ai, drone, mechatronic

In two years the first air taxi is about to make its first routes in Singapore and Paris. 

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ai, drone, mechatronic

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

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nasa, mechatronic

Successful landing on Mars for NASA’s Perseverance rover

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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.

mechatronic, drone, mars, nasa

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!

Sources:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/18/world/mars-perseverance-rover-landing-scn-trnd/index.html

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-perseverance-rover-sends-sneak-peek-of-mars-landing

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automatic, mechatronic

Automatic picking of fruits

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automatic, mechatronic

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/

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kets

eLene4Life MOOC for teachers

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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
vet, kets
vet, kets, robotics

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mechatronics, kets

A German city pioneers in providing a viable solution for homeless people

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mechatronics, kets

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/

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kets, mechatronics, industry 4.0

Electric car… Will I reach my destination?

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kets, mechatronics, industry 4.0

You are willing to buy a new car; you are environmentally concerned; the promises of lower operating costs have convinced you; your government subsidizes the purchase of an electric car, BUT…

Range anxiety is a common fear among drivers. It refers to the driver’s worry that the battery charge is low, and the usual electricity sources are unavailable. It’s still perceived to be one of the most significant barriers preventing fleets from going electric.

However, Penn State engineers are working on a battery for you! The researchers developed lithium iron phosphate batteries that have a range of 250 miles and can get charged in 10 minutes. Their work is published in the Nature Energy journal, where they claim that the battery’s long life and rapid recharging are due to its ability to thermally modulate. It heats up in just a little time, reaching the level of 140 degrees Fahrenheit for charge and discharge, whereas it cools down when it is not in use.

“The very fast charge allows us to downsize the battery without incurring range anxiety,” said Chao-Yang Wang, William E. Diefenderfer Chair of mechanical engineering, professor of chemical engineering and professor of materials science and engineering, and director of the Electrochemical Engine Center at Penn State.

A self-heating battery offers a solution to the range anxiety issues of electric car drivers. It uses a thin nickel foil with one end attached to the negative terminal and the other extending outside the cell to create a third terminal. As electrons flow, the battery rapidly heats up the nickel foil through resistance heating and the internal warmth of the battery. Once the battery’s internal temperature is 140°F, the switch opens, and the battery is ready. “With a self-heating method, low-cost materials can be used for the battery’s cathode and anode”, says Wang. The self-heating approach also reduces uneven deposition of lithium on the anode, which can cause lithium spikes that are dangerous.

According to Wang, the smaller batteries produce a large amount of power upon heating, specifically 40 kilowatt-hours and 300 kilowatts of power. An electric vehicle with this battery could go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3 seconds and would drive like a Porsche. “This is how we are going to change the environment and not contribute to just the luxury cars,” said Wang. “Let everyone afford electric vehicles.”

This seems to be an ideal solution for warm places around the world.

Sources:

https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/stories/blog/38427

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-020-00757-7

https://news.psu.edu/story/643897/2021/01/18/research/inexpensive-battery-charges-rapidly-electric-vehicles-reduces-range

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A shoal of robotic fish performing synchronized swimming

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mechatronics, industry 4.0

Shoals of fish exhibit complex and synchronized behaviour, which helps them find food, migrate and escape predators. The fish do not communicate with each other to agree on what to do next, but their collective behaviour emerges through spontaneous coordination, while each fish is making decisions based on what it sees the others around it do.

This decentralized behavior, self-organization and cooperation have always fascinated scientists, especially robotics experts. Now, for the first time, researchers from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University in the United States, who published their work in the journal “Science Robotics”, have developed fish-robots that can synchronize their movements in the water like a shoal of real fish, without the slightest external control. It is the first time that the complex collective behavior of submarine robots is achieved without outside intervention.

“Robots often undertake missions in areas inaccessible or dangerous to humans, where human intervention may not be possible. “In these situations, it is really useful for a highly autonomous robotic herd to be self-sufficient, even if things like GPS and Wi-Fi are not underwater,” said researcher Florian Berlinger.

