Photo by Kumpan Electric on Unsplash
South Korean Researchers Develop “Flying Shopping Cart” Called Palletrone
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Researchers from the Seoul National University of Science and Technology created the Palletrone
- The hovering aircraft can carry up to 3 kilograms and can be pushed by humans keeping level in flight
- Researchers are exploring the technology’s potential including flying taxis and aerial bases for drones
South Korean researchers from the Seoul National University of Science and Technology developed a new prototype of a “flying shopping cart” called Palletrone to carry objects in the air.
According to the report shared by Reuters today, the device works like a transport drone but has a mounted platform supported by a multi-rotor drone capable of self-correcting to keep level in flight and can be gently pushed by someone to guide its path.
The hovering aircraft can help move up to 3 kilograms—6.6 lbs—across stairs or uneven terrains in a smooth flight and respond to human control, the same way we would use a shopping cart.
Professor Lee Seung-jae explained to Reuters that the research team is interested in its application for reliable horizontal transportation with stability and guaranteeing it would not roll or sway.
“The Palletrone can be more than a flying shopping cart,” said Lee. The professor said they have been studying its potential for uncrewed flying taxis, or as aerial stations for drones to change batteries without going back to the ground.
The Palletrone has limitations for commercial use, like the battery size. It would require larger batteries to transport heavier objects across long distances. In the meantime, the researchers have used it to deliver medicines, food, cargo, and other supplies.
Automation Letters and EEE Robotics published the researcher’s work earlier this year, the new technology is gaining popularity, especially among sci-fi advocates.
Reuters shared a video on social media to show how the new Palletrone can perform.
WATCH: A new aerial cargo transportation platform called ‘Palletrone’ has been developed by South Korean researchers who say the technology maintains its stability while being pushed or pulled by a person, even with added weight on top https://t.co/ubsIPfZtvP pic.twitter.com/Vp4UvMfV5j — Reuters Tech News (@ReutersTech) October 22, 2024
Photo by Matt Wojtaś on Unsplash
Qualcomm Launches New Powerful Chip For Android Smartphones
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Qualcomm revealed its new mobile chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which brings PC capabilities to smartphones
- Snapdragon 8 Elite will allow smartphones to run multi-modal AI apps and features
- The technology is compatible with Android makers like Samsung, Xiaomi, Honor, ASUS, and more
The American semiconductor company Qualcomm announced a new mobile chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite, that brings PC capabilities to Android smartphones this Monday during the Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii.
According to the press release , the new technology is “the most powerful and world’s fastest mobile system-on-a-chip ever,” and will allow smartphones to run multi-modal generative AI applications powered by the company’s processor Oryon.
According to Reuters , Qualcomm—the world’s largest seller of mobile chips—hired ex-Apple engineers in 2021 to design new AI-friendly laptop chips, sold earlier this year. The new computing technology was named Oryon and has now been adapted for mobile devices in the Snapdragon lineup.
“Today, our second generation of the Qualcomm Oryon CPU debuts in our flagship Mobile Platform – it’s a major leap forward and we expect consumers to be thrilled with the new experiences enabled by our CPU technology,” said Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets at Qualcomm. “It revolutionizes mobile experiences by offering personalized, multi-modal generative AI directly on the device enabling the understanding of speech, context, and images to enhance everything from productivity to creativity tasks while prioritizing user privacy.”
Qualcomm assures the new Snapdragon 8 chip will enhance the mobile’s performance saving power, working faster, and connecting better to higher internet speeds using less energy than previous models. The company explained the new technology will be compatible with multiple smartphone brands including Honor—which recently l aunched the world’s thinnest foldable phone —, ASUS, Xiaomi, Samsung, and more.
The next generation of mobile experiences is here. #Snapdragon 8 Elite features the fastest mobile CPU in the world thanks to the @Qualcomm Oryon CPU, paired with the most powerful on-device #AI ever for a smartphone. pic.twitter.com/OwLlB7oNM4 — Snapdragon (@Snapdragon) October 21, 2024
A few weeks ago, Qualcomm also announced a new partnership with Google and Samsung to develop new smart glasses.
