News Space Science Update : NOD For ISRO To Launch Five British Satellites On Friday

Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) XL variant will launch five British satellites on Friday night, said an Indian space agency official.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) official said the Launch Authorization Board (LAB) at its meeting on Tuesday has given the go ahead for the July 10 night rocket launch.

According to him, the four stage/engine PSLV rocket in XL variant is slated to blast off at 9.58 p.m. on Friday and the 62.5-hour countdown is expected to start at 7.28 a.m. on Wednesday.

Of the five British satellites, together weighing around 1,440 kg, three are identical DMC3 optical earth observation satellites weighing 447 kg. These will be put into a 647-km sun-synchronous orbit.

Of the other two satellites, CBNT-1 weighs 91 kg and also is an optical earth observation technology demonstration micro-satellite, while the De-Orbit Sail weighs 7 kg. This is an experimental nano satellite for demonstration of large thin membrane sail and drag deorbiting.

The three DMC3 and the CBNT-1 satellites are built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. The De-Orbit Sail is built by Surrey Space Centre.

According to ISRO, accommodating the three DMC3 satellites each with a height of about three meters within the existing payload fairing or the heat shield of the PSLV was a challenge. Thus, a circular L-adaptor and a triangular Multiple Satellite Adapter-Version 2 (MSA-V2) were newly designed and realized by ISRO for this specific purpose.

France's SPOT 7 satellite weighing 714 kg was the heaviest single foreign satellite carried by a PSLV rocket till now. It was launched on June 30, 2014.

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, July 08, 2015

News Update On Scientific Update : Scientists Develop Spectrometer That Can Be Fits Inside Smartphones.

WASHINGTON: MIT scientists have created a spectrometer small enough to fit inside a smartphone camera that could enable the devices to diagnose diseases, especially skin conditions, or detect environmental pollutants.

Spectrometers measure the properties of light and are widely used in physical, chemical, and biological research.

These devices are usually too large to be portable, but Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientists have created spectrometers small en ..

 "Such devices could be used to diagnose diseases, especially skin conditions, or to detect environmental pollutants and food conditions," said Jie Bao, a former MIT postdoc and the lead author of a paper describing the quantum dot spectrometers in the journal Nature.

Quantum dots, a type of nanocrystals discovered in the early 1980s, are made by combining metals such as lead or cadmium with other elements including sulfur, selenium, or arsenic.

By controlling the ratio of these starting materials, the temperature, and the reaction time, scientists can generate a nearly unlimited number of dots with differences in an electronic property known as bandgap, which determines the wavelengths of light that each dot will absorb.

The new quantum dot spectrometer, about the size of a US quarter, deploys hundreds of quantum dot materials that each filter a specific set of wavelengths of light.

The quantum dot filters are printed into a thin film and placed on top of a photodetector such as the charge-coupled devices (CCDs) found in cellphone cameras.

The researchers created an algorithm that analyses the percentage of photons absorbed by each filter, then recombines the information from each one to calculate the intensity and wavelength of the original rays of light.

The more quantum dot materials there are, the more wavelengths can be covered and the higher resolution can be obtained.

In this case, the researchers used about 200 types of quantum dots spread over a range of about 300 nanometres. With more dots, such spect ..

If incorporated into small handheld devices, this type of spectrometer could be used to diagnose skin conditions or analyse urine samples, Bao said.

They could also be used to track vital signs such as pulse and oxygen level, or to measure exposure to different frequencies of ultraviolet light, which vary greatly in their ability to damage skin.

