Since computer software can be dangerous, I sometimes wonder how much longer hobbyists like myself will be permitted to publish our own code.

"In one real-world test, in two-thirds of the cases (37 out of 55), drones have delivered automated defibrillators faster than the professionals arriving conventionally."

Remotely Operated Robot Takes Straight Razor to Face of Brave Roboticist - IEEE Spectrum

Now, a straight razor is sort of like a safety razor, except with the safety part removed, which in fact does make it significantly less safe for humans, much less robots. Also not ideal for those worried about safety is that as part of the process the razor ends up in distressingly close proximity to things like the artery that is busily delivering your brain’s entire supply of blood, which is very close to the top of the list of things that most people want to keep blades very far away from.

But that didn’t stop Whitney from putting his whiskers where his mouth is and letting his robotic system mediate the ministrations of a professional barber. It’s not an autonomous robotic straight-razor shave (because Whitney is not totally crazy), but it’s a step in that direction, and requires that the hardware Whitney developed be dead reliable.

But the Hawk is not a substitute for existing wind turbines. Kitepower believes that the Hawk is ideal for temporary events or users removed from the main grid: farms, construction sites, music festivals, humanitarian efforts, island communities. The entire system fits into a standard shipping container, and Kitepower says assembly at a new site takes less than 24 hours. Today, these locations might rely on a diesel generator—whose logistical demands make the Hawk cost-competitive, according to Schmehl.

Rahul Rao in IEEE Spectrum. Flying Kites Deliver Container-Size Power Generation

Automated wind-energy system brings portable renewables off-grid

南極点にあるアムンゼン-スコット基地に2018年から導入されたRoombaの話。南極にはペットの持ち込みは禁止されており、基地の職員にとってルンバはただのお掃除ロボット以上のものだった。彼らは基地内で誘拐されて人質に取られたりしている。https://spectrum.ieee.org/south-pole-roombasIEEE Spectrum · 10月26日Roombas at the Edge of the EarthEvan Ackerman

新山祐介 (Yusuke Shinyama): "南極点にあるアムンゼン-スコット基地に2018年から導入され…" - Mastodon 🐘

Christian Gralingen for IEEE Spectrum Magazine.

From off our "and we survived!" desk...

In 1950 the A. C. Gilbert Company distributed the U-238 Atomic Energy Lab, a toy kit allowing kids to make nuclear reactions at home using actual radioactive material.

It was taken off the shelves in 1951.

The kit was created by Alfred Carlton Gilbert, who was an American athlete, magician, toy-maker, business man, and inventor of the well-known Erector Set.

Gilbert believed that toys were the foundation in building a "solid American character", and many of his toys had some type of educational significance to them.

Gilbert was even dubbed "the man who saved Christmas" during World War I when he convinced the US Council of National Defense not to ban toy purchases during Christmas time.

The Atomic Energy Lab was just one of a dozen chemical reactions lab kits on the market at the time.

Gilbert’s toys often included instructions on how the child could use the set to put on his own "magic show".

For parents, he pushed the idea that the sets' use of chemical reactions directed their children toward a potential career in science and engineering.

Gilbert wrote that the Government encouraged the set's development because it believed the lab would aid public understanding of atomic energy and emphasize its constructive aspects.

Gilbert also defended his Atomic Energy Laboratory, stating it was safe, accurate and that some of the country's best nuclear physicists had worked on the project.

The professional journal IEEE Spectrum published a more-detailed review in 2020, discussing the kit in the context of the history of science education kits and safety concerns.

It described the likely radiation exposure as "minimal, about the equivalent to a day’s UV exposure from the sun", provided that the radioactive samples were not removed from their containers, in compliance with the warnings in the kit instructions.

Using AI to Clear Land Mines in Ukraine-Stephen Cass: Hello. I’m Stephen Cass, Special Projects Director at IEEE Spectrum. Before starting today’s episode hosted by Eliza Strickland, I wanted to give you all listening out there some news about this show. This is our last episode of Fixing the...

Friday's Video: Juggling Multiple Tasks-Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion. RoboCup 2024...

Happy 50th birthday to Ethernet!

Travel Adjustments: 5 Actionable Ideas

Simons, David. "A decade of laborious work pays off for working travel entrepreneur". Under a flat tax system, everybody pays the same tax fee irrespective of how much they earn. Critics of the flat tax say that it might favor the rich. The variety of allowances listed on the W-4 type determines how much income tax your employer will withhold from each paycheck. To find out precisely how a lot you owe, look up your taxable revenue on the IRS tax desk. Humorist and travel writer Stanton Delaplane once offered this lighthearted suggestion for a simplified tax form: "How a lot cash did you make final 12 months? Mail it in." Whereas which may be a drastic method to alter the tax system, there was no scarcity of individuals proposing new tax programs since the 16th Modification was handed in 1913. In the event you comply with presidential campaigns, there is normally talk from a number of the candidates on revising the tax system.

