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| 1. Toyota Prius | Price: from £21,845 | Drivetrain: Petrol/electric hybrid | Range: More than 300 miles |
15.3.16
Top 10 electric and hybrid cars | Part 2
Top 10 electric and hybrid cars | Part 1
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| 1. Toyota Prius Plug-in | Price: £28,245 including Government plug-in grant | Drivetrain: Petrol/electric hybrid | Approximate range: More than 300 miles |
New Mercedes-Benz E-class: Thai prices and specs
E220d chosen as launch model with class-leading levels of fuel economy and CO2 emissions.
Mercedes-Benz Thailand has announced prices for the all-new E-class ahead of its public debut at this month’s 2016 Bangkok International Motor Show.
The initial model chosen for the Thai luxury car market is the E220d coming with a newly developed 2.0-litre diesel-turbo engine to replace the outgoing 2.1-litre unit.
Priced at 3.999 million baht in Exclusive trim and 4.79 million baht in AMG Dynamic spec, the E220d has outputs of 194hp and 400Nm. Drive is channeled to the rear wheels via a new nine-speed automatic transmission.
4.3.16
Australia deploys shark-spotting drones to keep watch over beachgoers
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| The Little Ripper is a modified version of a military-grade Vapor 55 drone. |
With tens of thousands of miles of coastline and a recent spike in shark attacks, Australia is exploring some pretty imaginative approaches to ensuring the safety of its beachgoers. Magnetic barriers and shark-tracking phone apps are a few of the tech ideas that have been floated, and the state of New South Wales is now turning to drones to help do the job. It has launched a trial of unmanned shark-spotting aircraft, which will survey the coastline for predators lurking in shallow waters.
The Little Ripper is a modified version of a military-grade Vapor 55 drone that's been fitted with advanced camera and sensing technologies. The battery-powered, AU$250,000 (US$178,500) drone streams live footage back to the ground, and according to The Daily Telegraph can fly for 150 minutes at a time and up to 100 km (62 mi) away.
BigDog robot | Boston Dynamics and Foster-Miller
BigDog - The Most Advanced Rough-Terrain Robot on Earth
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| BigDog |
Dynamically stable quadruped robot created in 2005 by Boston Dynamics with Foster-Miller, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Harvard University Concord Field Station.
BigDog is a rough-terrain robot that walks, runs, climbs and carries heavy loads. BigDog is powered by an engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog has four legs that are articulated like an animal’s, with compliant elements to absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. BigDog is the size of a large dog or small mule; about 3 feet long, 2.5 feet tall and weighs 240 lbs.
BigDog's on-board computer controls locomotion, processes sensors and handles communications with the user. BigDog’s control system keeps it balanced, manages locomotion on a wide variety of terrains and does navigation. Sensors for locomotion include joint position, joint force, ground contact, ground load, a gyroscope, LIDAR and a stereo vision system. Other sensors focus on the internal state of BigDog, monitoring the hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine functions, battery charge and others.
BigDog runs at 4 mph, climbs slopes up to 35 degrees, walks across rubble, climbs muddy hiking trails, walks in snow and water, and carries 340 lb load.
Development of the original BigDog robot was funded by DARPA. Work to add a manipulator and do dynamic manipulation was funded by the Army Research Laboratory's RCTA program.
The best and baddest of U.S. stealth bombers
The evolution of American stealth aircrafts in pictures.
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| LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD |
1. LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD Role: Strategic reconnaissance aircraft Manufacturer: Lockheed, Skunk Works division Status: Retired The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is a long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that was operated by the United States Air Force.It was developed as a black projectfrom the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by Lockheed and its Skunk Works division. The SR-71 served with the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1998. A total of 32 aircraft were built; 12 were lost in accidents with none lost to enemy action. The SR-71 has been given several nicknames, including Blackbird and Habu. It has held the world record for the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft since 1976; this record was previously held by the relatedLockheed YF-12.
1.3.16
Chinese Drone Maker EHang Announces An Autonomous Flying Vehicle For People
Chinese drone maker EHang claims to be building the world’s first “Autonomous Aerial Vehicle” for transporting people.
Called the 184, it sort of looks like an overgrown quadcopter drone. The all-electric vehicle has four arms with a total of eight propellers at the end. The thing is almost five feet tall and weighs 440 pounds. It can hold only 220 pounds. The company claims the 184 is autonomous, so all the passenger has to do is enter in their destination in the smartphone app.
“Passengers don’t need to learn how to fly it, they don’t need get to a pilot’s license,” EHang cofounder Derrick Xiong said in an interview. ”They just need to press a button and then it vertically takes off, flies from point A to point B, and lands.”
EHang said the vehicle is primarily designed for traveling short-to-medium distances — around 10 miles — and will fly at around 60 miles per hour.
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