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Caltech’s SSPD-1 Is a New Idea for Space-Based Solar

Cars That Think

That’s when SSPD-1, a solar space-power demonstrator satellite carrying a bevy of new technologies designed at the California Institute of Technology, blasted into low Earth orbit for a year-long mission. That’s one of the reasons we’ve pulled away from that approach and moved toward a flat design. And yet the dream lives on.

IDEA 94
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Ham Radio Inspired This Scranton University Student to Pursue Engineering

Cars That Think

He’s been involved with the two-way radio communication, which uses designated frequencies, since his uncle introduced him to it when he was a youngster. is pursuing an electrical engineering degree at the University of Scranton , in Pennsylvania. The idea behind HamSCI is getting citizens involved in science,” Piccini says.

Universal 106
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Two Companies Working Towards Full-Scale Liberty Lifter X-Plane

Cars That Think

DARPA is of course well known for having lots of crazy ideas, only some of which ever come to fruition. But excitingly, two major aerospace companies have now signed on with their own designs for Liberty Lifter , meaning that a new full-scale X-Plane may actually happen in the near future.

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Heating Buildings With Solar Energy Stored in Sand

Cars That Think

Their journey began with a question posed by its founders, Tommi Eronen and Markku Ylönen, when they were university classmates: “Is it possible to build an energy-self-sufficient and cost-effective hippie commune for engineers using only solar power?” Sand is efficient, nontoxic, portable, and cheap!”. “We Eronen says, laughing.

Store 87
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Who Really Invented the Thumb Drive?

Cars That Think

Computer users badly needed a cheap, high-capacity, reliable, portable storage device. And this incremental nature of innovation means that controlling the spread, manufacturing, and further development of new ideas is almost impossible. Flash memory became cheap and robust enough for consumer use by 1995.

Singapore 143
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What Robotics Experts Think of Tesla’s Optimus Robot

Cars That Think

Brandon Rohrer — Machine Learning Engineer, LinkedIn Siddhartha Srinivasa — Director of Robotics and AI, Amazon Mikell Taylor — Principal Technical Program Manager, Amazon Robotics Cynthia Yeung — Founding Board Member, Women in Robotics. What excites me is the idea of cheap and accessible hardware!

Boston 145
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This new style of electric tuk-tuk makes me want to drive a taxi in India

Baua Electric

In Thailand, a tuk-tuk (a fun onomatopoeia that arose from the traditionally loud two-stroke engines powering them). But whatever it’s called, these three-wheeled taxis have used their half-bike, half-wagon design to shuttle folks around cities for decades. My favorite part of this vehicle is just how cheap it is – a mere $592!

Taxi 52