Lifeboat Foundation

The Marine Corps is expanding its mission set to include operating robots in shallow waters, a first for the service that comes as it prepares to operate on islands in the Indo-Pacific.

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Remotely Operated Vehicle is a box-shaped robot that can navigate in shallow waters, where it will be able to identify and neutralize threats, according to a Marine Corps Systems Command news release issued Thursday.

The robot, also referred to as an ROV for remotely operated vehicle, has high-definition video capability and the ability to provide real-time feedback for explosive ordnance disposal divers, according to the release. It also uses sound navigation and ranging sensors.

Aptera says you’ll never need to charge its solar-powered three-wheeler. Lucid’s Air Pure sedan aims straight at Tesla. And many more are on the way.

Facebook outlines ambitions for augmented reality glasses.

Almost every time we talk about Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) concepts, we are looking at a scaled-down version of an aircraft that can carry four-five people and some cargo. And an Israel-based company, Urban Aeronautics is determined to create the first flying car and they are doing a pretty good job at it.

The flying car’s lift is generated by fully enclosed counter-rotating ducted fans that are placed both in the rear and front of the car. After years of testing, the company has unveiled a sleeker exterior this year that can zip past at a top speed of 150 mph (241 kph) and has a range of around 100 miles (160 km). The project noise levels from this are still 78 dB, which are quite acceptable for city limits, the company claims. The company has completed technology demonstrations using helicopter engines where the car has flown at low altitudes of 49 feet (15 m).

Continue reading “Israel Took One Step Closer to Making Compact Wingless ‘Flying Cars’ Real” »

The joys of riding in a car.

When I was a youngster, my grandparents delighted in taking me for a trek in their car, especially on the weekends. They would come to visit during the summers. A car ride included rolling down the windows of the vehicle and we would all relish the rushing cool breeze on those hot and muggy summer days as we drove leisurely along.

Since I wasn’t old enough to drive, they instead did all the driving activity. I did though have a hand in where we went. Let’s go to the store, I would clamor. Let’s drive past the school ground and wave at anyone there. Let’s go driving around the local park and see all the trees and the ducks in the pond.

Has any automotive enthusiast failed to hear the words “Back to the Future” and DeLorean DMC-12 mentioned in the same sentence at least once? We assume the opposite, so let’s just get to the part where other vehicles play the latter’s role.

Known formally as additive manufacturing, or AM, in the business, the process can make almost anything—even a car.

“For our OEMs, we were able to show a print rate 50% faster than they needed for value production and an assembly rate about 35% faster than they need for full-volume production,” Kevin said. “We have a dozen programs for multi component structures,” said Kevin. “Our first production programs are going to be in vehicles on the road in early 2022. And these are with brands that are within groups that are in the top five global automotive groups by annual volume.”

So, just to review, it’s: computer-designed parts, 3D printers making those parts, which are assembled by robots, in a much smaller space than typical assembly lines.

Continue reading “3D-Printing the Czinger 21C Supercar Shows Us the Future of Car Making” »

AIR says its AIR ONE aircraft, an all-electric two-seater eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle, will allow people to fly ‘on their own terms’.

Facebook’s tools for moderation are awful.

Social media websites are not great at moderation. Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and more all have issues with misinformation. On Facebook, misinformation and harmful content should be handled by the Facebook moderation AI. However, it’s a bit too crap.

There are a lot of movies and TV shows that depict a mass control takeover of self-driving cars.

This seems to be on our minds.

For quite good reasons.

Continue reading “Is A Malicious Mass Control Takeover Of Self-Driving Cars Whilst On Our Roadways Really Possible?” »