US Army examining next-gen augmented reality "live synthetic" simulations
By David Szondy
April 1, 2014
2 Comments
Modern warfare is sometimes compared to a video
game, but within ten years combat training may become the most realistic
video game imaginable. The US Army’s Future Holistic Training
Environment Live Synthetic program is a new approach to combat training
that integrates various simulations into a single, remotely accessible
system. Used on bases across the country, its goal is to provide the
Pentagon with a cheaper, more effective way of training soldiers for
future military operations. Read More
With homes and light-vehicles accounting for
roughly 44 percent of total greenhouse gases emitted in the US,
neutralizing these emissions would certainly go a long way towards a
clean energy future. What if these sources of pollution could not only
be nullified, but play an active role in reducing our environmental
footprint? Such is the thinking behind the Honda Smart Home US unveiled
last week, which generates enough solar energy to power both car and
home, with a little left over to feed back into the grid. Read More
From robotics to optics and forgery prevention to solar cells,
biomimicry has proven fertile ground for researchers. Recognizing
nature's potential in the development of new technologies, DARPA has
announced the establishment of the Biological Technologies Office (BTO),
a new division that aims to "merge biology, engineering, and computer
science to harness the power of natural systems for national security."
Read More
In November 2009, the Accuracy International L115A3 sniper rifle was the weapon used in the most prodigious feat of marksmanship in military history
– three consecutive strikes from 2.47 km in combat. Now a British
sniper in Afghanistan has reportedly killed six insurgents with one
bullet using the L115A3. Read More
Ultra-powerful, world-speed-record supercars are earning a lot of attention lately. Hot on the heels of Hennessey's 270.49-mph (435.31 km/h) speed record and Koenigsegg's 1-megawatt One:1,
we have an all-new contender from a young American start-up. Trion
Supercars' Nemesis is an angry, 2,000-hp beast that has its eyes on the
world record territory north of 270 mph (435 km/h). Read More
Before drugs are tested on humans, they first go
through pre-clinical tests on animals. Because humans and animals don't
have identical gastrointestinal tracts, however, the way in which the
drugs are absorbed by the body often differs between the two. A
scientist from the UK's University of Huddersfield hopes to address that
discrepancy, with his "gut simulator." Read More
Campus Martius, also known as the Campus of Mars,
was built by the Roman Senate just outside the ancient Rome city walls
back in 9 BCE. It was built to celebrate the peace brought upon the
Roman people as a result of Emperor Agustus’s military conquests. Thanks
to a complex computer simulation created by the Institute for Digital
Intermedia Arts (IDIA) for Indiana University's School of Informatics
and Computing, it is now possible to verify if and how solar alignments
influenced the positioning of the different objects on site. Read More
Last August we heard about the Baltika,
a rather clever icebreaker that can temporarily increase its frontal
area by traveling sideways into the ice. At the time, it was still under
construction, and the only images available were renderings. Now,
however, it's complete and has begun sea trials. Read More 
It's no secret that LED bulbs are
far more efficient than traditional incandescent lights. One drawback,
though, is a different look than the bulbs that people are accustomed
to. Philips has just launched a new clear LED bulb that features the
traditional light bulb shape and look, but with the efficiency benefits
of modern offerings. Read More 
It's not just retro styling that's making its way
from the Olympus flagship mirrorless line-up to its compact cameras.
Some of the high-end tech is, too. The recently announced Stylus SH-1 is
a 24x zoom camera which boasts built-in Wi-Fi, a TruePic VII image
processor, and the 5-axis mechanical image stabilization which was
originally developed for the Olympus OM-D E-M5. Read More
