Science, Space, & Robotics - Page 59

Tesla engineers have showcased new technology at Tesla's AI Day 2022 that reduces the amount of time for a 3D animated scene to be produced.

Tesla has recently held its AI Day 2022, and throughout the presentation, the company revealed many interesting upgrades to its software line-up, as well as a humanoid robot named Optimus that took the show by storm. During the presentation, Tesla explained that 3D scenes, such as the one seen in the video above, are extremely useful for teaching vehicles and, eventually, robots to accurately carry out a task.

However, simulated scenes such as the intersection from Market Street in San Francisco can take up to two weeks for artists to complete. This time frame isn't something Tesla was willing to work with, which led the company to develop new technology that can procedurally generate a scene like the one above and others of the same quality in just five minutes.

NASA's now-famous James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has pointed its high-tech instruments at a cosmic tarantula.

NASA has taken to its blog to reveal an incredible mosaic image of the stellar nursery called 30 Doradus, which is located "only" 161,000 light-years away from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy. Astronomers have nicknamed 30 Doradus the "Tarantula Nebula" for its wispy and dusty filaments, along with its structure and composition of gas and dust.

NASA explains that the Tarantula Nebula is the brightest star-forming region in the Local Group, which the group of galaxies closest to our Milky Way galaxy. Astronomers have used Webb's infrared instruments to observe the Tarantula Nebula and discovered tens of thousands of never-before-seen young stars that were previously obscured from astronomers' view by cosmic dust. The above image showcases a large cluster of massive young blue stars in the center, which are causing the center of the nebula to be hollowed out by their "blistering radiation".

NASA's Juno spacecraft has flown past Jupiter's moon Europa, snapping images that it has now relayed back to Earth for public viewing.

The fly-by of Jupiter's sixth-closest moon to the planet was conducted on September 29, 2022, and during Juno's closest approach to the large moon, it came within 219 miles of its surface. As the Juno spacecraft flew past the icy object, it captured several images, marking the third time any spacecraft in history has come within 310 miles of its surface while also providing the closest look at Jupiter's fourth largest moon since NASA's Galileo flew past at an altitude of 218 miles on January 3, 2000.

NASA has taken to its Jet Propulsion Laboratory website to explain that Europa is the sixth-largest moon in the solar system and is just smaller than Earth's moon. However, Europa is very different from Earth's moon as researchers believe that there may be a salty ocean residing under its thick icy crust, which stretches for many miles beneath its surface. Moreover, researchers suspect that this salty ocean beneath Europa's surface may have the right conditions to support life.

NASA has released an update on the condition of its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket following Hurricane Ian making landfall in Florida.

NASA was required to cancel the launch of its Artemis 1 mission as Hurricane Ian approached its Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The space agency rolled back the SLS rocket to its Vehicle Assembly Building as the hurricane passed overhead, and now that it's passed, NASA has conducted a damage assessment on the SLS rocket and its facility.

According to a recent update posted to the NASA website, there was no damage to the Artemis flight hardware, and NASA's facilities are in overall "good shape" with only minor water intrusion across a few locations. NASA explains that it will be extending platforms to the SLS rocket for additional inspections leading up to the next launch attempt scheduled for November 12. The space agency writes that the launch window for Artemis 1 opens on November 12 and closes on November 27.

Autonomous technology and automation are proving disruptive across numerous verticals, including the agriculture industry. Cutting-edge solutions such as driverless tractors, Internet of Things (IoT) temperature and moisture sensors, GPS, and drone technology allow farmers to be far more efficient than if the technologies weren't made available to them.

Although the future appears bright, there are a few issues that need to be addressed, including risk management, legislation, and safety protocols. Safety is a significant area of concern, as farming can be inherently dangerous - but rapid advancement in technology could create potential safety risks for human workers sharing their work environment with these newer technologies.

As noted by Dr. Salah Issa, assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Agricultural & Biological Engineering Department: "The introduction of mechanization in agriculture in the early 1900s transformed farms and surrounding communities. We expect digital technologies to lead to a similar transformation on farms and in many rural areas."

Tesla's brand new AI robot named Optimus was revealed at the company AI Day 2022, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk even discussing the price of the next-gen robot.

Elon Musk has appeared at Tesla's AI Day, and to kick off the show, the CEO brought out the highly anticipated Tesla bot that has been nicknamed Optimus. Musk gave a brief overview of what the company plans on achieving with Optimus and how it would impact the wider economy if Optimus could perform general manual labor. Musk said that the potential for Optimus is "appreciated by very few people" and explained that the current economy is held back by people and their productivity.

To surpass these limitations, Musk proposes Optimus as a solution, and if Optimus can handle general manual labor, "an economy becomes quasi-infinite". The Tesla CEO explains that if the new Tesla bot is rolled out and the economy is increased in terms of output, the future will be a place "where there is no poverty" and that people "could have whatever you want in terms of products and services," says Musk. Additionally, Musk said that Optimus' impact will be a "fundamental transformation of civilization as we know it".

Researchers from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) have developed the NAO Robot, a humanoid that is skilled at Tai Chi.

