New software could allow cyborg insects to map buildings

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Swarms of remote-control cockroaches could be used to map hazardous environments for first responders

Living remote-control cockroaches are now a thing. They actually exist. Besides wowing people and sparking ethics debates, however, the cyborg insects may ultimately have some very worthwhile applications. A team led by North Carolina State University's Dr. Edgar Lobaton has brought one of those applications a step closer to reality, by developing software that would allow "swarms" of the cockroaches to map hazardous environments such as collapsed buildings.

The cockroach-guiding technology, which was also developed at NC State, involves fitting Madagascar hissing cockroaches with "backpacks" containing an inexpensive, lightweight, commercially-available chip, along with a wireless receiver and transmitter, and a microcontroller.

That microcontroller is wired into the cockroachs antennae and sensory organs known as the cerci. When commands are sent wirelessly by a remote human operator, the controller electrically stimulates one or more of the antennae and/or cerci, dictating the directional movements of the insects.

In the building exploration scenario, a swarm of sensor-wearing remote-control cockroaches or other insects known collectively as "biobots" would be released into a damaged structure. Their human operators would give them some time to disperse in a random pattern, and would then send a signal causing the biobots to proceed to the nearest wall and follow along its base.

Although the locations of individual insects wouldn't be known (GPS doesn't work indoors), the insects' sensors would send a radio signal to the operators whenever two or more of the biobots got close to one another. After several swarms had been released and performed the "wall following" behavior, an algorithm in the software would take all of the accumulated radio signal data and use it to create a rough map of the building's interior.

First responders would then have some idea of where to go and what to avoid upon entering the structure themselves.

The technology has already been tested using computer simulations, and testing with robots is now under way (perhaps not unlike the existing MAST system). A trial involving actual biobots is planned to take place soon.

Down the road, it is hoped that insects equipped with other types of sensors could also be used to map the location of radioactive or chemical threats.

Source: North Carolina State University

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New software could allow cyborg insects to map buildings

Cyborg insects could map collapsed buildings for first responders

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20 hours ago Oct. 16, 2013 - 11:09 AM PDT

When first responders arrive at an emergency situation such as a collapsed building, they enter blind, uncertain of what they will encounter or how to reach their targets.

North Carolina State University researchers think cyborgs are the answer. A paper they will present next month proposes using live insects like cockroaches to map the insides of difficult-to-reach locations. The insects would each be connected to a tiny electronics pack that allows people to control their movements, organizing them into a swarm that can map the location of walls more precisely than if the insects spread out randomly.

We focused on how to map areas where you have little or no precise information on where each biobot is, such as a collapsed building where you cant use GPS technology, senior paper authorEdgar Lobaton said in a release. One characteristic of biobots is that their movement can be somewhat random. Were exploiting that random movement to work in our favor.

Case 1 and 2 show natural swarm movement, where insects spread out evenly over time. Case 3 and 4 show the more precise wall mapping that electronic control allows. Photo courtesy of North Carolina State University.

The insects are first allowed to spread out randomly. Then their controller sends a signal to move until they hit a continuous surface like a wall, which they are then directed to follow. Commands are relayed via electrodes connected to the insects antennae. Location information taken in through sensors would be beamed back via radio signals. Software translates the signals into a map of the interior. Insects could be equipped with sensors to take in other types of data too, including the presence of chemical or radioactive threats.

Cyborg cockroaches recently raised ethical questions after an educational company revealed a kit that would allow even young students to create their own mind-controlled cockroaches. While a co-founder said the roaches feel little pain from the surgical procedure necessary to attach the electronics pack, the first publicly available, do-it-yourself cyborg kit unsurprisingly still has some trailblazing to do before people become comfortable with the concept.

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Cyborg insects could map collapsed buildings for first responders

Software Uses Cyborg Swarm To Map Unknown Environs

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NEWS RELEASE

Oct. 16, 2013

Software Uses Cyborg Swarm To Map Unknown Environs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed software that allows them to map unknown environments such as collapsed buildings based on the movement of a swarm of insect cyborgs, or biobots.

We focused on how to map areas where you have little or no precise information on where each biobot is, such as a collapsed building where you cant use GPS technology, says Dr. Edgar Lobaton, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State and senior author of a paper on the research.

One characteristic of biobots is that their movement can be somewhat random, Lobaton says. Were exploiting that random movement to work in our favor.

Heres how the process would work in the field. A swarm of biobots, such as remotely controlled cockroaches, would be equipped with electronic sensors and released into a collapsed building or other hard-to-reach area. The biobots would initially be allowed to move about randomly. Because the biobots couldnt be tracked by GPS, their precise locations would be unknown. However, the sensors would signal researchers via radio waves whenever biobots got close to each other.

