R. E. KEARNEY

The Future of Factory Robots – Decreasing Cost while Increasing Efficiency

The use of robots in their production line has been proving to be remarkably profitable for many businesses. One of the reasons for this is because it immediately decreases one of their largest regular pay-outs, labor costs. This means that factories, and other businesses with many employees, have increased their use of automation by adding robots to their labor force. The machines have also proven to be significantly more efficient than human labor. Instrumental in this change are many Chinese companies, which are responsible for a large part of the world’s production. As a result, they have been investing significantly in finding mechanical forces that will decrease the cost of labor, as well as continue to boost productivity levels.

Shentong Express, a large-scale shipping company, has cut its labor costs in half by making sorting robots a permanent part of its labor force. The robots are made by Hikvision, and are responsible for sorting parcels as they transition through the system. Each machine can sort at least 200,000 parcels per day and, since they are self-charging, can work around the clock. This has also facilitated an improvement in the company’s efficiency by 30%, as well as increasing the accuracy of sorting. Even though the robots are currently only a part of the work force in two of the company’s Hangzhou branches, there are plans to expand their use to all their largest branches.

In 2016, the output using industrial robots increased by over 30%, fuelling the shift from human work forces to automated ones. Another Chinese company, Changying Precision Technology, which manufactures mobile phones, automated 90% of their work force. This meant that 650 human workers were replaced with 60 robots, across 10 production lines. The company’s productivity has subsequently increased by 250%, and defective products decreased by 80%. These results have caused China to develop a long-term plan which involves using robots as a significant part of their labor force, increasing their number to 100,000 by 2020.

Even though large-scale businesses embrace these changes, many individuals are worried about the considerable number of people that will lose their jobs due to increased levels of automation and technological advancements. It is estimated that within the next 20 years, 137 million workers in five Southeast Asian countries will be replaced with robots or other automated systems.

There are other changes that automation will bring to business worldwide. Many companies in first world countries have previously outsourced their production, to others that are less developed with low cost labor forces. Automation means that production can be transferred to the home country, since labor costs would now be at a minimum. This would have detrimental effect on the economy of many third world countries.

Internationally, the use of automated services must be embraced, without taking things to the extreme. Viable solutions will also need to be found to control the expected rise in the unemployment rate. One suggestion is to have a universal basic income, which would expand economies and limit unemployment.

Tesla Model 3 – Safe, Autonomous Electric Vehicle

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

More than 400, 000 people have signed up to be eligible to pre-order the Tesla Model 3. This demonstrates how highly anticipated its release has been. Company CEO, Elon Musk, has recently announced that the car will finally become available on the market, in July of this year. Tesla Inc. has been incredibly successful with its production of electric vehicles and the company continues to forge a path towards a ‘solar electric economy,’ by manufacturing products that operate exclusively on sustainable energy sources.

Tesla Inc. unveiled its first electric sedan, Model S, in 2009. Musk describes the Model 3 as ‘a smaller, more affordable version of Model S, with less range and power and fewer features.’ Even though Model S is equipped with more technology, Model 3 is the first step towards fulfilling Tesla’s mission of making their electric vehicles more affordable.

In 2014, Tesla constructed their Gigafactory which allowed them to begin manufacturing batteries which were up to the 30% cheaper. This helped them to develop the Model 3 at a lower price, than previous products. It has also been easier to manufacture than other Tesla models which are more high-end cars. The vehicle is expected to enter the market at a price of $35,000 before tax incentives, and will have a range of at least 215 miles (346 kilometres) per charge. Tesla has set high production targets in response to the public enthusiastic reception of the Model 3. They plan to produce 500, 000 cars per year by 2018, doubling this to 1 million in 2020.

Previously unused technology has been applied to the vehicle’s design and manufacturing process, but Musk says consumers are unlikely to notice the changes. In 2014, Tesla introduced their semi-autonomous driving system, Autopilot, which will also be included in the Model 3’s features. Self-driving vehicles increase road safety, and Tesla has plans to include this it in all their productions. Due to its Autopilot capabilities, the Model 3 will be equipped with a single dashboard, since the driver will need to view less information.

In response to consumers’ questions about the vehicle’s size, Musk has said that a large cooler can fit in its trunk. It also has a shorter wheelbase which can only accommodate a 75-kilowatt battery-pack. Even so, its range is still comparable to the Chevy Bolt EV, which can travel up to 238 miles on a single charge.

