Boeing’s Latest (& Greatest) Autonomous UUV
Boeing has designed both manned and unmanned deep sea systems since the 1960s, but their latest vehicle just might be the most forward-thinking. Boeing recently introduced its latest incarnation of an unmanned, undersea vehicle (or UUV) called the Echo Voyager. Measuring in at a whopping 51 feet in length, this UUV far surpasses the 32-foot-long Echo Seeker and the 18-foot long Echo Ranger.
Micro Robots Manufacture Own Tools
A few years ago, the research institute SRI International introduced their MicroFactory platform, which uses hundreds of tiny robots that work together to build macro-scale structures.
The micro robots are essentially just small magnets with all the intelligence built into the substrate they travel on. Printed circuit boards drive them along electromagnetically, but their end-effectors have to be altered depending on what you what the micro robot to do. But because building a bunch of small custom bots is rather tedious, the research institute now has micro robots making custom end-effectors for other micro robots on-demand.
The World’s First Drone Prix
Last weekend, the first-ever World Drone Prix took place in Dubai with the $250K prize going to a 15-year-old Brit named Luke Bannister. The drone prix tested the participating pilots’ skills in operating high-speed quadcopters while navigating a neon-lit obstacle course with hoops and whatnot strategically placed around the track.
