transportation – Page 219 – Lifeboat News: The Blog

At first glance, a bright blue crescent immediately jumps out of this image from our NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope

Posted by Michael Lance in space, transportation | Leave a Comment on At first glance, a bright blue crescent immediately jumps out of this image from our NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope

11.19.
2018

Is it a bird? A plane? No — it’s a galaxy. Take a closer look: https://go.nasa.gov/2FypUZL

Virgin Orbit flies its rocket into the skies for the first time

Posted by Genevieve Klien in transportation | Leave a Comment on Virgin Orbit flies its rocket into the skies for the first time

11.19.
2018

For the first time, Virgin Orbit has strapped its 21-meter rocket to a modified 747 aircraft and taken to the skies. The company performed this “captive-carry” test flight on Sunday in Victorville, located to the northeast of Los Angeles.

“The vehicles flew like a dream today,” Virgin Orbit Chief Pilot Kelly Latimer said in a news release. “Everyone on the flight crew and all of our colleagues on the ground were extremely happy with the data we saw from the instruments on-board the aircraft, in the pylon, and on the rocket itself. From my perspective in the cockpit, the vehicles handled incredibly well, and perfectly matched what we’ve trained for in the simulators.”

Watch just a few self-driving cars stop traffic jams

Posted by Michael Lance in robotics/AI, transportation | 1 Comment on Watch just a few self-driving cars stop traffic jams

11.19.
2018

What’s one way to prevent a traffic jam? Self-driving cars may have an answer:

Artificial intelligence–powered cars can put the brakes on stop-and-go traffic.

Is Artificial Intelligence Dangerous? 6 AI Risks Everyone Should Know About

Posted by Genevieve Klien in robotics/AI, transportation | Leave a Comment on Is Artificial Intelligence Dangerous? 6 AI Risks Everyone Should Know About

11.19.
2018

Misalignment between our goals and the machine’s

Part of what humans value in AI-powered machines is their efficiency and effectiveness. But, if we aren’t clear with the goals we set for AI machines, it could be dangerous if a machine isn’t armed with the same goals we have. For example, a command to “Get me to the airport as quickly as possible” might have dire consequences. Without specifying that the rules of the road must be respected because we value human life, a machine could quite effectively accomplish its goal of getting you to the airport as quickly as possible and do literally what you asked, but leave behind a trail of accidents.

Discrimination.

Thin, Flexible New Solar Cells Could Soon Line Your Shirt

Posted by Genevieve Klien in solar power, sustainability, transportation | Leave a Comment on Thin, Flexible New Solar Cells Could Soon Line Your Shirt

11.19.
2018

A new kind of solar cell called a perovskite is improving rapidly, bringing the prospect of solar-powered vehicles, clothing, and windows closer to reality.

Lockheed Martin begins building ‘son of Concorde’ supersonic plane

Posted by Michael Lance in transportation | Leave a Comment on Lockheed Martin begins building ‘son of Concorde’ supersonic plane

11.19.
2018

It can fly from London to New York in THREE HOURS 🤯.

VW Confirms Tie With Ford: Electric Cars Part Of the Package?

Posted by Genevieve Klien in sustainability, transportation | Leave a Comment on VW Confirms Tie With Ford: Electric Cars Part Of the Package?

11.18.
2018

The rumors about the VW and Ford electric car partnership are still alive as Volkswagen’s CEO “identified other potential cooperation” outside of just commercial vehicles.

Robotic Russian Cargo Ship Delivers Tons of Supplies to Space Station

Posted by Genevieve Klien in robotics/AI, space, transportation | Leave a Comment on Robotic Russian Cargo Ship Delivers Tons of Supplies to Space Station

11.18.
2018

An uncrewed Russian cargo ship linked up with the International Space Station Sunday (Nov. 18) to deliver nearly 3 tons of supplies for the orbiting lab.

The resupply ship, called Progress 71, docked at the space station at 2:28 p.m. EST (1928 GMT) as both spacecraft sailed 252 miles (405 kilometers) over Algeria. Progress 71 launched into orbit Friday (Nov. 16) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

“A textbook journey for the Progress,” NASA spokesperson Rob Navias said during live commentary. [The Space Station’s Robotic Cargo Ship Fleet in Pictures].

Imagine avoiding ground traffic and riding in one of these air taxis

Posted by Michael Lance in robotics/AI, supercomputing, transportation | Leave a Comment on Imagine avoiding ground traffic and riding in one of these air taxis

11.18.
2018

NASA engineers are using some of the most powerful supercomputers in the world to design rotary wing vehicles that combine both piloted and autonomous operations. Urban Air Mobility is a safe and efficient system that can transport a small number of passengers and cargo, without the need for long runways. Check it out: https://go.nasa.gov/2FvGPfH

Virgin Is Lending Its Name to a High-Speed Train Line in Florida

Posted by Genevieve Klien in futurism, transportation | Leave a Comment on Virgin Is Lending Its Name to a High-Speed Train Line in Florida

11.17.
2018

Richard Branson, the British billionaire who wants to transform air travel with supersonic jets, has put his sights on something decidedly more down to Earth: a passenger railroad.

Branson has agreed to make a small investment and lend the Virgin brand to Fortress Investment Group’s Florida railroad, the first privately-funded intercity passenger train to be built in the U.S. in more than a century.

The private-equity company’s Brightline, which currently operates high-speed service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, will rename itself Virgin Trains USA this month and use the brand and Virgin’s “marketing expertise” for existing and future developments, the company said Friday in a statement provided to Bloomberg News.