Tesla plans to release other versions of the Model 3, including a ‘performance’ model which will be able to accelerate faster than the original as well as a four-wheel drive (dual motor) option. The company has postponed the introduction of other versions until after the original has been released, to minimise the product’s initial complexity. Tesla has estimated that the other types of Model 3 will be available between six and nine months after the original. The right-handed version (for countries that drive on the left) is expected for release in summer 2018.

Science and Disease – Curing Diabetes with a Pill

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that develops when the body becomes unable to process insulin correctly. Insulin is the hormone that is responsible for regulating the amount of sugar in our bloodstream. In the first stages of the disease, the body overproduces the hormone in an attempt to regulate the system. After a while the receptors will burn out and stop producing the insulin altogether.

People develop diabetes based on genetics, as well as lifestyle factors, that affect the way that their system functions. It is most common in those that are middle aged, or older, and medical practitioners believe that almost 1/3 of the population will develop type 2 diabetes due to poor eating habits and a lack of exercise. Medications currently used to treat diabetes, filter the excess glucose produced from the bloodstream. Top medical doctors, and nutritionists, believe that Type 2 diabetes is completely reversible, however, and scientists are trying to find an easy, reliable method of doing this.

A team of researchers from the University of California, have recently developed a drug which can restore insulin sensitivity in people with diabetes. It would be administered via a single pill taken daily, and works by inhibiting LMPTP (low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase) which contributes to the reduction in cell sensitivity to insulin. Decreasing the amount of the enzyme in the body, causes the cells (especially those in the liver), to become receptive to insulin once again. This then restores the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels, ultimately reversing the condition.

The researchers used lab mice to conduct their experiment. The rodents were initially fed a high-fat diet, causing them to become obese and subsequently develop high blood glucose levels. After this they received a dose of the drug daily, and their insulin levels were successfully restored. Researchers did not notice any adverse side effects develop from the use of the medication. Further tests will still need to be conducted to ensure that the drug is completely safe for human use. The team, however, are confident that it will be a huge step in reversing diabetes by simply taking a pill.

The concept of reversing diabetes is not a new one, and has previously been achieved using a combination of drugs, a strict diet and a regular exercise regime. Scientists at Cornell University have also found that probiotic pills, containing live bacteria, can help reverse the effects of Type 2 diabetes by ‘rewiring’ the body. The probiotic pill was also tested on rodents, and managed to shift the control of the body’s blood sugar levels from the pancreas (which normally controls glucose levels within the body) to the upper intestine. By shifting where the blood sugar levels are controlled, scientists found that the animals’ insulin levels increased by up to 30%. They believe that a higher dose of this probiotic pill may become a cure for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Solar Power – The Future Looks Bright

Researchers are constantly trying to find ways of creating more efficient natural energy sources, as this would make a positive impact worldwide. Harvesting solar energy has become easier, and this has increased its use and decreased its cost. French energy company, Engie SA, believes that the future of energy is now. The company has made significant renewable energy advancements and its head of research, technology and innovation, Theirry Lepercq, says that the age of free and quasi-infinite energy is upon us. He bases his claim on the affordability of new solar panels, and the ease with which they can be installed.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has also published a report, stating that renewable energy sources have become more efficient. It states that many of them are now able to compete with the price of fossil fuels, and are even cheaper in many cases. Large companies, as well as entire countries, have begun investing in wind and solar technology. Infrastructure for major organisations and projects now includes solar panels, that have been installed to save on energy costs.

Previously solar panel systems used cells that were only able to convert about 20% of the energy they absorbed. The development of more efficient cells has taken place, and uses a technique like photosynthesis to harvest the sun’s energy. In addition, other technological advances show where it is possible to find 100% renewable energy sources. The price reduction for renewable sources is expected to cause oil prices to decrease significantly, especially after the next decade.

With increased use of renewable energy being a part of the global plan to monitor climate change, governments are doing their part in making these changes. Many countries are working with car manufacturers to create a transportation system that lowers the use of vehicles that burn fuel. The manufacturers are making more electric vehicles, and governments have approved the installation of more charging stations. In addition to this, solar panels are also being provided at lower costs for use in homes, and many new buildings come with them pre-installed.

