Robots to Assemble Airbus Aircraft
Automating aircraft assembly is difficult because most robots aren’t nimble enough to perform the required tasks. Airbus group says it hopes to change that through humanoid robotic technology that actually adapt to assembly environments. The aircraft manufacturer is collaborating with the Joint Robotics Laboratory to develop a technology called multi-contact locomotion. By using its entire body to make contact with its environment, a robot can climb ladders and enter confined spaces common to aircraft assembly. Researchers will establish algorithms to enable flexibility and dexterity while keeping calculations fast so that the robot’s movement remains efficient.
Tidal Energy Project Advances
Fair Head Tidal is moving ahead with plans to develop a 100 megawatt tidal energy project in ocean waters off of Northern Ireland. The joint Irish-Belgian company has completed onshore and offshore surveys for the north Antrim coast project site. Project developers plan to submit a marine license application later in 2016. Project construction could start in 2018.
CO2 Capture Project Starts in Norway
A five-month test program has been launched to capture carbon emissions from a waste-to-energy facility in Oslo Norway. The facility is one of Norway's largest waste-to-energy plants, with a capacity to burn 310,000 metric tons of waste annually. Gassnova, a state enterprise that supports the development and demonstration of technologies to capture carbon dioxide, is funding the program. The project will test Aker Solutions' amine-based CO2 capture technology. The process uses a mixture of water and organic amine solvents to absorb emissions.
