HumanDrive Project: Mimicking human driving in autonomous vehicles

HumanDrive Project: Human like driving in Autonomous cars

With AI technology and machine learning the latest “in things”, autonomous driving was never that far away. We already see some forms of it on the road, whether it be in the form of autonomous parking or cruise control, all of this has to do with AI and machine learning tech. The HumanDrive project started by Nissan’s European center will test out how autonomous cars face the UK terrain, through country sides and motorways.

The HumanDrive project will feature a 30 month trek across the UK all without the input or intervention of humans. It’s going to be human- like driving without the human behind the steering wheel.

What is the HumanDrive Project? 

The HumanDrive project aims at making the outside world think that a human is driving a car when in reality all the systems within the car will be operated by a machine. The challenge is for the autonomous car to appear like a human is driving it through all types of terrains and through all types of landscapes whether it be through the country side or in crowded towns.

Handing in the reins of the vehicle to a machine, may prove to be a smoother experience for a driver than simply using automated driving for parking or during cruise control.

Using various simulation models and in depth analysis of how drivers behave on the road were the key ingredients when it came to developing automated driving in the HumanDrive project.

By identifying the key ingredients in the HumanDrive project, researchers were able to list the risks and behaviors of human drivers in those scenarios and establish it within the HumanDrive project.

How autonomous should a car be in the HumanDrive Project? 

Studies conducted by researchers on the HumanDrive project was done so as to determine the degree of autonomous driving that people preferred and whether the driving should mimic individual styles. All these studies were directed at determining the level of control in such autonomous vehicles in the HumanDrive project.

Testing of the HumanDrive project: 

Researchers applied an externally created autonomous driving software to a simulation model in order to determine risks and responses in those settings.

Another method of testing had been to develop geo-specific databases that would give the autonomous vehicle a feel of the terrain in which they would be driving.

The HumanDrive Journey: 

The HumanDrive project will kick start its 200 plus mile journey through the UK and culminate in December of next year. The journey will take the autonomous vehicles through the country side and motorways. The whole idea behind the project is to foster confidence in such human-less vehicles and to increase public awareness of them. Another aim of the HumanDrive project is to aid public authorities to benefit from such automated technologies.

The business of automated vehicles: 

Low carbon consumption vehicles and automated vehicles are the future of transport. As the demand for these vehicles increase and more and more people go in for such transport the possibilities of this business sector is enormous. To be more accurate it is 52bn pounds by the year 2035 to the UK alone.

TESS to Search the Sky for New Worlds

The Search for New worlds begins with TESS

Is earth the only inhabitable planet or are there more planets out there that could potentially become a home far away from home for us? Scientists are all ready to launch TESS or Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, which will reportedly look for planets outside the solar system that could potentially support life on their surfaces. TESS will look at the atmospheric compositions of these planets and determine whether they could support life.

TESS is all set for an April 16 launch, with scientists making the final preparations for its two year stint in space. TESS will look for planets around nearby starts that give hints of a livable atmosphere.
TESS will analyze Atmospheric compositions of planets:

Scientists believe that atmospheric compositions hold clues as to whether a planet can hold life or not and this is what TESS will be sent out to do.

TESS is tasked with finding exoplanets by analyzing something that is known as “transit”. Transit is when a planet passes in front of a start causing a dip in the brightness of that star. In the past, scientists have discovered many exoplanets using the technique of transit. Most of these planets are 300 to 3000 lightyears away from us.

TESS’s follow up program will look at the mass of various planets some 4 times the radius of the earth and others smaller than earth.

How will Transit Help scientists? 

With transit, TESS will be able to identify exoplanets and then scientists will use a technique known as “spectroscopy” which is the study of the absorption and emission of light, to determine the mass, density and atmospheric composition of a specific planet.

The water content and other molecules present in the atmosphere of a planet will give key clues as to the possibility of a planet to harbor life.

The Follow-up Observations: 

Follow- up observations of TESS’s findings will be made by scientists using MEarth telescopes which are robotically controlled observatories. Another way scientists plan on observing findings is through a KeplerCam present on a 48 inch telescope. MEarth and Kepler cam will be used to confirm the star that TESS identifies in the transit period.

TESS Guest Investigator Program: 

The worldwide scientific community will be able to participate in this mission through TESS Guest Investigator Program. This participation will maximize the return expected from the mission and contribute in the study of stellar astrophysics, exoplanet characterization and general solar system science.

Launch of TESS: 

TESS is expected to launch on April 16 of this year for its two year mission. The launch will be from Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station located in Florida.

With the help of gravity from the moon, TESS will begin a 13.7 day orbit of the earth and sixty days after its launch and after checking all its instruments it will begin its two year mission in space. TESS will be all set to discover planets that could potentially hold human life.

Researchers Develop Nanoparticle Films for High-Density Data Storage

High density data storage gets a boost with the development of nanoparticle films

Data generation in this age is quadrupling with each passing day and we are unable to store or manage the mammoth amount of data at our disposal. Therefore finding an alternative which enables us to store data at longer period of time with great stability has become a critical necessity. Now researchers from Northeast Normal University in China has developed new nanoparticle films which are 80 times thinner than the human hair but can easily help in high density data storage. Researchers have asserted that these nanoparticle films can easily archive more than 1000 times worth of data than the traditional DVD on just a 10 by 10 centimeter large piece of film.

Promises usage from wearable device to deep space

It is a remarkable technology and we are likely to see it being used in the wearable devices in the short time. These nanoparticle films can also store the 3D images of the objects or people which can viewed as a 3D hologram with natural realistic and in-depth details later on. These nanoparticle films can be used in the regular devices and the storage medium developed by its usage is also environmentally stable which means used in the outside condition or can even be utilized in the space conditions where harmful radiations are the way of life.

