Design Engineering
The Lead
Engineering Newswire 19: Spikey Spacecraft Headed to Martian Moon
January 8, 2013 9:32 am | by Eric Sorensen, Coordinator of Multimedia Development | Videos | Comments
Today on Engineering Newswire, brought to you by Interpower, the premier supplier of power system components for worldwide markets, we’re sending spikey little spacecraft to Martian moons, building a creepy little robot toddler, and moving one step closer to robotic telepresence.
Canada Trying To Lure Silicon Valley Tech Workers
May 17, 2013 1:40 pm | News | CommentsThe Canadian government is trying to lure Silicon Valley tech workers who are frustrated by U.S. visa policies, just as Congress wrestles with a long-sought overhaul of America's immigration system. Canada's minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism arrived in the San Francisco Bay area Friday for a four-day visit aimed at snapping up talent for his country's high-tech economy by offering startup entrepreneurs a new visa.
Tiny Camera Offers Bug's Eye View
May 16, 2013 8:18 am | News | CommentsThe camera created by a research team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is about the size of a penny and mimics insects' bulging eyes. It features 180 micro-lenses, giving it a panoramic field of view and the ability to focus simultaneously on objects at different depths.
Exploring The Artsy Side Of 3-D Printing
May 15, 2013 1:55 pm | by Jennifer Forker, Associated Press | News | CommentsAlready, desktop 3-D printers can make doodads, such as plastic rings, figurines, and small gears and parts. Sarafan prints his own robotic parts. A colleague printed a record that plays music. There are umpteen projects for printing cell phone covers.
Corporations Kill Eagles
May 14, 2013 3:29 pm | by Mike Rainone, Co-Founder, PCDworks | Articles | CommentsIn spite of years of corporate hype over invention and creativity, and the millions spent on seminars, training, and corporate consultants, big corporations have found that they can be neither innovative nor creative. I suspect that a consultant must have told someone that one of the requirements for innovation is to internally foster entrepreneurship.
Engineering Answers: The Bionic Dragonfly
May 14, 2013 3:20 pm | by Melissa Fassbender, Associate Editor, PD&D | Articles | CommentsAfter successfully mimicking bird flight with the SmartBird, which is inspired by the herring gull, and can start, fly, and land autonomously – with no additional drive mechanism, the developers at the Bionic Learning Network took on their next big challenge, modeling the dragonfly at a technical level.
Kickstarter of the Week: 128 Miles Per Gallon
May 14, 2013 11:48 am | by Eric Sorensen, Coordinator of Multimedia Development | Videos | CommentsToday on PD&D's Kickstarter of the Week, we're exploring the northern reaches of Wisconsin on a gas-powered, DC Lowrider bicycle from Sunny Hill Cycles. The bike features a custom-machined manifold that helps it fit into the frame of the bike, 120-spoke wheels, and pedals that let anyone with a driver's license putter it around on the street.
Respect For Trial & Error, & Success
May 13, 2013 8:09 am | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | Articles | CommentsThroughout the various realms of product development, innovation, and process improvement we experience similar differences in preference. It seems that many prefer to find ways to model the problem or the solution and run simulations to arrive at an answer; the minority will prototype, test, and experiment.
Fibrelite Covers Pass The Test
May 10, 2013 2:02 pm | by Fibrelite | Articles | CommentsFibrelite introduced the lightweight composite manhole cover for use at gasoline service stations in the early 1980s and has continued to develop innovative product designs to meet the needs of a changing industry. Fibrelite currently offers the retail petroleum industry’s leading watertight composite covers.
Engineering Newswire 37: Boeing Makes Hypersonic History
May 9, 2013 2:45 pm | Videos | CommentsToday on Engineering Newswire, brought to you by Pivot Point, the leading designer and manufacturer of non-threaded fastener solutions, we’re improving Artificial Intelligence with sensors, flying robotic bees, making hypersonic history, and getting ready to launch GOES-R.
Mold Design & Tooling For Injection Molding
May 9, 2013 1:55 pm | by Kaysun Corporation | News | CommentsDesigning the mold and its various components (referred to as tooling) represents a highly technical and often complex process that requires high precision and scientific know-how to produce top-quality parts with tight dimensions. For example, the proper grade of steel must be selected so components that run together do not wear out prematurely.
New Plastics Research Promises Lighter, More Cost-Effective Production
May 9, 2013 12:17 pm | by The Centre for Industrial Application of Microcellular Plastics (CIAMP), University of Toronto | News | CommentsThe Centre for Industrial Application of Microcellular Plastics (CIAMP) officially opened May 2, bringing with it the promise of lighter, stronger and more cost effective plastic materials for the automotive and construction industries. Located in Mississauga, CIAMP is a state-of-the-art research and development centre with industry-scale facilities for developing innovative, commercially viable plastic foaming and composite technologies.
The U.S. Market & Design For Test
May 9, 2013 8:52 am | by W. Scott Fillebrown, President & CEO of ACD | Articles | CommentsBecause many high-volume printed circuit assemblies are sent outside the United States, it is challenging to test the lower volume/high turnover assemblies domestically. But this does not need to be a problem — some simple planning and the right contract manufacturer (CM) can solve this issue.
