Important Innovations

  Ford's Car of 2030 - Red, Electric & Flies Source:  Ford Car of 2030 Surveys Offer New Insights into the Future of Driving Ford has surveyed more than 500 girls and boys to learn what the kids believe their car of the future should look like and be capable of in 2030 when they start driving.  The survey's findings have resulted in these artist renderings by Ford's top designer Nedzad Mujcinovic of the Car of the Future 2030.  As you can see from the images, the young people want a car for themselves that is red, totally electric, safe, fun, comfortable and is capable of flying. Safe, Electric and Autonomous The kids surveyed are 8 and 9 year olds, who expect to learn to drive in 2030.  They have a very definitive, collective point of view.  They want the car's power source to be totally electric with zero emissions.  They put a very high priority on their car of the future being good for the environment.   The kids also want the car to ...

Drone Shifts from Air to Ground Source:  University of Ben-Gurion of the Negev  FSTAR Drone The Flying STAR drone can drive, fly and even make itself smaller.  All of these functions are achieved using the same set of motors.  FSTAR stands for flying, sprawl-tined autonomous robot.  It's an outstanding achievement by a team at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel.  It flies like a quadcopter, drives on tough terrain and squeezes into tight spaces. A First This drone is a first.  It can travel on the ground up to 8 feet per second, can climb or go under obstacles and compress itself to traverse narrow spaces.  The drone flies flat.  The sprawl, which adjusts from flat to 55 degrees, allows it to transform from a flying quadcopter to a car-like robot. This hybrid flying, driving quadruped is unique.  It has low power needs and may have a big role in package delivery, search and rescue and other uses.

Bipedal Locomotion Drone - Just Like a Bird California Institute of Technology's Leonardo Caltech has achieved a significant advancement in drone technology.  They've developed a drone that walks and hovers in flight like a bird.  Most drones either walk or fly, not both.  The drone's uses included search and rescue on earth and planetary exploration.  For a great news blog on this, go to Important Innovations Collection: Caltech's Leonardo Drone Walks, Hovers : Bird Inspired Robotics Source:  California Institute of Technology's Leonardo Bipedal Locomotion - Hovers in Flight and Walks, Jus...