As noted by Zhi Zheng, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the RIT Kate Gleason College of Engineering, in a press statement:

"We don't have to build our own robot hardware because there are good commercial platforms available. How it behaves solely depends on how we design the control programs. The central part of our research is how we control the robots to do the cognitive and physical instruction properly. "The robot does not really know how to behave coming out of the box. We teach it how to function."

NASA has teamed up with Apptronik to accelerate the commercialization of the Apollo humanoid robot system. The company founded in 2016 has created several robotics platforms that include exoskeletons to humanoids and aims to create general-purpose robots able to endure multiple environments.

Apptronik has a specific focus on human-centered design, so its robotic systems are user-friendly and the robots are able to work alongside humans. These humanoids will be able to operate in dangerous or unhabitable environments while still able to use tools that actual astronauts can.

NASA and Apptronik worked together starting in 2013 as part of a DARPA Robotics Challenge. In this most recent venture, Apptronik has the chance for its robots to work on Earth and one day in space. As noted by Jeff Cardenas, CEO and co-founder of Apptronik, in a press statement:

The latest 100-meter dash record to be set has been achieved by Cassie, a bipedal robot created by Agility Robotics.

The university announced on September 27th that Cassie had been awarded an official Guinness World Record, having run 100 meters (328 feet) in 24.73 seconds, setting the speed record for a bipedal robot to cover the distance and doing so on Oregon State's Whyte Track and Field Center. For comparison, the human world record was set at 9.58 seconds by Usain Bolt.

Notably, Cassie is the first robot to have utilized machine learning to control its running gait while outdoors. Its knees are bent the opposite way to humans and instead resemble those of an ostrich. It lacks any cameras or external sensors and thus operates blind, exemplified as the robot strays from its lane during the run. Before setting the record, Cassie has demonstrated its ability to run 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) on a single battery charge in 53 minutes.

NASA and SpaceX have signed a new agreement called the Space Act Agreement Thursday as of September 22nd, which aims to study the viability of extending the Hubble Space Telescope's mission.

The agreement will study the feasibility of SpaceX, in partnership with the Polaris Program, boosting Hubble into a higher orbit around Earth using SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. The agreement is currently unfunded, and NASA has no plans to conduct or fund its own servicing mission for Hubble. Instead, at no cost to the government, SpaceX has proposed this study to explore and understand the challenges of conducting similar servicing missions.

The study is expected to take up to six months, during which teams will collect and analyze technical data from Hubble and the Dragon spacecraft. They will assess whether the spacecraft could safely rendezvous, dock, and eventually move Hubble to a higher, more stable orbit. The study is non-exclusive, meaning other companies can use the strategies and concepts uncovered for other spacecraft with a near-Earth orbit.

A study on the black frogs titled "Ionizing radiation and melanism in Chornobyl tree frogs" has been published in the journal Evolutionary Applications.

Since the nuclear disaster at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986, the surrounding environment has been cordoned off and dubbed the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, forbidding unauthorized human entry. The area has become one of the largest nature reserves in Europe, and many endangered species are now found there. However, the amount of radioactive material released by the disaster means these species have had to contend with radiation in their lives.

Researchers identified several Eastern tree frogs, or Hyla orientalis, that were found with an unusually black tint instead of their usual bright green coloration. Higher levels of melanin are responsible for the darker color of the frogs and other organisms and protect animals from ultraviolet radiation from the sun. However, melanin can also protect against ionizing radiation that the Chornobyl disaster released.

NASA has taken to its blog to give an update on the recent flight by the helicopter Ingenuity and sample activities being conducted by Perseverance.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory took to Twitter on September 28 to announce that the Mars helicopter Ingenuity has completed its 33rd flight, soaring 365 feet over the Martian surface at an altitude of 33 feet. Ingenuity completed its relocation in 55.2 seconds, nearly being airborne for an entire minute. For those that don't know, Ingenuity is acting as NASA's newest Mars rover, Perseverance's scout, with the Ingenuity team using the small helicopter to look for prime locations to explore with the rover.

Ingenuity is used to look for locations and map strategic pathways for Perseverance to travel to and inspect. If determined to be a viable sample location, the rover will collect a sample which will eventually be transported back to Earth sometime in the late 2020s. For now, many samples are being taken, with NASA recently announcing a failure at sample collection with a rock nicknamed Chiniak. As explained on the NASA Mars website, Perseverance attempted an abrasion on the target rock and discovered that the target broke apart, preventing any future science operations.

NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft collided with asteroid Dimorphos on September 26, marking the very first planetary defense mission.

NASA's DART spacecraft successfully collided with the asteroid Dimorphos of the binary asteroid system. Dimorphos is a moonlet that orbits its larger companion asteroid Didymos. NASA's plan was to demonstrate that a human-made spacecraft is capable of altering the orbit of the smaller asteroid Dimorphos by colliding a high-speed spacecraft into its surface. The test was a success in terms of collision, and now dozens of telescopes are pointed at Dimorphos to measure the impact and to see if the asteroid's orbit was changed.

Famous telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Hubble Space Telescope have been used to observe just before the impact and the following minutes/hours after. Despite the multiple telescopes pointed at the Didymos-Dimorphos system, scientists argue that the study on DART's impact can't be completed without a close-up inspection that would provide accurate data.

