Hello, and welcome to The Edge, the newsletter that brings you groundbreaking stories from the frontiers of technology and science.
We’ve got some great stories for you today, including quantum computing temperatures, Crew Dragon’s manned launch date and how scientists are printing 3D robots really fast. As always, we’ve added extra stories under each article should you find yourself in a curious state of mind.
Crew Dragon gets a date
Image credit: The Verge
NASA sets date for SpaceX’s first passenger flight on Crew Dragon
NASA and SpaceX have chosen May 27th for the first crewed flight of the Crew Dragon capsule. The Dragon capsule has been bringing cargo to the ISS for years, but has now been transformed into a capsule that can transport passengers. After six years of development, the capsule is now ready for a manned test launch.
The demonstration mission will carry two NASA astronauts - Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken - into orbit and to the International Space Station, marking the first time since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011 that a launch from American soil has taken place. The launch is taking place amid a global pandemic, namely the one caused by COVID-19, something NASA and SpaceX are acutely aware of. However, the agencies are proceeding with the missions, despite the likely limited launch-site audience caused by the pandemic. If the Crew Dragon can safely begin transporting passengers to and from the ISS, NASA’s reliance on Russia’s Soyuz capsules will decrease, a seat on which currently costs more than $70 million a pop.
Why did the Space Shuttle program end?
Hitch a ride on the Soyuz
Weird flex(oskeletons), but ok
Image credit: UC San Diego
Scientists can 3D print insect-like robots in minutes
In what is actually a pretty amazing flex, scientists at the University of California San Diego have come up with a way to 3D print soft, flexible robots that resemble insects. The cool thing about this is that the robots can be printed quickly, cheaply and without any special materials.
The researchers printed what they call ‘flexoskeletons', which are rigid materials printed onto thin, flexible polycarbonate sheets. This ensures that rigidity is increased only in certain areas, whereas conventional soft robots often have soft materials stuck to solid frames. Each flexoskeleton component takes around 10 minutes to print, with a completely assembled robot being assembled in under 2 hours. Printed parts cost less than $1, with internals like batteries and processors likely being the expensive parts.
Should you buy a 3D printer?
Quantum computers are heating up
Image credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET
New ‘Hot Qubits’ Let Quantum Computers Run 15X Warmer Than Before
Quantum computers, like IBM’s Q quantum computer pictured above, are weird machines. We’d love wax lyrical about them, but to save time, we’re going to recommend this explanation. However, one thing we can say is that, in order to work, quantum computers need to be cold - really cold. Today’s leading quantum computers run at close to absolute zero, which is more than three times colder than the coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth. The reason they’re kept so cold is because quantum states they rely on are incredibly fragile - any disturbance can cause the encoded information to be lost. At near-absolute zero, these kinds of disturbances don’t really happen, but this kind of refrigeration technology isn’t cheap.
Now, two research groups have managed to make the machines work at temperatures 15 times hotter, moving the remarkable devices closer to the realm of affordability. To achieve this, the two teams relied on qubits (the quantum version of bits) made from silicon. This is different from the usual superconducting qubits favoured by IBM and Google. Ultimately, all of this means that, perhaps in the not-too-distant-future, quantum computing could become scalable.
Why quantum computers are important
Sycamore speeds
Electric ventriloquists
Image credit: Thakoni
This Smart Speaker Prototype Can Throw Its Voice Like A Ventriloquist
Smart speakers are awesome, but the nagging reminders to water your plants can get a bit monotonous, to the point where you might ignore them altogether. However, what if the request for water came straight from your plant?
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Computer Science’s Smash Lab have developed a prototype of a smart speaker that can do just that. Smash Lab’s Digital Ventriloquism works a bit differently than it’s human counterpart, though. Rather than tricking your brain into thinking a dummy is speaking, the prototype uses moving servos and a two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers. These transducers emit an ultrasonic signal at around 40 kHz, above the threshold for human hearing. That means that you won’t be able to hear the audio signal as it is transmitted. However, when the signal hits the solid object at which it is targeted, the sound waves will demodulate and be audible, making it sound like your fridge is talking to you. And, for a prototype, the speaker works well, with test participants being able to correctly identify a source of sound 92% of the time.