Artificial intelligence tool helps easily detect ocean plastic from the air
While preventing the flow of plastic waste into the ocean is key to safeguarding the health of our marine environments, it’s also essential that we clean up the mess that’s already there. Of course, detecting ocean pollution is not an easy undertaking — but a new useful tool is here to Read More...
Zipline is using drones to deliver frozen vaccines to remote clinics
One of the most challenging aspects of transporting and maintaining Covid-19 vaccines is that they need to be stored in frozen temperatures. The Pfizer vaccine, for instance, must be stored at a bone-chilling minus 70 degrees Celsius. This makes transporting the vaccines to remote locations a Read More...
Tiny drone uses a live moth antenna to sniff out chemicals in the air
Augmenting drones so they could detect chemicals in the air, locating disaster survivors, explosives, gas leaks and other objects of interest has long been on the R&D agenda of mechanical engineers. One of the biggest hurdles, however, is that most human-made sensors are not sensitive or fast Read More...
Australia to begin nationwide “koala count” to assess population health
Although they are fluffy and sleep for about 20 hours a day, koalas are deceptively difficult to locate. Due to their elusiveness, the Australian government is deploying some new and innovative tools in their nationwide “koala count.” The Australian government is dedicating 2 million Read More...
Why scientists are sending drones into the plumes of active volcanoes
Monitoring active volcanoes across the world to send out early warnings before they erupt is a challenging undertaking. But scientists are now tapping into drone technology to help them predict eruptions more easily. Researchers from University College London and the University of Mexico have Read More...
Pufferfish-inspired drone expands itself to prevent harmful collisions
When a pufferfish feels threatened, the marine animal makes itself larger by inflating its body like a balloon. Drawing inspiration from this undersea creature’s defense mechanism, a group of engineers has developed an innovative structure that can solve some of the safety issues related to Read More...
Drone successfully completes longest organ delivery via unmanned aircraft
From creating breathtaking light shows to helping restore degrading ecosystems to delivering books to kids, drones can do an awful lot of things these days — including the life-saving task of transporting human organs for transplant. That is what a team of researchers from MissionGO, a provider Read More...
How drones and AI can restore degraded ecosystems
Over the last several centuries, humans have felled around 2 billion hectares of forest, leaving behind an area of degraded land comparable to the size of Australia. To restore these ecosystems that are essential in our fight against global warming, we need urgent reforestation efforts that go Read More...
Indigenous communities are using drones to protect Amazon’s iconic jaguar
For many indigenous communities in the Amazon, the jaguar represents a culturally revered animal that, like many other species in the lush Brazilian rainforest, is key to maintaining a thriving ecosystem in the area. In recent years, however, increasing loss of habitat and a surge in illegal Read More...
Drones light up the sky in Seoul to remind South Koreans to stay safe
Not long ago we wrote about how a group of artists in Rotterdam have put up a breathtaking light show using drones, as a means to thank healthcare workers for their heroic efforts in the fight against the pandemic. A similarly spectacular showcase happened recently in the South Korean capital of Read More...