We got this’: Black Hawk helicopter flies without pilot for the first time

We got this’: Black Hawk helicopter flies without pilot for the first time

The DARPA Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) enables high levels of automation into existing aircraft and reduces crew operations.

In a first, a Black Hawk helicopter made a fully autonomous flight without a pilot onboard at the US Army installation at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The first test flight took place on on February 5, and later on February 7. It was conducted in partnership between Lockheed Martin Sikorsky and the Defence Armed Research Projects Agency (DARPA), as per a press release.

DARPA shared a photograph of the helicopter and wrote, “It might look disconcerting to see a @LockheedMartin Martin @Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter flying itself…but, don’t worry, we’ve got this! DARPA’s ALIAS technology just enabled the first ever flight of this iconic chopper…with nobody onboard.” An impressed netizens had a caveat, “Good luck with the testing! Please make sure there are strong safety features, especially on the weapons."

A video shared by Reuters on Twitter showed the helicopter hovering sans a pilot. The helicopter lands smoothly without any glitches in the video. The DARPA Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) enables high levels of automation into existing aircraft and reduces crew operations.

“With reduced workloads pilots can focus on mission management instead of the mechanics,” Stuart Young, program manager in DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office was quoted as saying in the press release. “This unique combination of autonomy software and hardware will make flying both smarter and safer,” he added.

“With ALIAS, the Army will have much more operational flexibility. This includes the ability to operate aircraft at all times of the day or night, with and without pilots, and in a variety of difficult conditions, such as contested, congested, and degraded visual environments,” he further said.

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Tribute to our heroes,Black Day In Indian History ,Pulwama Attack 14th February 2019

We pαy homαge🙏to αll those mαπtyπed in Pulwαmα on this dαy in 2019 αnd πecαll theiπ outstαnding seπvice to ouπ nαtion. Theiπ bπαveπy αnd supπeme sαcπifice motivαtes eveπy Indiαn to woπk towαπds α stπong αnd pπospeπous countπy....!!!!

It’s okay to fall’: Little girl’s motivation talk to self as she snowboards inspires people.

‘It’s okay to fall’: Little girl’s motivation talk to self as she snowboards inspires people.

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The little girl's father rigged her up with a microphone for a video, to understand what goes on in her mind as she skied down the hill.

The video of four-year-old Aubrin Sage has been winning the internet.

Aubrin Sage may be all of 4-years-old but the tiny tot is already motivating people worldwide. Before hitting the slopes at White Pass Ski Area, southeast of Mt. Rainier National Park, her father Robert placed a microphone inside Aubrin’s snowsuit to know what goes on in her mind. However, not just her father, the results delighted all online.

As the little one was seen speeding down the snow-covered mountains, donning a cute dinosaur suit, she is heard saying: “Let’s go, dad.” Traversing snow trails like a pro, the girl is heard humming, “Let’s…go on that secret path.”.

“I won’t fall…maybe I will,” Aubrin tells herself at one point. “That’s OK, ’cause we all fall, ” in her infectiously positive commentary.

Eventually, Aubrin does fall, but instead of being dejected or throwing a tantrum, she breaks out in laughter. While trying to pick herself back up, she even cracks a joke about falling, calling herself “a stuck-asaurus”.While many remained surprised to see her being so confident on the ice, for those following the family on Instagram and TikTok, it was quite normal. The family keeps sharing their snow adventures online, and even Aubrin’s little brother, 1, joins them in the outdoor activities.“Our daughter started riding the chairlift with her own board at 18 months old,” her parents Robert & Samantha wrote in a blog post in 2020. “The best part is, she is the one requesting to snowboard every week and we’re now riding more than we did before having kids,” the post read.

However, this time the little girl is going viral for imparting wisdom to adults. One user commented, “She should give a Ted Talk on the power of self talk.” Dubbing it the most adorable thing on the internet, another added: “Medicine for the heart.”

Source-Indian Express

 

'Soul of the mountains’: Arunachal CM shares video of local artiste performing Monpa song

‘Soul of the mountains’: Arunachal CM shares video of local artiste performing Monpa song

The video was shot at Bongleng village in Arunachal’s Tawang district.

The Monpas are considered to be the only nomadic tribe in Northeast India.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday shared a video of an artiste playing a beautiful Monpa song. The video was shot at Bongleng village in Arunachal’s Tawang district.

The artist in the video was from the Monpa Institute of Performing Arts (MIPA). Dressed in a traditional attire, the artiste can be heard backing his vocals with ‘dramyin’, a traditional musical instrument played during Tibetan Buddhist ceremonies and festivals.The nearly two-minute video is winning over the netizens and has gathered hundreds of likes. Appreciating the song, a Twitter user commented on the post, “Plaintive, melodious and soothing! Good wishes to the artist!

Sir, the pics. and clips of rich art, craft, festivals and culture, shared occasionally are new and treat to eyes and ears! Good wishes.

Earlier this month, the Monpa community marked their lunar new year celebrations in a three-day Torgya Monastery Festival that was held from January 31 to February 2.

Source -Indian Express 

US woman floats on air mattress above freezing lake for two days

US woman floats on air mattress above freezing lake for two days

Along with the woman's fiancée who used different floating device, they were attempting to reach their boat while retrieving articles that had fallen from it.

