Errymath: May 2016

Zenbo: Asus reveals $599 AI home robot

Asus chairman Jonney Shih pledged the firm will 'enable robotic computing for every household.' The robot was unveiled at Computex 2016 alongside a new range of mobile phones.

It could finally be the home robot you've dreamed - capable of keeping the kids quiet and doing the shopping.

Asus today revealed a Zenbo, a $599 home robot it hopes will help bring robotics into the home.

Chairman Jonney Shih pledged the firm will 'enable robotic computing for every household.'

ASUS'S NEW SMARTPHONES

The firm also revealed the all-new ZenFone 3 family, featuring ZenFone 3 Deluxe, the new flagship, ZenFone 3, a feature-packed smartphone that brings premium design and empowering performance to users; and ZenFone 3 Ultra, an incredibly powerful smartphone with a 6.8-inch Full HD display that excels at entertainment.

Also announced were ZenBook 3, an ultra-sleek and lightweight notebook with a premium aluminum design, along with ASUS Transformer 3 and ASUS Transformer 3 Pro.

The robot was unveiled at Computex 2016 alongside a new range of mobile phones.

'For decades, humans have dreamed of owning such a companion: one that is smart, dear to our hearts, and always at our disposal,' said Mr Shih.

'Our ambition is to enable robotic computing for every household.'

ASUS Zenbo arose from Chairman Jonney Shih's ambition to enable robotic computing for every household.

'Zenbo is a friendly and capable home robot designed to provide assistance, entertainment, and companionship to families and meant to address the needs of each family member in this ubiquitous computing era,' the firm said.

'With a full range of capabilities, including the ability to move independently and understand spoken commands, Zenbo can assist in the home and interacting with him is easy and fun.'

As a home care assistant, he proactively provides convenient, spoken reminders of important information, such as doctor's appointments, medication and exercise schedules, and anything else that needs to be remembered.

Zenbo also monitors the home for emergency situations — such as falls — and immediately responds to them by notifying specified family members on their smartphones, no matter where they are.

When they receive an emergency notification, family members can remotely control Zenbo to move nearby and use Zenbo's built-in camera to visually check on their loved one.

It can also make video calls, use social media, shop and stream movies and TV shows — using voice commands and guided help.

The robot can control your TV, working with streaming services, and read stories to children

A touchscreen allows users to easily interact with the robot - which also understands voice commands

Zenbo is also a fun and educational playmate for kids who entertains them with interactive stories and learning games that foster their creativity and logical thinking skills.

With a high-quality, built-in stereo sound system, Zenbo can play children's favorite songs and even dance along to the music, making for fun playtime activity.

'Zenbo is also an expert storyteller who keeps children entertained during the day and helps them fall asleep at night,' the firm boasts.

Zenbo includes a built-in library of stories that he tells in a variety of entertaining voices, while displaying accompanying images on his screen and controlling the room lighting to add a new level of interactivity and fun to story time.

Zenbo also comes with educational games and an interactive encyclopedia that make learning fun.

Zenbo can connect to and control many smart home and traditional devices, including lights, TVs, air conditioners, and more.

He can also help out in the kitchen, reading recipes out loud and functioning as a voice-controlled timer, so home chefs can stay focused on cooking.

It will also act as a remote-controlled home security camera that is accessible from anywhere via an intuitive smartphone app.

With a high-quality, built-in stereo sound system, Zenbo can play children's favorite songs and even dance along to the music, making for fun playtime activity. Mark Prigg. Dailymail

Rise of the Russian 'Iron Man' robo-soldier: Ivan the Terminator

Rise of the machines? There is a fear that one day, Ivan and his robo-warrior comrades will become self-aware and subjugate humans to their 'iron'will

This metal marvel might just be the soldier of the future... but far from being science fiction, this one is real.

Affectionately known as Ivan the Terminator, Project Iron Man is a humanoid military robot currently being developed in Russia.

For years, the country has been trying to keep up with the U.S. and China, which are building robots, drones and other military hi-tech machines with great success.

The aim of the Russian robot soldier is to 'replace the person in the battle or in emergency areas where there is a risk of explosion, fire, high background radiation, or other conditions that are harmful to humans', Komosomolskaya Pravda reported.

This humanoid military robot is currently being developed in Russia. Its purpose is to 'replace the person in the battle or in emergency areas where there is a risk of explosion, fire, high background radiation, or other conditions that are harmful to humans'

Designed by Russia's Foundation for Advanced Studies, Ivan is currently remote controlled by an operator (from up to several miles away) wearing a special suit, which contains sensors in the neck, hands and shoulders. This enables the robot to simulate driving a car

This enables the robot to accurately copy the movements of a human.

