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A simple cube open at the top can increase the annual energy density generation by a factor (depending on the latitude) of 2 - 3.8 compared to a flat horizontal panel, versus an increase by a factor of 1.3 - 1.8 achieved from a flat panel using dual-axis tracking. Genetic algorithm are used to optimize the energy production in a day for arbitrarily shaped 3D solar cells confined to a given area footprint and total volume doi:10.1063/1.3308490 could be interesting to investigate

some biomimicry used in energy systems... maybe it sparks some ideas

not much new that has not been shared here before ... BUT: we have done relativley little on any of them. for good reasons?? don't know - maybe time to look into some of these again more closely Energy Efficiency( Termite mounds inspired regulated airflow for temperature control of large structures, preventing wasteful air conditioning and saving 10% energy.[1] Whale fins shapes informed the design of new-age wind turbine blades, with bumps/tubercles reducing drag by 30% and boosting power by 20%.[2][3][4] Stingray motion has motivated studies on this type of low-effort flapping glide, which takes advantage of the leading edge vortex, for new-age underwater robots and submarines.[5][6] Studies of microstructures found on shark skin that decrease drag and prevent accumulation of algae, barnacles, and mussels attached to their body have led to "anti-biofouling" technologies meant to address the 15% of marine vessel fuel use due to drag.[7][8][9][10] Energy Generation( Passive heliotropism exhibited by sunflowers has inspired research on a liquid crystalline elastomer and carbon nanotube system that improves the efficiency of solar panels by 10%, without using GPS and active repositioning panels to track the sun.[11][12][13] Mimicking the fluid dynamics principles utilized by schools of fish could help to optimize the arrangement of individual wind turbines in wind farms.[14] The nanoscale anti-reflection structures found on certain butterfly wings has led to a model to effectively harness solar energy.[15][16][17] Energy Storage( Inspired by the sunlight-to-energy conversion in plants, researchers are utilizing a protein in spinach to create a sort of photovoltaic cell that generates hydrogen from water (i.e. hydrogen fuel cell).[18][19] Utilizing a property of genetically-engineered viruses, specifically their ability to recognize and bind to certain materials (carbon nanotubes in this case), researchers have developed virus-based "scaffolds" that

Nice video featuring the technology. Plus it comes with a good soundtrack! Google's project wing uses a lifting wing concept (more fuel efficient than normal airplane layouts and MUCH more efficient than quadrocopters) but it equips the plane with engines strong enough to hover in a nose up position, allowing vertical landing and takeoff. For the delivery of packages the drone does not even need to land - it can lower them on a wire - much like the skycrane concept used to deliver the Curiosity rover on Mars. Not sure if the skycrane is really necessary but it is certainly cool. Anyways, the video is great for its soundtrack alone! ;-P

Fair enough, but even if you consider advanced/robust/efficient AI, why would you use a drone? Do we envision hundreds of drones above our heads in the street instead of UPS vans, or postmen, considering delivers letters might be more easily achievable. I am not so sure if personal delivery will take this route. On the other hand, if the system would work smoothly, I can image that I'm send a mail with the question whether I'm home (or they might know already from my personal GPS tracker) and then notify me that they are launching my DVD and it will come crashing into my door in 5min.

I'm more curios how they're planning to keep people from stealing the drones. I could do with a drone army myself and having cheap amazon or google drones flying about sounds like a decent source.

...and this is what comes out of this combination.

Octopus and optoelectronics camouflage, light bugs and LEDs, or spider webs and touch screens, ... a whole cool bunch of biomimetic stuff

See also the referred work "Light-extraction enhancement for light-emitting diodes: a firefly-inspired structure refined by the genetic algorithm" - quite cool! https://pure.fundp.ac.be/portal/files/11946897/paper89.pdf

Following up on our coffee-time discussion, here's an Evolutionary Algorithm where you are the fitness function, and evolution is guided by your subjective artistic sense. Start from scratch, or pick an existing image in the database, and start evolving. At every generation, you are presented with the individuals/images in the population. Pick the ones you like. Those will be the parents from which the next generation will be bred. Repeat, repeat... where do you get to? If you want to learn more about the science behind this, check the tutorial below by Kenneth Stanley, who is also this site's supervisor: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/1830761.1830920

This work tries to answer Luzi's major concern.

next step - just in time for our workshop ... maybe for >Tobias to read before ...

You can use idle computers as extra computing power in a big run, or you can use idle personnel as extra computing power by making them play computer games:

The latest from Schmidt / Lipson / Eureqa. A significant improvement over their previous work is that now "The algorithm selects between multiple candidate models by designing experiments to make their predictions disagree."

Nice approach to generate healthy skin and to patch parts or to replace the overall human skin. Next step - clinical studies.

Tufts University biologists have discovered the bioelectric mechanism by which a rare genetic disorder causes facial abnormalities, a finding that could lead to preventive measures and treatments for a host of disorders, from birth defects to cancer. For the study, published on Feb.

How many people to we actually need put on that ship?

We should invite these people to the AF special issue

sounds really interesting. their simulations don't account for biological issues (mutation, migration, selection, drift, founder effect) though, so the numbers are very low. this paper (https://ac.els-cdn.com/S0094576513004669/1-s2.0-S0094576513004669-main.pdf?_tid=6bec2a5c-f05f-4024-b4de-af78ab06fd42&acdnat=1531827379_d4f0be1b193873890d6e5b4574e82f2e) takes those effects and their implications on genetic composition of populations into account, but the numbers are enormous. do you have an idea why they (marin and beluffi) wouldn't put those effects into the simulations?

Scientists are preparing to create "miniature brains" that have been genetically engineered to contain Neanderthal DNA, in an unprecedented attempt to understand how humans differ from our closest relatives.