The James Webb Space Telescope and the famous Hubble Space Telescope have teamed up provide two unique views of NASA's DART spacecraft colliding with an asteroid.

NASA has taken to its social channels to showcase the differences between the two famous telescopes, with the space agency posting on the Hubble Twitter account "after" shots from the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) impact. The images shown above in a GIF showcase NASA's spacecraft that intentionally collided with the asteroid Dimorphos in the very planetary defense mission.

As explained in NASA's recent blog post, the space agency decided to crash a spacecraft into the asteroid to see if the impact was able to change the orbit of the asteroid. If proven effective, NASA will have unlocked Earth's first planetary weapon used to protect our planet from dangerous asteroids. Observations were conducted with Webb and Hubble, marking the first time the telescopes have simultaneously captured imagery from the same target, according to NASA administrator Bill Nelson.

Engineers from West Virginia University are working on robots tasked with improving on-the-job safety for retail workers. Researchers want to test the robot in actual grocery stores after the locations are closed, providing a more accurate testbed environment.

As part of $367,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation, WVU researchers want to analyze workplace dangers - and find ways to reduce falling risks in retail stores. The robots can provide situational awareness, monitor risks and offer walkability maps, and should be able to help reduce the number of occupational injuries related to slips and falls.

Instead of trying to rely on a security camera to identify and detect workplace hazards, the robot equipped with a camera can move closely to the spill area - and is able to identify how slippery it is.

Artificial intelligence company Nala Robotics has introduced The Wingman, a self-cleaning autonomous robot that can be used in fast food restaurants.

The Wingman can pick up and load frying baskets with French fries, chicken wings and other types of frozen food, dip the basket in oil, and shake off any excess oil once finished. Once collected, the foods can be dispensed to individual seasoning bins so spices and sauces and can be added in the appropriate proportions.

Nala Robotics uses artificial intelligence paired with a high-performance camera and vision systems to support a built-in clean in place functionality - and ensure all foods are made to desired high quality.

The Baltic Sea is receiving an extremely large dosage of methane gas following multiple leaks being identified in Russia's gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2.

Researchers are rushing to attempt to measure the effects of the pipeline leak, but estimations are difficult to conclude as the situation is ongoing. What is known is that four major leaks have been identified so far and that European leaders have accused Russia of sabotaging Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 as a way to attack the West over its condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Experts are now sounding the alarm on the environmental impact of high amounts of methane gas leaking into the Baltic Sea. Bloomberg reports that a circle with a diameter of approximately 3,200 feet and growing has been spotted bubbling with natural gas pouring up from the below pipeline. Satellites have already been used to get a birds-eye view of the impacted area. According to Russia, the European leaders are "stupid" to suggest that the nation would destroy its own pipelines.

Archaeologists in Prague are rejoicing at the discovery of a monumental building that is estimated to have been built 7,000 years ago.

Experts discovered the large building more accurately described as a roundel in Prague's district of Vinor, and according to researchers working at the dig, the relic of a past time is in extremely good condition. A roundel is a large circular structure from the Neolithic period between 4600 and 4900 BC. These structures are much older than the Great Pyramids of Giza or Stonehenge, which are estimated to have been constructed from 2550 to 2490 B.C and 2,500 BC, respectively.

Miroslav Kraus, who is in charge of the research, explains that despite the extreme significance of such a structure being discovered, researchers are yet to identify what roundels were actually used for. Kraus gave one theory to reporters, which suggests that these large structures could have been a focal point for trade, much like a market, or religious cults used them to perform rites of passage.

A study on climate change and trees titled "The effect of carbon fertilization on naturally regenerated and planted US forests" has been published in the journal Nature Communications.

Researchers from the Ohio State University have now determined how much climate change, specifically excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, has contributed to the growth of different species of trees. Trees help buffer the effects of climate change on the planet by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which has increased wood volume, or biomass, in a process known as carbon fertilization.

The phenomenon refers to the influx of carbon dioxide into a plant, increasing the rate at which it can photosynthesize to fuel growth, using the sun's energy, water, and other nutrients. Though higher carbon dioxide levels can be detrimental to natural systems and infrastructure worldwide, trees have used this increased availability to grow 20 to 30 percent larger than trees only three decades ago.

NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy spoke during a presentation at the International Astronautical Congress 2022 in Paris, France on September 20th, detailing NASA's plans for its Moon to Mars exploration program.

Melroy stated that NASA's overarching goal is for the agency "to create a blueprint for sustained human presence and exploration throughout the solar system," and that to do this, NASA will need to identify specific objectives it wants to achieve. She noted that in the past, NASA has created capabilities and gone on to do what those capabilities allow them to achieve, but to "truly be aspirational and strategic," the agency has to "know what the goal is, even if we know we're not fully ready to do everything yet."

Following Melroy's presentation, NASA has released a revised version of its Moon to Mars objectives that will help direct investments into technologies to achieve them. The agency began with 50 draft objectives, and after opening up the discussion to international partners, the wider industry, and the public, have ended up with 63 final goals.