November 2020 show notes
Story 1: India’s new paper-based Covid-19 test could be a ‘game changer’
Source: BBC
Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-54338864
- Wouldn’t be great if we had a test for COVID 19 that’s as easy and reports results as fast as today’s home pregnancy tests.
- That’s what a team of scientists in India has developed — an inexpensive paper-based test for coronavirus [inspired by paper strip pregnancy tests] that could give fast results.
- The new Feluda test [that’s F E L U D A], is named after a famous Indian fictional detective character, and is based on a gene-editing technology called Crispr.
- When used as a diagnostic tool, Crispr technology can determine if the gene carrying the signature of the coronavirus is present in a sample taken from a nasal swab.
- The team of scientists in India working on this project estimate that the new test would return results in under an hour and cost about $6.75 each.
- And they found that the new test had 98% accuracy.
- If successful, the Feluda test could be the world’s first paper-based Covid-19 test available globally.
- However, the Indian team is not alone, other researchers around the world are also exploring the development of a simple, paper-based COVID-19 test.
Story 2: A nasal spray prevented Covid-19 infection in ferrets, a study finds.
Source: NY Times Story by Donald G. McNeil Jr.
- A nasal spray that blocks the absorption of the coronavirus completely protected ferrets it was tested on, according to a small study released earlier this month by an international team of scientists.
- If the spray, which the scientists described as nontoxic and stable, is proved to work in humans, it could provide a new way to fight the pandemic, with a daily spritz up the nose acting like a vaccine.
- The work has been underway for months by scientists from Columbia University Medical Center in New York, Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, Cornell University and the University of Campania in Italy.
- How it works:
- The spray, which attacks the virus directly, contains a lipopeptide, a cholesterol particle linked to a chain of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
- This particular lipopeptide exactly matches a stretch of amino acids in the spike protein of the virus, which the pathogen uses to attach to a human airway or lung cell.
- Before a virus [COVID 19] can inject its RNA into a cell, the spike must effectively unzip, exposing two chains of amino acids, in order to fuse to the cell wall.
- Side note: RNA = ribonucleic acid, a nucleic acid present in all living cells. Its principal role is to act as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins, although in some viruses RNA rather than DNA carries the genetic information.
- As the spike zips back up to complete the process, the lipopeptide in the spray inserts itself, latching on to one of the spike’s amino acid chains and preventing the virus from attaching.
Story 3: Dendra System’s seed-spitting drones rebuild forests from the air
Source: Engadget Story by Andrew Tarantola
- With all the terrible forest fires this year, here’s a technology that can help us replant and recover more quickly.
- There’s an outfit in the UK called Dendra System that has modified autonomous aerial drones to help quickly replant trees in devastated forests.
- The modified drones include:
- An artificial Intelligence-based visual system to spot where new trees are needed,
- an artificial intelligence-based algorithm for establishing seeding patterns,
- And get this, a custom built seed-spitter that fires marble-sized pods packed with baby trees and all the nutrients they need to start growing.
- Since the company’s founding in 2014, it has completed nearly 40 replanting projects in 11 nations.
Story 4: Meet the Newest Rookie on The LA Fire Department – a firefighting robot
Source 1: The LATEST.com
Link: https://laist.com/latest/post/20201013/los-angeles-fire-department-rs3-firefighting-robot
Source 2: http://roboticfirefighters.com
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1y_qA5o5ZM&feature=emb_logo
And CBS Los Angeles news video segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6xJur4bOSc
- Picture a robot that looks like a mini Army tank with a hose nozzle connected to traditional firefighting water hoses.
- The Los Angeles Fire Department just added one to their fleet.
- Fabricated using durable construction-grade components, it can withstand exposure to extreme elements too dangerous for human fire fighters to deal with.
- It comes from robotics manufacturer, Thermite, based in Maine. It’s the same innovative tool the Paris fire department used to battle the Notre Dame cathedral fire in Paris
- The firefighting robot is remotely operated with a bellypack controller that provides high-definition and infrared video in real-time, allowing the machine to traverse hazardous terrain with maximum control.
- The robot has the power to push vehicles from its path, and the agility to climb stairs.
- In addition to fighting fires, it can provide reconnaissance and situational awareness in high risk areas
- Key features include:
- 2,500 gallons per minute nozzle
- An 8,000 pound winch
- Stand-off water shooting range of up to 1,640 feet!
- Up to 20-hour runtime without refueling
- Reality check: cost of this robot is $278,000
Story 5: Hillsboro, Oregon is First in the United States to Install a New Form of Renewable Energy
Source: City of Hillsboro, Oregon website – press release
Link: https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov/Home/Components/News/News/12155/541
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2yTJQsAptw&feature=emb_logo
- The City of Hillsboro, the Energy Trust of Oregon, Portland General Electric, and a company called InPipe Energy have jointly announced the completion of the Hillsboro In-Pipe Hydroelectric Project
- It is the first renewable energy project featuring a new smart water and micro-hydro system that generates electricity by harvesting the heat generated by excess pressure from a city water pipeline.
