3D printers could be so advanced by 2040 that they could create small unmanned aircraft, BAE Systems scientists and engineers are claiming.
These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) could then be used as a group of wide-winged aircraft for surveillance or as rotary-winged UAVs to rescue civilians or soldiers from dangerous situations.
The scientists, who have been working on futuristic aircraft technologies, have been looking at the idea that they could be created by super high-tech on-board 3D printers, an additive layer and robotic assembly.
Picture shows an artist impression issued by BAE Systems of a futuristic long range aircraft which divides into a number of smaller aircraft during or upon arrival at its mission, a concept design by BAE Systems’ Research and Development teams.
Wrong turn
A lorry driver got his truck stuck down a narrow country lane after following his sat nav, said police in UK.
Officers from Hertfordshire Police arrived to find the articulated lorry stopped across a tight three-way rural junction between two high hedges in the village of Watton-at-Stone, near Stevenage in Britain. The driver appeared to have beached his low-riding trailer across a grass mound at the centre of the junction, while trying to manoeuvre his way along the lanes.
It is not known where the lorry was destined, however the section of road around Perrywood Lane and Church Lane had to be closed for two hours until a specialist recovery vehicle removed the blockage.
GM’s late recall
General Motors says it recalled 3.4 million large cars last month after finding a nine-year-old email from an employee in its files warning of trouble.
The admission is more evidence that GM knew about safety problems for years but failed to recall cars until recently.
The company didn’t recall the cars when it got the e-mail in 2005 but it decided to call them in for repairs last month after finding the old e-mail in its files in an April search.
In the e-mail, an employee who was testing a 2006 Chevrolet Impala before production reported that the engine stalled and a technician blamed it on a faulty ignition switch.
No more cash on London buses
London’s buses are no longer accepting cash as part of a raft of reforms.
Transport for London (TfL) said dwindling numbers of passengers using money to pay for their journeys prompted the change. Research revealed that 99 per cent of customers already use Oyster, prepaid tickets, contactless payment cards or concessionary tickets.
The move means passengers who do not have one of these tickets will not be able to travel by bus.
But transport chiefs insist the transition should be “trouble free” because of changes which now allow passengers who have run out of credit on their Oyster card to make one more journey.