EPFL’s RAVEN drone trades traditional landing gear for a pair of legs that function similar to a bird’s. | Image: Alain Herzog Researchers from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and UC Irvine have developed a drone capable of landing and taking off in areas that would otherwise leave a fixed-wing aircraft stranded. Their Robotic Avian-inspired Vehicle for multiple ENvironments (RAVEN) trades traditional landing gear for a pair of bird-inspired articulated legs that allow the drone to walk around, hop over obstacles, and even leap into the air to take flight without the need for a runway. Quadcopter drones may offer more flexibility when it comes to where they can take off and land, but most rely on four motors which are less energy-efficient than fixed-wing drones that use a single motor paired with gliding for flight. To expand the capabilities of fixed-wing drones, the researchers took inspiration from birds like crows and ravens which can easily maneuver on the ground using a scrawny pair of legs, as detailed in a paper published in Nature this week. Image: Alain Herzog RAVEN’s legs and feet use a simplified design but still offer enough articulation for the drone to maneuver on the ground. Recreating the strength and capabilities of a bird’s legs mechanically without adding significant weight to a drone and reducing its operating range required a mix of “mathematical models, computer simulations, and experimental iterations.” The final design for the legs uses a combination of springs and motors to mimic “powerful avian tendons and muscles” while its simplified feet use “two articulated structures” plus toes with a passive elastic joint. The toes not only prevent RAVEN from constantly face planting, they’re also critical for walking and positioning the drone at the right angle of attack for an effective takeoff. Fixed-wing drones that take advantage of legs for short takeoffs and landings aren’t an entirely new idea. In 2019, a South African startup called Passerine demonstrated a drone called Sparrow that used a pair of spring-loaded legs to leap into the air and take flight from a standstill. What sets RAVEN apart is the complexity of its legs that allow the drone to walk across rough terrain, jump over gaps, and hop onto obstacles as high as 10 inches — in addition to being able to leap into flight. RAVEN’s operations aren’t limited to airports or areas with smooth surfaces, which traditional wheeled landing gear requires. It also doesn’t require human intervention to get airborne again. It’s capable of landing and exploring areas that may be dangerous or restricted to humans, and then repositioning itself to an area that’s safe for takeoff. And it does it all using less power than a quadcopter drone would, giving it a larger operational range.

It's late 2024, and we know better than to expect any exciting Nintendo Switch 2 updates from the Japanese console maker. It's not like Nintendo would announce the Switch successor this time of year. The company confirmed it will unveil the next-gen console in the first quarter of 2025, at which point we'll learn the official Nintendo Switch 2 release date and price. If you were hoping to buy a Switch 2 by March 2025, you won't like the newest leaks out there. A report now says the new console will not hit stores before next summer, suggesting a June 2025 release date is more likely. If that's accurate, you'll have to wait a bit longer than expected to buy the Switch 2, though a scenario where Nintendo starts taking preorders in the first quarter of 2025 might still make sense. Continue reading... The post New Nintendo Switch 2 leaks may include a release date appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Early Black Friday deals: Nintendo Switch games, $249 Oura Ring 3, $25 Crock-Pot, $100 Beats Pill, more ECOVACS has the biggest robot vacuum sale of Black Friday and Cyber Monday Cyber Week deals: $329 Apple Watch S10, $50 off Microsoft Office 2024, $374 PS5 Slim, Vitamix blenders, more Best Cyber Monday deals 2024: All the top sales

