Researchers from IBM Zurich and the University of Oxford have produced a stable version of a carbon allotrope that has long been reviewed and theorized, but which remained elusive until now. It’s known as a cyclocarbon. The carbon atoms in cyclocarbons have just two neighbors, and, when linked together, take the shape of a ring. This is unique than other types of carbon allotropes, like fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene, which have three neighboring carbon atoms. The team’s work is described today in the journal Science. 

 

No one knew for certain if a cyclocarbon could be made or exactly what kind of structure it would take. There was some published evidence of their existence in gas form, but because of their extreme reactivity, cyclocarbons did not remain stable enough to be isolated and characterized. Now that a cyclocarbon has been isolated and imaged, scientists can begin to characterize its properties and determine its usefulness. “We will see what applications the molecule can be used for in the future,” said Leo Gross, a researcher at IBM Zurich and one of the coauthors of the paper. At the moment, what the researchers know about the cyclocarbon is that it has a relatively high electric conductivity, according to Gross.

 

“What makes the molecule appealing to us is that we can use it to create larger carbon-rich structures by atom manipulation on insulating films,” said Gross. “In the future, we aim to build molecular devices that function based on single electron transfer. Such devices could be used for computations with extremely low power dissipation, possibly as devices for neuromorphic computing.” Before discussions of potential applications in neuromorphic computing could begin in earnest, the researchers had to work for three years to get to the point where they could isolate a stabilized version of the molecule.

 

“The cyclocarbon oxide molecules are unstable compounds as they are light- and temperature-sensitive and can explode on heating, which we observed on sublimation,” said Lorel Scriven, a doctoral student at Oxford. “We had to coordinate closely with the IBM team to synthesize and ship the cyclocarbon oxides to Zurich immediately before they were to be measured so that they could be sublimed before they decomposed.”

 

The researchers were able to stabilize the molecule at low temperatures (5 kelvins) on an especially inert substrate (sodium chloride). This eliminated the ingredients necessary for the molecule to react and rendered it relatively stable. Still, the key to making it all work was to find a precursor molecule that was stable enough to be prepared and that can be converted by atom manipulation into the desired cyclocarbon, according to Katharina Kaiser,  a researcher at IBM Zurich. The Oxford and IBM researchers intend to continue looking for new carbon allotropes related to cyclocarbons. Eventually, they aim to use these structures to create new materials.

 

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The logic behind going big is straight forward, according to founder Andrew Feldman. Artificial intelligence software requires huge amounts of information to improve, so processors need to be as fast as possible to crunch all this data - even if that means the components get truly chunky. The company’s Wafer Scale Engine chip is large because it has 1.2 trillion transistors, 400,000 computing cores and 18 gigabytes of memory. (A typical PC processor will have about 2 billion transistors, four to six cores and a fraction of the memory).

 

“Every square millimeter is optimized for this work,” Feldman said. “AI work is growing like crazy. Our customers are in pain.” The biggest limitation of current AI systems is that it takes too long to train software, he added. Feldman has experience and industry backing that’s very important to tackling an engineering problem of this magnitude, he said. He co-founded server maker SeaMicro Inc. and sold it to chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. for more than $300 million in 2012. Cerebras has raised over $100 million from Silicon Valley investors including Benchmark, Andy Bechtolsheim and Sam Altman. Feldman has a team of 174 engineers and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. - Apple Inc.’s chipmaker of choice - is manufacturing the massive Cerebras processor.

 

Cerebras will definitely not sell the chips because it’s very complicated to connect and cool such a huge piece of silicon. On the other hand, the product will be offered as part of a new server that will be installed in data centers. The company said it has test systems working at a range of large potential customers and will start shipping the machines commercially in October. The AI chip market includes Nvidia Corp., Intel Corp. and U.K. startup Graphcore Ltd. Google has been so keen to speed up AI progress that the internet giant developed its own special chips called Tensor Processing Units.

 

Nvidia was the last company to adequately bring new semiconductor technology into servers, the machines that run data centers that Google, Facebook Inc. and others use to run internet services. Nvidia now gets almost $3 billion a year in revenue from the business, which took years and thousands of engineers to build, according to Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang. “It takes a long time to be successful in data center,” he said in an interview last week.

