These kinds of seaplanes will be mainly used for passenger transport but could also improve search and rescue operations at sea, thanks to the advantage of offering versatile loading and unloading. This multi-purpose flying vessel concept was inspired by the new needs and demands of potential operators worldwide.
History, however, shows that – like everything – the ground-effect marine crafts also have their drawbacks. The ship hovering just above the water is not able to tilt too much during the flight (so as not to hit the water), so any change of flight direction must be planned early enough because its execution takes quite a long time.
The California-based startup HyPoint has collaborated with the aircraft developer Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC) to develop hydrogen fuel cell systems for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle applications. The ultimate goal is to deliver a customizable, FAA-certified, zero carbon-emission hydrogen fuel cell system to the global eVTOL market.
Through the partnership, Piasecki will gain an exclusive license to the technology created as part of the partnership, while HyPoint will maintain ownership of its underlying hydrogen fuel cell technology.
HyPoint’s revolutionary approach uses compressed air for both cooling and oxygen supply to deliver a hydrogen fuel cell system that significantly outperforms existing battery and hydrogen fuel cell alternatives. According to the company, the new system will offer eVTOL makers four times the energy density of existing lithium-ion batteries, double the specific power of existing hydrogen fuel cell systems, and that costs up to 50% less relative to the operative costs of turbine-powered rotorcraft.
Tesla has started to hire roboticists to build its recently announced “Tesla Bot,” a humanoid robot to become a new vehicle for its AI technology.
When Elon Musk explained the rationale behind Tesla Bot, he argued that Tesla was already making most of the components needed to create a humanoid robot equipped with artificial intelligence.
A Tesla semi-truck with a very Tesla-worthy aesthetics highlighted by the contoured yet sharp design language that in a way reminds me of the iPhone 12!
Tesla’s visionary Semi all-electric truck powered by four independent motors on the rear is scheduled for production in 2022. The semi is touted to be the safest, most comfortable truck with an acceleration of 0–60 mph in just 20 seconds and a range of 300–500 miles. While the prototype version looks absolutely badass, how the final version will look is anybody’s guess.
The Boeing-owned test Stingray, MQ-25 T1, passed fuel to an E-2D airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) receiver aircraft flown by the US Navy’s (USN’s) Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-20 during the event the day prior to the announcement.
“During a test flight from MidAmerica St Louis Airport on 18 August, pilots from VX-20 conducted a successful wake survey behind MQ-25 T1 to ensure performance and stability before making contact with T1’s aerial refuelling drogue. The E-2D received fuel from T1’s aerial refuelling store during the flight,” Boeing said.
Technology Breakthroughs Enable Training of 120 Trillion Parameters on Single CS-2, Clusters of up to 163 Million Cores with Near Linear Scaling, Push Button Cluster Configuration, Unprecedented Sparsity Acceleration.
Cerebras Systems is a team of pioneering computer architects, computer scientists, deep learning researchers, and engineers of all types. We have come together to build a new class of computer to accelerate artificial intelligence work by three orders of magnitude beyond the current state of the art. The CS-2 is the fastest AI computer in existence. It contains a collection of industry firsts, including the Cerebras Wafer Scale Engine (WSE-2). The WSE-2 is the largest chip ever built. It contains 2.6 trillion transistors and covers more than 46,225 square millimeters of silicon. The largest graphics processor on the market has 54 billion transistors and covers 815 square millimeters. In artificial intelligence work, large chips process information more quickly producing answers in less time. As a result, neural networks that in the past took months to train, can now train in minutes on the Cerebras CS-2 powered by the WSE-2.
From voice-controlled personal assistants to smart robots on factory floors, Artificial Intelligence is having a profound effect on our lives. No surprise then that countries all over the world are trying to stay ahead of the curve. But when it comes to investment, who’s putting their money where their mouth is? Looking at private funding, the United States leads the way — with well over 23 billion dollars going into the sector last year. Coming in second is China, with almost 10 billion dollars. That said, Chinese state investment is particularly significant. And the European Union falls far behind, with investment of just over 2 billion dollars. So why is the EU lagging? And does Germany — its largest economy — have any plans to play catch-up? An example of AI in action can be found at a Rolls Royce control room just outside Berlin. Robots destroy jobs and artificial intelligence will soon make us all superfluous. We’ve all seen headlines like that. But the reality of the situation looks a little different. Artificial intelligence is nothing more than a system that processes large amounts of data and makes predictions about the future based on that data. Engine manufacturer Rolls Royce has been a fan of AI for a long time. Even in emergencies, it keeps its cool. In the control room at Rolls Royce just south of Berlin, safety engineers monitor more than 9,000 airplane engines worldwide. Long before the owners of the commercial jets would even notice a defect, the systems here sound the alarm. Artificial intelligence at work. The systems are fed massive amounts of data. Then the owners of the aircraft are informed. The plane can then be taken in for maintenance long before the problem becomes expensive or life-threatening. In the adjacent building, engines are assembled. Many parts are custom-made, previously developed by the design engineers, who also use artificial intelligence. For example, how would it affect the engine if certain components are changed? AI helps to find the best method. The Center for Artificial Intelligence opened at the Dahlewitz site near Berlin in 2019. People here aren’t afraid that artificial intelligence will take their jobs. In fact, the mechanics will probably have to install even more sensors and cables in the future. After all, in about five years’ time, the plan is for the aircraft to fly here with hybrid drive systems — based on sustainable fuel and electricity.
The Nevera packs four electric motors that send 1,914 horsepower (1,408 kilowatts) to all four wheels. The car is also wearing Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires while tipping the scales at 4,733 pounds (2,146 kilograms). It has an MSRP of $2.4 million. The Tesla Model S is far less powerful and cheaper, but it still impresses with its 1,020 hp (760 kW) output, thanks to its three-motor setup. It’s heavier than the Rimac at 4,833 lbs (2,192 kg), though it’s much cheaper at $124,000. Power routes to all four Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.
Watch as the Tesla Model S Plaid faces off against the Rimac Nevera hypercar in a series of high-powered EV drag races.
At Tesla’s AI Day event, Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Bot — a humanoid robot that uses much of the tech found in Tesla’s car to perform such tasks as getting groceries or attaching a bolt to a car with a wrench. Oh, and a prototype is set to be ready next year.
The Tesla Bot will stand at 5’8” and will weigh approximately 125 pounds. Fortunately, for those who fear a possible robot uprising, the team at Tesla is building the Tesla Bot in a way that “you can run away from it… and most likely overpower it.”
On Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Bot, which runs on the same AI used in Tesla’s autonomous vehicles. This surprise reveal was shared at the end of Tesla’s AI Day presentation. Musk revealed very few details about the humanoid robot besides the fact that it is 5″ 8′ and weighs 125 pounds.
The Tesla Bot is to be built from lightweight materials, and its head will be fitted with the autopilot cameras used by Tesla’s vehicles for sensing the environment. The Bot will be operated by Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) computer.
