Monthly Archives: April 2015

Packbots Negotiating Streets

Packbots

Spot, the latest packbot from Boston Dynamics (owned by Google) is very impressive, and certainly robots of the future will have no problem negotiating tricky terrain:

A feature of MapMerge is a 3D mapping system that will allow robots to navigate cities. After watching Spot in action it could be argued that a 3D map isn’t needed – Spot will manage kerbs and stairs without a problem.

Three points on that:

1. There’s a big difference between wandering about and knowing where you are going. Existing 2D maps might not have everything spot needs to get from A to B.

2. Having 4 legs takes up space. Courier robots will need to be compact – for getting through tight spaces, fitting onto elevators, and generally not getting in the way of people. Two-wheeled robots, like the Segway, would be more suitable. And wheeled bots can’t (easily) climb stairs or even get over kerbs.

3. Batteries. Wheels are more efficient than legs, and for being useful over distances without the inconvenience of recharging, expect to get a better economic ratio from wheeled devices.

Here Comes 5G Mobile

Communication

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MapMerge works with existing technology, but not optimally.

One of the few technological advances required to make it sing, is faster mobile Internet.

It is almost unheard of for such technology to not improve, to stagnate. So it is expected that with time cell data transmission will be faster. It’s just a case of who and when the breakthrough will revolve around. This could be it:

So-called ‘5G’ mobile communications will use a very high frequency part of the spectrum above 6 GHz. This could support a variety of new uses including holographic projections and 3D medical imaging, with the potential to support very high demand users in busy areas, such as city centres. 5G mobile is expected to deliver extremely fast data speeds – perhaps 10 to 50 Gbit/s – compared with today’s average 4G download speed of 15 Mbit/s.
http://www.futuretimeline.net/blog/2015/01/22.htm#.VTeaK0LTbhA

That’s a massive increase in download speed, and perhaps enough to make MapMerge be a joy rather than a frustration. So lets pencil in 2022 for MapMerge emergence.

 

Ban Public Drones?

Drones

Remotely operated vehicles are a problem for law enforcement and the military. If the operator is not present, it is hard to question or arrest them, or even know who the operator is. When you combine this with small flying drones that can be purchased cheaply, it is guaranteed that enemies and criminals will continually invent new ways of utilising them. Obvious starting points would be drug deliveries, theft, extortion and terrorism.

In a future where the sky continuously has delivery drones flying by, it will be difficult for anyone to know which drone is which, and which are illegally operated.

MapMerge is one way to manage the drones. If drones rely on a universal system for precision navigation, then that system can be made available only to registered drones.

A different solution denies private drone ownership.

Government Drone Delivery Service

  • Drones can only be designed and built by the military
  • Drones can only be owned and operated by the government
  • Govt creates a drone delivery network that everyone has access to

Generally speaking competition is beneficial, and this applies to most industries, with the exception of some infrastructure.

These typically have competition in advanced economies:

  • airlines
  • taxis
  • shipping
  • delivery companies
  • long distance buses

But in many instances there is little or no competition:

  • postal services
  • landline infrastructure
  • electricity/gas/water infrastructure

The reason being that competition fragments the infrastructure, causing a doubling or tripling of infrastructure costs.

It would likely be a major negative having different systems running drones in our sky. And as long as aerial drones are cheaper or more efficient than ground deliveries, they will be fully utilised regardless of whether there is competition in the space.

The most likely starting point for drone deliveries would be distribution centres on the outskirts of cities which are fed by traditional transportation. The drones would then fly to numerous designated landing spots within the city, and either continue on wheels or transfer the load to wheeled drones.

Innovation and competition can still occur either side of the drone deliveries – getting loads to distribution centres, and shifting loads from drone landing spots to final destinations.

There is no great need for competition in the drone delivery space. And by controlling both the manufacture and the infrastructure for drones, it will be very difficult for them to be used inappropriately.

Magic Leap – New Video

Glasses

So, Magic Leap is a VR headset that projects images into your eyes, and makes it seem like they are really there, superimposed over the real world. Check out this video:

In MapMerge, this technology would be used for informational overlays, and seeing the avatars of other virtual traveler. Significantly it will be used to see the avatars of virtual visitors in a meeting environment.