technology Comments Off

Sep 212019

Future Augmented Reality

Technology plays a crucial role in all of our lives and is continually changing and evolving. Science and technology frequently combine to provide new solutions designed to change our lives for the better. Existing technology paves the way for new ideas and concepts. Over the next 20 years, we will see some of the most significant changes that have taken place since the industrial revolution so; here are some of the things that we can expect to witness.

Robots in the Workplace

It seems inevitable that robots will play a notable role in the workplace. NASA are relying heavily on robots when it comes to space exploration so the natural move will be for the use of similar technology in factories. Robots can comfortably work in challenging environments and complete mundane tasks. Robots can often complete these tasks more efficiently and faster than humans which will, in the long-term, reduce both fixed and variable cost within the organisation.

Electric Vehicles

With fossil fuels such as oil being in finite supply, car manufacturers are exploring the options available for electric vehicles (EVs). Tesla is one of the leading manufacturers, even developing self-driving vehicles. The problem with many of these vehicles is the distances that can travel on a single charge. Battery cell manufacturers are using high-precision battery testing equipment to develop more efficient lithium-ion batteries which will increase the range of EVs.

Future Battery

Improved Solar Panels

Solar panels are undoubtedly going to play an essential role in the future. Although they have been around for decades, it is only in recent years that they have become efficient and cost-effective. With solar roof tiles becoming increasingly popular, not to mention being more aesthetically pleasing, they are now more common in domestic properties as opposed to just industrial and commercial buildings. Some companies are currently investigating the potential for integrating solar panels into EVs.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Most people are familiar with Virtual Reality (VR) but less aware of Augmented Reality. AR is the next step up from VR and allows information to overlay other data and, therefore, has a role in many apps. Intensive research is taking place into ways that AR and VR can be effective in a work environment. The most obvious ways appear to be in scale models or visual representations in plans or blueprints.

Wearable Screens

Certain groups feel that screens on devices may become a thing of the past and wearable screens are the future. Technology is already available which facilitate the use of touch-capable projectors that could be adapted for skin or clothing. In the future, your smartphone may be implanted in your body rather than needing to be carried around in your pocket.

3D Printed Foods

One of the most rapidly improving forms of current technology is in 3D printing. It is already possible to “print” a building, but now some companies are experimenting with the possibility of printing food. Printed food would be a superb option in countries where food shortages are a constant problem but could also be used in the home if your fridge is running a little low. Although the technology is some way off at the moment, the potential is undoubtedly there for food printing in the next 20 years.

Food-aware Fridges

Remaining with the food theme, fridges that can detect when you are running low on food such as water or milk are already available. With direct links to supermarkets, the refrigerators will soon be able to order your food, meaning that you will never run short of anything. An increasing number of white goods manufacturers are exploring the opportunities with this technology, and it is expected that it will be available in most homes within 20 years.

Finally, 5G connectivity is possibly the closest form of technology to being commonly available. 5G will mean that mobile devices will offer incredible download and upload speeds anywhere in the world. The technology could be used in everything from mobile phones to cars, not to mention instruments that are yet to be invented. Qualcomm is the leader in this field with 5G phones expected to be widely available by the end of 2019.

Recent Trends in IoT Technology

IoT Comments Off

Apr 232016

The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained a lot of traction in the recent years, which isn’t really surprising since the technology that supports it has rapidly developed. Over the years, IoT has grabbed the attention of not just tech enthusiasts but also of ordinary people who want to save time and money, enjoy more comfort, and make their lives better.

If you’re interested in IoT, here are some of the recent trends that you should know about:

Smart homes

Many homeowners have become interested in modernizing their homes through IoT technology, which can greatly help in maintaining safety and security and increasing convenience and comfort. Retail giant Amazon, for example, has introduced its virtual assistant Alexa and released open software called the Smart Home Skill API. This API will creates a standard that manufacturers of smart lights, switches, and thermostats should follow, ensuring that their devices can easily be controlled by consumers through Alexa.

Some real estate developers are even taking the game a step further by constructing smart homes. Developer Qingjian, for example, is set to build The Visionaire, an executive condominium in Singapore that will come with built-in smart lock systems and smart household appliances.

However, the IoT for homes has recently come under fire when Nest (the popular home automation company that’s owned by Alphabet, which also owns Google) announced that it will shut down the Revolv smart home hub in May 2016. Nest acquired Revolv in 2014 and immediately stopped selling the hub, and it notified users in February that it would shut down the cloud service that supports the Revolv hub. Many users expressed outrage over this, pointing out how people can shell out big bucks over “smart” home devices — only to find that the gadgets no longer work after a few months or years.

Modern healthcare

The Internet of Things has revolutionized healthcare in different ways. On a personal level, wearables that are powered by IoT technology allow users to track the number of steps they take, the number of miles they run, and the amount of calories they burn when performing a certain activity. These devices also allow users to monitor their sleeping patterns and see how long and how well they sleep. People can then use these information to swap bad habits with good ones and take steps to improve their health and fitness.

IoT technology can also help healthcare providers by making it easy for them to monitor their patients and ensure they’re in good shape. Smart pocket electrocardiograms, for instance, allow patients to take ECGs anytime and anywhere and share these information with their doctors in real time. “Smart” patient badges allow healthcare staff to track their patients’ activity levels and prevent patients from wandering out of the facility, while “smart” staff badges allow hospital employees to easily communicate with one another and maintain smooth work flow.

Final Thoughts

IoT technology is here to stay, and it’s safe to assume that it will keep on getting better as time passes by. It’s up to people to integrate it in their daily lives and to businesses and organizations to use it in their line of work.

Reference

http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/29/whats-trending-in-the-iot-space/

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