That is how the federal authorities maintains a steady stream of income whereas also drawing interest on your tax dollars. Earnings tax forms just like the 1040 are notoriously confusing, however that's as a result of they're based mostly on a U.S. In https://cityrecognition.org of an income tax, some propose the use of a nationwide sales tax. Not solely is it the law (you'll pay a small penalty if you don't), nevertheless it permits you to avoid a giant tax invoice in April. This page was final edited on 22 April 2022, at 01:Forty one (UTC). In 2000 it acquired Thomson Travel and in 2002 purchased Hapag Lloyd, which itself owned the travel agency TUI (formerly Touristik Union International), and renamed itself TUI AG.

They may have put that cash within the bank, invested it, or bought something helpful with it relatively than letting the IRS borrow it. Anousheh Ansari has invested in her interest in space before -- she and one other relative contributed to the $10 million XPrize, and she hopes that her expertise on the ISS will assist her to develop spacecraft that make area tourism more affordable. Jones, Willie. "A Fusion Thruster for Area Travel." Ieee Spectrum. Deductions and credits could be eradicated underneath this kind of plan. Itemized deductions would possibly embrace medical and dental bills, charitable contributions, curiosity on dwelling mortgages, and state and local taxes from the earlier yr.

Le startup affermano che l’India è il luogo ideale per testare le auto a guida autonoma. Il traffico indisciplinato impone approcci innovativi all’autonomia

Pochi produttori di auto a guida autonoma hanno sfidato le strade dell’India. Le startup native stanno colmando il divario.

Novità: gli sviluppatori indiani stanno testando veicoli autonomi sulle strade locali disordinate della loro nazione. Per far fronte al traffico turbolento, i loro sistemi utilizzano tecnologie diverse rispetto a quelle dei loro omologhi occidentali e dell'Asia orientale, ha riferito IEEE Spectrum .

Come funziona: nelle città indiane, i veicoli a due, tre e quattro ruote condividono la strada con camion, pedoni e animali. Gli automobilisti spesso devono affrontare detriti e buche e molti non seguono le regole. Queste condizioni richiedono veicoli dotati di una tecnologia più flessibile (e meno costosa) rispetto ai sensori, ai modelli e alle mappe 3D intrecciati utilizzati dalle auto a guida autonoma progettate per condizioni di guida come quelle presenti negli Stati Uniti.

Laddove le tipiche auto a guida autonoma combinano telecamere a luce visibile, radar, lidar e GPS, i veicoli costruiti da Swaayatt Robots vedono il mondo esclusivamente attraverso telecamere standard. Il software dell'azienda crea una rappresentazione probabilistica del loro ambiente. Sebbene questo sia normalmente un processo computazionalmente impegnativo, Swaayatt afferma di aver trovato un modo a basso costo per farlo. Addestrati tramite l'apprendimento di rinforzo multi-agente, i suoi sistemi utilizzano la teoria dei giochi per modellare le interazioni stradali e la visione artificiale per riempire la segnaletica orizzontale mancante. Un video  mostra uno dei SUV dell'azienda che percorre strade strette nella sua città natale, Bhopal.

Minus Zero si concentra sulla guida in autostrada. Il suo veicolo zPod naviga utilizzando fotocamere e un sensore GPS. Piuttosto che una serie di modelli dedicati a un singolo compito come il rilevamento di oggetti o la pianificazione del movimento, zPod utilizza un modello mondiale che riconosce dettagli importanti nell’ambiente circostante e pianifica di conseguenza. L’azienda ha collaborato  con il produttore indiano di autocarri Ashok Leyland per implementare la tecnologia nei prossimi anni.

RoshAI è specializzata nell'ammodernamento di veicoli esistenti con capacità autonome. Offre sistemi separati che mappano l'ambiente circostante un veicolo, controllano la velocità e lo sterzo e generano simulazioni per i test. L’obiettivo è quello di aggiornare i veicoli convenzionali a un costo inferiore rispetto al prezzo di un’auto a guida autonoma integrata.

Dietro la notizia: portare le auto a guida autonoma in India ha dimensioni politiche oltre che tecniche. Molti indiani assumono autisti a tempo pieno e il ministro delle strade e delle autostrade del paese si è opposto all’approvazione della tecnologia a causa del suo potenziale impatto su tali posti di lavoro. Gli automobilisti costano solo 150 dollari al mese, il che mette sotto pressione i produttori di auto a guida autonoma affinché mantengano i loro prezzi molto bassi. Inoltre, il governo indiano insiste sul fatto che i veicoli venduti nel paese devono essere fabbricati localmente, ponendo un ostacolo ai produttori stranieri di auto a guida autonoma.

