A perpetual weakness of MAVs (micro air vehicles) is their frequent need for hand-holding in anything other than a wide-open or very controlled space. If they’re not using GPS or motion sensors to find their locations, they can’t turn on a dime the way a human pilot would. Adam Bry, Abraham Bachrash and Nicholas Roy from MIT’s CSAIL group haven’t overcome every problem just yet, but they may have taken combat drones and other pilotless aircraft a big step forward by giving them the tools needed to fly quickly when positioning isn’t an option
View article:
Laser-toting MAV can find its way in tight spaces, might eventually hunt you down (video)
High-energy laser fusion experiments evoke extreme numbers — not only in power but also in greenbacks. Sure, the current champ at the National Ignition facility in Livermore, CA can pump out a 411 trillion watt pulse, but at what price? 
There’s no better way to control the visual experience from shoot to show than to create the camera and the projector. That’s likely the thinking behind the REDray, the 4K laser cinema projector making an appearance at the company’s NAB booth today
The Wolverines may have concocted the “most intense” laser in the universe back in ’08 , but it’s a group of grinners at the National Ignition Facility in Livermore, California that can now lay claim to firing the planet’s first two-megajoule ultraviolet laser. Earlier this week, a 1.875-megajoule shot was fired into the target chamber, but it broke the two-dot-oh barrier after passing through the final focusing lens
One of the most thrilling things about human existence is that you never know what’s lurking around the corner. It could be a newborn baby, a sweet job, a delicious churro — doesn’t really matter, because it’s a surprise, and surprises are fun and surprising. 
No, it’s not another Fast & Furious sequel, it’s something much quicker — 800 billion times quicker, to be precise. Scientists at DESY (Germany’s largest particle physics center) are premiering the Guinness World Record -holding fastest “movie” to a select audience at its light sources users’ meeting. The film was shot using an X-ray Laser , and splitting the light in two. 
We love just about anything involving lasers or robotics here at Engadget, so naturally, we’re intrigued by Sriranjan Rasakatla’s Way-Go flashlight that combines the two. It’s comprised of a laser pico projector , GPS module, altitude and heading reference system (AHRS) to not only light your path but also tell you which way to go. It can be used strictly as a flashlight, but users can also input starting and destination points to have the Way-Go guide them
