Velodyne's new lidar has 128 lasers, makes future look like Neuromancer

Velodyne just announced its VLS-128, a lidar system with 128 laser channels designed to enable Level 5 autonomy. The VLS-128 scans out to 984 feet, twice the range of Velodyne’s previous top-of-the-line unit, the HDL-64, and resolves three times better than its predecessor. Velodyne says the extended range, along with upgraded object identification software, means […]

Botox, lasers and vampire lifts: Time-saving combo treatments to transform your skin

GETTY Multi-tasking Botox can erase frown lines, soften crow’s feet and even provide a gentle lift So it’s little wonder when it comes to skincare and cosmetic treatments that people want them to work as hard as they do. This trend has led to “combo” treatments becoming the new norm at cosmetic clinics around the […]

Scientists recreate Neptune’s diamond rain using powerful lasers

While we’ve yet to fully explore Neptune and its fellow gas giants, scientists have a lot of theories about them based on the info we know. For instance, they believe that it rains diamonds on those planets — diamonds that sink into their interior and form a sparkly crust around their solid cores. Since it […]

Researchers use lasers to weld spider silk to kevlar

Enlarge (credit: National Park Service/J Schmidt) Spider silk has some amazing material properties, so there’s lots of enthusiasm for the prospect of using it to make something useful. Unfortunately, spiders aren’t domesticated, and attempts to make the silk proteins in other organisms haven’t been entirely successful. And then there’s the matter of what to do […]

The US military is getting closer to deploying lasers and rail guns — here’s how they might be used

Raytheon Long relegated to the world of science fiction, lasers and rail guns are increasingly appearing in real life. Railguns use electromagnets to fire projectiles at supersonic speeds, while lasers fire pure energy bursts. In 2012, the US Navy test-fired a rail gun for the first time and later announced plans to put one on […]

US Army expects to take down planes with anti-air lasers

Forget shooting down drones with vehicle-mounted lasers — the US Army is ready to take on the bigger machines. Space and Missile Defense Command chief Lt. Gen James Dickenson has revealed that the Army is preparing lasers that are ten times more powerful than the ones in testing now, at between 50kW to 100kW. That […]

We want some more! US Air Force asks for extra $10.7bn for F-35s, lasers & other toys

Published time: 5 Jun, 2017 20:06 Though President Donald Trump’s budget proposal raises military spending, the US Air Force wants more still. USAF has asked Congress for nearly $ 11 billion in additional funds for F-35 fighter jets, tankers, laser weapons and to modernize older planes. The Air Force’s wish list includes $ 1.76 billion […]