Daily Innovation News

October 28^th 2024

🚘 Transport

🇩🇪 German electric tanker fuels Airbus helicopters with zero emissions for a full week

The Mercedes-Benz eEconic electric tanker, adopted by Airbus at its Donauwörth facility, enables emission-free refueling of helicopters with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for up to seven days on one charge. Powered by a 315 kWh battery and equipped with a 16,500-liter tank, the eEconic supports Airbus’ carbon-neutrality goals while minimizing maintenance and operating costs. This pioneering electric tanker aligns with Airbus' strategy to cut carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050, representing a major leap in sustainable aerospace ground support.

🚀 Space

🇨🇳 China debuts $210,000 space tourism tickets, selling out in minutes

China's Deep Blue Aerospace has introduced its first space tourism tickets, offering 12-minute suborbital flights for $210,000, with sales on Taobao selling out in just 20 minutes. Set to launch commercially in 2027, the flights will give passengers five minutes of weightlessness using reusable rockets, essential for cost reduction. This venture signifies a growing shift in China’s space industry, aiming to make space tourism more accessible and compete with pricier international options like Virgin Galactic’s $600,000 flights.

🦾 Robotics

🇰🇷 South Korean team unveils wearable robot for independent mobility in paralyzed users

South Korean researchers have developed the WalkON Suit F1, a wearable robot enabling people with complete paralysis to "suit up" independently while remaining in their wheelchair. The device features advanced balance control and a unique frontal-docking system, eliminating the need for assistance and enhancing user autonomy. With improvements in motor power, balance stability, and motion control, this suit significantly increases mobility options for those with severe disabilities. The team will showcase its capabilities at the upcoming Cybathlon, an international robotics competition.

🇯🇵 Japanese inventor creates robotic double with realistic expressions and human-like skin

Japanese roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro has unveiled the Geminoid HI-6, a life-like android clone of himself that mimics his appearance and expressions. This teleoperated robot, equipped with silicone skin and upper-body movement capabilities, is designed to give lectures and answer questions, integrating Ishiguro's books and interviews. Although the robot cannot walk, Ishiguro envisions it advancing humanoid interaction in daily life. The project explores human-robot relationships, investigating how realistic robots may influence social acceptance and understanding of presence.

🤖 Artificial Intelligence

🇺🇸 US-based Anthropic debuts AI feature for autonomous computer control

Anthropic's latest AI model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, introduces a "computer use" feature allowing the AI to control a computer—viewing screens, moving cursors, and typing—mimicking human interaction. Now available for developers via API, this feature positions Claude among pioneering AI tools capable of performing hands-on tasks autonomously. Though still experimental and occasionally imprecise, the tool shows strong gains in coding and task performance benchmarks, with significant improvements in areas like retail and airline sectors.

💊 Healthcare

🇺🇸 US-based Science Corp's eye implant restores sight in legally blind patients

Science Corp has reported success with its Prima retinal implant, enabling legally blind patients to regain central vision and perform tasks like reading and recognizing faces. The implant consists of a tiny chip placed under the retina, which works with camera-equipped glasses to convert infrared light into electrical signals interpreted as images by the brain. Preliminary trial results show significant improvements in visual acuity, offering new hope for people with age-related macular degeneration.

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