http://www.physorg.com/technology-news/engineering/ en-us PhysOrg.com provides the latest news on engineering technology, engineering science, computer engineering , civil engineering, chemical engineering, aerospace engineering and environmental engineering. (AP) -- Air bags have long been mounted in the steering wheel, dashboard and sides of vehicles. Now, they're in the seat belts. Ford Motor Co. plans to introduce seat belt-mounted air bags in the back seat of the 2011 Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle, which will hit the market next fall. Ford says it's the first automaker to mass produce the technology. http://www.physorg.com/news176668788.html Technology - Engineering Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:41:08 EST news176668788 HP today announced new inertial sensing technology that enables the development of digital micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers that are up to 1,000 times more sensitive than high-volume products currently available. http://www.physorg.com/news176662423.html Technology - Engineering Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:20:01 EST news176662423 (PhysOrg.com) -- Standard laser devices are fast enough for measuring the size of a room, but they need to be faster for outdoor mobile applications. Researchers have brought these scanners up to speed -- they can measure ten times faster than usual scanners. http://www.physorg.com/news176623864.html Technology - Engineering Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:50:03 EST news176623864 (PhysOrg.com) -- Pay attention, Shaq: Two North Carolina State University engineers have figured out the best way to shoot a free throw - a frequently underappreciated skill that gets more important as the game clock winds down. http://www.physorg.com/news176578811.html Technology - Engineering Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:40:40 EST news176578811 (PhysOrg.com) -- Solar wafers for use in the production of photovoltaic systems are extremely sensitive. In a test and demonstration center research is being conducted on grippers to determine the best way of handling delicate wafers in order to optimize the production process. http://www.physorg.com/news176571725.html Technology - Engineering Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:00:06 EST news176571725 A team of researchers at Queen's University Belfast's Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) is working to develop futuristic communications systems that could help protect frontline troops. http://www.physorg.com/news176555300.html Technology - Engineering Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:08:47 EST news176555300 (PhysOrg.com) -- The manufacture of parts by compaction and sintering involves filling a die with metal powder. Research scientists have simulated this process for the first time to achieve an evenly distributed powder density. This improves the cost-efficiency of sintering. http://www.physorg.com/news176459452.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:02 EST news176459452 (PhysOrg.com) -- Polishing metal surfaces is a demanding but monotonous task, and it is difficult to find qualified young specialists. Polishing machines do not represent an adequate alternative because they cannot get to difficult parts of the surface. A new solution is provided by laser polishers. http://www.physorg.com/news176456761.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:40:01 EST news176456761 A telemedicine system based on a modified version of the Bluetooth wireless protocol can transfer patient data, such as medical images from patient to the healthcare provider's mobile device for patient assessment almost four times as fast as conventional Bluetooth and without the intermittent connectivity problems, according to a paper in the forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics. http://www.physorg.com/news176402349.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:01 EST news176402349 (PhysOrg.com) -- During the last several years, researchers have been building micro air vehicles (MAVs) that can autonomously fly through different environments by relying on GPS for navigation. Recently, a team of researchers has designed an MAV that can navigate unknown environments without GPS, which could enable it to overcome several limitations of GPS-dependent vehicles. http://www.physorg.com/news176390156.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:16:45 EST news176390156 Imagine driving at top speed on a steep, winding mountain pass in the Alps, or the Himalayas, or the Rocky Mountains. http://www.physorg.com/news176354395.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:20:18 EST news176354395 (PhysOrg.com) -- An Arizona State University engineering student may have found the tiniest - yet most cleverly inventive - way to show school spirit. http://www.physorg.com/news176106977.html Technology - Engineering Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:00:01 EST news176106977 The Netherlands is home to around 120,000 kilometres of underground gas pipelines. Researcher Edwin Dertien of Dutch University of Twente is working on a robot which can inspect the gas pipelines independently. His long, thin robot will snake its way through the pipe network. `It`s like a mission to Mars, but then underground.` http://www.physorg.com/news176058614.html Technology - Engineering Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:11:05 EST news176058614 (PhysOrg.com) -- Embedded computer systems must be fast and efficient. A European consortium has created a new modelling framework that lets designers strike the best balance between static, reconfigurable and analogue hardware and the software that runs on it. http://www.physorg.com/news175952647.html Technology - Engineering Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:10:01 EST news175952647 (PhysOrg.com) -- A company that makes steel for bearings used in heavy trucks had a big problem. The trucks travel through harsh, perilous environments such as Siberia, and an unexpected bearing failure on a remote stretch could literally put the driver's life in danger. Knowing how long the steel would hold up under those conditions was beyond their ability to predict experimentally, so they turned to specialists at MIT. http://www.physorg.com/news175952830.html Technology - Engineering Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:48:04 EST news175952830 Researcher Dr. David H. Hughes of the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, N.Y. is leading a team investigating long-distance, mobile optical links imperative for secure quantum communications capabilities in theater. http://www.physorg.com/news175870527.