Brazilian law enforcement will get high-tech assistance during the 2014 World Cup soccer games from 30 robots. The national government purchased the machines for $7.2 million. They will be stationed in the 12 host cities during the soccer matches and will primarily be used to help examine any suspicious objects. The small and sturdy robot, which weighs roughly 40 pounds, is designed to fit in a backpack such that a human can deploy it immediately. It is able to reach speeds of up to 9 miles/hour and can navigate uneven and steep terrain, but it is also submersible at depths of up to 2 meters. The PackBot robot is made by Bedford, Massachusetts-based iRobot. It was first deployed in 2002 in Afghanistan and has since been used by the military in Iraq and several other countries. The PackBot was also the first remote controlled robot to enter the Fukushima nuclear facility after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. (SlashDot)(International Business Times UK)(Robohub)
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Microsoft Plans Cryptic Operating System Releases
Microsoft is planning a wave of operating system releases in spring of 2015 across all its various platforms, including Windows, Xbox One, and Windows Phone. This is according to new information reported by ZD Net, which obtained information from an internal Microsoft e-mail. “Threshold” is reportedly updating all three OS platforms in such a way that they will share more common elements. This will apparently be through sharing applications. It is unclear precisely how Microsoft plans to move forward or if it intends to take a device-agnostic approach. “If Microsoft is heading toward some sort of unified programming model, that’s going to require possibly years of work,” noted PC World’s Mark Hachman. “But other elements, such as the UI, services, and user data stored in the cloud, can be more easily manipulated.” Microsoft has indicated it will offer “Update 1” to Windows 8.1 in spring of 2014. (ZD Net)(Engadget)(PC World)
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Volvo Plans Test of Autonomous Cars
Volvo announced plans to test its autonomous vehicle technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, within the next three years. A fleet of 100 autonomous vehicles will be used in the 2017 “Drive Me” program. With this pilot test, Volvo has as its goal “no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car by 2020.” Participants will be hand selected for the test, scheduled to take place on public roads, which include various types of driving challenges, such as commuter traffic, city centers, and freeway driving. “Autonomous vehicles are an integrated part of Volvo Cars’ as well as the Swedish government’s vision of zero traffic fatalities,” said Volvo president and CEO Håkan Samuelsson. “It will give us an insight into the technological challenges at the same time as we get valuable feedback from real customers driving on public roads.” The study will also determine what improvements autonomous vehicles may have on traffic and fuel efficiency as well as whether any infrastructure changes might be required. Volvo is competing with other firms in developing autonomous vehicles, including Google, Nissan, Ford, General Motors, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW. Until its fully autonomous technology is tested, Volvo says it will offer a semi-autonomous driving mode on its 2014 XC90, which will combine adaptive cruise control with technology designed to keep the car centered in its lane at low speeds. (The Telegraph)(WIRED)