Storing more and more data by taking less and less space

This new kind of nanoparticle films has been designed specifically for the new age holographic data storage. This data storage hasn't found much support or recognition so of today as it makes use of the laser to create as well as read the 3-D holographic recreation of the data present on the nanoparticle films. It is blazing fast with the ability to write as well as read millions of bits at once which makes the holographic data storage way ahead of its traditional counterparts.

The traditional counterpart are namely the optic and magnetic data storage system which happens to record and read just individual bits at a time with is both time consuming and extremely slow when it comes to huge amount of data.

Holographic approach in the high density data storage allows researchers to record information throughout the 3D volume of the entire naoparticle materials. Herein data is not just recorded on the surface but it also researchers to record multiple data or images in the same given area by simply using the light at varied angles and using different colours. Researchers are also working on recoding holographic images on the titania silver films in order to get the similar performance with lesser effort and higher stability.

At the moment researchers are aggressively planning to test the environmental stability of these nanoparticle films in order to ensure quick and safe real life application of the same in the upcoming days. It will certainly help in removing the data storage woes of millions of users worldwide with simple and easier application.

Here Are Five New Google Features That Make Life Easier And More Enjoyable

Google has recently made a few updates to its products, that makes using them even more easier than ever before. Google has never really stopped making upgrades and adjustments to its products but these new features are guaranteed to make life easier. Whether it be watching movies or hearing an audiobook, Google has got you covered.

Google’s new Features for Audiobooks: 

Starting its audiobook app back in Jan, Google has already started to get on with the updates to the service that is guaranteed to make your listening even more enjoyable. One such feature is “smart resume” whereby you can resume a book from a word or a sentence that you left off from. This feature is great when you stop a book unexpectedly for a long period and then want to start off just where you left off.

Google Play Book app has now started a bookmark feature where you can bookmark a page and return to it later by simply pressing on an icon. Another cool feature with the audiobooks is that you can now build them into your routine with Google assistant, so now for your daily commute to the workplace you can switch from listening to music to hearing an audiobook. The speed at which a book is read can now be expanded from .5 to 3 times the reading rate.

Letting your Home assistant control your Bluetooth Speakers: 

One cool feature Google has added with the home assistant is that it can now control the quality of an audiobook, so you can now get the maximum experience when listening to a voice read an audiobook over a home controlled Bluetooth speaker. One home device is capable of connecting to all the Bluetooth speakers in the house so your reading can stay with you wherever you move in the house.

Setting location based reminders using home: 

Apart from connecting to a Bluetooth speaker, Home can now remind you of a particular activity when you are at a specific location and at a specified time.

Accessing GIFs in Google Images: 

Instead of asking the assistant to remind you to place a certain GIF in a certain place at a certain time, you can now use Tenor which Google recently purchased. Tenor is a GIF sharing keyboard that you can use on your mobile or desktop. So you can now get the GIF you want at the right time and place.
Tenor has got over 300 million people search for over 12 billion GIFs every month using its platform.

New features in Google Play Movies and TV app: 

One of the new features added by Google is that you can now search for a movie that you want to watch and it will bring up not only the sale of the movie but also a list of places that the movie can be streamed online.

Another cool feature is that you can search for a movie by genre and tune the search according to a thumbs up or thumbs down system.

Chromebook Tablets for Versatile Learning

Google has introduced Chromebook tablets which can be used even by students in the third grade itself. The Chromebook tablets are for the low cost Chrome OS devices.

The Acer Chromebook Tab 10 is the first Chromebook tablet that has been revealed by Google. The Acer Chrome book Tab 10, will be the first tablet to run on Chrome OS.

Features 

The Acer Chromebook Tab 10 has a 9.7 inch, 2048 x 1536 display with front and rear facing cameras. It comes with an OP1 processor, 4GB RAM, 32 GB storage and a USB-C port. It has a microSD card slot and a headphone jack. The Chromebook tablet has about 9 hour battery life. The Chrome book tablets come with an in-built stylus that does not require a battery or any additional charging and touchscreen. The Chrome book tablets will be priced at $329.

The students of third grade, at a school in California were the first to test the device. The Chromebook tablets are a great device for them because of the technology and touchscreen.

The Chrome book tablet is first targeting the schools and later will be available for the consumers as well.

In classrooms, the teacher will give each student a device and the session begins. The student then logs in with their name and password, complete their work or even play on the Tab and when they are done, can log out. All the user information on the Chrome book tablet has been encrypted. Each time the device is booted, the verified boot checks the security of the device.

The Chromebook tablet comes with an in-built stylus which does not require charging or pairing to function.

The Chrome book tablets are light in weight with touch and stylus features. It is the ideal device for students to create multimedia projects and the user gets an engaging and absorbing experience. The Acer Chrome book Tab 10 supports many of the learning apps that can be obtained from a wide range of apps from the Play Store.

The first Chrome book tablet which is the Acer Chrome book Tab 10 is slated to be made available by the end of this year.

Advantages of Chromebook tablets 

The Chromebook tablets come with support, management and an in-built access to educational content. Google provides continuous support, updates and ensures security. Hence it becomes convenient and hassle free for the teachers and students using the Chromebook tablets.

The price of these devices is lower than laptops and hence they are more affordable even for personal use.

The Chromebook tablets can be set up within minutes. A Chromebook management license enables you to access the web-based management console. From there you can configure and manage 10 or 10,000 devices across the institution, local education authority or even across the entire region.

The students can share a single device and can even get a personal learning experience by just logging in. Each student can access his or her own work, apps, books and videos.