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Precision tattooing by a 5G-connected robot needles
The world’s first-ever remote tattoo has become a reality by a 5G-connected robot bearing needles.
The telecommunication company T-Mobile Netherlands creatively worked together with the tattoo artist Wes Thomas in order to display to the public the speed, reliability, and low latency of its new 5G network. As a result, the fruit of this cooperation is the designing and implementation of “The Impossible Tattoo” which is the world’s first-ever remote tattoo.
The whole concept can be described as follows. The tattoo artist controlled a robot arm from a distance in real-time, making use of the advantages of the 5G network of T-Mobile Netherlands. In addition, machine learning technology is integrated into the robotic arm to learn the precise placement of the arm and map the placement onto the customer’s body. The whole demonstration took place with the assistance and collaboration of the Dutch actress and TV personality, Stijn Fransen. Wes Thomas drew the design on a mannequin arm, whereas the robot copied his every move with a needle on Fransen’s arm.
By utilizing the benefits of the 5G network, the work can be completed with no delay and with millimeter accuracy from a distance, a really interesting aspect in the era of COVID-19 restrictions. Undoubtedly, the implementation of the T-Mobile project could not become a reality with the 4G and 3G networks. The processing of large amounts of data and latency-free data transmission can only be achieved with 5G technology.
It’s astonishing to meet new imaginative applications of technology in everyday life…
Watch the video of “The impossible tattoo” in action.
An underwater robot saves swimmers from drowning
Robots using artificial intelligence come to solve the drowning of people in swimming pools and lakes. From a depth of 3 meters, a robot achieved to bring an 80 kg human effigy to the surface in 1 second.
Nearly 420 people drowned in Germany in 2019, with the majority dying in freshwater lakes and swimming pools. The solution in the absence of lifeguards could be a floating submarine rescue robot. A team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Advanced Systems Technology aims to improve the situation with a robot that uses artificial intelligence, the only one of its kind in the world.
Surveillance cameras mounted on the pool roof record the movement patterns and position of the drowned person in the pool and send the coordinates to the robot to a connection base on the pool floor, which opens in case of emergency. As soon as the vehicle reaches its destination, it locates the person in danger and transports him to the surface. A fastening mechanism prevents bodies from sliding down.
In lakes, drones and zeppelin systems act as surveillance cameras. Because visibility is limited, the submarine must be equipped with acoustic sensors instead of optical ones. The echoes of sound waves can be used to determine the positions and orientation of people in such a way that the robot can be directed autonomously to the target-person and save it. This has been shown to work in practice through very impressive open water trials conducted by researchers on Lake Hufeisensee in Halle. An 80 kg effigy was deposited at a depth of three meters. The robot then picked it up, secured it in place, brought it to the surface in a second, and carried it via the shortest route – a distance of 40 meters – to the shore, where the rescue team was already waiting.
When the robot is notified of an emergency, a signal alerts the team immediately. The full rescue operation lasted just over two minutes. Casualties must be resuscitated within five minutes to avoid long-term damages to the brain. We were able to stay within this critical time frame without any problems,” says computer scientist Helge Renkewitz, who led the team in close collaboration with the water rescue service, Wasserrettungsdienstes Halle e.V.
Sources:
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/german-underwater-robot-can-save-drowning-swimmers/
https://www.news247.gr/good-news/ypovrychio-rompot-sozei-kolymvites-apo-pnigmo.9164949.html
Mechatronics revolutionizes the America’s Cup of sailing
The use of mechatronics in the world of sailing is exceptionally recent. Nowadays, virtually every team participating in the American Cup boasts at least one mechatronics engineer aboard its hull.
Over time, these boats have become so sophisticated and technological that they require personnel who are increasingly prepared to manage complex systems. Seen from the inside, they look a lot like an aeroplane for the electronic components they have.
Navigation is managed by three roles: the helmsman, the mainsail trimmer and the controller. But besides them, there are at least eight other people – including a tactician – who perform vital functions for the regatta by pressing buttons that allow these boats to sail quickly and perform the necessary manoeuvres.
