On this week’s news update…

Drones Dodge Obstacles

Drones dodge obstacles…

Plastic-Clearing Boats

Plastic-clearing boats…

Animating Ancient Art.

And animating ancient art.

First up…

Birds can soar through the sky in giant flocks, flying close to one another without colliding.

And insects can gather in huge swarms, moving as one formation. This enables individual animals to move through the air as one single group.

After analyzing the natural movements of flocks and swarms, scientists are now programming drones to fly together in open skies. The drones control their flight much like a flock of birds, by maintaining a similar distance from each of their neighbors.

And now, scientists have even developed a way for groups of drones to fly around obstacles.

artificial intelligence

Using “artificial intelligence” the drones are programmed to detect not only the location of other drones flying close by, but also, nearby obstacles, like this artificial forest.

As the technology develops further, groups of drones could one day be used to navigate real obstacles, enabling drones to assist with rescue missions in dangerous conditions.

Up next…

It’s Eco Zone!

Every year, 8 million metric tons of plastic waste enter our oceans.

plastic pollution

This “plastic pollution” seriously damages many marine eco-systems. And scientists predict that, if the problem isn't tackled, by the year 2050, plastic could outweigh the total amount of fish in the sea.

It is dumped in the water of big cities, and washed downstream along major rivers, eventually floating out to sea.

However, engineers have recently introduced a fleet of custom-made boats to help tackle the problem plastic.

The boats are designed to collect plastic from some of the world’s most polluted rivers. Solar-powered, the boats can operate automatically as they catch floating plastic trash and remove it from the river using a conveyor belt.

Operators can then climb aboard and take the plastic away to dispose of it properly.

Engineers hope that, by placing the boats in rivers all around the world, they will cut the amount of plastic flowing out to sea, helping our oceans return to a plastic-free ecosystem!

Art and science have always been closely linked.

The discovery of color dyes allowed early humans to create cave paintings. And the development of camera lenses enabled artists to produce photographs.

As technologies advance, the ways in which artists work have continued to change.

And now, an artist in Japan is using modern technology to produce a digital version of a traditional Japanese painting.

3-D modeling

The artist has used a technique called “3-D modeling” to transform the still images into an animated scene. The artwork shows a historic Japanese battle, and the animated details include traditional village life, people preparing for combat, and soldiers fighting.

The artwork combines traditional styles with modern technology, to create a fresh perspective on Japanese history!

That’s all for this week—we’ll see you next time!