Science!

Science continues to do new things and stuff. IEEE Spectrum reports that neurons are being attached to electric transmission lines to boost current-carrying capacity:

Smart Powerline “Neurons” Boost Grid Capacity

Sensor networks enable 40 percent more electricity to pulse through the lines

Aging high-voltage transmission lines are a bottleneck in the power grid today, but what if a simple tweak could increase their capacity by up to 40 percent? That’s what Great River Energy in Minnesota is now looking into. After a successful pilot project last year, the company is installing 52 smart sensor motes—a.k.a. “neurons”—on their high voltage transmission lines. These motes are made by the Oslo-based company Heimdall Power. Each neuron contains sensors that help operators manage power transmission more efficiently.

The lightweight Heimdall Neurons are the size of a soccer ball and are mounted on a transmission line. They can even be installed by an autonomous drone in less than two minutes. Sensors monitor temperature and electrical current. They also can perform other important tasks on the line such as fault detection and ice monitoring. The data the Neurons collect is then processed in the cloud and delivered to operators so that they can use the full capacity of the transmission lines based on real-time data rather than best guesses as performed from a distance—which often, for safety’s sake, need to be conservative estimates.

And such information deficits, the company says, can leave power lines running at less than peak rates and real-world transmission capacity regularly unused.

A Japanese company, HiBot, has invented a robot that safely checks power transmission lines for problems, obviating the need to humans to walk on transmission lines for inspections as shown in this 2 minute video:

As always, the science of war continues to advance in creepy ways:

Ukrainian robot drone tanks get Starlink superpower to battle Russia

Milrem Robotics had sought out AEC Skyline for integrating the satcom connection capability with the UGV

Estonia-based Milrem Robotics and AEC Skyline have integrated Starlink satellite communications (satcom) together with equipments in the THeMIS Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV). This will allow THeMIS UGVs to be controlled over long distances.

According to the company, the advanced Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) controlling capability will be unveiled during Eurosatory 2024. The Starlink satcom integration will allow unmanned combat support vehicles to be safely deployed to the battlefield. At the same time, operators can remain at a secure distance, even thousands of kilometers away, ensuring enhanced safety and efficiency in military operations.

Leveraging satellite connectivity, the robotic vehicle can seamlessly transmit data, receive commands, and relay vital information in real-time, regardless of its location on the battlefield.

And, as we all know, DARPA is always fiddling with pushing the boundaries of warfare:

DARPA considers 6 new designs for uncrewed VTOL aircraft that carry 

weapons payloads — with test flights set for 2026

Lightweight fighter aircraft with no pilots could support conventional military missions while being easier to launch and recover

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced it is moving into a new testing phase for proposed experimental aircraft in which designs will be assessed for risk and analyzed for efficiency.

The Advanced Aircraft Infrastructure-less Launch And Recovery (ANCILLARY) program will field designs for new, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) carrying weapons. Specifically, the project aims to deliver X-planes capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) like a helicopter that can operate from aircraft carriers.

VTOL can be achieved in a number of different ways. For example, Sikorsky’s battery-powered design props itself on its tail while on the ground and takes off like a helicopter, with the propellers facing upward, then tilts forward to fly through the air horizontally like a plane. Karem Aircraft, meanwhile, has put forward a heavy-fuel-driven craft that uses a tilting rotor to fly straight up in the air and hover when the rotor is in the upward position, then propel the aircraft forward at high speeds when the rotor is in the forward position.

Another DARPA project is developing more powerful lasers:

DARPA's military-grade 'quantum laser' will use entangled photons 

to outshine conventional laser beams

Prototype quantum photonic-dimer laser uses entanglement to bind photons and deliver a powerful beam of concentrated light that can shine through adverse weather like thick fog

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a $1 million grant to scientists building a prototype "quantum photonic-dimer laser" that uses quantum entanglement to "glue" light particles together and generate a highly concentrated laser beam.

Lasers play a crucial role in military operations and are used in everything from satellite communications and targeting technology to mapping and tracking systems like lidar (light detection and ranging).

By using entangled photons, the quantum photonic-dimer laser can maintain precision and strength over greater distances and in adverse conditions, the scientists said in a statement. Quantum lasers could therefore provide better performance for military applications like surveillance and secure communications in harsh environments.

"Photons encode information when they travel, but the travel through the atmosphere is very damaging to them," project lead Jung-Tsung Shen, associate professor of electrical & systems engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. "When two photons are bound together, they still suffer the effects of the atmosphere, but they can protect each other so that some phase information can still be preserved."

By Germaine: Science rules!