When these buttons are pressed, an electronic signal passes to a programmable logic controller, which is programmed to control hydraulic valves’ opening and closing or mechanical mechanisms to achieve a specific function.
For example, Mechatronics intervenes predominantly in delicate moments such as take-off, which is a delicate balance between forces.
To find out in detail how mechatronics contributes to the new racing boats’ performance, we recommend reading the interview with the American Magic team produced in April 2020.
Source: https://www.sailingworld.com/story/racing/mechatronics-in-the-americas-cup/
In two years the first air taxi is about to make its first routes in Singapore and Paris.
Volocopter will be the first air taxi which will be launched for public use in Singapore and Paris. The eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) company, founded in Bruschal, Germany, in 2011, is the mastermind and designer of this innovative concept. Volocopter is about to take action and get flying taxi services off the ground in two years as it released a press statement where it claims that it “expects its first commercial air taxi routes to be opened within the next two years”.
Several test flights have been conducted over the past months and years in Helsinki, Stuttgart, Dubai, and Singapore. Despite the fact that Volocopter’s first routes have not officially be confirmed until now, the company asserts that
Though the first routes are yet to be officially confirmed, the company says it has committed to establishing air taxi services in Singapore and Paris. The plan is the routes to be expanded in more cities around the world in the USA, Asia, and Europe.
It is beyond any doubt a very interesting venture which will probably be embraced by other companies. Let the battle for conquering the air for taxi services begin!
https://interestingengineering.com/volocopter-will-start-its-air-taxi-service-within-two-years
Successful landing on Mars for NASA’s Perseverance rover
After a 300-million-mile journey and six months of traveling, the rover achieved to successfully land on the surface of Mars, overcoming the difficulties related to preparing the journey’s final stages during the pandemic. The triumphant outcome of the venture spread enthusiasm to all the world while Red Planet’s exploring is now more promising than ever. The mysterious planet that is located in our space neighbourhood can now be investigated to find out if it can be inhabited by humans.
Preservance pioneered in many ways. It is in charge of searching for signs of ancient life on Mars. It represents the first helicopter flying on another planet. It will provide the scientists the first recordings of sound on Mars. It incorporates cutting-edge technology and is about to function for the next few years. The rover will explore Jezero Crater, the site of an ancient lake that existed 3.9 billion years ago, and search for microfossils in the rocks and soil there. Follow-up missions will return samples of this site collected by Perseverance to Earth by the 2030s.
Now that the rover has landed, the mission truly begins, and the best is yet to come!
Automatic picking of fruits
Finding fruit pickers is becoming a challenging task. Not only, more and more young people avoid being occupied in the agriculture sector, but also the last year’s travel restrictions rendered fruit picking more challenging for orchard owners. Consequently, many fruits rot on the trees as they cannot be collected on time, and in the mid-long term, farmers lose a significant amount of potential income.
A solution seems to emerge from the domains of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Computer Vision, Aeronautical Engineering, advanced flight control, and data fusion and perception. Tevel Aerobotics Technologies, an Israeli company, has designed and implemented an autonomous flying robot that has the ability to recognise and collect the most matured. It locates the trees by utilizing AI perception algorithms, while vision algorithms make it possible to identify the ripe fruits among the foliage. A stable robotic arm approaches the fruit and carefully grasps it. Moreover, it is an easy task for the robot to classify the fruits depending on their size and the degree of ripeness.
Multiple robots can harvest an orchard without crashing into each other thanks to a single autonomous digital brain in a ground-based unit. Furthermore, one of the most important features is the robots’ ability to work 24 hours a day, providing maximum efficiency at minimum cost. Besides, the whole robot-system has the flexibility to be used in several fruit types, such as apples, pears, and avocados. They can also be exploited for thinning and pruning purposes.
We admit that such a prospect could revolutionize and transform the agriculture sector.