Following a federal appeals court decision on Friday, TikTok's parent company ByteDance has until January 19 to sell the popular video-sharing app or face a ban in the US. Three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld an act signed into law by President Biden on April 24, 2024, which seeks to protect US citizens from "foreign adversary controlled applications." The court consolidated three petitions filed by ByteDance, Based Politics, Inc., and a group of creators who use TikTok that presented constitutional challenges to the new law. The court has denied them, explaining that "portions of the Act the petitioners have standing to challenge, that is the provisions concerning TikTok and its related entities, survive constitutional scrutiny." As a result of this decision, ByteDance's last real hope of skirting the ban without divesting is to take the case to the Supreme Court. That said, it's unlikely the highest court in the land will find the law any more unconstitutional than the appeals court did. "The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States," the judges concluded. "Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States." President-elect Donald Trump has claimed that he opposes the TikTok ban, despite trying to ban the app himself during his first term in 2020 via executive order. But the enemy of Trump's enemy is his friend. “Without TikTok, you can make Facebook bigger, and I consider Facebook to be an enemy of the people,” Trump told CNBC earlier this year. It's unlikely Trump will be able to do much to stop the ban now that the wheels are in motion. Don't Miss: TikTok is one step closer to replacing your favorite messaging app The post TikTok US ban set to take effect in January after appeals court loss appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Cyber Week deals: $180 iPhone SE 3, $199 Bose QC headphones, $29 Roku Stick 4K, $279 Google Nest WiFi Pro, more Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Amazon is giving out free money for Black Friday 2024 Best Cyber Monday deals 2024: All the top sales

Health insurance companies removed executive leadership names from their websites after the assassination of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.

A U.S. federal appeals court on Friday upheld a law requiring Chinese-based ByteDance to divest its popular short-video app TikTok in the United States by early next year or face a ban.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., took umbrage with social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, for tagging multiple posts of hers with a content warning about potential "hateful conduct." Mace took to X on Thursday night to complain that the platform "censored" at least three of...

The U.S. continues to face a greater risk from underlying inflation than from any weaknesses in the labor market, despite recent progress, a senior Federal Reserve official said Friday.

A group of GOP senators reportedly demanded that the National Institutes of Health provide information related to a controversial taxpayer-funded study on transgender children.

Mike Wolfe’s recent birthday tribute to his American Pickers co-star Danielle Colby is causing a stir among fans about a possible retirement. He shared a throwback photo of them posing in front of a car, with Colby in a hot pink top and jeans. “Happy Birthday You Rascal,” he wrote. The final part of his caption which read, “I love you so much. Here’s to many more miles together,” was the problem for some fans. It fueled the rumors of Colby’s imminent departure from the show due to health issues. Is Danielle Colby leaving ‘American Pickers?’             View this post on Instagram                         A post shared by Mike Wolfe (@mikewolfeamericanpicker)   Reports say Colby’s recent social media posts have been cryptic and hint at her desire to leave the road and focus on her podcasting and burlesque career. Frank Fritz’s departure in 2020 and eventual death in September were disheartening to fans, and they fear another disappointing news might break soon. Colby took a break from the show in 2022 to remove her uterine fibroids, which led to a hysterectomy. After recovery, she returned to American Pickers. The 49-year-old got diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia last year and underwent surgery to remove the tumor. She has fully recovered, with no news of retirement from her yet. Danielle Colby/Instagram Fans react to Mike Wolfe’s birthday tribute to Danielle Colby Mike’s followers admired his choice of photo for the tribute, encouraging him and Colby to keep working together. “I love this duo! Happy Birthday, Danielle! You guys have the coolest jobs ever,” one wrote, while another wished for many more seasons on History Channel’s coolest show. Danielle Colby/Instagram Meanwhile, fans fear that something is wrong with Colby, who recently addressed rumors about her dying on X. “The report of my death was an exaggeration,” she responded. Her concerned supporters may be worried over nothing since her show bio still reads, “lover and collector of all things vintage…continues to unearth forgotten histories of people and objects from all over the world.” Next up: Lea Thompson And Michael J. Fox’s Relationship Started Out Rocky On ‘Back To The Future’ The post Mike Wolfe Speaks Up About ‘American Pickers’ Co-Star Danielle Colby In New Post appeared first on DoYouRemember? - The Home of Nostalgia. Author, Peace A

The self-described “lunatic farmer” dismisses rumors of a USDA appointment while reinforcing his commitment to grassroots advocacy and sustainable farming. By yourNEWS Media Newsroom Joel Salatin,…