Masdar Buys Inkjet Printer for 3D Printing Solar Cells! The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) in Abu Dhabi, which is affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has purchased a Fujifilm Dimatix DMP283 inkjet printer – the learning institute’s first step towards printing its very own solar cells! For the longest time, the United Arab Emirates had no chance to keep pace with the western world’s clean tech advancements mostly because of a dearth of skills and a non-existent supply chain of necessary materials. But that is changing now as government and civil society leaders recognize the importance of keeping pace with western developments – particularly to secure the region’s energy hegemony for the future. As such, Beirut recently opened the first 3-D printing shop and now MIST, a branch of Masdar, has announced that it has purchased a Fujifilm Dimatix DMP283 inkjet printer in order to prepare its graduate students to learn how to print their own organic optoelectronics. “Dr. MIST President Dr. :: Arab Brains
Robot Morality: Can a Machine Have a Conscience Robot Morality: Can a Machine Have a Conscience? By Brian Green As part of the Markkula Center's yearlong series of talks on conscience, George Lucas of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, formerly of the US Naval Academy, and previously a professor of philosophy at Santa Clara University, came to campus to discuss the ethics of giving autonomous military robots the authority to kill. Lucas answered the title question of the talk "Can a machine have a conscience?" Beginning with a discussion of the current use of military drones, which are piloted by humans and can only fire by human authorization, Lucas moved on to what he thought would be more likely scenarios for autonomous robots. Lucas emphasized that even human commanders in military situations often must contact leadership in order to know how to react or to authorize the use of force. That simple situation is quite like what one might encounter on the ground in Afghanistan. October 2013
Firefighting Robot Paints 3D Thermal Imaging Picture for Rescuers Engineers in the Coordinated Robotics Lab at the University of California, San Diego, have developed new image processing techniques for rapid exploration and characterization of structural fires by small Segway-like robotic vehicles. A sophisticated on-board software system takes the thermal data recorded by the robot’s small infrared camera and maps it onto a 3D scene constructed from the images taken by a pair of stereo RGB cameras. This allows small mobile robotic vehicles to create a virtual reality picture that includes a 3D map and temperature data that can be used immediately by first responders as the robot drives through a building on fire. The research is part of a plan to develop novel robotic scouts that can help firefighters to assist in residential and commercial blazes. The robots will map and photograph the interior of burning buildings by using stereo vision. Computer scientists in Prof.
Patients Scarred After Robotic Surgery Intuitive Surgical, which makes the da Vinci, declined to discuss their cases because of pending litigation. Most robotic procedures take place without a hitch, but there are a growing number of complaints and lawsuits that allege complications and even deaths from the da Vinci surgery. "The robot has a place in surgery," said Dr. Francois Blaudeau, a lawyer and practicing Alabama gynecologist who is serving as the lead plaintiffs' attorney on a slew of cases focused on da Vinci-related injuries. CNBC.com's Da Vinci Debate series:Part 1: Controversy Over Surgical Robotics Heats Up Part 2: Patients Scarred After Robotic Surgery Part 3: Counting the Problems of Robot-Assisted Surgery Part 4: Marketing Is Key to Surgical Robot's Success According to lawsuits, complaints, interviews with alleged victims, plaintiff attorneys and an FDA database, many of the reported injuries during robotic surgery appear to be burns and other heat-related damage to intestines, ureter, bowels and other organs.
Power JMD From PESWiki "E pure si muove / And yet it moves."-- Galileo said of the Earth Compiled by Sterling D. Allan Pure Energy Systems News June 18, 2013 A French company, Power JMD, appears to have an exotic free energy device that is getting close to market (some time in "2013 or 2014"). From what I can gather, it uses some kind of rotational mechanism that is able to self-loop and provide excess energy; and it is fairly bulky and fairly well engineered. On their site, they say: "With the POWERJMD system, you will get an independent and almost free ecologic source of electricity. And on their "goals" page, they say: "This new system has the potential to end the mass production of electric energy as we know it today." "Who has not dreamed of producing his own electricity? "The POWERJMD system does not pollute and emits very little noise. "Here is a generator for every use: Homes, apartment buildings, industry, commercial centers, and municipalities." Official Websites Videos Clean, Free Energy
How Should the Law Think About Robots? by Neil M. Richards, William Smart The robots are coming. We don’t mean this in a scary, apocalyptic way, like in The Terminator or Battlestar Galactica, or in a tongue-in-cheek way, like in the Flight of the Conchords song “The Humans are Dead.” What we mean is this: Robots and robotic technologies are now mature enough to leave the research lab and come to the consumer market in large numbers. This essay is an attempt to think through some of the conceptual issues surrounding law, robots and robotics, to sketch out some of their implications.
