Engineering news

Phone points illegal border crossers to water

Technology / Engineering

Dec 29, 2009 | 4 / 5 (4) | 3

(AP) -- A group of California artists wants Mexicans and Central Americans to have more than just a few cans of tuna and a jug of water for their illegal trek through the harsh desert into the U.S.

Hearing assistance comes to the home (w/ Video)

Technology / Engineering

Dec 29, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- European researchers have combined state-of-the-art technologies to help end the isolation suffered by the hearing impaired. End users are eager to get their hands on the suite of tools.

Couple stranded 3 days after GPS leads them astray

Technology / Engineering

Dec 28, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (6) | 1

(AP) -- A Nevada couple letting their SUV's navigation system guide them through the high desert of Eastern Oregon got stuck in snow for three days when the GPS unit sent them down a remote forest road.

Smarter cars are gaining traction (w/ Video)

Technology / Engineering

Dec 21, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- Lives can depend on a vehicle's moment-by-moment traction. New European technology promises to make cars as good as experienced, alert drivers at sensing and adjusting to wet, snowy or icy ...

National Robotics Engineering Center Demonstrates the Future of Smart Work

Technology / Engineering

Dec 21, 2009 | 5 / 5 (3) | 0

The National Robotics Engineering Center, (NREC) at Carnegie Mellon University is at the forefront of partnering man with technology to improve safety and costs. Among the completed projects are, the Caisson ...

Russian railways enter modern age with new express

Technology / Engineering

Dec 20, 2009 | 4 / 5 (5) | 0

Famed for the legendary trains that clank across seven time zones on its Trans-Siberian railroad, Russia this week entered the modern railway age with its first high-tech express train.

China Building 30-Mile Bridge Connecting Hong Kong to Guangdong Province

Technology / Engineering

Dec 18, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (11) | 3

China Daily reports the commencement of the 30-mile Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the longest sea bridge under construction world-wide. The six-lane expressway will cut travel time from three-hours to around ...

Research in aircraft control systems and robotics helps improve flight safety

Technology / Engineering

Dec 18, 2009 | 2 / 5 (1) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- At first blush, it may not seem like robots and aircraft control systems have anything in common. When you put them together, however, you arrive at the core of Guangjun Liu’s unique research ...

Engineers develop machine that visually inspects and sorts strawberry plants

Technology / Engineering

Dec 17, 2009 | 3 / 5 (2) | 1

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) have developed a plant-sorting machine that uses computer vision and machine learning to inspect and grade harvested strawberry plants ...

Biking 2.0: MIT's big wheel in Copenhagen (w/ Video)

Technology / Engineering

Dec 16, 2009 | 3.8 / 5 (13) | 6

Yesterday, Dec. 15, at the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change, MIT researchers debuted the Copenhagen Wheel -- a revolutionary new bicycle wheel that not only boosts power, but can keep track of friends, ...

Scientists study hummingbirds flight to develop self-propelled surveillance devices

Technology / Engineering

Dec 16, 2009 | 3.8 / 5 (5) | 1

The secret to the flight of the hummingbird and other tiny birds and insects lies in the looping, swirling flow of air, called a vortex, that their flapping wings create.

Handheld Touch Screen Device May Lead to Mobile Fingerprint ID

Technology / Engineering

Dec 16, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation Hostage Rescue Team had a problem -- they needed a small, portable tool to identify fingerprints and faces, but couldn't get anyone interested in building ...

New Automated Technique with Online Verification Eases Network Analyzer Calibration

Technology / Engineering

Dec 16, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Verifying the accuracy of network analyzers—instruments that are used to measure key performance characteristics of electronic networks—was once an awkward process involving multiple steps and pieces of equipment.

Micromachined piezoelectric harvester drives fully autonomous wireless sensor

Technology / Engineering

Dec 15, 2009 | 5 / 5 (11) | 1

For the first time, a piezoelectric harvesting device fabricated by MEMS technology generates a record of 85μW electrical power from vibrations. A wafer level packaging method was developed for robustness. ...

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner set for maiden flight

Technology / Engineering

Dec 15, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 2

Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner jet takes to the skies for the first time Tuesday, in a critical milestone for the problem-plagued aircraft seen as key to the future of the US aerospace giant.

Engineers help secure California highways and roads

Technology / Engineering

Dec 15, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Sprays of dirt flew out of a soil box that held a retaining wall as it violently shook from a simulated 7.4 magnitude earthquake. The wall was put to test recently by engineers at the UC San Diego Englekirk ...

Virtual testing gives lightweight planes lift-off

Technology / Engineering

Dec 14, 2009 | 2 / 5 (2) | 1

Monash University aeronautical engineers are working with the world's leading aerospace company to fast-track the design and construction of a new generation of super lightweight and efficient passenger airplanes.

Low-cost temperature sensors, tennis balls to monitor mountain snowpack

Technology / Engineering

Dec 14, 2009 | not rated yet | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- Fictional secret agent Angus MacGyver knew that tough situations demand ingenuity. Jessica Lundquist takes a similar approach to studying snowfall. The University of Washington assistant professor ...