The synchronization of the -up to seven- robotic fish was made possible thanks to a new optical tuning system with blue LED light integrated on them, analogous to the bioluminescence of real fish. Each mechanical fish has two camera-fins and three LED lights. The cameras detect the lights on the surrounding fish and then an algorithm, integrated into each robot, determines the distance and direction of the others, so that each “fish” adjusts its behavior accordingly, e.g., circularly swim in groups.

Not coincidentally, the development of the robotic swarm was done with the support of the US Navy Research Bureau, which -obviously- foresees (and) military applications.

 

Sources:

https://cutt.ly/Fkf7VxL

https://robotics.sciencemag.org/content/6/50/eabd8668

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vet, kets, industry 4.0 , mechatronics

Coordination meeting

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vet, kets, industry 4.0 , mechatronics
The NEW METRO coordination meeting was virtually held on the 28th of January, 2021.
 The main issues that were discussed can be summarized as follows:

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mechatronics, robotics, industry 4.0

Autonomous vehicle will operate as a shop or office with wheels

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Toyota intends to bring e-Palette into production
mechatronics, robotics, industry 4.0

Toyota hopes that a driverless vehicle that looks more like a transparent container could be used as a moving shop or office. The e-Palette was first unveiled at CES exhibition in Las Vegas in 2018. No one expected then that the strange vehicle would one day go into production. Toyota announced this week that the e-Palette has the potential to become economically viable within a few years.

The electric minivan has 20 seats, which can be folded to free up space. The Japanese carmaker hoped to demonstrate the e-Palette at the Tokyo Olympics, which were scheduled to take place in 2020 summer, but were postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic. Moving on predetermined routes, autonomous vehicles would transport athletes to the Olympic Village.

“We received a lot of questions from people wondering what the fate of e-Palettes would be after the postponement of the Olympics,” said Katie Yamamoto, president of Toyota Connected Company, according to Bloomberg. “There is a great deal of interest in using Palette vehicles to deliver products and transport people,” he claimed. “There is a huge interest in using them as mobile stores and offices,” he said.

Toyota has previously said it plans to launch the vehicle in partnerships with companies such as Amazon, Pizza Hut and Uber.

Sources:  http://bloom.bg/3owUunI , http://bit.ly/2MDXUHZ

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mechatronics, robotics, kets

I love you my dearest robot-mate!!!

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Researchers have created a robot that shows signs of empathy for his/her partner!

mechatronics, robotics, kets

This achievement paves the way for robots not only to better communicate with each other but also more “humanely” behave with humans, in the same way, that in a couple one partner can predict the other’s movement.

To elaborate, researchers from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Columbia University in New York have created a robot that shows signs of empathy, proving that developments in artificial intelligence continue at a rapid pace. According to an article published in the journal Nature, the research team, led by Hond Lipson, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, created a robot that learns to visually predict how another robot will behave, thus displaying a rudimentary kind of empathy.

The ability of humans and some animals to anticipate the actions of others, facilitates coexistence, cooperation, and the pursuit of common goals. But so far, robots have been lagging in this area. The experiments have shown that one robot was able to predict the target of another robot in the 98% of the cases, just by visually observe its actions and by utilizing the appropriate algorithm. “Our findings show how robots begin to see the world from the perspective of another robot. It’s probably a primitive form of empathy,” said researcher Bojuan Chen.

At the moment, robot behaviors are much simpler than those of humans, but they are expected to improve their ability to “dive into the mind” of another robot, in the same way that the 3-year-old children begin to understand that other people around them have their own goals, needs and views. Of course, for years, humans will be better than robots at “stepping into others’ shoes”.

On the other hand, according to Lipson, ethical questions arise: if technology allows robots to have human-like empathy and be able to guess human thoughts and intentions, they may also learn to manipulate human thoughts.

Is the robots’ era ahead?

Sources:

http://bit.ly/3oaKLDG

https://go.nature.com/2Notbzg

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