The world’s first fleet of autonomous boats is growing – literally. After years of tests and upgrades, MIT’s self-driving Roboat has now doubled in size, allowing it to carry two people at a time. The boats have also had an intelligence upgrade and can now move in coordinated groups. The Roboat project began in 2016, with the vision of a […]

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) causes people to lose control of their muscles – unfortunately, this often eventually causes them to lose their ability to speak. A new skin-worn device, however, could still let them communicate with others. Because ALS often also affects the sufferer’s limbs, writing or typing messages isn’t always an option. Some people instead utilize setups that measure […]

Since its discovery more than a century ago, superconductivity has come to play a powerful role in many modern day technologies, such as maglev trains and MRI scans, but its utility has been limited by the need for extremely cool operating temperatures. Scientists are now claiming a big breakthrough in this area, creating what they say is the first material […]

Optical fibers are already used in many fields, but they would have even more applications if they could be manufactured faster and cheaper. An experimental new process is claimed to deliver on both counts, and it utilizes mostly existing technologies. Although optical fibers can be produced in a number of ways, the most common technique involves starting with a short, […]

The Los Angeles Fire Department has welcomed aboard a new member of the team, rolling out a robotic firefighter for its first day of service. The Thermite RS3 is a remote-controlled rover capable of pumping out thousands of gallons of water a minute, with these capabilities tested on its very first day on the job. The Thermite RS3 is produced […]

If you’ve ever tried flying a cheap consumer quadcopter indoors, you’ll know how easily they can crash into walls or furniture. Now imagine imagine trying the same with a much more expensive industrial drone. That’s why the new Aertos 130IR is built to be tough. Manufactured by Kansas-based company Digital Aerolus, the 130IR features a carbon fiber composite frame with […]

Although there are now a few different crop-spraying multicopter drones, fixed-wing drones are faster and have a longer battery range. That’s where the recently US-certified autonomous electric Pelican crop duster comes into the picture. Developed by Oakland, California-based startup Pyka, the Pelican is claimed to be much cheaper and easier to use than combustion-engined, human-flown, fixed-wing crop-spraying aircraft. Additionally, because […]

When it comes to tracking the positions of a person’s moving hand, sensor-equipped gloves are often used. An experimental new system, however, utilizes a wrist-mounted camera … which doesn’t even “see” the user’s fingers. The prototype setup was designed by scientists at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, working with colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University (US), the University of St. Andrews […]

Making every micrometer count is a key consideration for designers and engineers working on modern smartphones, and a new material could free up some valuable space. Scientists have developed a nanometer-thick form of graphite that helps keep electronic devices cool, and does so while taking up just a fraction of the real estate of current solutions. Graphite films play an […]

For people such as soldiers, security officials and airport workers, drones aren’t always a welcome sight. That’s why drone-jamming guns were developed, and the new Paladyne E1000MP “pistol” is said to be one of the most compact on the market. Manufactured by British company Drone Defence, the E1000MP works in the same fashion as similar products – it emits an […]