Wearable Robots Getting Lighter, More Portable
May 9, 2013 7:47 am | by Carla K. Johnson, AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsStill at least a year away from the market, the 27-pound Indego is the lightest of the powered exoskeletons. It snaps together from pieces that fit into a backpack. The goal is for the user to be able to carry it on a wheelchair, put it together, strap it on and walk independently.
Throw The Pilot Out
May 6, 2013 6:12 pm | by Alan Nicol, Executive Member, AlanNicolSolutions | Articles | CommentsI know that I have written about this before, but maybe not so explicitly. Program pilots are booby traps, doomed to fail, generally speaking. There is a simple reason for it. Change, real, observable, meaningful change requires conviction and commitment. A pilot of a change is a demonstration of the absence of both.
Engineering Newswire 36: Electric Car Charge Time Cut in Half
May 2, 2013 11:01 am | by Eric Sorensen, Coordinator of Multimedia Development | Videos | CommentsToday on Engineering Newswire, brought to you by Interpower, the premier supplier of power system components for worldwide markets, we’re bending cellphones, electrifying motorcycles, cutting electric vehicle charge time in half, and riding a screw-propelled snowboard.
Verizon Report: State-Affiliated Espionage Dominates Security Landscape
May 2, 2013 10:00 am | News | CommentsTaking the top spot for all breaches in the 2013 report is financially-motived cybercrime (75 percent), with state-affiliated espionage campaigns claiming the No. 2 spot (20 percent). Breaches in the No. 2 spot include cyberthreats aimed at stealing intellectual property — such as classified information, trade secrets and technical resources — to further national and economic interests.
National Instruments Partnership With FIRST Puts Real-World Engineering In Student Hands
April 29, 2013 9:38 am | News | CommentsFIRST and National Instruments announced they are extending their partnership through 2019 with the shared goal of creating more scientists and engineers. This phase of the technology partnership centers around a next-generation embedded robotics control platform code-named “Athena.”
Welcoming Grandma Into Our Virtual Future
April 24, 2013 9:57 am | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Blogs | CommentsI feel that every generation experiences at least once technology that is a complete diversion from what existed before, one that fundamentally changes the way our society works. These revolutions challenge us to adapt and take on new ways of thinking. I think VR is on the verge of becoming one of those technologies.
Engineering Newswire 34: Designing A Demonic Child
April 23, 2013 11:01 am | by Eric Sorensen, Coordinator of Multimedia Development | Videos | CommentsToday on Engineering Newswire, brought to you by Interpower, the premier supplier of power system components for worldwide markets, we’re writing with fire, practicing with the Webb telescope, looking back fondly at the Shake n Bake, and writing emails with a guitar.
A 90-Year-Old Grandmother Takes VR For A Spin
April 16, 2013 12:15 pm | by Paul Rivot | Videos | CommentsA video game developer by the name of Paul Rivot has uploaded a video of his 90-year-old grandmother using the Oculus Rift, an in-development virtual reality (VR) headset, for a spin. While the system has proven to be a trip even for video game and technology enthusiasts, the charm of Rivot's grandmother shows just how compelling this product could be.
Manufacturing Revival Radio: Mike Anderson And TenCate Protective Fabrics
April 16, 2013 9:22 am | by Manufacturing Revival Radio | Podcasts | CommentsJoined in the studio today by Mike Anderson, the Vice President of Operations of TenCate Protective Fabrics. TenCate Protective Fabrics develops and produces the most comprehensive range of proven, high performance fabrics used to make protective clothing. They serve the first responder, military (currently in theater) and industrial markets with protective fabrics.
Engineering Newswire 33: Boston Dynamics Tests Mustard Gas & Sarin on PETMAN
April 11, 2013 11:54 am | by Eric Sorensen, Coordinator of Multimedia Development, PD&D | Videos | CommentsToday on Engineering Newswire, we’re building a bionic dragonfly, fishing with the FrankenDrone, and testing mustard gas on PETMAN. Plus, at mere 50cm tall, this bike-pedaling biped is packed with high performance electronic components including ultrasonic, shock and gyro sensors, Bluetooth modules, and DC-DC converters.
The ‘mini’ Future Of Education
April 10, 2013 3:55 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Articles | Comments"I think the profession of teaching is an incredibly important one, and by and large, I think our teachers do a great job. If there’s any hindrance, I think it’s because of the effort we have to make to bring the tools to them that are readily accessible and ‘ready-to-learn.’"
Legos On The Plant Floor?
April 8, 2013 4:00 pm | by Joel Hans, Managing Editor, Manufacturing.net | Blogs | CommentsApple’s campus-in-progress will feature an orchard for engineers to wander through, while Facebook is wrapping up work on campus that features a B-B-Q shack, a sushi house and a bike shop. And it's all just too good to be true, because those benefits are anything but.
Intelligrated Robotics Lab To Host Students During National Robotics Week
April 4, 2013 10:01 am | by Intelligrated | News | CommentsIntelligrated will host college students from Washington University and Missouri University of Science and Technology. Visits will include tours of the company’s Alvey® Robotics Lab, a 5,050-square-foot research and development facility that focuses on concepting and applying new robotic innovations.