 

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The Ft. Worth, Tx.-based company has invented what it calls the Hunstable Electric Turbine, or HET. The patented HET, the company claims, can generate two to five times the torque of existing motors or generators, in the same-size package. Torque is the volume of work that a motor or engine produces, frequently measured on a per-revolution basis. “We believe we’ve built an entirely new class of electric motors, and that hasn’t happened in maybe 30 years,” says Brad Hunstable, the company’s founder and chairman.  

 

Hunstable was formerly CEO of UStream, a video streaming and hosting company (now known as IBM Cloud Video) that IBM acquired for US $150 million in 2016. Brad’s father and company CTO Fred Hunstable is an inventor and electrical engineer, who worked in the nuclear power industry for Raytheon and Ebasco. And Linear Labs began about five years ago as a father-and-son project. One of its approximately 20 full-time employees, the company counts former employees of Tesla, Daimler, and Faraday Future. 

 

The Hunstables tick off myriad design and technical benefits for their HET, which they define as a 3D circumferential flux, four-rotor permanent magnet motor. Contrary to typical designs, the synchronous DC motors have no superfluous end windings, so 100 percent of their copper material goes into energy conversion. An ordinary motor’s copper content could be reduced by 30 percent, while generating equivalent torque, they say. So for a given torque level, the HET consumes significantly less energy than competing designs. 

 

Company studies of present automotive platforms, particularly Teslas and the Toyota Prius, show that the motors could boost driving range by more than 10 percent; or allow those cars to carry fairly smaller battery packs to deliver equivalent range. The HET itself is spectacularly efficient, generating up to a claimed 150 newton meters (Nm) of torque at just 3,000 revolutions per minute (rpm), in a Prius-sized packaging envelope.

 

The company’s permanent-magnet tech needs no rare-earth metals. The motors generate such robust torque that, in some applications, no gearbox reduction is necessary. The system incorporates a totally electronic transmission, which reduces energy losses and, at production scale, could trim at least 45 kilograms (100 pounds) from vehicle weight. Complexity and costs for engineering and manufacturing drop along with it.

 

Many electrified vehicles must also integrate a DC-to-DC converter—which boosts or chops voltage to varying levels—to enable a full range of driving speeds under various loads. But because the HET can generate such robust torque at lower rpms, it could also remove the boost convertor that’s found on every car. Which means that, the motors could deliver a domino effect that’s another Holy Grail of transportation engineers: A smaller, more effective motor with no geared reduction or DC/DC converter would allow for smaller and lighter batteries, simplified and less-costly controls, and lighter suspensions and other chassis components that underpin those systems.

 

“The electronics to power motors are often more expensive than the motors themselves,” Brad says. Linear Labs has started working with customers, as yet unnamed, to mutually develop applications in electric and micromobility vehicles, robotics, and for HVAC systems. The company says a ride-sharing scooter company asked it to evaluate a Segway Ninebot ES4 motor. The resulting Segway enjoyed a 50-percent boost in range, and four times the torque, which boosted the vehicle’s top speed and allowed it to climb a steep 20-percent grade. “You’ll see us in a micromobility application, with air-cooled motors, within one year,” Fred Hunstable says.

 

The Hunstables add that with 45 percent of the world’s electricity at some point flowing through an electric motor, decisive gains in power and proficiency could have untold benefits in energy savings and performance. One example: The company estimates that, in a large, 8-megawatt wind turbine, the HET could save 90 tons of weight, millions of dollars in costs, and lift efficiency by 3 percent. “We feel we’re part of a smarter, cleaner energy movement, with applications way beyond mobility,” Brad says.

 

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Satellite-based positioning systems are the bedrock upon which an enormous array of location services is built - everything from smartphone games to emergency notification systems makes use of location data. These systems also enable aircraft and ships to navigate and enable remote operation of huge agricultural and mining machines with pinpoint precision. The European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency estimates the market for devices and location data services will reach 180 billion euros ($199 billion) by 2020, with 8 billion receivers in operation, getting satellites an important part of a country's industrial competitiveness.

 

A Nikkei analysis of satellite orbit data from leading U.S. receiver maker Trimble highlighted BeiDou's rapid growth. China launched 18 satellites for the system in 2018 only. As of the end of June, there were 35 BeiDou satellites in operation, compared with 31 for GPS. The EU, meanwhile, has 22 positioning satellites and Russia 24. Japan operates four 'quasi-zenith' satellites, which are limited to regional use, while India has six.

