China Fires 'Mist Cannon' To Fight Air Pollution

As smog continued to blanket Beijing and many cities in China, engineers pressed in pollution-fighting artillery called “mist canon”, a large machine mounted on a truck that sprays water to dilute the haze. The machines were initially used at construction sites and mines to reduce dust. Now engineers have improved the machines to make them release tinier droplets of mist for combating fine airborne particles, said Xu Yuexin, an engineer with Beijing Capital Group Boom sound Environment Science & Technology Co Ltd. the truck works by nebulising water into tiny particles, with diameter in microns, the same as PM 2.5 and PM 10 and spraying them into the air. Then they combine with dust and fine particles to fall to the ground. Experts have found the mist canons have their limits. They are the only one of the measures being taken. In October, China deployed the world’s largest outdoor air purifier designed by a Dutch engineer in Beijing to combat smog. The capital issued its second-highest warning against air pollution, an orange alert, on 1 December. The mist cannon trucks are being used to spray in the mornings, and do so more frequently, some three to five times, during smoggy days. Authorities also spray special chemicals on the roads through regular watering vehicles once a week. The spray absorbs and consolidates the dust and pollutants from vehicle exhaust.

Soon, Choco With 40% Less Sugar

Nestle SA said that it has found a way to reduce the amount of sugar in chocolate by as much as 40%, a discovery that may give the Kit-Kat maker an edge as food producers face increasing pressure from governments, health advocates and shoppers to make products healthier. The world’s largest food company has developed a process to alter the structure of sugar that makes it taste sweeter in smaller amounts, according to chief technology officer Stefan Catsicas. Nestle will start selling products made using the new process in 2018 and will gradually reduce their sugar content. The move comes as the UK, Mexico and some US cities have levied sugar taxes to help fight childhood obesity and diabetes, which affects four times as many people now than in 1980. The World Health Organisation has said increasing the price of sugary drinks by 20% would reduce consumption by a fifth. “We want people to get used to a different taste, a taste that would be more natural,” Catsicas said. Nestle is seeking to patent the sugar-reduction process, which Catsics likened to making sugar crystals that are “hollow.” The crystals dissolve more quickly, stimulating the taste buds faster, he said. Unprocessed food has complex structures, which Nestle is trying to mimic by distributing the sugar in a less uniform way.

Apple Is Working On Autonomous Vehicles

Apple has revealed it is investing heavily in autonomous vehicles in a letter asking the US government to make it easier to develop self driving cars. The company is excited about the potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation. Apple looks forward to collaborating with NHTSA and other stakeholders so that the significant societal benefits or automated vehicles can be realized responsibly, and expeditiously. Apple issued the letter because it is “investing heavily in machine learning and autonomous systems. Rumors about Apple’s ambitions in the sector have circulated for years. The company has a separate organization called ‘Project Titan’ that is developing automotive projects. However, in early September, The New York Times reported that the group had narrowed its ambitions. Instead of designing and producing a complete self-driving car, the group will now concentrate on developing underlying technologies for autonomous vehicles. In its letter, Apple urges the NHTSA no to penalize new participants in the sector by restricting the testing of cars under development on public roads, for which established automakers generally have exemptions. Most major auto manufacturers and many tech groups are currently developing autonomous vehicles, considered to be the future of the automobile, along with electric power, with first production models promised for around 2020.

Self Flying Ambulance Test Succeeds

An autonomous flying ambulance has successfully completed its first solo test flight, offering a potential solution for challenging search and rescue missions. Completing such missions in rough terrain or combat zones can be tricky, with helicopters currently offering the best transportation option in most cases. However, these vehicles need clear areas to land, and in the case of war zones, helicopters tend to attract enemy fire. The autonomous flying vehicle, dubbed the Cormorant, has been tested by an Israeli company and could one day go where helicopters can’t. The vehicle is designed to eventually carry people or equipment without a human pilot on board. Rather than using propellers or rotors to fly, the Cormorant uses ducted fans that are effectively shielded rotors, which means the aircraft does not need to worry about bumping into a wall and damaging the rotors. Another set of fans propels the vehicle forward. The vehicle is effectively a decision making system that can figure out what to do if there is a problem in the inputs from the sensors, the company, Urban Aeronautics, said.