Once the swarm has had a chance to spread out, the researchers would send a signal commanding the biobots to keep moving until they find a wall or other unbroken surface and then continue moving along the wall. This is called wall following.

The researchers repeat this cycle of random movement and wall following several times, continually collecting data from the sensors whenever the biobots are near each other. The new software then uses an algorithm to translate the biobot sensor data into a rough map of the unknown environment.

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Software Uses Cyborg Swarm To Map Unknown Environs

Meet new 'cyborg roaches'

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Robots

Nidhi Subbaraman NBC News

18 hours ago

Alper Bozkurt / NC State University

Remote-control roach?

Hundreds of cyborg insects carrying radio transmitters like backpacks may one day scurry in to help emergency responders survey damaged or contaminated buildings after an earthquake, chemical spill or nuclear reactor accident.

The cyborg bugs could give responders "a quick picture of the environment," under conditions that may be dangerous or inaccessible to human rescuers, said Edgar Lobaton, assistant professor of electrical engineering at North Carolina State University.

Edgar Lobaton / NC State University

Artist's conceptualization of how a swarm of roaches could help map an area.

Roboticists have been making inroads into swarm technology in the last few decades, but groups of insects have been working together for millions of years. Roaches are natural explorers, and one species, the Madagascar hissing cockroach, is big enough to carry a decent-sized electronics lab on its back, Lobaton told NBC News. Compared to their fully robotic counterparts, insects are also naturally energy-efficient.

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Meet new 'cyborg roaches'

Swarm of cyborg bugs used to map unkown environs

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(UPI) -- Researchers from North Carolina University have developed software that allows them to map unknown environments using cyborg bugs also known as biobots.

Researchers say the biobots can be deployed in collapsed buildings or other dangerous and hard to reach places, where they can give rescuers or other workers an advance map of the space.

We focused on how to map areas where you have little or no precise information on where each biobot is, such as a collapsed building where you cant use GPS technology, says senior author Dr. Edgar Lobaton, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State.

Each biobot moves randomly through a space until they find a wall or unbroken surface, at which point they are commanded to move along the wall, a process dubbed "wall following." When they come near another biobot or the end of their wall, they begin the process again.

One characteristic of biobots is that their movement can be somewhat random, Lobaton says. Were exploiting that random movement to work in our favor.

The software then takes the bots' sensor data and translates it into a rough map of the environment.

This would give first responders a good idea of the layout in a previously unmapped area, Lobaton says.

The biobots can also be used to determine the location of radioactive or chemical threats as long as they're equipped with the relevant sensors.

So far the software has been tested using computer simulations and is currently being tested with robots. Researchers plan to work with NC State researcher Dr. Alper Bozkurt to test the program with biobots.

The paper "Topological Mapping of Unknown Environments using an Unlocalized Robotic Swarm" will be presented at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems being held Nov. 3-8 in Tokyo, Japan.

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Swarm of cyborg bugs used to map unkown environs

Don't panic! These cyborg roaches are trained for emergencies

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Robots

Nidhi Subbaraman NBC News

18 hours ago

Alper Bozkurt / NC State University

Remote-control roach?

Hundreds of cyborg insects carrying radio transmitters like backpacks may one day scurry in to help emergency responders survey damaged or contaminated buildings after an earthquake, chemical spill or nuclear reactor accident.

The cyborg bugs could give responders "a quick picture of the environment," under conditions that may be dangerous or inaccessible to human rescuers, said Edgar Lobaton, assistant professor of electrical engineering at North Carolina State University.

Edgar Lobaton / NC State University

Artist's conceptualization of how a swarm of roaches could help map an area.

Roboticists have been making inroads into swarm technology in the last few decades, but groups of insects have been working together for millions of years. Roaches are natural explorers, and one species, the Madagascar hissing cockroach, is big enough to carry a decent-sized electronics lab on its back, Lobaton told NBC News. Compared to their fully robotic counterparts, insects are also naturally energy-efficient.

Originally posted here:

Don't panic! These cyborg roaches are trained for emergencies

Quogue Group Pushing For Nourishment On Village Beaches

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As dredging gets under way for a groundbreaking $26 million nourishment effort for the beaches in Sagaponack, Water Mill and Bridgehampton, elsewhere in the town another oceanside village is grappling with the issue of beach nourishment in its own right.

