“The common thread through all my career has been focused on technologies that help improve lives for a wide swath of people. I believe that is ultimately the wider purpose of engineering,” says Sharma. So it’s not surprising that Sharma is involved in the emerging technology of a new transportation mode: autonomous flying robots or drones. He also likes being a technology pioneer. “I like to work on things that haven’t existed before. Full autonomous drones in our urban airspaces are just the kind of change I’d like to work for,” says Sharma.
YOU’VE WORKED ON MANY NEW TECHNOLOGIES. TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THEM.
Before joining Matternet, I worked with Elon Musk at his company called SpaceX, working on the reusable rocket. Before that I worked in design of high-speed railroad cars for Indian Rail in India, where I’m from.
SOUNDS LIKE ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION IS YOUR SPECIALTY. HOW DID ROCKET ENGINEERING LEAD YOU INTO DRONES?
During my work at SpaceX, I learned a lot about aerodynamics and the design of reliable, fully autonomous flying vehicles—drones. Drones, like self-driving cars, will open up a new world. I grew intrigued by this possibility and was excited to join Matternet in 2018, as they are pioneers in this emerging technology.
WHAT ARE DOING NOW AT MATTERNET?
Esta historia es de la edición May/June 2020 de Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
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Esta historia es de la edición May/June 2020 de Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Who's Your Cousin?
The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?
Is it possible to die of boredom?
To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.
SERGE WICH
Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.
ELODIE FREYMANN
When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.
Guardians of the Forest
EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.
APE ANTICS
The Whirling World of primate play
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.
THE LEFT OVERS
A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.
