A new EU Project on Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE) will allow automated driven cars in convoys on European highways – in 10 years.
The idea behind the project is that you connect the leader vehicle which can be a taxi, truck or any car with a driver who is familiar with the road. After that, the car will join the convoy, follow the lead, accelerate or slow down when necessary which you can relax and enjoy the ride. At any time, you can contact the leader vehicle and leave the convoy and take over the control of your car for example when you reach your destination or need to change roads.
The vehicles in automated mode are able to detect gaps created by other vehicles leaving the convoy and can adjust it to keep a uniform distance. Another ground rule is that a vehicle can only join a convoy in the last position. A convoy can be around 6-8 cars length. Below is a video that shows the SARTRE lead system in action. Read More »

While the world is still struggling with financial crisis and swine flu, the people at NASA are always looking for new ways to send people to space. I heard some stories few years ago that a bus shuttle is being developed that would be able to take people on a ride to the moon.
While these stories might be just rumors, taking the elevator on the other hand might be a more realistic option.
In a Power Beaming Challenge competition arranged by NASA and Spaceward Foundation, a prize money of $900,000 went to LazerMotive, a Seattle company
that successfully demonstrated new wireless energy beaming technology which could one day be used to help power a “space elevator.”, according to the press release by NASA.
As usual, a video to illustrate the event is available below Read More »

After a successful trial in using a rat brain to control a robot, the scientists at the University of Reading in Great Britain will take their project to the next step and try for the first time to connect a robot to a human brain.
The first experiment used 300 000 nerve cells from the rat brain to control a small robot on wheels. The project initially aimed at getting a deeper knowledge of how the human brain works in order to get a better understanding of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson by studying the brain signals.
The experiment with human brain cells is the first of its kind and could bring bioengineering and biomechanics in particular into a new era.
Optimists are already speculating the birth of AI: Artificial Intelligence. Read More »

Cyberdine Corporation and Professor Sankai of Tsukuba University introduced HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) last year. A robot suit that can improve physical capability. While it is a good solution to handicaps, disabled or aged people to move around, HAL can assist workers in the industry to carry more, and rely on it in certain position like bending knees for a long period.

Technology behind HAL

The movement of a person is established as a consequence of nerve signals being sent from the brain to the muscles via motoneuron, moving the musculoskeletal system. At the same instance, very weak bio signals can be detected on the surface of the skin. HAL catches these signals through a sensor attached to the skin of the wearer. Based on the signals obtained, the power unit is controlled to move the joint unitedly with the wearer’s muscle movement, enabling to support the wearer’s daily activities.
The video below shows HAL in action Read More »