It can even drive a car - scanning the road for obstacles - albeit via a driving simulator computer screen.

Ivan is put through its paces on a treadmill. For years, Russia has been trying to keep up with the U.S. and China, which are building robots, drones and other military hi-tech machines with great success

A longer term goal is for the robot to carry out a 'maturity test' set of actions, including: complete an obstacle course; get into a car and start it; and enter a room and turn on the lights.

And, ultimately, no doubt, fire a gun and throw a grenade.

Then there is the elephant in the room: the 'rise of the machines' - the fear that one day, Ivan and his robo-warrior comrades will become self-aware and subjugate humans to their 'iron'will.

However, the (relatively) more realistic question that springs to mind is: just what would Vladimir Putin do if he got his hands on an army of them?

CAMPAIGN TO STOP 'KILLER ROBOTS' (BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE...)

A killer cyborg from the film Terminator:Genisys

Technology allowing a pre-programmed robot to shoot to kill, or a tank to fire at a target with no human involvement, is only years away, experts say.

A report published in April called for a ban on such 'killer robots.'

The report by Human Rights Watch and the Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic was released as the United Nations kicked off a week-long meeting on such weapons in Geneva.

The report calls for humans to remain in control over all weapons systems at a time of rapid technological advances.

It says that requiring humans to remain in control of critical functions during combat, including the selection of targets, saves lives and ensures that fighters comply with international law.

'Machines have long served as instruments of war, but historically humans have directed how they are used,' said Bonnie Docherty, senior arms division researcher at Human Rights Watch, in a statement.

'Now there is a real threat that humans would relinquish their control and delegate life-and-death decisions to machines.'

Some have argued in favour of robots on the battlefield, saying their use could save lives.

But last year, more than 1,000 technology and robotics experts — including scientist Stephen Hawking, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak — warned that such weapons could be developed within years, not decades.

In an open letter, they argued that if any major military power pushes ahead with development of autonomous weapons, 'a global arms race is virtually inevitable, and the endpoint of this technological trajectory is obvious: autonomous weapons will become the Kalashnikovs of tomorrow'.

According to the London-based organisation Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, the United States, China, Israel, South Korea, Russia, and Britain are moving toward systems that would give machines greater combat autonomy.

Human Rights Watch is a co-founder of the organisation.

The U.N. meeting of experts on the issue, chaired by Germany, continues talks that took place in April 2015 and May 2014.

Komosomolskaya Pravda - Secret weapons of the Russian army

Nuclear America: Special report on state of US nuclear facilities

Over the past 18 months, a number of nuclear facilities across the country have experienced problems. From the Hanford Site in Washington state to Indian Point in New York, RT America takes a close look at the disastrous conditions at US nuclear sites.

Taking a look at the past, present and future of nuclear facilities in the US, Friday’s special report seeks to fill in the gap about America’s crumbling radioactive infrastructure that the mainstream media has ignored.

Harnessing nuclear energy ‒ both civilian and military ‒ has both helped the world… and put it at risk. RT America’s Alexey Yaroshevsky and Simone Del Rosario explore how nuclear power feeds cities with energy ‒ and how leaks from those same plants can destroy the lives of those nearby.
The US ushered in the nuclear age in August 1945, when it dropped a uranium bomb on Hiroshima and a plutonium version on Nagasaki in Japan. While no other country has used a nuclear weapon, that doesn’t mean that radioactive material hasn’t come close to destroying the world in the decades since.

RT’s Manuel Rapalo looks at the biggest technological disasters in the 71 years since the end of World War II, including the most famous of all: the 1986 explosion at Chernobyl, located in the Soviet republic of Ukraine. Rapalo also looks at one of the most recent disasters, at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, which was struck by a tsunami in 2011. The two meltdowns are the only two to receive the Level 7 classification ‒ the highest score on the International Nuclear Events Scale.

The US is the world’s largest producer of nuclear power, with 99 working reactors, generating nearly 100,000 megawatts of energy ‒ or nearly a quarter of the country’s needs. The oldest nuclear plant, New Jersey’s Oyster Creek, has been running since 1969. Much like America’s infrastructure in general, however, there are severe cracks in the foundations.

One of those places where the cracks are most evident is at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington, where nuclear waste has been stored for decades in tanks never designed to last for more than 40 years. Recently, the site has released several “burps” of radiation into the atmosphere.

“We know ‒ the data shows ‒ that six of those oldest tanks have been leaking for the last several years, even while the [US] Energy Department denies it,” state Representative Gerry Pollet told RT. “The Energy Department won’t even put in monitoring outside the tank to see if radiation levels are going up in the soil around it.”