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, July 08, 2015

New Technology Update : Drones Still Useful In Supply Chains Despite FAA Regulations

Last week the Federal Aviation Administration published its rules and regulations for the oversight of drone usage within the United States. Many will and have argued that these rules are too restrictive for companies such as Amazon or Google to truly take advantage of the technology. The basic parameters of the guidelines set by the FAA:

• Drones must be less than 55 lbs in weight
• Can only fly during the day in good weather
• Must not fly close to airports
• Cannot fly faster than 100mph
• And must be within visible site of the operator

 

On the surface these restrictions severely limit the dreams of the likes of Jeff Bezos. One of the great opportunities for drones within the supply chain and particularly with the delivery side is the ability to enhance the last mile portion. The last mile is always a challenge since you have to break down the orders to the individual level. Drones seem to offer an affordable and flexible solution - but not if the FAA rules are in place. This does not mean there are not some use cases that supply chains can take advantage of immediately:

• Asset monitoring - this is already taking place in agriculture, oil & gas, and mining to name a few. Drones provide the flexibility for activities such as survey work, monitoring of assets, determining crop growth, etc. In countries such as Australia, mining companies are already leaning heavily on the pilot-less aircrafts to assist with activity on the ground. By some estimates the usage can save close to 90% of the $2000 an hour cost for a helicopter.

• Remote delivery: Logistics firms such as DHL have been able to expand their reach via drones. The ability to connect remote German islands in the North Sea has enhanced the remote locations with a more regular delivery service. Of course these drones are clearly flying outside of site lines of the operator.

These use cases are not necessarily replicable under the FAA rules. However I have to believe that as the technology continues to evolve the FAA will loosen its regulatory grip. So what could we expect from more open drone rules? If and when the drone rules become more open here are some opportunities that supply chains might enjoy:

• Smaller window of delivery for certain items. Think of Kozmo.com with drones rather than people on bicycles. Companies from Amazon to CVS to Giant Eagle to Five Guys will be able to deliver a whole host of items to your door at the drop of a hat. Well maybe not that fast. But why couldn't books or other items from Amazon be delivered within the hour? CVS could deliver your prescriptions and Giant Eagle, your groceries, and Five Guys, your cheeseburger. Once drones become a more viable delivery extension of the supply chain, look for businesses to take advantage of the new reach this provides into the home.

• Untethering the consumer from a physical address. Drones, coupled with the explosion of mobile, will allow delivery systems to ignore the limitations of roads and physical addresses. Today deliveries rely on infrastructure such as roads, as well as fixed addresses in order to manage delivery of goods. What happens when you have a drone that has far fewer restrictions? Couple this with a mobile device that provides the digital location of the recipient. Your mobile can send the drone the exact coordinates and the drone can then fly its way to your location. We will not longer have to worry about having a package delivered to our home or office; we can just tell it what time to deliver it to us as it hones in on our GPS coordinates.

I realize these changes are a ways off. But these are examples of how the supply chain will be expanded beyond the traditional links - loading dock, retail store to name a few. These types of digital disruptions will begin to turn our homes into an extension of our supply chains.

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Science Update : Google's Boston Dynamics Unleashes Kick-Proof Robot Dog: What Can It Be In the Future?

Boston Dynamics released on Monday, Feb. 9, a video about a robot dog called Spot. The company has not been vocal about what it's been up to after being acquired by Google in 2013, but the video offers a glimpse at what they have been working on most recently.

Spot is a 160-pound, four-legged robot meant for both indoor and outdoor use. Electrically powered and fitted with hydraulics, the robot dog has a sensor head that helps it navigate around even rough terrain. It's smaller than the 260-pound beast that is the BigDog but is obviously big brother to the handier, puppy-sized LittleDog.

In the video, Spot walks into a hallway much like how any dog would. As it passes by cubicles in the Boston Dynamics office, it receives a surprise from one of the employees: getting kicked but not going down. There is sufficient force in the kick to topple a table, but Spot shows it can take a hit, quickly regaining its composure to continue walking.

Outside, Spot gets kicked again. It still doesn't go down but it has a harder time taking the hit while just standing up on the pavement. Maybe the carpet floors in the office offer better traction?

The robot dog continues exploring outside, easily making work of inclines whether it's going up or down. Even a rougher patch, with rocks and small branches or some stairs, doesn't give it any trouble. Going up side by side with BigDog, Spot is nimbler, which is probably due to its reduced heft.

What's a (robot) dog if you can't jog with it, right? The video also shows how Spot can easily keep up with faster strides either with a person or another robot dog.

