Russia plans to save Earth from collision with asteroid

clipped from www.guardian.co.uk

Russia's Armageddon plan to save Earth from collision with asteroid

Computer generated simulation of an asteroid strike on the earth 150m years ago. Photograph: Don Davis/AFP/Getty Images

clipped from www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

Scientists call for help to divert global killer

Could this happen in 2036?

NASA has calculated that the effect of the asteroid hitting the planet would be the equivalent of 65,000 nuclear explosions - at the same second.

Some scientists are already speculating that the asteroid should be classed as a potential "global killer" - a rock big enough to pose a possible extinction threat to mankind.

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk

Russia 'plans to stop asteroid'

The head of Russia's federal space agency has said it will work to divert an asteroid which will make several passes near the Earth from 2029.

Anatoly Perminov told the Voice of Russia radio service that the agency's science council would hold a closed meeting to discuss the issue.

Any eventual plan is likely to be an international collaboration, he said.

clipped from vids.myspace.com

Apophis

clipped from www.youtube.com

Asteroid Impact (HD)

clipped from www.federalspace.ru

clipped from www.roscosmos.ru

Head of the Russian Federal Space Agency
Anatoly N. Perminov

clipped from www.aerospaceweb.org

Collisions with Near Earth Objects

The asteroid Ida and its satellite Dactyl

Approximate frequency of impacts with different sizes of objects

Close approach of 99942 Apophis predicted in 2029

A representation of the Torino Impact Hazard Scale based on probability and energy of impact

Sources:

1. Russia's Armageddon plan to save Earth from collision with asteroid | World news | The Guardian
2. Scientists call for help to divert global killer (From The Northern Echo)
3. BBC News - Russia 'plans to stop asteroid'
4. Video Apophis van JC - MySpace Video
5. YouTube - Asteroid Impact (HD)
6. Russian Federal Space Agency - Roscosmos |
7. О руководителях агентства
8. Aerospaceweb.org | Ask Us - Collisions with Near Earth Objects

Related:

1. News from The Associated Press
2. Russia Plans to Save Earth From Rogue Asteroid; ‘No Nuclear Explosions,’ Space Chief Promises (Updated) | Danger Room | Wired.com
3. Russia considering sending spacecraft to knock asteroid off path and prevent Earth collision - Science - Canoe.ca
4. Russian space chief Anatoly Perminov's grim warning over asteroid that could 'kill millions'
5. Russia in secret plan to save Earth from asteroid: official
6. Russia Considering Mission To Deflect Apophis | Gizmodo Australia
7. 99942 Apophis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
8. Russian Federal Space Agency - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
9. Anatoly Perminov - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
10. Asteroid Watch - jpl.nasa.gov

Nissan Crash Avoidance like Bumblebees and Fishes

Clipped from: BBC NEWS | Technology | Robot fish could prevent crashes

Robot fish could prevent crashes

Robots that mimic the behaviour of fish have been developed by Japanese car firm Nissan, who believe the technique can be used in crash avoidance systems.

The tiny robots, called Eporo, can move in a fleet without bumping into their travelling companions.

It is the second time the firm has looked to the animal kingdom for inspiration for its designs.

Last year, the manufacturer unveiled its BR23C robot, which was modelled on the behaviour of bumblebees.

Clipped from: Nissan looks to the Bumblebees for tips on crash avoidance — Autoblog

Nissan looks to the Bumblebees for tips on crash avoidance

Volvo has its locusts, Nissan has its bees. With 300-degree vision via compound eyes and instantaneous reflexes, bees don't run into things the way cars do. Nissan wants to halve the rate of car crashes by 2015, versus the company's 1995 tally, and is using bees to come up with a new generation of crash-avoidance systems that will be able to respond to obstacles in ways superior to humans.

Clipped from: YouTube - 2008 Nissan to Demonstrate Crash Avoidance Robot

2008 Nissan to Demonstrate Crash Avoidance Robot

Clipped from: NISSAN | Crash Avoidance Robotic Car Inspired by Flight of the Bumblebee

September 26, 2008

Crash Avoidance Robotic Car Inspired by
Flight of the Bumblebee
-- Nissan Exhibits for CEATEC Japan 2008* --

In flight, each bee creates its own oval-shaped personal space which in fact closely resembles Nissan's Safety Shield concept.