Fueled by a citizen-based initiative that footed more than $100,000 to have a nourishment plan drafted, Quogue Village has been flirting with the idea of undergoing beach nourishment for more than three years.

Mayor Peter Sartorius said the Village Board was approached in 2010 by a group of citizens lobbying for nourishment of Quogues 2.7-mile stretch of beach. The group of primarily Dune Road residents, which formed the nonprofit Save the Dunes and Beaches Foundation, agreed to pay the permit fees on behalf of the village.

Theres no commitment to go forward with any kind of a project, Mayor Sartorius said. It wasnt like a secret or anythingit was mentioned in meetings, and I addressed it in my state of the village address.

Currently, the group has pending applications for beach nourishment, in the villages name, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York General Services Administration and the New York Coastal Management Program, according to Aram Terchunian of First Coastal, a Westhampton Beach erosion control firm.

Mr. Terchunian is a longtime consultant to the group as well as a consultant for the project in eastern Southampton Town.

Its important, because everyones got a stake in the beachregardless of where you live in Quogue, youve got a stake in the beach, Mr. Terchunian said. If youre a Quogue resident and youve been going to the beach for the past eight to 10 years, you know that its a shrinking situation.

The Save the Dunes and Beaches Foundation is calling for a project that would dredge about 1.1 million cubic yards of sand from the ocean floor about a mile offshore and use that sand to add an average of 60 feet of beach to the 14,235 linear feet of coastline. The added sand would act as an additional barrier to protect the houses on Dune Road, as well as the village as a whole, Mr. Terchunian explained.

According to the groups proposed plan, which is available on its website, quoguebeaches.org, as well as in hard copies at the Quogue Library and Village Hall, the project could be completed in about two months and would cost more than $14.1 million.

Mayor Sartorius said the village has no intentions of moving forward with such a project at this time, as it has not been determined if its necessary or in the publics best interest, adding, At this point were at an informal discussion phase.

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Quogue Group Pushing For Nourishment On Village Beaches

India's Goa State Beaches To Receive Facelift

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PANAJI (Goa) Oct 17 (Bernama) -- The Goa Tourism Department will give a facelift to four shorelines including Colva in the South district to divert tourists from the crowded beaches of North Goa in the western Indian state.

The Union tourism ministry has allocated Rs 17.23 crore (about US$2.8 million) to upgrade facilities at Colva, Gonsua, Betalbatim and Benaulim beaches in South Goa in a project named "Colva Circuit", Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

"All South Goa beaches are internationally famous and attract a lot of tourists. These areas demand an upgrade, development and a facelift which can accommodate more tourists and provide better facilities to boost tourism in South Goa," said State Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar.

The project will see the improvement of various facilities at the beaches such as car parks, pathways, seating areas, a children's park, changing rooms and washrooms, among others.

It will also include beautifiying sites of interest along the southern coastline.

Dilip said development work is anticipated to be completed within 180 days from the day work order is executed.

-- BERNAMA

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India's Goa State Beaches To Receive Facelift

Swiss British Aerospace Avro RJ100 (HB-IXO) Take Off at London City Airport LCY/EGLC [1080p HD] – Video

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Swiss British Aerospace Avro RJ100 (HB-IXO) Take Off at London City Airport LCY/EGLC [1080p HD]
Swiss British Aerospace Avro RJ100 departing runway 09 at London City Airport (LCY/EGLC) Airline: Swiss Aircraft: British Aerospace Avro RJ100 Reg: HB-IXO Ro...

By: Vxracing16 - HD Aviation Videos

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Swiss British Aerospace Avro RJ100 (HB-IXO) Take Off at London City Airport LCY/EGLC [1080p HD] - Video

Xilinx forecasts weak revenue from industrial, aerospace businesses

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* Sees 3nd-qtr revenue of $586.9-$610.9 mln vs est $607.8 mln

* Second-quarter EPS $0.49/shr vs est $0.52/shr

* Second-quarter revenue $598.9 mln vs est $588.3 mln

* Shares drop 4.5 pct in post-market trading

By Lehar Maan

Oct 16 (Reuters) - Chipmaker Xilinx Inc forecast current-quarter revenue largely below Wall Street's estimates as it expects lower revenue at its industrial and aerospace businesses.

Xilinx shares fell 4.5 percent after the company said it expects current-quarter revenue to be up or down 2 percent sequentially.

The forecast implies a third-quarter revenue range of $586.9 million to $610.9 million. Analysts on average were expecting revenue of $607.8 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The industrial, aerospace and defense business units accounted for 38 percent of Xilinx's revenue in the second quarter.