Perché è importante: anziché partire dal presupposto che il traffico segua schemi ordinati con molti casi limite, gli sviluppatori indiani presumono che il traffico sia essenzialmente imprevedibile. Per loro, eventi che la maggior parte degli sviluppatori considererebbe anomali – veicoli che si avvicinano nella corsia sbagliata, conducenti che abitualmente giocano a fare il pollo, animali domestici sulla strada – sono comuni. Questo atteggiamento li sta portando a sviluppare robusti sistemi di guida autonoma che non solo potrebbero essere più adatti alla guida in ambienti complessi, ma potrebbero anche rispondere bene a una gamma più ampia di condizioni.

Stiamo riflettendo: l'ex CEO di Uber Travis Kalanick ha affermato che l'India sarebbe “l'ultima” a ottenere auto autonome. Questi sviluppatori potrebbero dimostrargli che si sbagliava!

(via https://info.deeplearning.ai/heart-risk-model-saves-lives-self-driving-on-unruly-roads-knowledge-workers-embrace-ai-richer-context-for-rag-1 e https://spectrum.ieee.org/india-self-driving-car e Autonomous Driving through Extremely Dynamic-Complex Traffic-Dynamics in India - YouTube)

Expect a Wave of Wafer-Scale Computers - IEEE Spectrum

Expect a Wave of Wafer-Scale Computers  IEEE Spectrum http://dlvr.it/T7JLQB

A Non-Toxic Thermoelectric Generator for Wearable Tech - IEEE Spectrum

http://dlvr.it/T7GKJ4

Space habitat reports – May.18.2024

Here is a new selection of videos and news items about space habitats, living in space, and space settlement. === International Space Station & NASA ** Space to Ground: The ISS Toolbox: May 17, 2024 - NASA Johnson https://youtu.be/iKnAQMUWnJI ** Space to Ground: Preparing for Guests: May 10, 2024 - NASA Johnson https://youtu.be/zAJjyaA3pRc ** NASA Astronaut Matt Dominick Talks with KMGH, Denver - Friday, May 10, 2024 - NASA Video Aboard the International Space Station, NASA Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Matt Dominick discussed living and working in space during an in-flight interview with KMGH-TV/ABC Denver May 10. Dominick is in the midst of a long duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program. Join NASA as we go forward to the Moon and on to Mars -- discover the latest on Earth, the Solar System and beyond with a weekly update in your inbox. https://youtu.be/Wdm-DYkbmLE ** Space Station Crew Answers Tucson AZ Student Questions - Tuesday May 14, 2024 - NASA Video Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 71 Flight Engineers Tracy Dyson and Jeanette Epps of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview May 14 with students participating in the TRiO Upward Bound program at the Desert Vista campus of the Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. Dyson and Epps are in the midst of a long-duration mission aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program. https://youtu.be/HcVoactiFi4 ** NASA Gateway lunar station: ✨ Gateway Assemble! ️ With our international and industry partners, we're constructing the first space station in lunar orbit. As Gateway expands, module by module, our capacity to explore and unravel the secrets of deep space will grow alongside it. https://t.co/OWVIgYbHAw pic.twitter.com/EoDGZrDb2S — NASA's Gateway Program (@NASA_Gateway) May 16, 2024 === Commercial space habitats ** Axiom Space - Overview of Axiom's space projects: Axiom Space eyes the moon while continuing to dream big in Earth orbit | Space.com - May.8.2024 Axiom Space was founded in 2016, so it's coming up on that 10-year mark — and the Houston-based company has already checked off a lot of boxes that were likely on its milestone list. For example, Axiom has organized three all-private crewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and obtained a NASA contract to send the first commercial module to the ISS. The company is also building the spacesuits that NASA's Artemis astronauts will use during their exploration of the lunar surface. ** Blue Origin - A look at the Orbital Reef space station program that involves a collaboration of Blue, Sierra Space and others: Commercial Space Stations Approach Launch Phase - Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef aces milestones while Europe and China aim high | IEEE Spectrum - May.10.2024 Blue Origin is one of a number of private-sector actors aiming to harbor commercial activities in low Earth orbit (LEO) as the creaking and leaking International Space Station (ISS) approaches its drawdown. Partners in Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef program, including firms Redwire, Sierra Space, and Boeing, are each reporting progress in their respective components of the program. The collaboration itself may not be on such strong ground. Such endeavors may also end up slowed and controlled by regulation so far absent from many new, commercial areas of space. Orbital Reef recently aced testing milestones for