When Heart of America North West, a Hanford watchdog where Pollet is the executive director, objected and asked for public meetings, “the Energy Department and state say, ‘No, we don’t need any public meetings about the budget request’,” he said.

“They’re worried about the fact that, if people raise heck about not cleaning up and emptying these dangerous tanks, Congress might respond and take money away from building this massive vitrification plant ‒ which may never work anyway,” Pollet said.

The plant is scheduled to be built by 2036, although it was originally supposed to be operational nine years ago.
Capitol Hill does have its eye on Hanford. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) has traveled to the site recently.

“The DOE has been mismanaging the cleanup at Hanford for three decades,” he told RT in a statement. “I am outraged that the Department claims it doesn’t have enough money to clean up Hanford yet allows such an egregious waste of taxpayer dollars.”

On top of that, there have been leaks of toxic odors into the atmosphere around the tank farms. More than 50 workers have received medical treatment for exposure to chemical vapors since mid-April. Yaroshevsky spoke with several former Hanford workers who are all now suffering from severe health issues.

Officials at Hanford declined to take part in the Nuclear America special.

At Indian Point Nuclear Station just outside New York City, the facility is currently running on an expired license thanks to legislative leeway. In the last 11 years, the plant has had nine incidents, including transformer fires and leaks in spent fuel pools. At one point, its reactor shut down because a bird was defecating on power lines. Despite these mishaps, though, the company that runs the site says it “is safe, and it is operating safely,” Entergy Corporation spokeswoman Patricia Kakridis told Yaroshevsky earlier this year. She then blamed opposition groups for delaying the plant’s license renewal.

The facility is currently operating under a temporary license, but there has been damage discovered in at least one, if not two, of the site’s nuclear reactors, Paul Derienzo, an investigative journalist who has been covering Indian Point for decades, told RT.

“Recently, it was discovered that there was quite a lot of damage inside of Unit 2, and there’s some fear of damage inside of Unit 3, which might extend and it’s definitely led to a situation where there is now a lawsuit to prevent the restarting of Unit 2 and to shut down Unit 3 for an earlier inspection based on these problems and damages that were discovered in the last few weeks,” Derienzo said.

Just south of Miami, Florida, the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station has been described by a former employee as the next reactor to undergo a full-scale meltdown. If that happens, it could make large swaths of the Sunshine State uninhabitable overnight. In March, a study showed that the water next to the plant contains alarming levels of radiation that has leaked from the facility’s cooling canals into Biscayne Bay. RT’s Marina Portnaya reports on why the report’s findings are so dangerous.

Despite the risks posed by America’s crumbling nuclear infrastructure, the so-called clean energy fuel doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.

“The future of nuclear energy is to continue safely and reliably running the current nuclear fleet in the United States while supporting advanced reactor development and construction of those advanced reactors to ensure that we have nuclear energy available to meet our emission and economic goals as a country,” Victoria Anderson, project manager for the Nuclear Energy Institute, told Del Rosario and Yaroshevsky.

Paul Gunther, director of the Reactor Oversight Project for Beyond Nuclear, disagreed, however.
“I think if you look at the trends, particularly the market trends right now, nuclear energy is getting increasingly more and more expensive, and renewable energy like solar and wind are getting less and less, so nuclear is no longer able to compete in the electric marketplace,” he said. “And the industry is responding by closing plants.”
But as Hanford has taught us, closing nuclear plants may not prevent deadly mishaps from occurring. rt.

Drones will render the oceans ‘transparent’ & Trident nuclear submarines useless – expert

Trident nuclear submarines. © Andy Buchanan / AFP

Technological advances in maritime drones will make the ocean ‘transparent,’ meaning weapons such as Britain’s Trident nuclear submarines will be unable to hide from enemy detection, according to a top academic.

Professor Paul Rogers, who teaches security at Bradford University, made the comments in an analysis piece for Open Democracy on Thursday.

“One issue in particular is of deep concern to the authorities: whether the oceans are in the process of becoming transparent,” he warned.
“If the submarines which carry the missiles become detectable, they will no longer constitute a secure nuclear force.”

Technologies designed for civil maritime exploration such as Underwater Unmanned Vehicles (UUV), which are effectively sea drones, are likely to make the seas “transparent” in a way they had not previously been, said Rogers.
He accepted the climate of debate in the UK around Trident nuclear weapons is extremely tense.

“In Britain at the present time, any suggestion that the Trident replacement system may prove to be a non-starter is met with considerable opposition from defense sources, and not a little anger at the way the issue keeps surfacing, so to speak,” he said.
Apart from strategic concerns about obsolescence, campaigners recently highlighted the spiraling costs of Trident.