 

As of June 28, Chinese satellites were observed more continually than GPS satellites in 130 of 195 countries (U.N. member states plus the Vatican and Palestine). More than 20 BeiDou satellites were observed over mainland China. China is using its Belt and Road Initiative to promote the BeiDou navigation system. BeiDou satellites were the most frequently observed in more than 100 of the 137 countries that have signed on to the massive infrastructure project. Most were in Southeast Asia and Africa.

 

The Pakistani military depends on BeiDou for positioning data, and in April there was a test run of self-driving tractors in Tunisia using the system. More than 30 countries in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere use the Chinese navigation system. If it becomes the standard in these countries, China will have an advantage in introducing new technologies and products.

 

BeiDou is also making inroads in Japan, the U.S. and Europe. About 10 Chinese satellites were seen over New York and London, fewer than in Asia. However there were almost as many Chinese satellites overhead in the two cities as American and European ones during certain hours. Japan's four quasi-zenith satellites frequently operate in conjunction with around 10 GPS satellites. But more than 20 BeiDou satellites could be observed daily over Japan.

 

A report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a U.S. congressional panel, guesses that Beijing will invest up to $10.6 billion on its satellite positioning system between 1994 and 2020. The country plans to launch about 10 satellites by 2020. The bigger the constellation of satellites, the more accurate the positioning. Nobuaki Kubo, a professor at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, believes BeiDou will be as precise as the satellite systems of advanced economies within a few years.

 

The growth of China's satellite data positioning industry has deep implications. Chinese smartphones and car navigation systems are BeiDou-compatible by default; foreign manufacturers are following suit because products and services that use BeiDou are available in many other countries. U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm was the first to supply chips for BeiDou-capable smartphones. Leading American smartphone makers other than Apple use the chips in their devices. STMicroelectronics of Switzerland obtained the BeiDou system for its automotive semiconductors in 2015.

 

'We need to be compatible with positioning satellites around the world with a single type of semiconductor,' said Yuji Motohashi, who heads the automotive digital product division at STMicroelectronics Japan unit. For companies with global ambitions, making BeiDou-compatible products is a must. Chinese tech companies are using BeiDou to sharpen their edge. Lenovo Group Vice President Chang Cheng revealed in May that the location function of its new Z6 smartphone is accurate to within 1 meter. The handset has a chip that receives signals of varying frequencies from BeiDou satellites to enhance accuracy, which for most smartphones is about 3 to 5 meters.

 

Qianxun SI, a location services provider funded by Alibaba Group Holding and others, is using BeiDou signals and data from more than 2,000 ground stations to create a positioning service for self-driving vehicles with an accuracy in the centimeter range. Just as the U.S. became the leader in positioning services with GPS, China is working to develop new satellite-based technology and promote it around the world using BeiDou. The rise of BeiDou has raised alerts in the U.S. national security establishment. Compared with GPS, which only sends signals, and cannot identify the location of receivers, BeiDou's communications with the ground are two-way. When using BeiDou for car navigation, the receiver could theoretically transmit the car's location to a satellite in orbit, said Dean Cheng, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. He also believes Chinese satellites can jam signals in specific areas. The U.S. government is worried that such capabilities could be used in cyberattacks.

 

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Dealing with the upcoming electric vehicle, Chandra said, “We will come out with a very private focused product within this financial year, and we are doing a host of activities around it. That is the reason why we have started the charging infrastructure work now so that when we have to launch that product, in a certain number of cities that we have targeting, charging infrastructure should be visible.” Chandra further added, “We are also planning to come with a higher range version for Tigor which we will be bringing out in the market very shortly. That is the time when we intend to open it to the private buyers also.”

 

Newly at the company Annual General Meeting, N Chandrasekaran, Chairman Tata Motors announced that the company purposes to launch four electric models in India in the next 18 months. Chandrasekaran also confirmed that the electric version of the Tata Nexon will be one of the four new electric models. The other three will be – the Tata Altroz EV showcased at the Geneva Motor Show, the more powerful Tigor EV for private buyers, and a fourth undisclosed model.

 

Speaking about these upcoming electric cars, Shailesh Chandra said, “These are the products which are focused towards the private segment and there might be some more products which might come, but we are gearing up towards their development and we’ll see what the right time to launch them is. So, these two (Nexon EV and Altroz EV) special products are definitely the private buyer-focused products,” When requested whether the upcoming EV could either be the Nexon EV or the Altroz EV, he said, “Hopefully, yes”.