The two-minute video can get a bit uncomfortable at times because it's hard to believe you're watching a robot dog (given Spot reacts the same way a real dog does), but it gets the job done, showing what Boston Dynamics is capable of.

Still, no information has been released regarding what Google actually plans for the company. Not that Boston Dynamics needs guidance or anything. It has, after all, produced nine robots, including the human-like ATLAS, which has some serious karate moves.

It's anyone's guess at this point as to what applications a kick-proof robot dog like Spot would be useful for. However, imagination is the only limit:

Future Bomb-Sniffing Robot Dog:

When fully developed, this robot dog can replace real bomb sniffing K-9s. Of course, they need to be properly equipped with the right sensors that can at least match the sense of smell of dogs. With Spot then there wil be no need to risk the lives of dogs or human bomb experts.

Police Dog:

When chasing for criminals, Spot might be equipped to go after criminals. Instead of a big bite from a real canine, Spot can perhaps use a stun gun to sudue subjects or pehaps tear gas or pepper spray to force criminals out of hiding. However, we need to wait until Spot can jump over fences. Ah, Spot will be a good partner for Robocop.

Search And Rescue:

Spot might also be deployed to find survivors during a natural calamity. If the environment is too dangerous for human rescuers, this quadruped robot can be in tandem with drones to look for victims and point them out to rescuers. It can also carry vital basic supplies like food or drink if people cannot be pulled out immediately from danger.

Guide Dog:

Spot can also be a guide dog for the blind or for the deaf. It has the technoogies needed to navigate a crowded walkway, cross a street, and other daily tasks that might be considered dangerous for the handicapped.

Herding Dog:

Put a GPS tracker on cows, sheeps, and other animals and this Boston Dynamics robot can easily herd them for you. Right from one's tablet, Spot can update farmers with the latest head count of animals or alert them in case it has trouble with an animal that has strayed away. It might also be able to serve as a guard dog to deter predators such as wolves, bears, and big cats.

Posted by Unknown Sunday, February 15, 2015

New Product Innovation Update : Quantum Optical Hard Drive Breakthrough

Scientists developing a prototype quantum hard drive have improved storage time by a factor of more than 100.
 

The team's record storage time of six hours is a major step towards a secure worldwide data encryption network based on quantum information, which could be used for banking transactions and personal emails.

"We believe it will soon be possible to distribute quantum information between any two points on the globe," said lead author Manjin Zhong, from the Research School of Physics and Engineering (RSPE) at The Australian National University (ANU).

"Quantum states are very fragile and normally collapse in milliseconds. Our long storage times have the potential to revolutionize

This image shows quantum information being written on to the nuclear spins of a europium ion.

the transmission of quantum information."Quantum information promises unbreakable encryption because quantum particles such as photons of light can be created in a way that intrinsically links them. Interactions with either of these entangled particles affect the other, no matter how far they are separated.

The team of physicists at ANU and the University of Otago stored quantum information in atoms of the rare earth element europium embedded in a crystal.

Their solid-state technique is a promising alternative to using laser beams in optical fibres, an approach which is currently used to create quantum networks around 100 kilometres long.

"Our storage times are now so long that it means people need to rethink what is the best way to distribute quantum data," Ms Zhong said.

"Even transporting our crystals at pedestrian speeds we have less loss than laser systems for a given distance."

"We can now imagine storing entangled light in separate crystals and then transporting them to different parts of the network thousands of kilometres apart. So, we are thinking of our crystals as portable optical hard drives for quantum entanglement."

After writing a quantum state onto the nuclear spin of the europium using laser light, the team subjected the crystal to a combination of a fixed and oscillating magnetic fields to preserve the fragile quantum information.

"The two fields isolate the europium spins and prevent the quantum information leaking away," said Dr Jevon Longdell of the University of Otago.

The ANU group is also excited about the fundamental tests of quantum mechanics that a quantum optical hard drive will enable.

"We have never before had the possibility to explore quantum entanglement over such long distances," said Associate Professor Matthew Sellars, leader of the research team.

"We should always be looking to test whether our theories match up with reality. Maybe in this new regime our theory of quantum mechanics breaks."

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, February 04, 2015