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Engineering Newswire 42: Futuristic airplanes carry passenger pods
June 13, 2013 | Comments
Clip-Air project researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology are currently working on the technical feasibility of futuristic airplanes with a single flying wing that can transport up to three capsules. The autonomous capsules would be 30 meters long and weigh 30 tons, roughly the size of a railroad car so they’re also compatible with existing rail systems.
Kickstarter of the Week: The bread & butter of engineering
June 11, 2013 9:46 am | Comments
Today on PD&D's Kickstarter of the Week, we're experimenting with the Crowfie, a user...
Engineering Newswire 41: New suits designed for 'space diving'
June 10, 2013 9:53 am | Comments
Hi-tech inventors at Solar System Express and biotech designers Juxtopia are collaborating on a...
Engineering Update 12: A beer-pouring robot ... finally
June 7, 2013 10:22 am | Comments
In this week's headlines: Computer scientists at Cornell are in the process of producing a robot...
HotSpot Episode 16: Big Brother is watching
June 11, 2013 11:06 am | CommentsThe news wires have been saturated with the leaked details of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) called PRISM, which has been collecting phone records from Verizon customers under a top-secret government order. According to a top-secret document obtained by the Washington Post: The NSA and FBI are tapping directly into the central servers of nine leading U.S. Internet companies....
HotSpot Episode 14: Wearable technology: When will it arrive?
May 29, 2013 9:14 am | CommentsSo the wearable tech revolution seems to keep getting delayed, first with Google Glass and now with the Apple smartwatch, which might end up being another 2014 release. Late 2014, at that. Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities warns us not to get our hopes up for a 2013 iWatch, saying software and hardware challenges could force Apple to push its ship date back until late 2014.
Recently returned Expedition 35 crew participates in Google+ Hangout
May 24, 2013 11:44 am | CommentsNASA hosted a Google+ Hangout from the Johnson Space Center with three recently returned International Space Station Astronauts. NASA Astronauts Kevin Ford, Tom Marshburn and Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Chris Hadfield answered wide ranging questions about daily living in a weightless environment, conducting cutting edge scientific research, and doing spacewalks while orbiting the earth every ninety minutes.
First launch of X-47B unmanned drone from aircraft carrier
May 24, 2013 11:27 am | CommentsAn X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) taxies and launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). George H.W. Bush is the first aircraft carrier to successfully catapult launch an unmanned aircraft from its flight deck.
Engineering Update #11: Navy launches drone from aircraft carrier
May 23, 2013 10:42 am | CommentsIn this week's headlines: For the first time ever, the Navy has launched a drone the size of a fighter jet from the USS George H.W. Bush warship. Scientists at Germany's Max Planck Institute have created polymer-based flexible circuits, able to withstand high temperatures. These flexible paper circuits are so efficient, low cost, and versatile that they promise to open doors into new possible electronic applications.
Engineering Newswire 38: Lockheed laser shoots down drones
May 23, 2013 8:39 am | CommentsLockheed Martin has developed the ADAM system, which stands for Area Defense Anti-Munitions. This system is designed to destroy close-in improvised rocket and unmanned aerial threats with a laser. The markets between consumer and professional 3D printing are quickly beginning to blur. Even the unique electronics distributor, Saelig, has taken to selling 3D printers, like the new Afinia.
Kickstarter of the Week: Turn your smartphone into a laptop
May 21, 2013 1:57 pm | CommentsToday on PD&D's Kickstarter of the Week, we use the Casetop from Livi Designs to turn our Smartphones into a Laptop. From the bottom up, the Casetop is simply a dock for your smartphone, turning it from a handheld device into a fully functional laptop. The Casetop is compatible with any Smartphone that has a video out option and Bluetooth....
My 90 year old grandmother tries the Oculus Rift
May 20, 2013 9:11 am | CommentsFrom the author's YouTube description: "My 90 year old grandmother tries the Oculus Rift. We were using the Tuscany demo." A virtual reality (VR) headset by the name of Oculus Rift made a big splash on Kickstarter, raising a stellar $2.43 million to get development kits into the hands and on the noggins of game developers.
RapidFire: Human ear 3D printed with embedded electronics
May 16, 2013 9:16 am | CommentsOn today's episode of RapidFire, brought to you by 3D Creation Systems, your number one source for 3D printing services and technology, we're exploring the emerging technology behind bionic 3D printing with embedded electronics. For more information about 3D Creation Systems, visit www.3dcreationsystems.com.
Space Oddity
May 15, 2013 9:01 am | CommentsA revised version of David Bowie's Space Oddity, recorded by Commander Chris Hadfield onboard the International Space Station. This is believed to be the first music video recorded in space (and as Internet memes go, it sure beats silly cat videos). Captioning kindly provided by CHS (www.chs.ca)
Engineering Newswire 37: Boeing makes hypersonic history
May 13, 2013 9:24 am | CommentsThe Boeing X-51A WaveRider unmanned hypersonic vehicle has achieved the longest air-breathing, scramjet-powered hypersonic flight in history. Last summer, an infestation took control of the Harvard robotics laboratory. The situation posed no need to call an exterminator, for this demonstration featured the first controlled flight of an insect-sized robot inspired by the biology of a fly.
Engineering Update #10: Smart home robots & the printable bionic ear
May 9, 2013 11:20 am | CommentsThis episode of Engineering Update from ECN is brought to you by Mouser Electronics. In this week's headlines: Honda has recently announced that it is teaming up with Japan's Sekisui to design model households using smart technologies. So far, the robotics program has created humanoid robots and a personal mobility vehicle.
Engineering Newswire 36: Electric car charge time cut in half
May 8, 2013 9:54 am | CommentsThe new fast-charging system from Volvo and Siemens is cutting recharge times in electric vehicles down to 90 minutes. The new 22 kilowatt fast-charger system is an on-board charger that operates on a 3-phase supply, and uses a 3-phase outlet to provide enough charge for a range of 102 miles in 90 minutes.
NVision scans sniper rifle from fallen hero
May 6, 2013 9:53 am | CommentsWith 160 confirmed kills, Chris Kyle is one of the most prolific snipers in American history. The best-selling author of American Sniper was recently killed on a shooting range by a fellow vet, and Kyle's wife graciously donated his sniper rifle to NVision for them to scan for a project.
TriggerSmart Childproof RFID Smart Gun
April 30, 2013 9:12 am | CommentsTriggerSmart has developed and patented a user-unique Childproof RFID Smart Gun. Basically, only the authorized user can fire the weapon, and the gun is harmless in the hands of a child or an intruder in the home. This video demonstrates their technology.
