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Weekly Tech Recap - № 168 - AI and low-light, 3D-printed bike tire, iPhone X “Tesla”, Lego Powered Up and RoboFly

May 18, 2018.

AI enhances low-light photos

Sony a7S II, low light.

Sony a7S II, ISO-250, f/11, 1/25 s.

Fuji X-T2, low light.

Fuji X-T2, ISO-640, f/10, 1/30 s.

Researchers with the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and Intel have developed a deep neural network that brightens ultra-low light images without adding noise and other artifacts. The network was trained using over 5,000 pairs of images, each with an under-exposed and a longer exposure version. The final result is a system that automatically brightens up images at a much higher quality than traditional processing options, which often add high levels of noise. The team used images captured with a Fujifilm X-T2 and a Sony a7S II, but also with phones like the iPhone X and the Google Pixel 2. High-resolution images can be seen here, and a PDF document of the full study can be downloaded there. Impressive!

Digital Photography Review, “Researchers use AI to brighten ultra-low light images without adding noise.”

 

3D-printed bicycle tire

3D-printed bicycle tire.

3D-printed bicycle tire. © BigRep.

BigRep is a German 3D printing company able to print objects of up to one meter per side on its proprietary large-scale 3D printer, BigRep One. Marco Mattia Cristofori, a designer at BigRep, has developed and printed a honeycomb bicycle tire with no inner tube, making flat tires a thing of the past. The tires are made out of PRO Flex, a flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), also developed by BigRep. “The main goal of the design was to inspire and explore the endless possibilities of large scale 3D printing,” explained Maik Dobberack, Communications Director at BigRep. Unfortunately, the tires are just an “in-house industrial application design” and not intended for large-scale industrial production for the foreseeable future. This isn’t BigRep’s first foray in the cycling world: it has already printed a bicycle frame in collaboration with engineers from Aalborg University (Denmark).

CNET, “3D-printed airless bike tires deliver a ‘smooth ride’.”

BigRep, “World-first 3d printed airless bicycle tire.”

 

iPhone X “Tesla”

iPhone X “Tesla”.

iPhone X “Tesla”.

iPhone X “Tesla”. © BigRep.

Russian handset company Caviar, whose claim to fame is flamboyant, pricy devices, has developed its “Tesla” model of the iPhone X, its first equipped with photoelectrical cells. The large solar panel on the back powers a dedicated battery, which in turn charges the iPhone X battery with a press of a button. The panel considerably increases the thickness of the device, from 7.7mm to 16.2mm, which means that the camera bump turns into a cavity. Only 999 units will be manufactured, and numbered in the order they were produced. The first unit, intended for Elon Musk (though it’s not clear whether his approval of the product was sought or obtained), will feature an extra engraving of the words “Made on Earth by Humans”, as a homage to the Tesla launched into space by SpaceX. The iPhone X Tesla with 64GB of storage will sell for 284,000 rubles (CA$5,850), while the 256GB model will set you back by 299,000 rubles (CA$6,160), plus taxes and customs duties.

AppleInsider, “Solar-powered iPhone X ‘Tesla’ by Caviar goes on sale for $4,500.”

 

Lego Powered Up

Lego Powered Up.

Lego Powered Up.

Lego Powered Up. © The Lego Group.

Lego just unveiled a new collection of connected toys called Powered Up. The toys, which come in Lego or Duplo blocks, can be controlled through Android or iOS applications. The Batmobile will be the first connected toy to hit the market, on August 1st, at US$160. It will come with two motors, a battery and 321 pieces that will connect like standard Lego blocks. As with other Powered Up platform kits, it will be controllable through a wireless connection and the Powered Up mobile application, which comes with customizable interfaces and controls. Lego is also set to release a “light” programming option for the Powered Up platform later this year.

PCMag, “Lego’s Powered Up Platform lets kids code their own fun.”

 

Laser-powered robotic bumblebee

RoboFly.

RoboFly. © University of Washington.

A chronic problem for moving robots is power supply. Engines require fuel, and batteries are heavy. And since the size of the problem is inversely proportional to that of the robot, imagine an insect-sized one! Yet roboticists at the University of Washington in Seattle have developed just that: RoboFly is a flapping-wing, laser-powered, flying microrobot. Its first (brief) flight, a breakthrough for robots this size, is reminiscent of another pioneering flight, by the Wright brothers. RoboFly — based on the flapping-wing microrobot RoboBee from Harvard’s MicroRobotics lab — is the size of a bumblebee and weighs just 190mg (about the weight of a toothpick). It is powered by an infrared laser aimed at a tiny photovoltaic cell able to harvest the 250mW required to get the robot aloft.

IEEE Spectrum, “Laser-powered robot insect achieves lift off.”