"After four consecutive growth quarters in industrial and aerospace and defense, we expect this category to decline sequentially," Chief Financial Officer Jon Olson said on a call with analysts.

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Xilinx forecasts weak revenue from industrial, aerospace businesses

AIAA Welcomes Ben Iannotta as New Editor-in-Chief of Aerospace America Magazine

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RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) today announced that Ben Iannotta has been appointed the new editor-in-chief of Aerospace America magazine. Iannotta succeeds Elaine Camhi, who retired from AIAA in August.

We are happy to welcome Ben as Aerospace Americas new editor-in-chief. We are confident that he will continue the tradition of strong oversight and leadership of our flagship magazine, and that his more than 20 years of experience as a writer and editor put him in an excellent position to guide the publication as it evolves to better serve the aerospace community in the years ahead, said Sandy Magnus, AIAA executive director. The staff and I are excited to start working with Ben as we move Aerospace America and AIAA forward.

Iannottas journalism career began in 1989 when he was hired as a news aide at The Washington Post. Recognizing his talent, Space News hired him in 1993 to cover military and civil space programs. By 1996, Iannotta has relocated to the Florida Keys, where he worked as a freelance journalist for 12 years covering technology, environmental and military stories. In 2008, he was hire as editor by the Gannett-owned C4ISR Journal where he worked until 2012, when he left to establish DeepDiveIntel.com, a technology-focused digital news service for intelligence professionals and those who equip them. As a freelancer, Iannottas work was published by Aerospace America, Air and Space, Smithsonian, New Scientist, Popular Mechanics and Reuters New Service.

I look forward to continuing Aerospace Americas excellent reputation for bringing hard hitting and impactful news and analysis to the aerospace community, as well as to finding innovative and new ways of engaging our audience as we continue to expand the magazines reach.

Iannotta earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Vermont, and a master of arts degree from George Washington University. In addition to his journalism background, he is a former chairman of the Monroe County, Fla., Marine and Ports Advisory Committee and has held a captains license from the U.S. Coast Guard. He has also worked as a professional fishing guide.

AIAA is the largest aerospace professional society in the world, serving a diverse range of more than 35,000 individual members from 80 countries, and 100 corporate members. AIAA members help make the world safer, more connected, more accessible, and more prosperous. For more information, visit http://www.aiaa.org.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Suite 500, Reston, VA 20191-4344 Phone: 703.264.7558 Fax: 703.264.7551 http://www.aiaa.org

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AIAA Welcomes Ben Iannotta as New Editor-in-Chief of Aerospace America Magazine

ST Engineering's Aerospace Arm Secures New Orders Worth $600M in 3Q2013

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Singapore, 16 October 2013 Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) todayannounced that its aerospace arm, Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd (ST Aerospace) hassecured new orders worth about $600m in the third quarter of 2013. The new orders involve projects ranging from airframe, component and engine maintenance, to commercial airline cabinretrofit and freighter conversions.

Included in the 3Q2013 contracts is an order of 17 passenger-to-freighter (PTF) conversionsreceived from an international air freight carrier, bringing to 119 the total number of aircraftcontracted for the Boeing 757-200 PTF conversion programme.

In the cabin interior business, ST Aerospaces expertise in providing complete turn-key solutionshas once again been affirmed with the clinching of a cabin reconfiguration project for two Boeing767-300 airplanes for an Asian airliner. Another noteworthy achievement is the ownership of aSupplemental Type Certificate (STC) awarded by the European Aviation Safety Agency for a full cabin retrofit programme involving six A330 aircraft for an international carrier.

In the third quarter, ST Aerospace redelivered a total of 245 aircraft for airframe maintenance andmodification work. This is in addition to the five Boeing 757-200 converted freighters redeliveredduring the quarter. Besides airframe redeliveries, the aerospace sector processed 11,360 components, 59 landing gears, 57 engines and conducted 1,570 engine washes for bothcommercial and military customers.

ST Aerospace continues to strengthen its footprint by implementing market expansion strategies inthe engine leasing and pilot training sectors. ST Aerospaces wholly owned subsidiary,ST Aerospace Engines Pte Ltd (STA Engines) recently injected additional capital into its 50%- jointly controlled company Total Engines Asset Management Pte Ltd (TEAM). TEAM has placedout 10 engines to date. It has also expanded its leasing portfolio to include the International AeroEngines V2500 engine, on top of the CFM56 series engines.

