Tag: London

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Big Ben falls silent – Great Clock undergoing repairs – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

The famous chimes of Big Ben are to fall silent after 157 years of nearly unbroken service. The Great Clock of the Palace of Westminster in London needs urgent repairs as part of a £30m project to prevent its mechanism from failing. The tower will be partially covered in scaffolding for three years from 2017, although engineers plan to keep at least one of the four clock faces always visible. The bells will fall silent for several months, chiming only for important events, a House of Commons statement said. Click on the graphic for an expanded view. Continue reading Big Ben falls silent – Great Clock undergoing repairs – an annotated infographic

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Testing solar-powered taxi

E&T magazine

By Tereza Pultarova Imagine a city powered fully by renewable energy – no microscopic dust in the air, no toxic emissions. Perhaps London could become one such city in the future and it seems it might start with its iconic taxis. In January, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson pledged to ban new taxis from the city centre that wouldn’t be able to switch into a zero-emission mode by 2018.  One of the contenders aspiring to win over the  greener London taxi market is a Surrey-based tech-development company Frazer-Nash. In March, they invited journalists to visit their facilities in Mytchett, … Continue reading Testing solar-powered taxi

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The future London black cab will be ‘green’

E&T magazine

Last week, E&T Magazine visited an event where some of the future designs for London’s iconic black cab were introduced. Attending the event was the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who said that by 2018 all new London taxis should be able to switch into an emission-free more. We spoke to the companies presenting their designs and asked them, how are they going to tackle the challenge. We were particularly impressed by Frazer-Nash’s vision of a solar-powered charging station that will assure the energy powering the electric-hybrid vehicles will be as clean as it gets. Designing a taxi for London … Continue reading The future London black cab will be ‘green’

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Future London #MetroCab taxis have to be emission free by 2018; could be solar-powered

E&T magazine

All new London taxis will have to be zero emission capable by 2018, the Mayor of London announced at an event showcasing designs of future environmentally friendly cabs. The London Taxi Company, Frazer-Nash and Karsan have put their newly designed vehicles on display today in London, all opting for hybrid technology enabling the vehicles to switch conveniently between an electric zero-emission mode and petrol powered engines. “To date, one Achilles heel (of the London taxis), particularly the older models, has been the pollution generated by chugging diesel engines,” said the Mayor of London Boris Johnson before the event. “As part … Continue reading Future London #MetroCab taxis have to be emission free by 2018; could be solar-powered

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Robot Safari in London Science Museum

E&T magazine

London Science Museum celebrated the European Robotics Week 2013 with a Robot Safari. 13 different types of nature-inspired creatures including a pretty fast cheetah cub, a salamander, turtles and fish were on display, swimming, running or crawling just like their real counterparts. If you have missed this wonderful event that brought together 13 teams from European universities, all doing cutting-edge research in robotics. You can watch our video-report below and read our article. Continue reading Robot Safari in London Science Museum

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What is the future of Unmanned Aerial Systems?

E&T magazine

We have visited this year’s Defence and Security Event in London and asked some of the industry insiders about the future of Unmanned Aerial Systems. There are few technologies surrounded at the same time by such anticipation and controversy. They represent the first level in the evolution of autonomous killing machines, helping military forces in armed conflicts to wipe out their enemies without men having to pull the trigger and put their own lives at risk. Some fear their stealthy presence above our heads could threaten our privacy – collecting sensitive information about us far more efficiently than Google Street View. … Continue reading What is the future of Unmanned Aerial Systems?

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Bomb-disposing robot: full video interview with Tom van Doren

E&T magazine

Full video interview about the advanced prosthetic arm turned explosives-disposing robot is now available. The CEO of HDT Global Tom van Doren explains how the technology can help increase safety of technicians as they can stay up to one kilometer away from the bomb while the robot risks his life: Read more at: http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2013/sep/bomb-disposal-robot.cfm Continue reading Bomb-disposing robot: full video interview with Tom van Doren