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October 26, 2014

Rosetta discovers comet smells like rotten eggs and horse poo

The odor is based on chemicals outgassing from comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (Image: ESA...

The odor is based on chemicals outgassing from comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (Image: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/ INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA)

Comets may be deep-frozen fossils that could provide clues as to the earliest days of the Solar System, but what does one smell like? Not very nice, says ESA, whose Rosetta space probe has discovered that comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67P/C-G) has the aroma of rotten eggs and horse dung.

The smell of 67P/C-G was uncovered thanks to the Rosetta Orbiter Sensor for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA), which consists of two mass spectrometers called the Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (DFMS) and the Reflectron Time of Flight Spectrometer (RTOF) to study the composition of 67P/C-G’s coma, and the Comet Pressure Sensor (COPS) to determine the pressure of the gases in the coma.

The mass spectrometers are designed to cover a wide range of molecules from hydrogen to complex organics. In addition, the pressure sensor can map changes in coma pressure, as well as large differences in ion and neutral gas concentrations, and large changes in ion and gas flux.

High resolution mass spectrum from ROSINA's Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (Image: K. A...
The smell of the comet is a bit theoretical because the coma is actually a hard vacuum with trace molecules, but if it could be concentrated, the result would be very unpleasant. Scientists believed that because 67P/C-G is so far from the Sun, only extremely volatile molecules, such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, would be given off. However, Rosetta has discovered an unexpected mix of gases in the comet’s coma. These include mostly water, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, but also:
  • Ammonia
  • Methane
  • Methanol
  • Formaldehyde
  • Hydrogen sulphide
  • Hydrogen cyanide
  • Sulphur dioxide
  • Carbon disulphide

It's the sulfur dioxide and the ammonia along with the formaldehyde that give 67P/C-G its bouquet. "The perfume of 67P/C-G is quite strong, with the odor of rotten eggs (hydrogen sulphide), horse stable (ammonia), and the pungent, suffocating odour of formaldehyde" says Kathrin Altwegg, principal investigator for ROSINA. "This is mixed with the faint, bitter, almond-like aroma of hydrogen cyanide. Add some whiff of alcohol (methanol) to this mixture, paired with the vinegar-like aroma of sulphur dioxide and a hint of the sweet aromatic scent of carbon disulphide, and you arrive at the ‘perfume’ of our comet."

Rosetta's instruments (Image: ESA/ATG medialab)

Launched in 2004, Rosetta reached 67P/C-G by a circuitous route involving three flybys of Earth, one of Mars, and a long detour out beyond Jupiter as it built up enough speed to catch up to the comet. During this time, it passed close to the asteroids Šteins and Lutetia, and went into a 31-month hibernation to conserve resources until the comet rendezvous. Since its arrival on August 6, the unmanned probe has gone into orbit around the comet and is currently preparing for an historic first landing on its nucleus.

ESA'S says that this discovery is more than just cosmic perfumery. By measuring such gases, astronomers can deduce 67P/C-G's chemical composition, how comets originating in the Kuiper Belt differ from those from the Oort Cloud, and even clues into how life began in the Solar System.

October 25, 2014

Krossblade's SkyCruiser can't decide if it's an airplane, quadcopter, or car

Artist's impression of the Krossblade SkyCruiser over London

Artist's impression of the Krossblade SkyCruiser over London

Can’t decide if you want an airplane, a helicopter, or a flying car? Then why not all three at once? Arizona-based start-up Krossblade seems to think the same way with its SkyCruiser concept – an electric hybrid aircraft that not only switches between being an airplane and a quadcopter, but can be driven on the road as well.

Ever since the Wright brothers took off from Kitty Hawk in 1903, aviation has been a question of trade offs. Airplanes are fast, fuel efficient, can cover long ranges, and carry heavy cargoes, but they can’t hover and they need runways to takeoff and land. Helicopters can hover and land on a dime, but they’re relatively slow, gulp fuel, aren’t exactly long distance champs, and aren't in the same cargo league as airplanes. And to make either machine into something that can drive on the road usually ends up as something that’s both a poor aircraft and a poor car.