Sources:
https://www.inceptivemind.com/flying-autonomous-robot-far-spot-pick-ripe-fruit/17770/
https://interestingengineering.com/flying-autonomous-robot-uses-ai-to-identify-and-pick-ripe-fruit
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/02/flying-ai-robot-harvest-fresh-fruit/
eLene4Life MOOC for teachers
In February a free Discussion-based MOOC for teachers will start and guide participants in rethinking elements of their own courses. Through this MOOC participants will also discover how an active learning method, i.e. any instructional method that engages students in the learning process, can effectively be designed and implemented in a curricular course to support students’ in their soft skill development.
The classes will start on the 22nd of February, with the duration of 7 weeks with weekly estimated participation time of 2-3 hours. For more information about the MOOC and learning objectives as well as enrolment site please follow the link https://www.pok.polimi.it/courses/course-v1:Polimi+SSD101+2021_M1/about
This MOOC is one of the results of the eLene4Life – Learning and Interacting to Foster Employability http://elene4life.eu/ project, that supports curriculum innovation in higher education (HE) through the development of active learning approaches for transversal skills, with the ultimate aim of improving students’ employability. eLene4Life defines soft skills as “a dynamic combination of cognitive and meta-cognitive skills, interpersonal, intellectual and practical skills. Soft skills help people to adapt and behave positively so that they can deal effectively with the challenges of their professional and everyday life”.
The project is also addressing how to overcome commonly encountered barriers such as large class sizes and physical spaces. To find out more, take a look at the project outputs: entry for project-based learning in the eLene4Life Dynamic Toolkit (http://elene4life.eu/dynamic-toolkit/) , see how this is applied in the context of Learning Videos and take it further with Video Contest Workshops. And feel free to explore the full collection of methods in the Dynamic Toolkit, including hackathons, design thinking and many more!
More information about the eLene4Life MOOC and project:
https://media-and-learning.eu/type/featured-articles/develop-soft-skills-with-elene4lifes-mooc/
http://elene4life.eu/
https://www.pok.polimi.it/courses/course-v1:Polimi+SSD101+2021_M1/about
A German city pioneers in providing a viable solution for homeless people
Winters are a challenge for homeless people to survive. In cases of prolonged extreme cold invasions, we witness the death of many helpless, homeless people. The city of Ulm in Germany demonstrates its social sensitivity in practice by designing, developing, and installing a futuristic shelter. These windproof and waterproof sleeping pods, known as Ulmer Nests, provide the homeless with emergency shelter at night, especially when temperatures are below zero.
Ulmer Nests are made of wood and steel, and each one can provide a protective shelter for up to two people against rain, strong wind, frost, and humidity, as well as ensure air circulation. They are equipped with solar panels and a set of sensors, which can monitor temperature, humidity, smoke, and carbon dioxide levels. The structure is protected against fire, as it bears an electronic verification system so those using it can lock the capsule from the inside.
Moreover, Ulmer Nests are connected to a radio network that allows their users to get in touch with the team overseeing the cabins. Nevertheless, privacy issues are taken seriously into account, as privacy is a fundamental human right. Therefore, no cameras are installed; instead, there is a motion sensor that informs social workers or Ulmer Nest members that someone spent the night in the pod. The day after, a volunteer is in charge of cleaning the pod for future use. However, it is highlighted that the capsules are not intended for permanent overnight stays.
“We are still operating on a small-scale prototype level and are looking into finding possible prospective users (cities) and ways of manufacturing bigger numbers of the Nests if there’s sufficient demand for it,” one of the Ulmer Nest team members told Bored Panda.
Until our society permanently solves the embarrassing matter of having homeless people, such temporary approaches provide a solution to a crucial social issue.
Sources:
https://www.boredpanda.com/homeless-capsules-shelter-winter-ulmernest/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic
https://renewableenergy2050.com/news/solar-news/german-city-tests-solar-powered-sleeping-pods-to-protect-homeless-people-in-winter/
https://www.inceptivemind.com/ulmer-nest-solar-powered-sleeping-pods-protect-homeless-people-winter/17587/
