Connecting Alaska to Argentina, the Pan-American Highway runs some 30,000 miles north to south. Construction to widen the highway briefly stopped, however, to make way for dead whales back in 2010, when workers digging through a remote stretch of the Chilean desert found a huge trove of bones millions of years old. Now, scientists think they have figured out how the extinct whales ended up on land in the first place.
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No, you’re not dreaming. The pavement is actually twinkling like the stars in the sky, and it’s all thanks to Starpath. It’s a spray-on paint that transforms regular pathways into glow-in-the-dark ones.
Aside from the novel aspect of it, Starpath might also some day serve as a low-cost alternate means for outdoor lighting. Starpath can be sprayed onto a variety of surfaces, like concrete, tarmac, and wood. It absorbs UV energy during the day and releases this energy by “lighting up” at night.
The technology behind it was developed by UK-based company Pro-Teq Surfacing. Hamish Scott, owner of Pro-Teq, explains: “This product adjusts to the natural light, so if it is pitch black outside the luminous natural earth enhances, and if the sky is lighter, it won’t release as much luminosity. It adjusts accordingly, its almost like it has a mind of its own. Further, the surface is environmentally-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.”
Starpath is currently being tested on the footpath in Christ’s Pieces, which is a well-known park in Cambridge, England.
[via C|NET]
John Hodgman is the world’s foremost expert on all things canny and uncanny
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Ever found yourself stuck at the lights convinced that whatever is controlling these things is just trying to test your patience, and that you could do a better job? Well, turns out you might — at least partly — be right. Researchers at the University of Southampton have just revealed that they are investigating the use of artificial intelligence-based traffic lights, with the hope that it could be used in next-generation road signals. The research uses video games and simulations to assess different traffic control systems, and apparently us humans do a pretty good job. The team at Southampton hope that they will be to emulate this human-like approach with new “machine learning” software. With cars already being tested out with WiFi, mobile connectivity and GPS on board for accident prevention, a system such as this could certainly have a lot of data to tap into. There’s no indication as to when we might see a real world trial, but at least we’re reminded, for once, that as a race we’re not quite able to be replaced by robotic overlords entirely.
Filed under: Science, Software, Alt
Scientists investigating AI-based traffic control, so we can only blame the jams on ourselves originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Aug 2012 21:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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While we’re still a long way from living the fully autonomous car dream, baby steps are being taken. The EU evidently shares this dream, and has passed regulations that will require new cars to have emergency self-braking systems (known as autonomous emergency braking, or AEB) if they want to achieve a five-star safety rating. The systems can use radar, laser or video to detect when obstructions or pedestrians are present, and a recent study suggests that the technology reduces accidents by up to 27 percent. Commercial vehicles will have to sport the systems from November next year, and everything else from 2014. Safety aside, we’re thinking that anything that can help prevent rear-ending our new ride, is definitely a welcome addition.
Filed under: Transportation
New EU legislation requires cars to include autonomous braking system originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 04:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The decision to invest in an electric vehicle would be much easier to justify if the car in question offered unlimited range. That appears to be the concept behind a Toyohashi University research group’s wireless power prototype, which can successfully transmit electricity through a 10 centimeter-thick concrete block. During a demonstration in Yokohama, Japan, the team sent between 50 and 60 watts of power through a pair of concrete blocks to two tires, which then juiced up a light bulb (you can see the rig just above). The project is called EVER (Electric Vehicle on Electrified Roadway), and could someday be used to keep cars moving along a highway without any need to pull over for a recharge, thanks to a constant stream of electricity coming from below the road. There are some serious obstacles to overcome before EVER can get some wheels turning — namely, a need to pump nearly 100 times the current maximum load through concrete that’s twice as thick as what they’ve managed today, not to mention improving undisclosed efficiency levels — but the group reportedly said that it’s up to the task, making us fairly optimistic that such a solution could one day get us from A to B without petrol. Until then, you’ll probably want to plan out a pit stop or two before you leave the garage.
Japanese group transmits electricity through 4-inch concrete block, could power cars on roads originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Jul 2012 00:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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