The tricky bit of squaring the circle of the airplane and the helicopter has been a dream of aeronautical engineers for decades, resulting in everything from a flying truck to the V-20 Osprey. The Krossblade SkyCruiser’s takes the convertiplane approach. In normal flight, the SkyCruiser is pushed along by two 150 bhp electric motors in the tail, but when switching from horizontal to vertical flight, a set of four "switchblade" rotor arms fold out from the fuselage to take the load.

The Krossblade SkyCruiser uses switchblade rotor arms

It’s not a new idea. Concepts of these sort of convertiplanes go back to the early 1950s, but the five-passenger SkyCruiser design combines the fold out rotors with a hybrid electric drive. There are four 80 bhp electric motors running the four main rotors, plus another four 10 bhp rotors to providing stability in crosswinds. According to Krossblade, the smaller rotors can accelerate faster than the larger ones, so they can respond faster to sudden gusts.

The switchblade rotor arrangement is designed to provide the Vertical TakeOff and Landing (VTOL) SkyCruiser with the ability to hover and land in small areas while maintaining the aerodynamics of a conventional airplane, and the electric motors – backed up by a 400 bhp internal combustion engine hooked to a 360 bhp generator feeding into 12 kW battery – provide for greater range and reliability. In addition, the rotor arms are designed to fold backwards to maximize passenger space, and the multiple motor arrangement provides redundancy and greater safety.

On the ground, the 9.5 m (31 ft) wing span can be stowed away, and electric motors mounted in the wheels drive the craft along at 75 mph (112 kph), turning the SkyCruiser into a roadworthy car for short trips – albeit a stretchy one at 8.4 m (27.5 ft) long.

The Krossblade SkyCruiser is designed for door to door service

But this all together and the vision for the SkyCruiser becomes a point-to-point vehicle that can take passengers door to door without needing a conventional airfield. The company says that the SkyCruiser would have a cruising speed of 314 mph (505 km/h), a stall speed of 100 mph (160 km/h) in fixed-wing mode, be able to carry 1,003 lb (455 kg) of payload, and have a range of 1,006 mi (1,620 km) with five passengers.

Though the SkyCruiser is still very much in the concept phase, the company is already working on its smaller SkyProwler, which has the same VTOL capability, but uses a H configuration for the rotors for easier transformation into quadcopter mode, and has a cruising speed of 55 mph (90 km/h).

No price or delivery date for either variant has been announced.

The video below introduces the SkyCruiser

From aerobatics to F1 cars: Inside Red Bull's Hangar-7 museum

A look across the Hangar-7 museum (Photo: C.C. Weiss/Gizmag)

A look across the Hangar-7 museum (Photo: C.C. Weiss/Gizmag)

Gizmag recently took the opportunity to tour the Hangar-7 Museum in Red Bull's hometown of Salzburg, Austria. With an underlying theme of speed and adrenaline, the stylish, hangar-inspired gallery serves up an ever-changing collection of air and land race hardware. Step inside for a virtual tour of intriguing architecture and high-performance machinery.

Hangar-7 stands among those museums that are as intriguing outside as in. Back around the turn of the millennium, local architect Volkmar Burgstaller was commissioned to build a fitting home for Red Bulls' Flying Bulls, a fleet of historical aircraft. Volkmar abandoned the practical but aesthetically unappealing convention of hangar design for something far more inspired.

The winglike dome and abutting cylindrical towers are built of a latticework of steel supporting a glass shell. The sleek, modern structure stands juxtaposed with the ancient rock of the Alps rising in the backdrop. Each of the 1,754 glass panes strung from the 1,200 tonnes of steel is as distinct as the individual snowflakes that fall on top of the mountains each winter, no two sharing the same dimensions.

Hangar-7 was designed as visually intriguing, steel-and-glass airplane hangar (Photo: C.C....

The impressive outward appearance of Hangar-7 sets the stage for a museum interior "where technology, art and entertainment come face to face and naturally complement one another." That's best exemplified by the massive tools of air and land travel positioned around the open floor, a collection that includes the Flying Bulls. It also includes the art-lined walls and a restaurant that features a revolving door of monthly guest chefs.