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:20:01 EST news175870527 (PhysOrg.com) -- Xerox has developed an ink which can be used to print circuits onto plastics, films, and textiles. Although circuits printed on flexible materials aren't new, Xerox's method may be cheap and easy enough to open the doors to many new possibilities for flexible electronics. http://www.physorg.com/news175870685.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:58:38 EST news175870685 Sam Houston State University has applied for six federal patents, three of which have already been awarded, to protect the technology and engineering associated with a "revolutionary" packaged wastewater treatment system invented by its scientists, and it has formed a company to further develop, market and sell the systems. http://www.physorg.com/news175798150.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:51:09 EST news175798150 (PhysOrg.com) -- David Smith, who has been building model railroads since 1965, has always had a preference for the smaller scale train models. His most recent project is a five-car train that runs through a scene of mountains, a tunnel, trees, buildings, and a cloud-studded sky - the whole thing measuring just 0.125 x 0.2 inches (0.3 x 0.5 cm). The train's modeling scale is 1:35,200. http://www.physorg.com/news175782519.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:29:14 EST news175782519 Technology developed by the University of Warwick that can identify partial, distorted, scratched, smudged, or otherwise warped fingerprints in just a few seconds has just scored top marks in the world's two toughest technical fingerprint tests. The technology is also being rapidly taken up by the UK building trade who are delighted to have fingerprint technology which can cope with the often worn and ravaged builders' thumbprints. http://www.physorg.com/news175767970.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:40:01 EST news175767970 Carbon fiber composite materials (CFRPs) not only make cars and airplanes lightweight but also benefit the light weight constructions for valuable bicycle concepts. At the Composites Europe trade show in Stuttgart, Fraunhofer researchers will present a spring-loaded seat post made of CFRPs. http://www.physorg.com/news175356241.html Technology - Engineering Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:10:03 EST news175356241 (PhysOrg.com) -- Software that tracks shoppers' eye movements as they browse supermarket shelves may seem a bit Big Brother, but the latest technology in 'eye-tracking', which monitors what grabs a person's attention, could have far-reaching implications for consumers and result in services being tailored towards their specific interests in the future. http://www.physorg.com/news175356808.html Technology - Engineering Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:30:04 EST news175356808 Aerospace, automotive and airplane construction count on lightweight construction. But to make sure that lightening the load does not come at the cost of safety, Fraunhofer researchers are working on new quality assurance systems for material testing. At the Composites Europe trade show in Stuttgart, Germany, they will demonstrate a new kind of non-destructive diagnostic procedure. http://www.physorg.com/news175349177.html Technology - Engineering Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:50:02 EST news175349177 (PhysOrg.com) -- The scientists and engineers who introduced the world to tiny robots demonstrating soccer skills are creating the next level of friendly competition designed to advance microrobotics -- the field devoted to the construction and operations of useful robots whose dimensions are measured in micrometers. http://www.physorg.com/news175282176.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:00:01 EST news175282176 Sandia National Laboratories, with help from The Boeing Company, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and others, is leading an effort to develop a commercially viable, fuel cell-powered mobile lighting system. http://www.physorg.com/news175275655.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:10:07 EST news175275655 (PhysOrg.com) -- Using data from Hurricane Katrina and four other destructive storms, researchers from Johns Hopkins and Texas A&M universities say they have found a way to accurately predict power outages in advance of a hurricane. Their approach provides estimates of how many outages will occur across a region as a hurricane is approaching. http://www.physorg.com/news175261019.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:37:22 EST news175261019 (PhysOrg.com) -- Maple tree seeds (or samara fruit) and the spiraling pattern in which they glide to the ground have delighted children for ages and perplexed engineers for decades. Now aerospace engineering graduate students at the University of Maryland`s Clark School of Engineering have learned how to apply the seeds` unique design to devices that can hover and perform surveillance in defense and emergency situations. http://www.physorg.com/news175247077.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:50:00 EST news175247077 (PhysOrg.com) -- B.S. Manjunath came up with the idea for his latest research project during a faculty meeting a few years ago. The UC Santa Barbara professor of electrical & computer engineering spotted a science magazine with a cover photo of birds taking flight on a beach. http://www.physorg.com/news175244783.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:30:01 EST news175244783 Sagem Sécurité and Hitachi, the engineering and information technology giant will unveil the first ever multi-modal finger vein and fingerprint device at Biometrics 2009 in London, Finger VP. http://www.physorg.com/news175238082.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:17:58 EST news175238082 (PhysOrg.com) -- It may look like little more than fishing line, but plastic optical fibre or POF promises to revolutionise high-speed last-mile communications networks. Its evolution is being aided by groundbreaking research in Europe. http://www.physorg.com/news175183984.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:30:03 EST news175183984