Researchers have developed an AI tool that can rate a film’s content in a matter of seconds, based on the film script and before a single scene has been shot. Ratings can determine a film’s appeal to consumers and the size of its potential audience. Thus, they have an impact on a film’s bottom line. … Read more
Velodyne Lidar, which makes one of the most crucial sensors for driverless cars, has announced a new $500 (£380) lidar array with no moving parts that could drastically lower the cost of bringing automation to vehicles. The high cost of lidar sensors, which act as the eyes of a self-driving car, has been one of … Read more
Engineers in the US have developed a way to improve the imaging capability of existing radar sensors – a system that could enable self-driving cars to ‘see’ what’s up ahead regardless of the weather. Inclement weather conditions pose a challenge for the development of self-driving cars. These vehicles rely on technology such as LiDAR and … Read more
People who spend time video games have been shown to have improved wellbeing according to a new study from Oxford University. With many people forced to stay at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, gaming firms have enjoyed a record year, with more people playing than ever before, coupled with the recent launch of new … Read more
The European Space Agency (ESA) has approved plans to build the world’s first space telescope dedicated to studying the atmosphere of exoplanets. The Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey (Ariel) will be used to investigate the relationship between exoplanet chemistry and environment, collecting data from approximately 1,000 known exoplanets. Around 4,000 planets outside our solar system … Read more
The attitude and orbit control system of an ESA satellite dubbed ‘the Claw’ that will remove debris from space will be designed and constructed in Britain. The OECD estimates that there are now more than 160 million objects in object, mostly space debris that varies from defunct satellites to flecks of paint. Due to the … Read more
Researchers at Osaka University have developed a label-free method for identifying respiratory viruses, based on dips in electrical current as they pass through silicon nanopores. The method could form the basis of a rapid new Covid-19 test. Efforts to restrict the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic have emphasised rapid, widespread … Read more
The data centre business has received strong tailwinds over the past six months – from an unlikely source – the Covid-19 pandemic. Even as the pandemic and associated restrictions threw life and business out of gear, stalling growth in most sectors, it became a massive catalyst for digital adoption. The Government of India (GoI) had … Read more
A cotton face mask that uses a special fabric that can kill 99.99 per cent of bacteria and viruses within 60 minutes of daylight exposure has been developed by Californian researchers. While face masks made of various cloth materials have been shown to filter nanoscale aerosol particles such as those released by a cough or … Read more
The US’s first regional hub for flying cars is to be built in Orlando, Florida by the Tavistock Development Corp and aviation startup Lilium. The Lake Nona Vertiport will be built near Orlando International Airport in the Lake Nona community, which has ambitions to become a ‘smart city’ and is already home to medical and … Read more