As if all that isn't enough to hold one's attention, the natural greenery that accents the interior consists of rare plants from around the world, including a mulberry weeping fig and elephant's foot. Along with the flow of sunlight that rushes through the thick, glass walls, the plants provide a natural contrast with the high-tech machinery between them.

What really drew us to Hangar-7, of course, was its collection of historical aircraft, F1 cars, motorcycles and other interesting equipment. The museum rotates its exhibitions, and we were treated to an F1 exhibit, Felix Baumgartner exhibit, and numerous planes and helicopters, many of which claim some type of "world first" technological feature or record-setting design. Here are a few of our favorite picks, including a bit of background based on Red Bull's descriptions.

X2010 S. Vettel

The X2010 S. Vettel was designed for video game Gran Turismo 5 (Photo: C.C. Weiss/Gizmag)

If Batman took some time off from vigilante justice for a little car racing, we can't imagine his racer being much cooler (or faster) than the X2010 S. Vettel. This car is what happens when you have the freedom to build a race car to answer, "What would the fastest racing car in the world look like without any restrictions on its development?" A collaboration between Polyphony Digital and Red Bull designer Adrian Newey, the car was created for Gran Turismo 5. It's a sort of predecessor to the GT6 Vision Gran Turismos we've been seeing pop up throughout 2014 from the likes of Nissan and Aston Martin.

Freed from the usual F1 restrictions, the team was able to design a car that's heart beats strictly around the rules of physics. Extreme aerodynamic measures, such as fan-assisted downforce and full tire cowlings, help the 1,500-hp twin-turbo V6 engine deliver insane performance projections. The 1,202-lb (545-kg) car can whip 8Gs out of a corner, dial up speeds of 120 mph (193 km/h) faster than many of the greatest supercars can hit half that (2.8 seconds), and accelerate its way to a terminal velocity of 280 mph (450 km/h).

Unfortunately, all that performance is only for a video game. Still, the model was probably the coolest-looking car we came across while at the museum.

BO105 aerobatic helicopter

MBB BO105 (Photo: C.C. Weiss/Gizmag)

When it was designed in the 1960s, the MBB BO105 featured a number of cutting-edge technological advancements, most importantly its hingeless rotor system with titanium rotor head and glass-reinforced composite rotor blades. Its twin engines, fully redundant hydraulics and fully redundant electronics helped pioneer a new level of safety for light helicopters.

The BO105's unique construction gives it a level of maneuverability that remains exceptional to this day. While designed for the purpose of dodging military fire, that maneuverability serves a different role under Red Bull's pilotage. It took some work, but the energy drink giant was eventually able to persuade the authorities to let it use its BO105's for aerobatic exhibitions. The company claims that its global fleet of four BO105s comprises the only licensed aerobatic helicopters in the world. This one is piloted by The Flying Bulls Flight Operations Manager and Chief Pilot Helicopter Siegfried Schwarz.

The jump seen 'round the world

The Stratos exhibit (Photo: C.C. Weiss/Gizmag)

On October 14, 2012, Felix Baumgartner successfully jumped from 127,852 feet (38,969 m) up in the atmosphere. Not only did he set the world record for height, he became the first to break through the sound barrier in free fall without a vehicle, reaching a fall speed of more than 843 mph (1,357 km/h). In fact, he added another half dozen records on his up-and-back trip. Suddenly, skydiving, a sport that hadn't drawn much attention since the "extreme" 90s, was all over the mainstream media.

We won't rehash the entire Baumgartner story since we've already covered it in depth, but suffice it to say that seeing the capsule and pressure suit on display during our visit, along with detailed information about the timeline, records and construction, made us excited for it all over again.

Formula 1 RB8

The RB8 raced to success during the 2012 F1 season (Photo: C.C. Weiss/Gizmag)

After eyeing the X2010 S.Vettel over, it only took a few paces to find some F1 racers with actual pedigrees. In the museum environment, we actually got a close look at the details of those cars without them blurring by in nanoseconds.

One such detail on the RB8 piqued our interest. We quickly noticed the puzzle-piece look that gave it the strange appearance of a race car made out of spidered porcelain – sort of a race car version of a limited edition Ferrari that was auctioned off a few years ago Ferrari 599. The cause of that look isn't a porcelain shell, but livery containing a collage of thousands of fan photos, created to raise money for Red Bulls' Wings For Life charity.