But more crucially, it is the bee's compound eyes, capable of seeing more than 300-degrees that allows the bumblebee to fly uninterrupted inside its personal space. In order to recreate the function of a compound eye, engineers came up with the idea of a Laser Range Finder (LRF).

The LRF detects obstacles up to two meters away within a 180-degree radius in front of the BR23C, calculates the distance to them, and sends a signal to an on-board microprocessor, which is instantly translated into collision avoidance.

Clipped from: Nissan robot car concept avoids accidents by mimicking fishes — Autoblog Green

Nissan robot car concept avoids accidents by mimicking fishes

Using two laser range finders mounted so that it has a 288-degree field of vision, Nissan's new Eporo robot cars can travel along at speeds of 1.4 km/h (less than one mile per hour), constantly changing direction as needed to maintain a safe distance from one another. The Japanese automaker suggests that such "Safety Shield" technology could eventually be applied to cars and trucks to help prevent accidents and traffic jams.

Gallery: Nissan Eporo robot cars

Clipped from: NISSAN | Nissan EPORO Robot Car "Goes to School" on Collision-free Driving by Mimicking Fish Behavior

October 1, 2009

Nissan EPORO Robot Car "Goes to School" on
Collision-free Driving by Mimicking Fish Behavior
- Advanced Robotic Concept Debuts at CEATEC JAPAN 2009 -

EPORO Robot Car

So what do a bumblebee and a school of fish have in common? Bothdemonstrate extraordinary "anti-collision" abilities, navigating instinctively and intelligently through challenging terrain by detecting and avoiding obstacles - just as future Nissan safety vehicles may have the capability to do. But where bees - and the BR23C robot car - are likely to travel alone, the schooling behavior of fish, or a group of vehicles, presents a far greater challenge in terms of collision avoidance. In developing EPORO, three rules of fish behavior were applied to its driving control.

Fish Behavior Rules
AREA 1: Collision Avoidance
Change traveling direction without colliding with other fish.
AREA 2: Traveling Side-by-Side
Travel side-by-side with other fish while keeping a certain distance between each fish (to match the speed).
AREA 3: Approaching
Gain closer proximity to other fish that are at a distance from them.

Sources:

1. BBC NEWS | Technology | Robot fish could prevent crashes
2. Nissan robot car concept avoids accidents by mimicking fishes — Autoblog Green
3. NISSAN | Nissan EPORO Robot Car "Goes to School" on Collision-free Driving by Mimicking Fish Behavior
4. Nissan looks to the Bumblebees for tips on crash avoidance — Autoblog
5. YouTube - 2008 Nissan to Demonstrate Crash Avoidance Robot
6. NISSAN | Crash Avoidance Robotic Car Inspired by Flight of the Bumblebee

Related:

1. Nissan Mimics School of Fish to Eliminate Collisions - Auto - FOXNews.com
2. The car that thinks like a fish
3. Eporo: Nissan develops robots that can rove in packs
4. Nissan unveils mobile robot that can dodge like a bee
5. Nissan's crash-avoiding robot 'car' gets upgrade, fresh new outlook on life
6. Nissan shows off bumblebee-inspired, crash-avoiding robot "car"

The Asteroid Tagging Competition

Tagging and tracking an asteroid that might be on a collision course with Earth, a competition.

clipped from www.planetary.org How do you tag and track an asteroid that might be on a collision course with Earth? The first place winners of The Planetary Society's $50,000 Apophis Mission Design Competition presented their innovative solutions at a press conference today in Pasadena, California. clipped from www.universetoday.com clipped from www.planetary.org First place went to the team led by SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia in conjunction with SpaceDev, Inc., Poway, California for their mission, entitled Foresight. Mark G. Schaffer served as Principal Investigator. The Foresight team takes home $25,000 in prize money. clipped from www.wired.com Foresight, the winning design for an asteroid hunter, uses off-the-shelf technology and pared-down mission specs to create a satellite that can be manufactured and launched for less than $140 million. Image: The Planetary Society clipped from origin.mercurynews.com The competition was named after the asteroid Apophis, which will come near Earth in 2029.

Related:
Universe Today » "Foresight" Wins First Prize in Apophis Asteroid Tagging Competition
Georgia-led team wins design competition for asteroid-tagging - San Jose Mercury News
Competition for Asteroid Hunter Announces Winner
Apophis Mission Competition Update: Planetary Society Names Winners - What We Do | The Planetary Society
Apophis Mission Design Competition - What We Do | The Planetary Society