The Ultra-Safe, Semi-Autonomous Concept: Mercedes-Benz 2019 ESF

Insight into what designers and engineers are doing to make driving safer

While the entire automotive industry shifts its attention toward autonomy and electrification, it’s important to remember that the keystone to a successful automotive brand is the safety of its vehicles—whether they be higher-capability autonomous rides or fully-electric hypercars. To remind consumers and industry members that the safety of the passengers precedes all else, Mercedes-Benz releases a concept vehicle nearly every 10 years. In 2009, the Mercedes-Benz …

MIT Scientist’s Quest For a Bot That Can Smell As Well As a Dog

“We have $100 million worth of equipment downstairs. And the dog can beat me?” MIT scientist Andreas Mershin asks. “That is pissing me off.” Mershin aims to develop a bot that detects an antigen that can be an indicator of prostate cancer. It’s one that properly trained dogs can sniff out with 90% accuracy. The physicist’s lab, Label Free Research Group, is attempting artificial olfaction, …

Sister City’s AI-Generated Lobby Score

Recorded by Julianna Barwick, an ambient wave of music is determined by the mood of the city

Sister City, a new outpost from the people behind the Ace Hotel properties, feels like a secret, futuristic escape. Guests check themselves in at kiosks just inside the lobby doors, which exist beyond a stone patio and a doorman-equipped gate (with an even more private back entrance on Freeman Alley). If visitors wished to duck away from the chaos of the city for a minute, …