To raise money for charity, this particular RB8 was covered with fan photos (Photo: C.C. W...

The Renault V8-powered, carbon monocoque-based RB8 is the hardware that Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber raced during the 2012 season. Vettel overcame a rough season start and sped it to a world championship victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver ever to claim three world championships. He added a fourth last year in the RB9 but has faced a tougher road this year. This month, he announced that he will be leaving the Red Bull team for Ferrari after the end of the season.

Fairchild PT-19 M-62 A

Fairchild PT-19 M-62 A (Photo: C.C. Weiss/Gizmag)

One of the most colorful winged crafts on the floor of Hangar-7, Red Bull's Fairchild PT-19 was built in 1943 and used by the US military for nearly a decade. It passed through a number of private hands after retiring from the military before finding its way into the Flying Bulls fleet in 2007. The mechanical team put it through an intensive restoration, overhauling its inline engine, adding an improved braking system and updating the electronics. The plane now puts out 200 hp and is capable of speeds of 130 mph (209 km/h).

The museum's exhibits change regularly, so they may now have different models on display. Check Hangar-7's website for more details on current exhibits and events.

October 24, 2014

Dexmo exoskeleton-for-the-hand gives computer interfacing the finger(s)

The Dexmo Classic (left) and F2

The Dexmo Classic (left) and F2

What happens when you're immersed in a virtual world – such as a game – and you want to use your real-world fingers to control your virtual fingers in that world? Well, we've already seen a number of sensor-equipped gloves, but China's Dexta Robotics is taking what it claims is a more cost-effective approach. Its Dexmo is an exoskeleton for your hand, which can even provide the user with a limited sense of touch.

The base model, the Dexmo Classic, utilizes relatively inexpensive rotational sensors to capture the movements of your hand in 11 degrees of freedom. This includes the rotation of the thumb, the bending of the individual fingers, and the degree to which they split apart from one another. It also uses a single IMU (inertial measurement unit) to track the hand's movement through space on X, Y and Z axes.

With this version, users can do things like manipulating the individual fingers of on-screen avatars, creating animated hand models, controlling real-world robotic devices or software using finger gestures, or even translating American Sign Language gestures to text.

The Dexmo F2 adds force feedback to the equation

The Dexmo F2, however, adds force feedback to the equation. It does so via actuator-controlled disc brakes in the device's individual finger joints, which physically keep one or more of the user's real fingers from moving when the corresponding virtual fingers come up against a virtual object.

This feature allows users to get the sensation of actually pressing or holding onto computer-generated items, although it does only work in an on/off fashion – either the joints move freely, or not at all.

Both models are wireless, communicating with the user's computer via Bluetooth.

They're also both currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, aimed at raising production funds. A pledge of US$65 will get you a development kit that includes a Dexmo Classic, while $159 is required for a kit with an F2. Assuming all goes according to plans, shipping is scheduled for next June.

You can see the two Dexmo exoskeletons in use, in the following pitch video.

CERN needs your help identifying mysterious photos

CERN is currently digitizing over 50 years of old black and white photographs, but researc...

CERN is currently digitizing over 50 years of old black and white photographs, but researchers aren't sure what some photos depict (Photo: CERN)

CERN is currently digitizing over 50 years worth of its old black and white photographs to make them searchable via the Cern Document Server. However, the subject of many of the photos has been lost in the sands of time and the researchers can’t work out what’s what. If you know your Large Hadron Collider from your Low Energy Antiproton Ring, then be sure to read on and lend a hand ...

The batch of 120,000 black and white images being digitized right now dates from between 1955 to 1985, and in some cases lack a written description. Though home to some of the world’s best minds, CERN’s team of researchers – made up of the Collaboration and Information Services Group (IT-CIS) and the Scientific Information Service (GS-SIS) – is stumped, and so has turned to the internet for help.

If you know what this is, then let CERN know (Photo: CERN)
If you know what this is, then let CERN know (Photo: CERN)

Even to a layman, the images are very interesting, though it’s anyone’s guess what they depict. If you feel up to the challenge, be sure to check out the selection in the gallery, and then visit the source link below for CERN’s photo archive contact details.