🐉 Water-spitting ‘flying dragon’ robot to fight tricky fires

Plus: Chinese space plane signals, clot-busting “millirobots”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 December 22, 2023 | [Read Online]( Researchers in Japan have developed Dragon Firefighter — an autonomous firehose-wielding flying robot trained to extinguish dangerous fires in challenging locations. The open-source robot is designed for emergency responders to safely suppress hazardous blazes using its integrated thermal camera and array of adjustable nozzles. In today’s [Must Read](, we explore how this radical robot could soon join more emergency response teams thanks to its designers sharing their blueprints with developers around the world. ♻️ New podcast [Engineering sustainability: Navigating green tech with a global manufacturing network.]( ✅ Don’t miss our weekly roundup of the most important engineering news! Get [Vital Component]( every Sunday. Good morning. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Let’s get into it! Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe ✉](  VIDEO OF THE DAY The evolution and future of barcodes in the retail industry Barcodes, conceived by Bernard Silver and Joseph Woodland in 1948, revolutionized product information retrieval during checkout. What lies in store for them in the future? [Watch now]( IE+ SUPPORT INTERESTING ENGINEERING Invest In Science And Engineering Insider access to exclusive content, featuring riveting stories that take you right to the heart of the action. Engage with our thriving online community, dive into captivating science discoveries, and stay informed with our enlightening weekly premium newsletters. With IE+, quality reporting is more than just news - and it is Ad-Free. [Subscribe]( HOT TOPICS - 🚀 [NASA’s 3D-printed engine produces 5,800 pounds of thrust in new test]( The engine could one day help humans land on Mars. - 🪨 [Japan's space agency plans to steer small asteroids away from Earth]( Data from JAXA's Hayabusa-2 could be crucial for planetary defense and asteroid mining ambitions - 🦅 [Australian wind farm switches to AI-powered tech to save eagles]( The system will stop turbines from spinning when birds are flying in the vicinity. - 📲 [Apple’s new AI research could totally transform your iPhone]( Two research papers reveal what’s cooking behind the scenes. MUST READ 🔥 [Scientists create water-spitting ‘flying dragon’ robot to fight fire]( Modeled after mythical flying dragons, the Dragon Firefighter drone features eight high-powered water jets capable of spraying 6.6 liters per second at up to one megapascal of pressure. Propelled by strategically-placed adjustable nozzles, it identifies remote targets using thermal and optical cameras before dousing intense flames from close quarters. Having proven its fire extinguishing prowess at demonstration events, its creators now hope that publicly releasing their robot’s plans will enable capable teams across the globe to reproduce and deploy the technology within the next decade. [Read more >]( MILITARY 🛥 [China's secret space plane sends strong signals down to Earth over North America]( Earlier this week we reported on China's Shenlong space plane [releasing six enigmatic "wingmen" objects]( in orbit. Now, amateur trackers monitoring the secretive reusable space shuttle’s activities have detected unusual signals, potentially sent to a hidden North American ground station. Click below to learn more about what these maneuvers and clandestine communications may mean. [Read more >]( HEALTH ❤️‍🩹 [Wireless screw-shaped robots remove blood vessel clots]( Dutch researchers guided corkscrew-like “millirobots” to swim through blood vessel mockups and drill out simulated clots. Navigating against the flow by rotating tiny internal magnets, the proof-of-concept trials successfully achieved precise navigation toward obstructions. If the prototypes' capabilities translate to human trials, this could be a breakthrough in dealing with inaccessible blockages. [Read more >]( In this section you’ll find the latest jobs as featured on: [jobs.interestingengineering.com]( [Senior Security Engineer (DevOps)]( at PODS Clearwater (US) [GenAI Engineer]( at Open Systems Technologies Inc New York (US) $200,000 - $300,000 a year [Principal Platform Software Engineer - Platform Architect]( at NVIDIA Santa Clara (US) [Tech Transfer Engineer]( at Colgate-Palmolive Cambridge (US) $70,000 - $100,000 a year [See More Jobs >]( Question of the Day What do you think China’s Shenlong space plane is doing in orbit? [Probably spying on US defense assets]( [Testing hypersonic vehicles]( [Perfecting laser communications]( [Nothing much, it’s another test flight]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS We asked “Will deployment of directed energy systems be able to counter intensifying aerial threats?“ 🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Yes, it'll fry their electronics (21%) 🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ No, hardened drones will get through (10%) 🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Possibly, but drones are so cheap and plentiful (26%) 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Only as part of a complex defense network (43%) “I’m seeing a pattern in its radio emissions while over me, and it appears to favor low-elevation western passes. This could indicate a clandestine ground station on the west coast of North America or a ship off the coast.” Scott Tilley, amateur astronomer in British Columbia THINGS WE LOVE [[Professional Guillotine Trimmer] Professional Guillotine Trimmer $163.99]( [[Swingline Electric 2 Hole Punch] Swingline Electric 2 Hole Punch $166.37]( [[Strebito Screwdriver Set] Strebito Screwdriver Set $38.99]( [[Spot Welder] Spot Welder $129.99]( AND ANOTHER THING - IE+ [Is the Apple Vision Pro the future of vision science?]( - [Octopus DNA reveals West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse 129,000 years ago]( - [The 15 best christmas gifts to consider for your loved ones]( - [This spooky AI model will tell you the time of your death]( - [11 of the biggest unanswered space mysteries]( Need help with advertising? Reach 150,000 engineering and tech professionals. 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