Kevin

I am the writer, editor and publisher behind this future technology blog and I predict you will keep reading to see what is coming right around that metaphorical corner.

Small, Agile Drones on the Horizon

Drones Comments Off

Apr 082021

Insect Size Flying Robot

Drones have quickly become a major part of residential and commercial life. From industrial estates using drones that are tethered as 360-degree security systems to roofers using drones to show customers the quality of the work done, drones have become a major part of our lives in a few short years. However, they are still somewhat limited in what they can do for the average person and are often noted to be quite brittle and easily broken.

Given the cost, many aren’t willing to shell out on a drone that might end up smashed. That is why the development of a tiny, agile drone could offer the solution to this issue.

Boasting both unlimited visibility, maximum vision, physical durability, and incredible range, these tiny drones could be far more than a gimmick. Indeed, they look to take much of the weaknesses of the normal drone – weakness, cumbersome design, and limited usage due to energy constraints – and turn them on their head. Instead, this offers a solution that is much more effective, far more reliable, and generally much safer to use for the most part.

These tiny drones would be small indeed and would be capable of probably being mistaken for an insect if it were to fly by you. Of course, some worry that such products could be used for espionage and other issues, but the benefits are believed to far outweigh any of the hypothetical risks. Thanks to the development taking place at MIT under Kevin Yufeng Chen, this could provide us with an insect-like drone.

This would mean it could get around quickly, avoid physical damage, and easily provide us with visibility and opportunity where previously it was not possible.

From being used in emergency situations to being a useful aide for commercial work, these tiny drones offer huge potential.

These drones have quickly gained a large following online, with many noting they provide a different approach to what is often a challenging discussion. Many see drones as either too cumbersome, too weak, or too incapable of flying at a long enough distance. Well, these little drones look to conquer those issues; strong, secure, sturdy, and capable of flying across longer distances.

The work being done has also been focused in the IEEE Transactions On Robotics journal, and was co-authored by experts like MIT PhD student Zhijian Ren, Siyi Xu of Harvard, and Pakpong Chirarattananon of the University of Hong Kong.

While commercial uptake on such a project might still be a few years away, this is proof that we are seeing massive changes in the robotics industry – changes that could become hugely exciting for the future of drone technology.

Citation

https://news.mit.edu/2021/researchers-introduce-new-generation-tiny-agile-drones-0302

Flying Taxi Ports

Future Airplanes Comments Off

Mar 062021

Urban Air Port Air-One

For years, science fiction has played a role in inspiring the development of new and improved technological ideas. However, some ideas have often felt like something far off in the future in terms of realistic possibility including flying cars. However, the world-first electric Urban Air Port which has won UK Government backing might be about to change all of this. This exciting new idea will open up in the UK after winning the government backing and approval needed to take operations further.

Air Port Air-One is a mixture between a trio of groups – Hyundai, Urban Air Port, and Coventry City Council. They have won the agreement from the UK Government’s Future Flight Challenge to create an aviation system that would better work for the next generation of electric and automated vehicles. Given we are only years away from the development of a whole new kind of motor industry, such innovations as this can only be good for public progress moving forward.

The hope is that Air-One will be launched in 2021 and will be close to the high-traffic area of the city that includes the Ricoh Arena. This will be the first-ever fully operational hub for future electronic vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This will include the use of automated drones but also the use of things like air taxis, which are becoming an idea taken direct from most popular sci-fi movies and writings.

While the concept might still seem strange to some, this is a movement that is taking place with 100% government backing. The UK Government has long been under pressure to make more moves into the use of modernized forms of transport and automation. The agreement to back this project, then, looks like proof that such pressure has worked.

Why are flying taxi ports becoming a part of the UK?

The main reason why this has taken place in the United Kingdom is that there was already the London-based Urban Air Port group to work with. Already experienced and in the process of developing such a system themselves, Hyundai was seen as the ideal partner for both groups. This allows for an easier, more effective growth of a new market in the UK whilst being overseen by a team of already-present professionals.

Hyundai, too, is excited about the potential for development of its own eVTOL aircraft in the years to come, as well. This would provide them with the chance to create a commercialized system that could be used within the UK by 2028. By helping to lay the groundwork for an industry they already intend to step into, Hyundai is helping to both prove the market exists and that it can be successful through smart moves.

Flying taxi ports might seem like an idea draped in science fiction tropes. Yet, as has been shown in the developments taking place in Coventry, such changes are not only possible, but they are plausible. While the ideas might not be unique, their implementation in a real-world scenario almost certainly is.

Advances in Lab Grown Organs

Future Medical Technology Comments Off

Feb 052021

Lab Grown Liver

For years, the discussion over the development of synthetic, lab-grown organs has been a major talking point. Many see it as a controversial subject, with dubious ethical leanings and understandings. Others, though, see the process of lab grown organs as an essential part of making sure we can give everyone the help that they need. Instead of waiting precarious months for that ideal kidney, lab grown organs would mean that we could get someone the organ they need. However, advancement in the process has been a slow-burning development.

The University of Pittsburgh, though, has been working on a process to help make sure that lab-grown livers could be created. They have been using machine learning and synthetic biology in combination with one another to try and find the ideal solution to the creation of entirely safe lab-developed livers. This useful combination has allowed the research team to start utilising algorithms from machine learning with synthetic biology. The aim is to help speed up the process along, creating a human liver with real blood and bile management systems.

So far, though, the process is still very much in the development phase. The testing in mice, though, did show that when mice with failing or failed livers were given the lab grown alternative that their lifespan was increased. While it cannot be said for certain that it works without qualification, there is already a clear interest in the use of lab grown organs.

The aim is simple – find a way to avoid having to wait on the loss of another human life to save an ailing life. With lab-grown organs, that could become a reality in the future. Testing, though, is going to be a long-term process; even with the progress made, real-life usage is still some way off.

Are lab grown organs a realistic proposition?

It certainly appears to be the case. Indeed, the synthetic biology and machine learning combination in Pittsburgh has produced some of the most positive, promising results seen in some time. The hope is that they can continue to grow and get better over time, and that the process can continue to develop to the right standard without any complications or delays.

If lab grown organs has become a talking point that you find concerning, then the progress being made in Pittsburgh might assuage some fears. You should absolutely take a closer look at lab grown organ processes being developed, though, as the progress being made in Pittsburgh is the most promising news in some time.

In an industry that is constantly being watched to see when authentic and safe lab-grown organs could become a reality, it is exciting to see such rapid progress. Should the university be able to continue along this line of thought, we could see some more development in 2021.

As one of the most in-demand parts of the synthetic medical industry, lab-grown organs would be a genuine game-changer. Although still in the earliest of phases of development, the promising discoveries made by the Pittsburgh research time are very exciting indeed.

Citation

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201207112248.htm

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