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German railways hope to fight graffiti with thermal imaging drones

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Drones aren’t just for war, creating airborne logos or patrolling Aussie beaches. If German railway operators have their way, they’d be used to capture graffiti artists, too. Motivated by the high cost of property damage incurred by spray-painting vandals (around 7.6 million euros / $ 10 million a year), the Deutsche Bahn will soon begin testing miniature helicopter-style drones in the hopes of identifying those responsible. Each remote-controlled chopper is equipped with an infrared sensor capable of thermal imaging and producing high-resolution photos that would be useful to authorities. The tiny aircraft can also fly up to 150 meters (500 feet) and as fast as 33 mph and would cost about 60,000 euros ($ 77,550) each. The Bahn assured the public that the mini drones will be restricted to highly targeted areas, which should help allay those privacy concerns.

[Image Credit: thierry ehrmann, Flickr]

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Source: BBC, RTL

German railway company recruits surveillance drones in fight against graffiti vandals

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Author: Tiffany Shoman

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Having apparently concluded that traditional security cameras are no longer fit for the task, German railway company Deutsche Bahn plans to deploy surveillance drones in an effort to thwart rampant graffiti vandalism affecting its train cars. Each small drone will be equipped with an infrared camera and dispatched for overnight shifts at Deutsche Bahn’s largest train depots. Flying nearly 500 feet overhead for up to 80 minutes at a time, they’ll attempt to catch graffiti vandals in the act, recording their activity for use as potential evidence. As for why it’s taking such a drastic approach, the rail company says it sinks millions of dollars each year into cleaning up after the perpetrators. To assuage public privacy worries, Deutsche…

SLIPS liquid repeller is inspired by carnivorous plants, enemy to insects and graffiti artists alike

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Author: Buck Howard

When a team of Harvard researchers wanted to create the ultimate liquid- and solid-repelling surface, they looked toward the Nepenthes pitcher plant, where curious insects check in and never check out, thanks to slippery walls that lead to their tiny, horrific fate. The tropical plant inspired the creation of SLIPS (Self-healing, Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surface), a synthetic material that utilizes nano/ microstructured substrates, capable of repelling just about anything you can throw at it. During a visit to the hallowed Crimson halls, the team was kindly enough to show off the material through a series of messy, messy demos, dropping water, motor oil, liquid asphalt and newly-mixed concrete on aluminum and glass. The team even went crazy with a can of black spray paint, comparing the results to a Teflon surface. The outcome was the same in all case — an amazingly repellent material.

The team has published a number of papers on the stuff, including ones that demonstrate its ice- and bacteria-repelling properties. Oh, and like its natural inspiration, SLIPS does a great jobs keeping bugs off its surface. You can check out our demos and one unhappy ant filmed by the SLIPS team. No insects were harmed in the making of our video, at least — and the lab assures us that ant had a good life before learning the hard way why it shouldn’t mess with Harvard scientists.

Continue reading SLIPS liquid repeller is inspired by carnivorous plants, enemy to insects and graffiti artists alike

SLIPS liquid repeller is inspired by carnivorous plants, enemy to insects and graffiti artists alike originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 20:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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