Need a Logo or a Website? Compare 8 Free Bids Today. Over 50,000 Designers Worldwide. DesignQuote.net

DQ News: Robots, And Their Contribution on 9/11

Fast Company:

When it came to the task of digging through the rubble of the Twin Towers, humans were for one of the first times ever working alongside robots: Packbots made by iRobot under a DARPA research fund, were “literally pulled out of the laboratory and taken to 9/11.” The devices were strong, maneuverable and could work in precarious positions, small spaces and among dust and debris that was dangerous to humans without suffering side effects, and their sensors could let human rescuers see better into the debris in the search for victims.

Since then the Packbots and a fleet of similar remote control and semi-autonomous drone robots have been
advanced and polished, becoming ever more useful in both military, crime-fighting and disaster situations. iRobot’s Packbots, in particular, have since been used in the cleanup of the Gulf oil spill, the cleanup and investigation of the reactor meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan, as well as a “string of bank robberies in the Boston area,” an iRobot spokesman tells Fast Company. This tech will only continue to get smarter—enabling both safer and smarter disaster recovery, and possibly military and police actions to prevent future terrorism.

Need a Logo for your new company? Compare 8 Free Bids Today. Over 50,000 Designers Worldwide. DesignQuote.net

Disaster Brings Invention

Fast Company: Catastrophe is a powerful agent for invention. More than gadgets like the Rescue Reel and SeatChute, which conjure up an almost super-hero-like fantasy, ever since September 11 entrepreneurs and scientists (and some who wear both hats) have

Billing Your Doctor for Your Wasted Time

There’s a great business idea in here, somewhere! CNN: Elaine Farstad got antsy as she waited for her doctor, who was late for her scheduled appointment. Then she got downright impatient. Then, as nearly two hours passed, she got mad. Then she came

Niche Biz: Flower Beds and Planters

From spring to fall, many yards are filled with beautiful flowers. If that yard is in the same neighborhood as Kathleen Gostissa, it was probably her handiwork that made those flowers so beautiful. Kathleen has always enjoyed flowers, but she has found a

Aerial Wedding Photographer Causes Stir

An Australian man caused quite a stir in Bathurst, New South Wales last week while testing the equipment for his new aerial photography business. The locals thought it might have been a UFO, but it was really just a microdrone helicopter. Microdrones are

Govt Regulation Roadblocks Driverless Car

NY Times: The benefits of driverless cars are potentially significant. The typical American spends an average of roughly 100 hours a year in traffic; imagine using that time in better ways — by working or just having fun. The irksome burden of commuting m

Robot Chicken Butcher

Popular Science: The fastest human butchers can fully debone about 150 chickens per hour. That’s a lot of chickens! But the new Mayekawa Automatic Chicken Deboner easily bests it, masterfully breaking down a whopping 1,500 chickens in the same amoun

Robot Cars Coming to Nevada!

Here’s update to my posts about robot cars Govt Regulation Roadblocks Driverless Car and Self-Driving Cars Coming to Nevada: The State of Nevada just passed Assembly Bill No. 511 which, among other things, authorizes the Department of Transportation