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Self-Driving Buses: The Next Frontier for Autonomous Vehicle Tech?

2025-01-24

Self-Driving Buses: The Next Frontier for Autonomous Vehicle Tech?

Facing a looming shortage of bus drivers and the inefficiency of robotaxis, self-driving buses are emerging as a promising solution. Unlike robotaxis, which exacerbate traffic congestion, autonomous buses offer increased efficiency. Imagry, a San Jose-based company, has successfully deployed Level 3 autonomous buses in Israel and aims to expand to Level 4 technology globally. Their cost-effective approach utilizes cameras and machine learning for high-definition map generation, ensuring safe and reliable autonomous operation. Competitors like MAN, Karsan, and Iveco are also actively developing self-driving bus technology, with supportive government initiatives in Europe and Asia. The widespread adoption of autonomous buses could revolutionize public transportation.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech buses

The Secret Spy Satellite That Helped Win the Cold War

2025-01-22

The Secret Spy Satellite That Helped Win the Cold War

In the 1970s, the rise of the Soviet Navy posed a significant threat to the US. To counter the emergence of powerful new Soviet warships, the top-secret Parcae satellite program was launched. Developed by the US Naval Research Laboratory, Parcae provided real-time location data on Soviet vessels, drastically reducing the time between signal interception and intelligence reporting to mere minutes. This near-instantaneous intelligence was crucial for military decision-making. Employing multiple satellites working in concert and advanced computer systems to process massive amounts of data, Parcae helped maintain the strategic balance during the Cold War. Its technology continues to influence modern satellite signals intelligence systems.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech spy satellite signals intelligence

Escape the Tech Noise: The Rise of Calm Tech Certification

2025-01-21

Escape the Tech Noise: The Rise of Calm Tech Certification

Amidst the constant distractions of modern technology, Calm Tech certification emerges as a solution. Founded by Amber Case, the Calm Tech Institute has established 81 standards across six categories—attention, periphery, durability, light, sound, and materials—to reward products designed for focus and minimal distraction. Initial certified devices include the reMarkable Paper Pro and the Mui Board Gen 2, both prioritizing minimalist design and reduced notifications. The Calm Tech Institute plans further research and collaboration with neuroscientists to better understand cognitive needs in UI design.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech Tech Certification Reduced Distractions

Toyota Prius: The Hybrid Pioneer That Reshaped the Auto Industry

2025-01-18

Toyota Prius: The Hybrid Pioneer That Reshaped the Auto Industry

The 1997 launch of the Toyota Prius marked a pivotal moment in automotive history, as the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle. Combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor, it dramatically reduced fuel consumption and emissions, overcoming significant technical and market challenges. These challenges included designing an efficient hybrid powertrain, managing battery technology, and addressing consumer skepticism. The Prius's success not only established a new benchmark for environmentally friendly vehicles but also spurred other automakers to accelerate hybrid development, fundamentally altering the automotive landscape. Even today, the Prius continues to set fuel efficiency records and drive innovation.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech hybrid car Toyota Prius

Stanford's Off-Grid Ammonia Generator: Powering the Future with Thin Air

2025-01-16

Stanford's Off-Grid Ammonia Generator: Powering the Future with Thin Air

Researchers from Stanford University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals have developed a groundbreaking device that generates ammonia from ambient air and water vapor without any external power source. Utilizing a catalyst-coated mesh, the system combines atmospheric nitrogen and water vapor to produce ammonia at room temperature and pressure. This ammonia can be used directly as fertilizer or processed into a sustainable green fuel, offering a revolutionary approach to fertilizer production and energy generation. The technology promises to significantly impact both developing nations and industrial applications.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech green energy ammonia

Reversible Computing: A Potential Energy Efficiency Game Changer?

2025-01-14

Reversible Computing: A Potential Energy Efficiency Game Changer?

The energy efficiency bottleneck plaguing the chip industry may soon be overcome by reversible computing. This technology cleverly avoids information erasure to save energy, theoretically achieving up to a 4,000x energy efficiency improvement. Vaire Computing is working to commercialize this technology, which has remained in academia for three decades. They plan to launch their first reversible computing chip prototype in Q1 2025, designed to recover energy used in arithmetic circuits. Future plans include energy-efficient processors for AI inference. While challenges remain, this technology offers a new hope for the computing field after the slowdown of Moore's Law.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech chip technology

Bird-Inspired Drone Uses Legs to Take Off

2025-01-10

Bird-Inspired Drone Uses Legs to Take Off

Researchers at EPFL have developed a bio-inspired drone, RAVEN, with bird-like legs that enable it to walk, hop, and even jump into the air for takeoff. This research not only reveals the efficiency of birds' jumping takeoffs but also offers a novel approach for fixed-wing drones. RAVEN uses its legs to store and release energy, resulting in a more energy-efficient and faster takeoff than conventional methods. Future applications could include cargo delivery.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech bio-inspired robotics drone