On the development of the pilot training business, ST Aerospaces commercial pilot trainingacademy has been certified as a Type Rating Training Organisation by the Civil Aviation Authorityof Singapore (CAAS). With this certification, ST Aerospaces training academy will be able toprovide aircraft type conversion training leading to CAAS type ratings, thus enriching its portfolio oftraining courses. A fixed-based Airbus A320 FFT X - MPL simulator has also recently beencommissioned at ST Aerospaces training academy at Seletar Aerospace Park in Singapore. Thisdevice - which features state-of-the-art technology and a fully type-specific cockpit - has beenspecially designed to support the Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL) Phase II training. ST Aerospaceis the first in Singapore to develop the MPL programme.

The above developments are not expected to have any material impact on the consolidated nettangible assets per share and earnings per share of ST Engineering for the current financial year.

ST Aerospace (Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd) is the aerospace arm of ST Engineeringwith a turnover of $2b in FY2012. Operating a global MRO network with facilities and affiliates inthe Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe, it is the worlds largest commercial airframe MRO providerwith a global customer base that includes leading airlines, airfreight and military operators.ST Aerospace is an integrated service provider that offers a spectrum of maintenance andengineering services that include airframe, engine and component maintenance, repair and overhaul; engineering design and technical services; and aviation materials and assetmanagement services, including Total Aviation Support. ST Aerospace has a global staff strengthof more than 9,000 employees worldwide. Please visit http://www.staero.aero.

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ST Engineering's Aerospace Arm Secures New Orders Worth $600M in 3Q2013

Amphenol Aerospace Partners with Thomas Enterprise Solutions to Better Serve Customers with Advanced Web Technology

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Thomas Enterprise Solutions today announced a new partnership with Amphenol Aerospace to help the company improve efficiencies and grow sales both through distributor and direct sales channels.

Amphenol Aerospace is one of the worlds largest manufacturers of interconnect products for the military, commercial aerospace and industrial markets. Engineers around the globe rely on the companys connectors and interconnect systems including: cylindrical and rectangular, electronic, fiber optic, EMI/EMP filter, and a variety of special applications connectors. Operating from its 675,000 square foot facility in Sidney, NY, Amphenol employs about 1,000 people, incorporating state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies including CNC machining, die-casting, molding, impact and extruding, plating, screw machining and process controls.

Our customers will soon be able to get part number and detailed specs that are vital to their projects, said Chris Cappello, Amphenols Marketing Manager. Thomas was the logical choice for us because of their technological capabilities and deep understanding and expertise of the manufacturing community, he added.

Thomas Enterprise Solutions team are working closely with Amphenols team to centralize information about its parts and products, including detailed technical specifications and build a library of 2D-3/D CAD models and drawings for thousands of Amphenol parts. These images can then be downloaded by prospects and customers directly from Amphenol Aerospaces website.

In addition, a new part Configurator will allow engineers to plug in their specific design specs and generate a 2/D-3/D CAD model instantly for insertion into their project. We saw this as a way to utilize technology that has huge business implications, said Mr. Cappello. Having the ability to generate a drawing on the fly will ultimately save us thousands of hours in engineering time to produce these drawings. Our customers will be able to download CAD models for insertion into their own designs to ensure an exact fit, and make purchasing decisions with more confidence. This improves efficiencies for Amphenol, and speeds sales and service, he added.

For more on Thomas Enterprise Solutions go to http://www.thomasenterprisesolutions.com

About Amphenol Aerospace Amphenol Aerospace, a Division of Amphenol Corporation, is one of the largest manufacturers of interconnect products in the world for the Military, Commercial Aerospace and Industrial markets. Amphenol designs, manufactures and markets cylindrical and rectangular, electronic, fiber optic, EMI/EMP filter, and a variety of special applications connectors and interconnect systems. Our 675,000 square foot facility is nestled at the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in Sidney NY. The complex houses approximately 1,000 employees, incorporating state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies including CNC machining, die-casting, molding, impact and extruding, plating, screw machining and process controls.

Our fully equipped material evaluation lab and an engineering support organization utilizing the latest in computer aided design software and analysis tools. This allows us to design, test and qualify interconnect systems.Our interconnect products are supplied to thousands of OEMs worldwide and are supported by our worldwide sales and engineering force, plus the largest global network of electronic distributors.

The Amphenol Aerospace Division consists of the interconnect facility in NY, two facilities in NH that manufacture electrical backplanes, rigid boards and flex assemblies, interconnect facilities in Toronto, ON and Stamford, CT, a full-service electronics manufacturer in Grand Rapids, MI, and two satellite assembly plants in Mexico and China.

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Amphenol Aerospace Partners with Thomas Enterprise Solutions to Better Serve Customers with Advanced Web Technology