Show Notes 11 February 2022
Story 1: New “Mayflower” autonomous research ship will soon cross the Atlantic
Source: Smithsonian Magazine Story by Alka Tripathy-Lang
402 years ago, the Mayflower brought the Pilgrims from England to Massachusetts.
Now there’s a new super high tech Mayflower vessel ready to retrace the journey this spring – with the launch date yet to be announced.
In development for the past five years by IBM and maritime research organization ProMare, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship is an unmanned research vessel controlled entirely by artificial intelligence.
To me it looks like a catamaran with a slender center hull flanked by stabilizers on each side.
As it crosses the Atlantic its mission will be to collect data on the health of the ocean and marine mammal life, while gathering information about using ocean waves as a sustainable energy source.
Here’s some of the cool technology onboard:
The vessel’s AI navigation uses a camera-based vision system to recognize potential hazards such as passing ships.
Two weather stations on board linked to IBM’s Weather Company service will provide the AI system with real-time weather information.
And sensors that monitor wave action will inform the navigation system of sea conditions.
Using all these inputs, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship’s AI system will make and execute educated decisions to navigate through a host of potential challenges.
And for power, like a hybrid car, a diesel generator combined with batteries and solar panels drives these systems and sensors, as well as the ship itself.
Story 2: Scientists are building a robot to help recycle smartphones
Source: The Verge Story by Maddie Stone
Link: https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/3/22914422/smartphone-recycling-robot-ai-ewaste
Back in 2016 Apple made headlines with the introduction of smart robots that could recycle components from old iPhones. That’s great, but it only applied to Apple phones.
What the world needs is a smart recycling robot that can disassemble and recycle valuable materials from any brand or model of the more than 150 million smartphones we Americans alone dump each year.
It makes good economic sense as the metals, plastics, and rechargeable batteries recovered can be used to make new products.
With this goal in mind the US Department of Energy recently awarded a $445,000 grant to a team of researchers to develop Artificial Intelligence software that will enable robots to automatically:
identify different brands and models of smartphones,
remove the batteries,
and harvest various high-value metals and other components.
The team awarded the grant includes scientists from:
The Idaho National Laboratory,
University of Buffalo,
Iowa State University,
and electronic-waste commercial recycler Sunnking.
By the end of the two-year research project, the team will field-test its technology at one of Sunnking’s recycling facilities.
Story 3: New system in development converts natural gas used for home and business heating into clean burning hydrogen gas
Source: TechCrunch.com Story by Devin Coldewey
Link: https://techcrunch.com/2022/02/03/with-a-plan-to-decarbonize-home-heating-with-hydrogen-modern-electron-raises-30m/
What if you could convert your home or business’s natural gas heating system into one using clean burning, climate friendly hydrogen gas – and, at the same time use the heat to generate electricity?
A Seattle area-based outfit called Modern Electron wants to offer just that with an innovative system based on two technologies:
The first technology [currently still in development] would take the natural gas coming into your home or business and convert it to hydrogen gas and graphite [in the form of pure solid carbon dust].
The hydrogen gas is then passed on to the furnace to be burned, while the graphite byproduct is collected for disposal or reuse.
In parallel, another of Modern Electron’s products already on the market, and about the size of a soda can, uses the heat generated when burning the hydrogen gas to produce electricity.
The bottom line – if this becomes commercially attractive, you’ll get clean hydrogen gas heating, and a bonus shot of electricity for your home or business.
Story 4: Salute to three African American women who played a major role in the early success of NASA
Source: Los Angeles Times Story by Emily Doan
Link: https://highschool.latimes.com/fountain-valley-high-school/the-truth-behind-hidden-figures/
Katherine Johnson/Mary Jackson/Dorothy Vaughan
As this is Black History Month, I wanted to highlight the contributions three amazing African American women made to the early success of NASA.
As highlighted in the movie and book called “Hidden Figures“, the contributions of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson to early space exploration were truly remarkable.
All three were working for NASA processing aeronautic data during the Space Race era of the early 1960s.
Katherine Johnson is most recognized for her remarkable contributions, specifically the use of her advanced mathematical calculations for John Glenn’s 1962 orbital mission, which is dramatically documented in the film “Hidden Figures”.
Story 5: A French company has created a hydrogen-powered flying racer that looks inspired by a Star Wars podracer
Source: Interesting Engineering Story by Irmak Bayrakdar
Link: https://interestingengineering.com/this-hydrogen-powered-carcopter-is-a-real-life-star-wars-podracer
Okay Star Wars fans, what if you could compete in, or watch, a flying pod race, like the race in Episode I The Phantom Menace?
A French startup, Maca Flight, is planning to make this a reality.
The company recently introduced a 23 foot-long, single pilot, hydrogen-powered, electric vertical take-off and landing flying racer that looks like it could be a Star Wars podracer.
Called the Maca S11 it can achieve speeds up to 155 miles per hour powered by a hydrogen fuel cell instead of a conventional battery.
And remember the exhaust from a hydrogen powered vehicle is just water vapor and heat.
The S11 racer features three pairs of electric-powered rotors and six electric motors, all of which run on hydrogen.
The final commercial product will feature multiple Artificial Intelligence-powered detection systems to prevent any possible mid-air collisions.
The price tag will be just over $900,000, and Maca Flight says it will be available next year.