its critical life support system, with assistance from NASA. These included hitting targets for trace contaminant control, water contaminant oxidation, urine water recovery, and water tank tests—all of which are required to operate effectively and efficiently to enable finite resources to keep delicate human beings alive in orbit for long timeframes. ** VAST Space making progress on the Haven-1 habitat: ---- Haven-1’s solar wing completed its qualification testing. - VAST Youtube The first Haven-1 solar wing has completed its qualification campaign, culminating in a deployment test performed at Vast in Long Beach with support from our partner, DHV. The wing's six deployable solar panels produce 1.2kW of power in standard orbit conditions. With Haven-1 set to fly twelve wings, a total of 14.4kW is available to power avionics, payloads, and everything in between. https://youtu.be/dZvpktyZqyc Check out the @vast Haven-1 primary structure pathfinder! The world’s first private space station. Taking reservations today! pic.twitter.com/zsg6gCsN8x — Garrett Reisman (@astro_g_dogg) May 7, 2024 ** How Polaris Dawn Will Do The First Commercial Spacewalk! - Everyday Astronaut I got to speak with the crew of Polaris Dawn to learn more about their exciting mission including the features of the brand new SpaceX EVA suit and all the details about the first commercial spacewalk from a Crew Dragon capsule! Learn more about their mission by visiting http://polarisprogram.com/dawn https://youtu.be/zWJA_zH5Nvg === Chinese space habitats ** Why China's Shenzhou is Better Than Russia's Soyuz - Scott Manley China's Shenzhou spacecraft is heavily inspired from Soyuz, and there are likely systems copied directly from Soyuz. However, with the benefits of 21st century development it's not wedded to many of the limitations imposed by the Soyuz heritage. Which oddly enough means that between the last flight of Shuttle and the first Crewed flight of Dragon it was the best operational human rated spacecraft.... I never thought about that until I wrote this description. https://youtu.be/Z3vXqizCuQY === In-space settlements It's one of them O'Neill Cylinder kind of days... pic.twitter.com/J2U2WV1sQF — Erik Wernquist (@ErikWernquist) May 15, 2024 === Other space habitat and settlement news and articles: - Calendar: - Webinar: What It Will Take To Build Communities In Space | Beyond Earth Institute, April 25, 2024, 1:00-2:30 pm - ISDC | International Space Development Conference, Los Angeles, CA, Thursday, May 23rd to Sunday, May 26th, 2024 - 13th annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC 2024) -  July 30-August 1, 2024,  Boston. -  ISS: - Private satellite snaps picture of ISS in orbit | Behind The Black/Robert Zimmerman - May.16.2024 - Beyond ISS: America must lead in LEO, cislunar and beyond | SpaceNews - May.15.2024 - Immunology, Space Biology, and Cleaning for Crew on Thursday | Space Station/NASA - May.16.2024 - Intense Solar Storm Not a Problem for ISS Astronauts, Starliner CFT Still Scheduled for May 17 | SpacePolicyOnline.com - May.10.2024 - Amateur Radio on ISS (ARISS) - Status ISS Stations - Livestream - Artificial/Spin gravity: - A Rotating Spacecraft Would Solve So Many Problems in Spaceflight | Universe Today - May.15.2024 - Benefits of a rotating – Partial gravity – Spacecraft | Acta Astronautica/ScienceDirect - Volume 220, July 2024, Pages 403-415 - MIT-Harvard Student to Present on Artificial Gravity & Space Exploration at Mars Society Convention | The Mars Society - May.14.2024 - General settlement topics: - South Korea goes for space-based solar power | Space Settlement Progress - May.16.2024 - Opening the High Frontier of space can be different than our previous expansion efforts | Space.com  - May.15.2024 - Socialism on One Planet - by Peter Hague | Planetocracy - Apr.7.2024 - Resources: - Space Settlement National Space Society – NSS - Space Studies Institute | Technology for Human Space Settlement - Space Settlement Progress – Cutting-edge technology enabling settlement of the solar system and beyond - Factories in Space - Making products for Earth and space === Earth views from ISS ** Highlight: Desert Agriculture - Egypt (close to the River Nile) and Saudi Arabia - Mar 21, 2024 - ISS Above https://youtu.be/lktlwOWEQE0 ** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) - NASA Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed. The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It's a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8 Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov https://www.youtube.com/live/xAieE-QtOeM?feature=share ====

ISS after undocking of STS-132 === Amazon Ads === Lego Ideas International Space Station 21321 Toy Blocks, Present, Space, Boys, Girls, Ages 16 and Up  ==== Outpost in Orbit: A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station  Read the full article