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) warned on May 12 that replacing Britain’s aging Trident nuclear deterrent will likely cost £205 billion (US$296 billion), more than doubling initial estimates in 2014.
They calculated the figure using the latest publicly available data, answers to parliamentary questions and previous costs of relevant items including warheads.
CND noted the figure did not take into account the fact Ministry of Defence (MoD) projects typically go over budget.

J-20 development radar and avionics system

Test platform for J-20 development including radar and avionics system.

Test platform used to evaluate J-20's AESA radar.

A Russian Tu-204C was acquired and converted to act as an avionics flying lab for the J-20

JL3D-91B 3-D VHF radar possessing special anti-jamming, anti-ARM and anti-stealth ability

Translated script:
JL3D-91B is used to detect the position, distance and height of the 4th generation (FYI: China calls F22 alike as 4th generation; F16/F18 alike as 3rd generation) or conventional fighters. It owns good capabilities to detect stealth fighters and anti ARM missiles.

Second radar cross-section test range identified in China
Sean O'Connor, Indianapolis - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
24 May 2016

J-20 RCS 2. airframe at Dingxin.jpg

Key Points

Airbus Defence and Space imagery captured in 2016 shows a new radar cross-section test range in China
A J-20 full-scale test article is present at the new test range, with apparent design changes suggesting either a new powerplant installation or a new aircraft variant under evaluation

IHS Jane's recently identified a radar cross-section (RCS) test complex in China. Airbus Defence and Space imagery captured on 24 April shows a recently completed test range northeast of Dingxin Airbase (AB) - the second new test site to be identified in the East Asian nation. The first one is located southwest of Beijing near Gaobeidian. A third possible site, predating the new complexes, is situated near Luoyang.

The location near Dingxin AB is well suited for a signature evaluation complex, with flat terrain and a lack of man-made or natural obstructions near the facility. Additionally, the configuration of the J-20 full-scale RCS test article present suggests design changes may be forthcoming to China's fifth-generation stealth fighter.

Along with the Gaobeidian RCS complex, the Dingxin RCS complex illustrates China's increasing attention to low-RCS aircraft design. The Dingxin RCS complex was constructed after the Gaobeidian site, which was built in the 2009 timeframe - perhaps in an effort to establish an RCS test range in a more secure location.

http://www.janes.com/article/60583/second-radar-cross-section-test-range-identified-in-china

US Arms Industry Dead: World Bought American Weapons, Stole the Technology

The expansion of American arms exports leaves the military-industrial complex at risk of being overtaken by countries who scooped up defense secrets without the cost of research and development.

On Tuesday, US defense industry analysts offered a report claiming that American military contractors will be overtaken in coming years by defense contractors in Israel, South Korea, and Brazil, marking an end to Western dominance over war profiteering.

The report, "Dynamics of International Military Modernization 2016," authored by Daniel Yoon and Doug Berenson from Beltway consultants Avascent blamed American military exports for the market threat, as countries buy arms at a cut rate to back-engineer US weapons technology.

"In many cases, these emerging players developed through diffused technology via prior export arrangements with Western suppliers, often through offset requirements and domestic industry participation," stated the report. In layman’s terms, foreign countries purchase US arms to steal American know-how, avoiding the burdensome taxpayer-subsidized cost of research and development.

The development occurs as the US military-industrial complex has shifted its focus toward exporting weapons to tyrannical regimes throughout the world, as a means to offset reductions in the size of the American war machine following the drawdown in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the report, "in 2010, only 17% of defense equipment manufactured in the US was exported; by 2015, that number jumped dramatically to 34%."

US weapons-manufacturing expertise has been suggested as being in decline primarily due to Washington’s reticence to engage in war, opting instead to be the Walmart of weapon retailers for the world.
The situation is exacerbated by the Obama Administration’s trigger-happy approach to sell arms, often including troubling "offset requirements" making it easier for the nascent domestic defense industries of countries to "absorb suppliers' technical expertise."

In addition to the rapid growth of weapons manufacturing expertise in Israel, South Korea, and Brazil, the US contends with other leading arms exporters, including Russia and China, who offer high-end military technology. Analysts also suggest that the American military-industrial complex will soon forfeit market share to other nations, including Japan and India.
The report claimed that Israel may soon become the world’s premier supplier of radar, missile, and drone technology, noting that the country’s unmanned aerial vehicles are competitive with US hardware.

South Korea looks to make its mark in air superiority with the development of an indigenous fighter jet and a next generation T-50 design. In addition to the aerospace field, South Korea excels in the production of destroyers, frigates, amphibious assault vehicles, and assault submarines, the report said.

