Humanoid Robots can now detect emotions, Canada's first hydrogen powered train is operational, Virgin's first commercial space flight

Xiaomi, a Chinese technology company, has introduced its latest #humanoidrobot, CyberOne, during a live event in Beijing. This robot, standing at around six feet tall and sporting a black and white design, showcases an LED screen as its face. Equipped with advanced visual capabilities, CyberOne can generate 3D representations of the real world and navigate autonomously across different environments.

Xiaomi claims that their #robot has the ability to detect human emotions by recognizing facial expressions and tone of voice. Additionally, CyberOne's audio sensors enable it to identify environmental sounds and categorize 85 types of sounds and 45 classifications of human emotions, as stated by Xiaomi.

According to the company's announcement, CyberOne can detect happiness and provide comfort to users during times of sadness. All of these features are seamlessly integrated into the processing units of the robot, which are paired with a curved module to display real-time interactive information.

CyberOne joins Xiaomi's series of cyber robots, with its predecessor being the quadruped dog-like robot, Cyberdog. Xiaomi emphasizes that the bipedal version, CyberOne, is more mechanically intricate than the dog robot, requiring more powerful motors, additional degrees of freedom, and complex humanoid biped control algorithms.

Lei Jun, the Founder and CEO of Xiaomi Group, describes CyberOne as an exploration of the possibilities within Xiaomi's future technological ecosystem and a significant breakthrough for the company. Xiaomi envisions various applications for CyberOne and future iterations, including companion robots, public service robots, and industrial robotic assistants. Interestingly, the unveiling of CyberOne coincides with the upcoming prototype demonstration of Tesla's Optimus robot, expected in September.

Quebec's first hydrogen fuel cell train is fully operational

阿尔斯通运输 , in collaboration with the Government of Quebec, Chemin de fer Charlevoix, Train de Charlevoix, Harnois énergies, HTEC, and Accelera by Cummins, recently achieved a significant milestone in North America. They organized the inaugural #hydrogenfuel train journey on June 17, utilizing the Coradia iLint train. The trip covered a distance of 90 kilometers from Parc de la Chute-Montmorency in Quebec City to Baie-Saint-Paul. Alstom shared this news through a press release issued last month.

Michael Keroullé, the President of Alstom Americas, expressed the importance of hydrogen technology as an alternative to diesel, emphasizing its ability to provide #sustainablemobility solutions to customers, agencies, operators, and passengers. The hydrogen-powered Coradia iLint train operates by utilizing a hydrogen fuel cell, emitting only water vapor during its operation. It offers a quieter and more environmentally friendly experience for passengers and those residing near the tracks.

With a maximum speed of 140 km/h and comparable acceleration and braking capabilities to a standard regional diesel train, the hydrogen train proves itself as a viable and efficient mode of transportation.

To ensure a reliable hydrogen supply for the train's operation, the participating companies have established an effective process. Hydrogen production takes place at the Quebec City station and is then transported to Baie St-Paul via high-pressure tanks. Serge Harnois, President and CEO of Harnois énergies, highlighted the company's commitment to energy diversification and openness to the future. Alison Trueblood, General Manager of Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies at Accelera, emphasized their role in guiding customers through energy transition roadmaps and advancing hydrogen propulsion technology.

Furthermore, Alstom has established an innovation center dedicated to sustainable mobility solutions in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec. This center focuses on developing future platforms tailored to the North American market, incorporating hybrid, battery, or green hydrogen propulsion systems.

Space Tourism will be possible this year for $450,000

In the inaugural commercial flight for Virgin Galactic , three specialists from Italy boarded a rocket plane on Thursday June 29, marking a significant milestone for Richard Branson 's space tourism company. The crew, comprising two Italian Air Force officers and an aerospace engineer from the National Research Council of Italy, embarked on a 90-minute flight to conduct a series of suborbital scientific experiments. The flight was named Galactic 101.

This mission signifies the advent of #commercialspacetravel for affluent individuals who can afford the substantial ticket price of $450,000 to experience a journey into orbit. Following the successful scientific excursion above the New Mexico desert, commercial space flights for ticket holders are set to commence in August, with monthly departures planned, according to Virgin Galactic.

The crew consisted of two members of the Italian Air Force: Col. Walter Villadei, who wore a smart suit to monitor his biometric and physiological responses, and Lt. Col. Angelo Landolfi, a physician who conducted tests to assess cognitive performance and the behavior of liquids and solids in microgravity. Pantaleone Carlucci, an engineer from the National Research Council of Italy, also participated to conduct tests involving the use of sensors to examine heart rate, brain function, and other metrics.

Colin Bennet, a Virgin Galactic astronaut instructor responsible for training and mission preparation, accompanied the crew on the flight.

The crew boarded the VSS Unity, which was piloted by Mike Masucci and Nicola Pecile, as reported by Virgin Galactic.

This launch took place amidst a competitive billionaire space race, where Branson's Virgin Galactic has been vying with Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to offer space travel to civilians. Branson himself was on a test flight in 2021, which led to the Federal Aviation Administration grounding Virgin Galactic for 11 weeks and conducting an investigation due to concerns about the rocket deviating off-course.

Two years later, on May 25, Virgin Galactic completed its final test flight, returning to Spaceport America in southern New Mexico after a brief journey to space that included a few minutes of weightlessness.

"We're honored to have been selected by the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council to support their first #space research mission," said Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier in a statement. He added, "Virgin Galactic's research missions will usher in a new era of repeatable and reliable access to space for government and research institutions for years to come."