[ad_1]
Big Picture shows technology through the lens of photographers.
Every month, IEEE Spectrum selects the most stunning technological images recently captured by photographers around the world. We choose images that reflect important achievements, trends, or simply catch the eye. We post all images on our website and one also appears in our monthly print publication.
Enjoy the latest images and if you have any suggestions leave a comment below.
RoboCup class image
Have you ever been in awe of the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games? Then this picture of over 100 Nao programmable educational robots, two Pepper humanoid robotic assistants and their human assistants should surprise you just as much. This was done at the end of this year RoboCup 2022 in Bangkok. After two years in which RoboCup was disrupted due to the global pandemic, the organizers have managed to gather 13 teams of robots from around the world (three teams joined remotely) to participate in the slot games. The spirit of the gathering was captured in this image, which, according to RoboCup organizers, shows robots with a combined market value of around US$1 million.
Patrick Goetsch and Thomas Reinhardt
Calls over the longest distances
When you travel to remote places, it’s nice to know that you can stay in touch with people back at home, no matter how far you roam. However, it’s surprisingly easy to find yourself in a place with poor cellular reception or no connection at all. This is because only about 10 percent of the world’s surface is within cell coverage. But in April 2022, Lynk launched Lynk Tower 1 into space, which was supposed to be the world’s first commercial satellite cell tower. The cell tower pictured here is believed to be the first of four that Lynk plans to launch into orbit this year. Once they are in place and contracted with landline cell operators, the 4 billion people who almost never have adequate cell reception will finally be able to answer in the plural the question, “How many bars do you have?”
Link Global
Homemade production
What else
meta how to use a 3D printer to make 3D printer parts? This device looks like a collection of individual tubes packed together. But it’s actually a single block built this way inside a 3D printer. It is a precision heat exchanger optimized to improve the cooling of the shielding gas, which prevents impurities from contaminating the additive manufacturing process that takes place inside an industrial 3D printer. There is no paper jam here.
hyperganic
No worse for wearables
How can we capitalize on the physical and cognitive enhancements that electronic wearable devices could someday provide when everyday aspects of human life, such as sweating, are dangerous for these devices? Not to worry. In a recent article, the UCLA research team reported that the issue has been resolved. They developed a human-machine interface that is impervious to moisture. And, as if being waterproof wasn’t enough, the four-button device was designed to generate enough electrical current to power itself when any of the buttons are pressed. So you can take it with you wherever you go without worrying about spills, splashes, sweat, or dead batteries.
JUN CHEN/UCLA STUDY GROUP