Brazil, by contrast, looked to occupy the lower-tech echelons of the market, at a cut-rate price exploiting a niche in light attack aircraft thanks to a partnership with Saab to produce the Gripen fighter.

American military superiority is thought to be endangered by the growing export of defense technology throughout the world, leading some analysts to worry about the future of the US weapons industry, and the safety and security of the country.

Israel - IDF Tech Leading the Way

The Rochester Digital Cloak: Harry Potter's invisibility cloak with incredible scientific breakthrough

Ever fancied that invisibility cloak from Harry Potter?

Of course you have - and excitingly the reality might not be as far off as you'd think.

Researchers from the University of Rochester in New York have released a video showing how you can now move an object which is cloaked by a device they have created and it still remains hidden to the human eye.

The invention follows in the footsteps of the Rochester Cloak, unveiled in 2014, which uses four lenses in a line at specific distances from each other to make objects appear invisible.

The invention follows in the footsteps of the Rochester Cloak , unveiled in 2014, which uses four lenses in a line at specific distances from each other to make objects appear invisible

The scientists have now been able to use flat screen displays to extend the range of angles that can be hidden from view.

Their method lays out how cloaks of arbitrary shapes, that work from multiple viewpoints, may be practically realized in the near future using commercially available digital devices.

The clip shows PhD student Joseph Choi using a camera, an iPad and a special lenticular lens.

He films the background before processing it so it can be displayed on the iPad thought the lens.

Usually the viewer at this stage could spot the difference between the background and a video of it played on a screen in front by changing their point of view

But the researchers explain in the video: 'This system calculates the direction and position of the light rays so they can be properly displayed as if they were unobstructed.

'As a result, the area behind the display is effectively cloaked.

The scientists have now been able to use flat screen displays to extend the range of angles that can be hidden from view

Their method lays out how cloaks of arbitrary shapes, that work from multiple viewpoints, may be practically realized in the near future using commercially available digital devices

The clip shows PhD student Joseph Choi using a camera, an iPad and a special lenticular lens. He films the background before processing it so it can be displayed on the iPad thought the lens

'As the viewpoint shifts, the image on the display changes accordingly, keeping it aligned with the background.'

Those who consider equipping themselves with an iPad somewhat burdensome for the 'magic' effect will be relieved to know that flexible computer screens that can be rolled up like newspapers have already been developed and would be more practical than an iPad.

One problem the the device so far is the poor resolution of the image, which is significantly lower than the resolution of the purely optical device.

Furthermore if the image behind the screen alters, the effect is lost as the background would need to be filmed and processed again, which would take several minutes.

However Choi and his adviser Professor John Howell, are hoping to soon be able to produce the same effect in real time.

The Rochester Digital Cloak is patent pending.

By Harriet Mallinson. dailymail

The future of transport? From Transit Elevated Bus to flying cars

Transit Elevated Bus (TEB)

China has unveiled an impressive futuristic ‘uber-bus’ that can carry 1,200 passengers, travels above other vehicles, and aims to end the nation’s notorious traffic jams.

The Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) is essentially a metro system that hovers above cars and was designed to maximize the use of road space.
The revolutionary mode of transport was revealed to the public at the China Beijing International High-Tech Expo over the weekend.

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via GIPHY

Designers in China claim the innovative transport system should be both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The elevated high-speed bus is powered by electricity, which is supplemented by solar energy generated by the roof panels.

“With a carrying capacity of 1,200 people at a time, the TEB has the same functions as the subway while its cost of construction is less than one fifth of the subway,” senior project engineer Bai Zhiming told CCTV News.

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Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment, the company behind the TEB, say construction can be completed in a year. Trial operations are due to start in Qinhuangdao City, in north China's Hebei Province, in the second half of 2016.

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China’s TEB is just one of a number cutting edge developments set to transform the future of the transport industry and which leave Doc Brown’s time-travelling DeLorean looking somewhat mundane.

AeroMobil and Terrafugia are among the companies vying for take-off with their flying cars in 2017.

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via GIPHY

‘Lilium,’ the first-ever vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for personal use, is expected to be available from 2018. It is currently being developed by a start-up company in the European Space Agency’s business incubator.

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Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk plans to introduce a ‘fifth form of transportation’, with testing for the high-speed Hyperloop scheduled for 2020.

0 to 400mph in 2 seconds? Russian Railways eyes supersonic Hyperloop technology
The Hyperloop could take passengers on a 700 mph (1,126 km/h) journey in capsules propelled by magnets between three European cities in just minutes.