Energy from the sun is also being used to help power a large variety of activities around the globe. The farming industry expands regularly, and a combination of solar power and sea water has been applied to the growth of 18000 tomato plants. Desalination is the removal of salt from ocean water, and one of the world’s largest plants has been opened in Israel and runs on solar energy. The Hikari super computer system has been run by the sun during the day since August 2016, and provides the company with an energy savings of approximately 15%.

Autonomous Farming – The Future of Food Production

Having technology which can run itself makes production quicker and easier in all areas, including farming. The autonomous tractor has recently been displayed by Case IH, and is designed with safety features that make it possible for the vehicle to be operated remotely. The world’s population is constantly increasing and with it the need for more food. The autonomous tractor would be able to maximise the efficiency of fields and growing produce, by working 24 hours per day and in adverse weather conditions.

Case IH has played a major role in the development of farming with their introduction of a form of GPS, in the 1990s, which showed the amount of produce that each field yielded. This system has been improved with technological advancements, and is still used by farmers to show where planting adjustments need to be made.

More recently, self-steering systems have been included in farming vehicles to decrease the amount of overlapping and missing areas that occurs during planting crops. This minimizes wastage and workload, yet still requires qualified drivers to operate. Finding them is becoming more difficult, as the hours can be long and tedious. Autonomous machines can be used alongside existing ones, significantly decreasing the amount of labor needed to run a farm.

As they would be remotely controlled, the tractors have been designed without a cab. The vehicles are also able to warn operators of possible threats, by stopping when there is an item that might damage them in the vicinity. The operator is alerted, and will then decide whether it should continue or change paths. The tractors are programmable, and can make their way to and from different fields. Their progress can be viewed through the mapping system, controlled by an app, or remotely accessed via ‘tractor view’ through its feed.

Developers are working on ways that the vehicles will be able to interpret external data, such as weather conditions, and use it to decide what is the best time to plant and reap crops, independent of human input. This attention to detail would save on wastage, as it would control the planting of the crops as well as weeding between rows to reduce the use of pesticides.

The tractor’s designers are currently working with farmers to test the technology. They are demonstrating the way in which its use will affect all aspects of the business, including labour and farm management. Other autonomous features will be integrated into current farm vehicles, and these can be adapted for use on small as well as large-scale farms. As the technology becomes more readily available, costs are expected to decrease and more areas will be able to use it for widespread food production. The current expectation is that this will help to decrease hunger worldwide.

The James Webb Telescope – Capturing the Creation of the Universe

The Hubble Telescope, which has spent many years in outer space collecting data, has vastly increased our understanding of the universe. The James Webb Telescope is its successor and will expand this knowledge immensely. It is the most powerful space telescope that has ever been built, with a primary mirror which is 6.5-meters in diameter. This gives it the ability to scan back over 13.5 billion years allowing us to observe the formation of the first stars and galaxies in the universe.

The telescope had been created by the combined expertise of NASA, The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The object is scheduled to be launched into outer space, on an ESA Ariane V Booster from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana in 2018. Previously, telescopes that were launched into space relied on rigid structures for their stability. The Webb is the first of its kind to be built for both stability and mobility. Its honeycomb appearance is because of its 18-segment ‘golden’ primary mirror, which will need to be folded to fit inside its carrier. When the launch is complete and the telescope safely in space, the mirror will unfold to begin its observations.

The unusual design makes testing the telescope more difficult than others before. Each of the mirror’s 18 segments measures just over 4.2 feet and weighs 88 lbs. They are made of beryllium with a plating of gold. In addition to observing the formation of the universe’s first stars and galaxies, The Webb will be searching for information about the history of our solar system and many of the others that make up our galaxy. Like all other space exploration, a major part of the project is to locate other planets that may be capable of supporting life.

The telescope is undergoing a rigorous testing process, to be ready for its journey in 2018. This is a major part of being able to ensure that it will be safe to launch and to remain in outer space. Engineers believe that it is one of the most complicated pieces of hardware ever created, and they are doing everything they can to assess its performance. Testing new equipment has its complications and in December 2016, technicians detected ‘anomalous readings’ from the telescope during a series of vibration tests.

The unusual results caused engineers to pause their tests and conduct both visual and ultrasonic examinations to ascertain their origin. They found that the telescope had no visible signs of damage, and determined the reason for the unexpected readings had been the restraints that were needed to keep the massive item in place. NASA restarted their original testing process within 2 months adapting it to reflect possible deviations. The next phase of testing will determine if The Webb Telescope can withstand vibrations in all three dimensions, as this will be very important during its universal mission.