Airborne wind energy systems use kites flown hundreds of metres in the air, where wind speeds are much faster, to generate electricity. One type uses small wind turbines mounted on a rigid kite (like an aeroplane wing), and the electricity is sent through the kite’s tether. Kitekraft’s model works similarly, but its turbines are dual purpose; the turbines act as propellers, allowing the kite to hover until it reaches the proper height. These systems will likely be most useful to the military and those living off the grid. Read full article here
Societal Issues
AI Predicts Crime A Week In Advance With 90 Per Cent Accuracy
An artificial intelligence model built by Ishanu Chattopadhyay and his colleagues analysed crime data in Chicago from 2014 to 2016 and managed to predict future levels of crime down to the nearest 300 metres, a week before they actually happened. While extremely useful, this artificial intelligence has been shown to expose racial prejudice in law enforcement. Hopefully, as the study’s data and methodology have been made available for others to evaluate, these prejudices can be avoided in the next iteration. Read full article here
Merv
August 15, 2022