Deep Dive: Humans to Test Underwater Habitat in 2025

2025-01-06

Deep Dive: Humans to Test Underwater Habitat in 2025

British startup Deep is pioneering underwater living with its Sentinel project, a modular habitat slated for completion in 2027. Utilizing advanced 3D printing and welding, Sentinel will enable scientists to live and work at depths up to 200 meters for extended periods. A smaller, transportable habitat called Vanguard, launching in 2025, will serve as a testbed. Vanguard can house three divers for up to a week, demonstrating the potential to dramatically increase the efficiency of ocean research and enhance our understanding of marine ecosystems in the face of climate change.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech Underwater Habitat Ocean Exploration 3D Printing

Canon's Nanoimprint Lithography Challenges EUV Dominance

2025-01-05

Canon's Nanoimprint Lithography Challenges EUV Dominance

Canon has launched a chip manufacturing technology called nanoimprint lithography (NIL), capable of 14-nanometer precision, challenging the extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) technology currently monopolized by ASML. NIL offers lower costs, lower energy consumption, and a simpler process, transferring circuit patterns onto silicon wafers using a 'stamping' method. Despite a 20-year development period, NIL has overcome challenges such as resist control, bubble elimination, and alignment accuracy, and the first commercial system has been delivered. In the future, NIL is poised to gain a foothold in memory and logic chip manufacturing, especially in applications demanding cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech nanoimprint lithography

Battlezone: How a Simple Tank Game Became a Military Simulator

2025-01-04

Battlezone: How a Simple Tank Game Became a Military Simulator

Released in 1980, Atari's Battlezone revolutionized gaming with its groundbreaking first-person perspective and 3D vector graphics. Powered by three microprocessors—one dedicated to complex matrix calculations for perspective—the game pushed the limits of technology, overcoming challenges like object limitations and screen clipping. Unexpectedly, its success caught the attention of the US Army, leading to a rushed conversion into a military training simulator, Army Battlezone. This article details the development of Battlezone, its surprising military application, and the ethical dilemmas faced by its creators, highlighting the challenges and ingenuity of early game development.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Game arcade games

Top 7 Robotics Breakthroughs of 2024

2024-12-31

Top 7 Robotics Breakthroughs of 2024

2024 witnessed unprecedented advancements in robotics. Figure's $675 million Series B funding, valuing the company at $2.6 billion, propelled humanoid robot development. Boston Dynamics unveiled its new all-electric Atlas robot, paving the way for commercial applications. Nvidia invested in GR00T, aiming to develop a general-purpose foundation model for humanoid robots, addressing the challenge of practical, safe, and reliable robot deployment. The article also explores advancements in robot autonomy versus teleoperation, and the application of robotic metalworking in aerospace. Finally, it recounts the successful mission of the Mars Ingenuity helicopter and the development of its successor.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

AI Humanoid Robots

China to Build Thorium Molten-Salt Reactor in 2025

2024-12-30

China to Build Thorium Molten-Salt Reactor in 2025

China plans to commence construction in 2025 on a 10-megawatt demonstration thorium-based molten-salt reactor in the Gobi Desert, aiming for operational status by 2030. Led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, the project utilizes thorium-232, a readily available element, converting it into fissile uranium-233. This technology seeks to reduce reliance on uranium and utilizes waste from rare earth mining, offering potential for energy self-sufficiency. However, challenges remain, notably the risk of nuclear proliferation, requiring robust safety measures.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech thorium molten-salt reactor nuclear energy nuclear fuel

TSMC's Arizona Plant Starts Producing Advanced Chips

2024-12-28

TSMC's Arizona Plant Starts Producing Advanced Chips

TSMC's advanced chip manufacturing facility in Arizona is set to begin mass production in 2025, marking a significant return of advanced chipmaking to the US. The plant, utilizing 4-nanometer technology, boasts higher yields than its Taiwanese counterparts. This development serves as a crucial test of the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act's effectiveness in stabilizing the semiconductor supply chain. While government funding plays a role, geopolitical concerns and customer demand have also driven TSMC's decision to diversify its manufacturing base and mitigate risks associated with relying solely on Taiwan. However, challenges such as cultural clashes and workforce shortages remain.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech USA

Ocean Carbon Removal: Startups Race to Develop Marine Carbon Capture Technologies

2024-12-26

Ocean Carbon Removal: Startups Race to Develop Marine Carbon Capture Technologies

In the face of the climate crisis, several marine technology startups are developing innovative technologies to remove carbon dioxide from the ocean. The article highlights Captura's electrochemical approach to extract CO2 from seawater, and Ebb Carbon's method of enhancing ocean alkalinity to store carbon. These approaches, while diverse, face challenges in scaling up and quantifying carbon credits. Despite different technical pathways, the common goal is to leverage the ocean's vast carbon sink capacity to accelerate Earth's carbon cycle and combat climate change.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech ocean carbon capture carbon removal

Japanese Firms Demo Unforgeable Quantum Tokens

2024-12-25

In response to the challenges posed by quantum computing to traditional encryption methods, Mitsui, NEC, and Quantinuum in Japan successfully demonstrated the technology of transmitting and redeeming quantum tokens over a 10-kilometer fiber optic network. This technology leverages quantum key distribution (QKD), exploiting the fragility of quantum data to achieve unforgeability, single-use properties, and local validation of tokens, offering a novel secure solution for financial transactions and asset management. This breakthrough marks a significant step towards commercial applications of quantum token technology.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech quantum tokens quantum key distribution

