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UrduNew report calls for greater input from society on future direction of autonomy
Tag: Mechanical Engineering
Army researchers look to reduce rotorcraft noise
Experimental, simulation results reveal how coaxial, co-rotating rotors may lead to a quieter hover
How automated vehicles can impede driver performance, and what to do about it
University of Toronto Engineering study reveals some in-vehicle displays, such as takeover displays, leads to driver overreliance.
A semiconductor chip detects antigen concentrations at 1 parts per quadrillion molar mass
For use as an at-home IoT biosensor
Flight tests to show B61-12 will work on Air Force’s newest fighter jet
Versatile Sandia design tested with most advanced multirole fighter jet
Lehigh’s Plasma Control Group awarded $1.5 million DOE grant for fusion research
Professor Eugenio Schuster leads new project at the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) that will contribute to the eventual design of energy-producing tokamak reactors
Army, MIT explore materials for transforming robots made of robots
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — Scientists from the U.S. Army and MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms created a new way to link materials with unique mechanical properties, opening up the possibility of future military robots made of robots. The…
Artificial intelligence to increase air safety in the face of storms
Sometimes, during flights, aircrafts have to change their route (their flight plan) because of unforeseen events, such as storms. These meteorological phenomena, which may be accompanied by hail and lightning, are difficult to predict; they are known to appear in…
UCF researchers identify features that could make someone a virus super-spreader
Sneezes from people who have congested noses and a full set of teeth travel about 60% farther than from people who don’t, according to a new study
Showing robots how to drive a car…in just a few easy lessons
USC researchers have developed a method that could allow robots to learn new tasks, like setting a table or driving a car, from observing a small number of demonstrations.
Curved origami provides new range of stiffness-to-flexibility in robots
Tempe, AZ, Nov. 18, 2020 – New research that employs curved origami structures has dramatic implications in the development of robotics going forward, providing tunable flexibility – the ability to adjust stiffness based on function – that historically has been…
Small finlets on owl feathers point the way to less aircraft noise
Collaboration between between City, University of London and RWTH Aachen University researchers reveals how these micro-structures enable silent flight.
System can sterilize medical tools using solar heat
Device could provide pressurized steam to run autoclaves without the need for electricity in off-grid areas.
Versatile building blocks make structures with surprising mechanical properties
The subunits could be robotically assembled to produce large, complex objects, including cars, robots, or wind turbine blades
Mattress flammability standard is a lifesaver, NIST report finds
No matter how soft and cozy, beds that have gone up in flames are a source of some of the deadliest fires in the U.S. As large pieces of furniture loaded with combustible cushioning materials, beds are substantial fuel sources…
NREL advanced manufacturing research moves wind turbine blades toward recyclability
A new material for wind blades that can be recycled could transform the wind industry, rendering renewable energy more sustainable than ever before while lowering costs in the process. The use of a thermoplastic resin has been validated at the…
Machine learning guarantees robots’ performance in unknown territory
A small drone takes a test flight through a space filled with randomly placed cardboard cylinders acting as stand-ins for trees, people or structures. The algorithm controlling the drone has been trained on a thousand simulated obstacle-laden courses, but it’s…
SwRI receives $7.2 million contract to test AI in air taxi design project
SwRI to create components that will evaluate design capabilities of artificial intelligence-based system
Driver behavior influences traffic patterns as much as roadway design, study reports
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Urban planners may soon have a new way to measure traffic congestion. By capturing the different routes by which vehicles can travel between locations, researchers have developed a new computer algorithm that helps quantify regions of congestion…
NIST designs a prototype fuel gauge for orbit
Liquids aren’t as well behaved in space as they are on Earth. Inside a spacecraft, microgravity allows liquids to freely slosh and float about. This behavior has made fuel quantity in satellites difficult to pin down, but a new prototype…
Soccer players’ head injury risk could be reduced with simple adjustments to the ball
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Up to 22% of soccer injuries are concussions that can result from players using their heads to direct the ball during a game. To reduce risk of injury, a new study recommends preventing how hard a…
Are the movements of tiny hairlike structures a key to our health?
Researchers determine triggers for coordinated movement of cilia, identifying a potential diagnostic tool for health conditions
Making a case for organic Rankine cycles in waste heat recovery
In a recent research paper published in the Energy journal, City, University of London’s Dr Martin White says cascaded organic Rankine cycle systems could improve the way in which environmentally-friendly power is generated from waste heat.
Sensor for smart textiles survives washing machine, cars and hammers
Slinky-like sensor is ultra-sensitive and resilient
Mechanical engineer at Sandia named Asian American Engineer of the Year
Sandia National Laboratories mechanical engineer Bo Song has been recognized as an Asian American Engineer of the Year.