THE 18 MOST SUPPRESSED INVENTIONS Perhaps the most notorious suppressed invention is the General Motors EV1, subject of the 2006 documentary, Who Killed the Electric Car? The EV1 was the world’s first mass-produced electric car, with 800 of them up for lease from GM in the late ’90s. GM ended the EV1 line in 1999, stating that consumers weren’t happy with the limited driving range of the car’s batteries, making it unprofitable to continue production. Many skeptics, however, believe GM killed the EV1 under pressure from oil companies, who stand to lose the most if high-efficiency vehicles conquer the market. In 1921, if the streetcar industry wasn’t actually naming streetcars Desire, it was certainly desiring more streetcars. The holy grail of automotive technology is the 99-mpg car. Nikola Tesla was more than just the inspiration for a hair metal band, he was also an undisputed genius. Despite how silly it sounds, water-fueled vehicles do exist. Dr. Comments comments
"Sue My Car Not Me: Products Liability and Accidents Involving Autonomo" by Jeffrey K. Gurney Jeffrey K. Gurney, University of South Carolina - Columbia Abstract Autonomous vehicles will revolutionize society within the decade. Based on those scenarios, this Article argues that the autonomous technology manufacturer should be liable for accidents while the vehicle is in autonomous mode. Suggested Citation Jeffrey K. Find your own private Internet with Freenet | PC World – by Alex Wawro Anonymous peer-to-peer communication on the Internet isn’t just a handy tool for privacy enthusiasts; it’s critical for preserving free speech in the digital world. Anonymous file-sharing services like BitTorrent are legion, but their utility is limited—you can share only files—and their reputations are unfairly tarnished by people who use them to share media illegally. If you’re looking for a highly anonymous peer-to-peer network with websites, forums, and more, look no farther than the Free Network, one of the best-kept secrets in anonymous communication. Here’s how it works: Freenet is an anonymous peer-to-peer data-sharing network similar to BitTorrent, but with one key difference: All uploaded data is assigned a unique key, sliced up into small, encrypted chunks and scattered across different computers on the network. Next, head over to the Freenet Project website, and download the Freenet client for your operating system.
Terminator-like killer robots worry UN Last updated 08:41 31/05/2013 BAE, one of the world's biggest arms firms, unveils the Taranis, a prototype killer robot. Should robots be allowed to take a human life, without direct supervision or command? Science fiction met reality at the United Nations in Geneva overnight, where this question was debated at a meeting of the Human Rights Council. UN special rapporteur Christof Heyns told the council that countries are developing armed robots that can kill without the need for human choice or intervention, and they need to call a halt before it's too late. "The possible introduction of LARs (lethal autonomous robots) raises far-reaching concerns about the protection of life during war and peace," Heyns said. Heyns presented a report on his research and called for a worldwide moratorium on the production and deployment of such machines, while nations figured out the knotty legal and ethical issues. "War without reflection is mechanical slaughter," he said. "Robots also do not rape." Comments
Beginners Electricity Lab Starting Guide Starting your very own Tesla Lab is made much easier when you know what gear you shall need. We’re all in this process of learning together so let’s share our research and experience in everything, no matter how small. It all helps. Each item shall have a score of 1-5 : Five being “absolutely essential” to 3 being “very useful past the novice stage” and 1 being “acquire only at advanced stage when needed” Multi-Meter -5 Every electricians very first tool. Tools Electronic ComponentsThese are basic elements and you can find them at a Radioshack. ConnectorsHeat Shrink TubingAlligator Clips and Test LeadsBreadboardsResistorsCapacitorsLEDs and DiodesOn Off Switches and Potentiometersetc… This is just a good starting point, the real joy will come from growing your own lab your own way.
Synthetic Police Are Coming: DARPA Engineering Autonomous Robots Susanne Posel Occupy Corporatism August 17, 2012 Because of the risks involved in rescue aid workers and human response teams, DARPA awarded Boston Dynamics, Inc. a $10.9 million contract to manufacture humanoid robots that are bi-pedal, built like humans and have a sensor head with on-board computing capabilities. These robots are being created to assist in excavation and rescue missions, according to DARPA . Kent Massey, director of advanced programs for HDT Robotics , who attended the DARPA meeting in which the purpose of the allocation of humanoid robotic technology was explained, said: “The goal of this Grand Challenge is to create a humanoid robot that can operate in an environment built for people and use tools made for people. These human-controlled robots will be strong enough to “clear a room” and “facilitate sentry control and combat causality recovery.” The Naval Research Laboratory interests SAFFiR, the Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot.
Hydrogen - Nature's Fuel