 

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Hyundai Mobis developed the key hardware and algorithms for those radar and camera sensors with its proprietary technologies. These sensors constitute the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) system to identify and compute a safe distance from a preceding vehicle and artificially decrease car speed in a high-risk situation.

 

Hyundai Mobis is ramping up attempts to bolster of its pipeline for safety and convenience-related components applicable to both passenger and commercial vehicles according to the commercial reality of self-driving cars. Another focus is technology enablers for unmanned cargo trucks in the logistics sector to be aligned with a 5G-based vehicle control system. The company said its R&D projects seek excellence in quality, reliability and price to raise its competitive edge in the global commercial vehicle market.

 

Hyundai Mobis lately added a driver state warning (DSW) system to its lineup of product offerings. The system uses an infrared camera to detect drowsy driving, lack of attention behind the wheel and increased fatigue of the driver, helping to refrain a frontal collision.

 

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Over the last year, a growing number of retailers have started to adopt the technology. Uniqlo, for one, uses machine learning to power a digital assistant on its app, which is able to give tremendously personalised recommendations. In Hong Kong, convenience-store operator Circle K unveiled an AI-driven checkout solution last year that uses image-recognition technology in the self-checkout process.

 

While there are clear benefits to implementing artificial intelligence – improving operational efficiencies and gaining a better understanding of the customer are just two – it can also be a difficult task to embark on. Here we figure out three key considerations for retailers that are looking to unleash the power of AI:

 

Quality of data

 

Through machine learning, retailers are able to take data from a number of channels and turn that into actionable predictions and recommendations. But the biggest success factor is not the algorithm behind these insights, but relatively the quality of the data that feeds into it. Retailers that do not have their data estates in order risk having underwhelming outcomes from their AI investment. This is something that must be regarded beforehand.

 

Choosing which areas to focus on

 

There is a number of areas in which artificial intelligence can be deployed in a retail setting. Except for the different applications of AI technology – as an example, machine learning, natural language processing and robotics – there is also a choice to be made with respect to the operational area, be that the customer-facing side of the business or processes that run behind the scenes. AI initiatives that help to improve the customer experience can be an ideal starting point as this is an area that benefits from a wealth of data and can provide a quick win for a retailer.

 

Bringing in external expertise

 

Numerous retailers will lack the skills and expertise to confidently start leveraging AI technology. The solution is often a mix of recruiting talent to bridge the skills gap and working with credible technology partners. The advantage of both these approaches is that retailers can hit the ground running and be able to accelerate their first move. Speed is critical if a retailer wants to be a disruptor rather than disrupted.

 

Digital Transformation Survey

 

Is your organization looking at emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and automated deliveries? And how do technology partnerships form part of your digital strategy? Tofugear is executing its annual digital transformation survey and is asking C-level executives and senior managers across Asia about their approach to innovation.

 

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“Honor Vision is not just television as we know it,” said the company’s president George Zhao. “It defines the future of television with Honor’s ‘Sharp Tech’ innovations.” Zhao says the Honor TVs will perform a progressively crucial role in the future of smart family life. “It is not only a home entertainment centre, but also an information-sharing centre, a control-management centre and a multi-device interaction centre,” he said.

 

Huawei launched Harmony to deliver what it describes as a “cohesive user experience across all devices and user scenarios”. Some industry analysts have already commented that the development of the OS mis linked to US tech giant Google discontinuing upgrades for Huawei devices running Android due to security concerns in the west. But Huawei says HarmonyOS will be optimised and gradually adopted across the brand’s smart watches, smart screens, in-vehicle systems and smart speakers. It will be launched as an open-source platform worldwide to encourage adoption by other tech companies.

 

On the other hand, the new Honor TVs come with a ‘Family Note Function’, allowing users to transfer 600M images between their smartphone and display via Huawei Share software in just 20 seconds – that’s 100 times faster than transferring via Bluetooth.

 

The Honor Vision sets will also perform as an in-home control and management center, using software called HiLink, an open ecosystem for the smart home. “The platform as well as the technology will be accessible to other smart home providers in the industry, enabling users to connect their preferred smart home products together,” the company said in a statement. The Honor Vision range of 55” 4K TVs includes 2GB+16GB standard versions and 2GB+32GB Pro versions, priced at RMB3799 (US$538) and RMB4799 (US$680) respectively.

 

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