- Okay, here’s a bit of background to help explain what this system does:
- Throughout the world, water agencies use control valves to manage pressure in their water pipelines
- These control valves normally burn off excess pressure as heat.
- InPipe Energy’s pressure recovery system turns the heat generated by this excess pressure – that would be otherwise wasted – into a new source of carbon-free electricity.
- This new technology at this first installation in Hillsboro will generate up to 200,000 kilowatt hours or more of electricity per year.
- And the electricity generated will help power the lighting, electric vehicle charging stations and concessions at the Ron Tonkin baseball and Hillsboro Stadiums.
- Every year going forward the clean energy produced by this first installation will reduce more than 162,000 pounds of carbon annually – that equates to over 240,000 driven miles off the road.
Story 6: MIT’s solar-powered system extracts drinkable water from “dry” air
Source: MIT News Story by David L. Chandler
Link: https://news.mit.edu/2020/solar-extracts-drinkable-water-1014
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoXj-j0VSTA&feature=emb_logo
- Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a system that can extract drinkable water directly from the air even in very dry regions, using heat from the sun.
- The goal is to create a practical water source for remote regions with limited access to water.
- Here’s how it works:
- The main component of the system looks like a solar panel.
- Inside the panel is an innovative absorbent material — which collects water moisture from the air at night.
- When the panel is heated by sunlight during the day, the difference in temperature between the heated top of the absorbent inner layer and the shaded underside releases the water vapor.
- The water vapor then gets condensed on a collection plate.
- The new system can work at humidity levels as low as 20 percent and requires no energy input other than sunlight to work.
- The new water generating panels could be combined with solar panels to provide a complete water and power solution.
Story 7: Disney’s new skinless prototype robot can blink like a human, and more!
Source: The Verge Story by Kim Lyons
See video here: https://youtu.be/D8_VmWWRJgE
- Disney Research’s new prototype humanoid robot marks a major advancement in the creation of super realistic robots.
- You must see the video to believe it!
- The robot was developed by engineers at Disney’s Research division, Walt Disney Imagineering, and robotics researchers from the University of Illinois, and the California Institute of Technology.
- The new robot can imitate sensitive human facial movements, specifically blinking and subtle head movements.
- Picture a white plastic skull [which in a final form would be covered with lifelike artificial skin] that has two stunningly realistic moving eyes and mouth.
- Its eye movements shift from direct eye contact to the rapid eye movements and glancing away we humans do in conversation with each other.
- And a sensor in its chest alerts the robot when to turn and face a person in front of it
- It’s chest also moves slightly up and down to mimic breathing.
- It’s not hard to imagine how Disney might use this technology, for example, for animatronic characters at its theme parks.
Story 8: Eight nations sign NASA’s Artemis Accords that guide cooperative exploration of the moon
Source: CNN Story by Ashley Strickland
Link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/14/world/artemis-accords-nations-sign-nasa-scn-trnd/index.html
See also: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-accords/index.html
- Here’s a news bit from last month that did not get the attention it deserves.
- The nations of Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America signed on as founding members of NASA’s Artemis Accords.
- NASA released the Artemis Accords to establish a framework of principles for safely and responsibly planning for humanity’s return to the moon.
- The goal the Artemis Accords is to unite partners to explore the Moon and establish vital principles that will create a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space for all of humanity to enjoy.
- According to the press announcement, Artemis will be the broadest and most diverse international human space exploration program in history.
Story 9: New Hyundai Team Targets Development of “Ultimate Mobility Vehicles”
Source: The Detroit Bureau Story by Paul Eisenstein
- Hyundai’s latest mobility effort sounds like it was inspired by Star Trek. [or I’d say the Transformers movies]
- It’s newly created New Horizons Studio has the task of developing a line-up of products capable of going “places where vehicles have never roamed before.”
- The South Korean carmaker offered a hint of what it had in mind at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2019 when it introduced the Elevate Ultimate Mobility Vehicle.
- With its articulated suspension and fold-out legs, the battery-powered concept vehicle could maneuver across boulder or rubble-strewn terrain to rescue injured skiers or those trapped following an earthquake or other natural disaster.
- Now, the company actually wants to build vehicles like the Elevate
- The goal of the New Horizons Studio is to create the world’s first transformer-class vehicle, also known as the Ultimate Mobility Vehicle.
- Capabilities of the prototype under development include:
- The legs can fold out to give the Elevate significantly more ground clearance.
- The jointed construction would allow it to walk, not just roll, over rough terrain.
- When the prototype’s articulated suspension is not needed, it can be folded up and back [tucked away] to enable traditional on-road use.
Story 10: All-electric trucks were available more than 100 years ago!
Source: Green Car Reports Story by Stephen Edelstein
- For the past year or so, there’s been a lot of excitement around the development of all-electric trucks – from Rivian, Tesla, GMC, Ford and others.
- But a fun bit of tech history that I did not know is we had all-electric trucks more than 100 years ago!
- For example, GMC offered a range of electric commercial trucks in the 1910s
- Nine models of electric trucks were added to the lineup alongside gasoline models in 1911, according to information from the GM Heritage Center.
- By 1913, eight models were still in the GMC lineup.