The woman floated on the top of an air mattress above freezing Texoma lake for two days (Source: Oklahoma Highway Patrol)

A US woman floated on the top of an air mattress above a freezing Texoma lake in Oklahoma for two days after before she was spotted by two freight train workers and rescued on February 3.

Conductor Cristhian Sosa and train engineer Justin Luster found the woman stranded on a rock near Texoma lake. They said the woman was waving her arms and yelling for help, CNN reported.

“She was wet, confused and had no recollection of time,” Sosa was quoted as saying by CNN. “She was either on the early stages of hypothermia or she already had it,” he added.

The woman was taken to the hospital and she is expected to survive. She identified herself as Connie to the train workers. She told them that she was floating on an air mattress for days, as per CNN report.

Along with her fiancée who used a different floating device, Connie was attempting to reach their boat while using the mattress as a raft. They had ventured into water to recover items which had fallen from the boat. However, the couple got separated later.Connie’s fiancée reached near a house and reported her as missing to local police, as per the KXII report. As per People‘s report, about an hour after her fiancée reported her as missing, police officers received a call from train workers informing them that they have rescued Connie from the lake.

Source-Indian Express 

NASA shares photographs of intense training for dark moon missions, leaves netizens intrigued

NASA astronauts get trained in extreme environments similar to that of the moon. Training environments are simulated with the 1/6th gravity, suit mobility, lighting and lunar terrain, as per NASA.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) took to Instagram to share intriguing photographs of astronauts getting trained for moon missions inside a dark swimming pool. The jaw-dropping photographs have left netizens amazed.

“At the bottom of a very dark swimming pool, divers are getting ready for missions to the Moon. Take a look at this a recent test in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at @NASAJohnson. In this lab is where astronauts train for spacewalks, and soon, moonwalks,” reads the caption of the post.

“This was a test with divers in SCUBA gear to get the lighting conditions right, but soon, NASA plans to conduct tests in this low-light environment using spacesuits,” NASA said further in the post.

NASA astronauts get trained in extreme environments similar to that of the moon. Training environments are simulated with the 1/6th gravity, suit mobility, lighting and lunar terrain, as per NASA.

NASA stated that the sun will only be a few degrees over the horizon, creating dark shadows, when astronauts go the moon’s south pole through the Artemis program. In order to recreate the environment, lights inside the lab are turned off, pool walls are covered with black curtains to minimize reflection. Powerful underwater lamps are also used and sand at the bottom of the pool includes specialized combinations in the common pool filter sand, according to the space agency.

The post has garnered more than 9 lakh likes so far. Netizens were intrigued by the post and came up with several queries.

NASA often amazes netizens with stunning photograph  and visualisation . Earlier, in January this year, the American space agency posted an image of an explosion of a massive star.

Most extreme rogue wave ever was recorded off B.C. coast

 

Sources —Global News

A Victoria-based marine data company says it's recorded what it calls the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded, off the coast of Ucluelet. Kylie Stanton has the details, and whether the wave posed a danger to the coastline.

It is being called an event that happens “once in a millennium.”

Researchers have announced that the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded has been measured off the coast of Vancouver Island, near Ucluelet, B.C.

The wave, measuring 17.6 metres – which is as high as a four-storey building – was recorded in November 2020 by Victoria, B.C.-based MarineLabs Data Systems.

It is the subject of a scientific report by Dr. Johannes Gemmrich and Leah Cicon, from the University of Victoria, and published last week in the Journal Scientific Reports.

B.C. scientist hopes to predict rogue waves – Jan 5, 2021

Rogue waves are waves with more than double the height of the waves currently happening around them. According to MarineLabs, they can also be known as “freak” or “killer waves” as they can occur unexpectedly, and, because they are so huge, can be very dangerous.

The first rogue wave was recorded in 1995 off the coast of Norway. MarineLabs said that wave measured 25.6 metres in a sea state with wave heights of about 12 metres – roughly two times the size of the waves around it.

A security guard had nothing to do. So he drew eyes on Rs 7.5 crore painting

A security guard had nothing to do. So he drew eyes on Rs 7.5 crore painting

The defaced painting in question is titled Three Figures by abstract artist Anna Leporskaya.

The painting is estimated to be insured at 740,000 pounds (approximately Rs 7.5 crore). (Source: Sputnik News)

A 7,40,000 Pound painting at a Russian gallery was defaced by none other than the person entrusted to protect it: a security guard. According to The Art Newspaper, the guard used a ball pen to draw eyes on the faceless figures depicted in the painting by abstract artist Anna Leporskaya.

Sputnik News reported the vandalism of the famous painting, Three Figures, was noted by two people visiting the Yeltsin Center in Yekaterinburg, Russia, where the painting was being exhibited. The painting made in the 1930s is estimated to be insured at 740,000 pounds (approximately Rs 7.5 crore).

The identity of the vandal has not been revealed but the police have started an investigation into the incident. If convicted the accused can face up to a one-year correctional labour sentence along with a hefty fine.

Sputnik News quoted the Yeltsin Center’s statement issued on Tuesday, saying, “We inform you that during the investigation, the person who painted the eyes on the figures in the painting by Anna Leporskaya was identified – this is an employee of a private security organization that carries out security activities of the Yeltsin Center."