Urban gulls adapt foraging schedule to human activity patterns
Tiny GPS backpacks reveal long suspected truth: gulls know when & where to find human food
Frugal science–a low-cost way to decontaminate PPE equipment
UD researchers develop scalable method to help address PPE supply chain issues, help hospitals with limited resources
Plant inspired: Printing self-folding paper structures for future mechatronics
Scientists develop a simple method that mimics plant motion to get paper to ‘fold itself’ after printing
Water predictions: Telling when a nanolithography mold will break through droplets
Scientists formulate a novel strategy to predict the lifetime of nanolithography molds through changes in the contact angle of water on the mold surface
Vortex technology developed by NTU spin-off speeds up cooling while saving energy
Vortec, a spin-off company from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), has launched a new ceiling fan on Nov. 2, that uses half the energy of a conventional fan to cool a small room twice as quickly. Based on original…
The importance of good neighbors in catalysis
Are you affected by your neighbours? So are nanoparticles in catalysts. New research from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, published in the journals Science Advances and Nature Communications , reveals how the nearest neighbours determine how well nanoparticles work in…
Drones that patrol forests could monitor environmental and ecological changes
Sensors for forest monitoring are already used to track changes in temperature, humidity and light, as well as the movements of animals and insects through their habitat. They also help to detect and monitor forest fires and can provide valuable…
An underwater navigation system powered by sound
New approach could spark an era of battery-free ocean exploration, with applications ranging from marine conservation to aquaculture.
Cockroaches and lizards inspire new robot developed by Ben-Gurion University researcher
BEER-SHEVA, Israel…November 2, 2020 – A new high-speed amphibious robot inspired by the movements of cockroaches and lizards, developed by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers, swims and runs on top of water at high speeds and crawls on…
Researchers develop a high-power, portable terahertz laser
The development could bring powerful sensing and imaging capabilities out of the lab and into hospitals, airports, or other settings
Carbon-releasing ‘zombie fires’ in peatlands could be dampened by new findings
Imperial College London researchers have simulated for the first time how soil moisture content affects the ignition and spread of smouldering peat fires, which can release up to 100 times more carbon into the atmosphere than flaming fires. They also…
‘Time machine’ offers new pancreatic cancer drug testing approach
Testing drugs within a tumor may combat pancreatic cancer drug resistance
Predictive model reveals function of promising energy harvester device
Finding will allow researchers to optimize device that could replace batteries in wireless sensors
Intelligent maintenance: Improved maintenance management for track
Train journeys should be safe and comfortable, and track systems are crucial to this. So-called “tamping” (positioning, compacting and stabilizing) of the ballast in the track bed is one of the most important maintenance tasks in the railway industry. Special…
The chemistry behind self-driving cars
Self-driving, electric cars have been touted as the next big thing in transportation. While this technology has progressed in recent years, experts caution that automakers will need the chemical industry to help make it a reality. A new article in…
NTU spin-off ARTICARES launches portable arm rehabilitation device
A new portable arm rehabilitation robot will help patients to carry out robot-aided therapy at home, allowing them to perform intensive exercises without visiting hospitals or clinics, which can possibly reduce the risk of exposure to infectious diseases such as…
New sulfur dioxide conversion method may transform current industrial techniques
A single-step, plasma-enhanced catalytic process to convert sulfur dioxide to pure sulfur from tail gas streams may provide a promising, more environmentally-friendly alternative to current multistage thermal, catalytic and absorptive processes, according to scientists at Penn State. “Sulfur dioxides can…
Multi-drone system autonomously surveys penguin colonies
Stanford University researcher Mac Schwager entered the world of penguin counting through a chance meeting at his sister-in-law’s wedding in June 2016. There, he learned that Annie Schmidt, a biologist at Point Blue Conservation Science, was seeking a better way…
A new paradigm in patient care
Mechanical engineering assistant professor Elliot Hawkes is one of 20 Packard Fellows for 2020
UT Arlington team collaborates with Princeton group on plasma flows
DOE grant to fund UTA-Princeton collaboration on laser diagnostics in plasma flows
Zhang and Dong receive funding for remotely operated vehicle with underwater GPS
Feitian Zhang, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Pei Dong, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, received $15,000 from U.S. Army Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate and the Virginia Microelectronics Consortium (VMEC) to purchase a remotely operated vehicle with underwater…
Charging electric cars up to 90% in 6 minutes
With Telsa in the lead, the electric vehicle market is growing around the world. Unlike conventional cars that use internal combustion engines, electric cars are solely powered by lithium ion batteries, so the battery performance defines the car’s overall performance.…
Cicada-inspired waterproof surfaces closer to reality, researchers report
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A multidisciplinary group that studies the physical and chemical properties of insect wings has demonstrated the ability to reproduce the nanostructures that help cicada wings repel water and prevent bacteria from establishing on the surface. The new…
University of Liverpool spin out company uses AI to take the pain out of potholes
The University of Liverpool has formed a new spin out company – Robotiz3d Ltd – to take forward new technology that has the potential to radically transform road maintenance. Robotiz3d Ltd is a joint venture spin out company established in…
UMass Lowell secures $11.7 million in research funding
Federal support goes to projects to protect military personnel