- Electric trucks at that time represented 39.8% of GMC’s sales in 1913, but that dropped to 3.2% by 1916.
- So, what happened? Electricity—as well as steam—initially gave gasoline a run for its money.
- But technology developments like the electric starter for gas vehicles, and the proliferation of gas stations allowed internal combustion vehicles to win out.
Story 11: Raptor-Inspired Drone with Morphing Wing and Tail for Unprecedented Flight Agility
Source: SciTechDaily Press announcement
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5ELn3hGA0o&feature=emb_logo
- Researchers at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne in France have developed a drone with a feathered wing and tail that give it unprecedented flight agility.
- The northern goshawk is a fast, powerful raptor that flies effortlessly through forests.
- The researchers carefully studied the shape of the bird’s wings and tail and its flight behavior, and used that information to develop a drone with similar characteristics.
- According to the developers:
- “Goshawks move their wings and tails in tandem to carry out the desired motion, whether it is rapid changes of direction when hunting in forests, fast flight when chasing prey in the open terrain, or when efficiently gliding to save energy,”
- Our design extracts principles of avian agile flight to create a drone that can approximate the flight performance of raptors, but also tests the biological hypothesis that a morphing tail plays an important role in achieving faster turns, decelerations, and even slow flight.
- In a step forward, their new model can adjust the shape of its wing and tail thanks to its artificial feathers
- The drone changes the shape of its wing and tail to change direction faster, fly slower without falling to the ground, and reduce air resistance when flying fast.
- It uses a propeller for forward thrust instead of flapping wings because it is more efficient and makes the new wing and tail system applicable to other winged drones and airplanes.
- To take full advantage of the drone’s flight capabilities, the researchers plan to incorporate artificial intelligence into the drone’s flight system so that it can fly semi-automatically.
Story 12: Toronto will trial automated shuttles from Local Motors in new pilot program
Source: TechCrunch Story by Darrel Etherington
- The city of Toronto is going to start operating autonomous shuttles on a trial basis, through an agreement with Local Motors that will see that company’s Olli 2.0 all-electric self-driving shuttle ferry passengers beginning in Spring 2021.
- Local Motors is an American motor vehicle company focused on low-volume manufacturing of open-source motor vehicle designs using multiple microfactories.
- The Olli 2.0 vehicle has a passenger capacity of up to eight people at a time and includes accessibility features like a wheelchair ramp and securing points.
- It also includes an AV system for providing information and updates to passengers.
- During the trial phase a safety operator onboard the vehicle has the ability to take over manual control at any time, should the need arise due to safety concerns or for any other reason.
- The goal is to ultimately help connect commuters to one of the area’s primary light rail networks for longer-distance transportation.
- Here are some fun facts:
- Olli 2.0 has up to 100 miles on a single charge
- And its manufactured using 80% 3D-printed technology
Story 13: Snake venom can now be made in a lab and that could save many lives
Source: CNN Story by Katie Hunt
Link: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/29/health/snake-venom-lab-organoids-stem-cell-scn/index.html
Photo below of traditional antivenom production process:
Photo below of venom-producing glands from the Cape Coral Snake and eight other snake species in the lab, using stem cells:
- It has been estimated that 7,000–8,000 people per year receive venomous bites in the United States, and about 5 of those people die.
- If you’re unlucky enough to have a poisonous snake sink its fangs into you, your best hope is an antivenom, which has been made in the same way since Victorian times.
- It involves milking snake venom by hand and injecting it into horses or other animals in small doses to evoke an immune response.
- The animal’s blood is drawn and purified to obtain antibodies that act against the venom.
- Now — finally — scientists are applying stem cell research and genome mapping to this long-ignored field of research.
- They hope it will bring antivenom production into the 21st Century and ultimately save thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives each year.
- Researchers in the Netherlands have created venom-producing glands from the Cape Coral Snake and eight other snake species in the lab, using stem cells.
- The toxins produced by the miniature 3-D replicas of snake glands are all but identical to the snake’s venom, the team announced this month.
- In a parallel breakthrough, scientists in India have sequenced the genome of the Indian cobra, one of the country’s “big four” snakes that are responsible for most of the 50,000 snakebite deaths India sees a year.
Story 14: Researchers built a robot squid that propels itself with a water jet
Source: Engadget Story by Kris Holt
Link: https://a.msn.com/r/2/BB19RUAq?m=en-us&ocid=News
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-UMDnSB8k0&feature=emb_logo
- To help explore underwater environments without damaging coral or sea life, engineers from UC San Diego created a soft robot squid.
- Researchers used mainly soft, flexible materials like acrylic polymer to build the device, along with a few 3D printed and laser-cut rigid parts.
- The team drew inspiration from the jet propulsion mechanism of real squid to help the robot swim by itself.
- It takes some water into its flexible body, where it also stores elastic energy.
- The robot can compress its body to release that energy and use a water jet to propel itself. The device can adjust the nozzle’s position, so it can swim in any direction.
- The engineers claim the robot can travel around half a mile per hour, which is faster than most soft robots.
- The robot also has a waterproof compartment that can house a camera or other sensor, which is vital for recording data.