Shape-Shifting Antenna Takes Inspiration From 'The Expanse'

2024-12-16

Shape-Shifting Antenna Takes Inspiration From 'The Expanse'

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory have developed a novel shape-shifting antenna inspired by the science fiction series, 'The Expanse'. Using 3D-printed shape-memory alloy, the antenna dynamically adapts its shape through heating and cooling to meet various communication needs. Effectively operating from 4-11 GHz, this innovative design holds promise for 6G wireless communication, addressing the challenge of requiring multiple antennas for multi-band operation. While slower than alternative technologies, it offers advantages in power efficiency and frequency range, especially in systems needing to integrate diverse antenna types for optimal performance.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech shape-shifting antenna 6G communication

AI and Sensor Networks Challenge Submarine Stealth

2024-12-16

AI and Sensor Networks Challenge Submarine Stealth

The ability of submarines to remain undetected is facing a significant challenge due to rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, drones, and sensor networks. This article explores the AUKUS agreement between the US, UK, and Australia to build nuclear submarines and the modernization of China's naval submarine capabilities. Advanced sensor networks and AI algorithms can detect subtle traces of submarine activity, weakening the effectiveness of traditional submarine stealth technology. The article analyzes strategies to counter this challenge, including using noise to disrupt AI systems, deploying unmanned underwater vehicles, and employing strategic maneuvers. However, the AUKUS agreement also faces challenges such as high costs, uranium shortages, and the rapid development of China's submarine capabilities, making its future uncertain.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech submarine stealth sensor networks

TSMC Unveils Nanosheet Transistors: A New Era for Chips

2024-12-15

TSMC Unveils Nanosheet Transistors: A New Era for Chips

TSMC showcased its next-generation N2 (2-nanometer) process at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting, marking its first foray into nanosheet transistors. Compared to its N3 process, N2 boasts up to a 15 percent speed increase, 30 percent better energy efficiency, and a 15 percent density boost. This new architecture offers greater flexibility, allowing for the creation of nanosheets with varying widths on the same chip, optimizing performance for different logic units, especially SRAM. Intel's research further validated the scalability of nanosheet architecture, demonstrating a high-performing 6-nanometer gate-length transistor, pointing the way towards continued advancement in chip technology and suggesting a potential extension of Moore's Law.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Hardware TSMC Nanosheet Transistors 2nm Process

Graphene Interconnects Could Rescue Moore's Law

2024-12-14

Graphene Interconnects Could Rescue Moore's Law

Destination 2D, a California-based startup, claims to have solved two longstanding challenges in integrating graphene into chip manufacturing: high-temperature deposition and low charge carrier density. They've developed a technique to deposit graphene interconnects at 300°C, compatible with traditional CMOS processes. Furthermore, using intercalation doping, they've achieved graphene current densities 100 times that of copper. This technology promises to extend Moore's Law and support future generations of semiconductor technology.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Hardware graphene Moore's Law semiconductors

Transformer Shortage Crisis: Can New Engineering Solve It?

2024-12-13

Transformer Shortage Crisis: Can New Engineering Solve It?

A global transformer shortage is delaying renewable energy projects, new home construction, and grid upgrades. The crisis stems from surging electricity demand and strained material supply chains. The article explores solutions, including redesigning transformers to use different materials, extending their lifespan, and creating more standardized, easier-to-manufacture designs. Researchers are also exploring new solid-state transformers for improved efficiency and reliability. While these new technologies are currently more expensive, their potential for enhancing grid resilience and adapting to future energy needs is significant, driving the power industry to accelerate R&D and investment to address this critical shortage.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

2

Tech transformer shortage power grid renewable energy

IBM's Executive Terminal: A Forgotten Chapter in Computing History

2024-12-13

IBM's Executive Terminal: A Forgotten Chapter in Computing History

A recently discovered 1968 videotape reveals IBM's previously unknown "Executive Terminal" system. Unlike Engelbart's "Mother of All Demos," which emphasized collaboration, this system created an information "war room" for top IBM executives. Executives used modified television sets to query information specialists, who then compiled information from various terminals and resources, presenting it visually to the executives. This showcases an alternative application of early computing technology within a hierarchical organization, contrasting sharply with the collaborative approach of the "Mother of All Demos." Together, they offer a fascinating glimpse into the early development of computing.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

3

Tech Executive Terminal Computing History

Fei-Fei Li: The Future of AI Vision Lies in 3D

2024-12-12

Fei-Fei Li: The Future of AI Vision Lies in 3D

AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li delivered a keynote at NeurIPS, outlining her vision for computer vision. She argues that true visual intelligence requires moving beyond 2D image processing to 3D spatial understanding. Her startup, World Labs, is focused on giving AI 'spatial intelligence' – the ability to generate, reason within, and interact with 3D worlds. This unlocks creativity and productivity, impacting robotics, VR/AR, and more. Li stresses the need for substantial computing power and data, advocating for increased public sector investment in AI research.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

AI Computer Vision 3D Spatial Intelligence