South Australian company CCT Energy Storage has unveiled the Thermal Energy Device (TED), the “world’s first” working thermal battery. According to CCT Energy Storage, “the battery accepts any form of electrical input to convert and store energy as latent heat—making it versatile, affordable, and long lasting.” Heating and melting a phase change material allows TED […]
Keep Your Delicate Plants Healthy and Happy with the Bloomengine
If you’ve ever had trouble keeping your delicate plants alive, the Bloomengine smart gardening device is here to help. The 13.4-in container creates an ideal habitat for your plant to grow, while simplifying the care regiment. First, users take a packet of compressed soil and soak it in water for about 20 minutes. After the […]
I Became an Engineer: Because My Teacher Scared Me into It
***Editor’s Note: The “I Became an Engineer” blog runs every Friday. To share your story email jennifer.delaosa@advantagebizmarketing.com*** This week’s story comes from ECN reader Robert Webber, field applications engineer, Harwin plc. Back when I was a kid, my favorite subject in school was math. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a propensity for […]
Bees and Fish Were Able to Communicate Thanks to Robots
A group of researchers from EPFL and four other universities devised an interesting experiment—have two animal species, which normally don’t cross paths, interact and reach a shared decision, all through the helpful efforts of robots. Bees and fish participated in the experiment. The bees were located in a laboratory in Gratz, Austria, while Lausanne, Switzerland, was […]
I Became an Engineer: Because I Was Always Trying to Fix Things
***Editor’s Note: The “I Became an Engineer” blog runs every Friday. To share your story email jennifer.delaosa@advantagebizmarketing.com*** This week’s story comes from ECN reader Bob Kowalski, senior director of Mechanical Engineering, Intelligent Product Solutions. I always knew I wanted to be an engineer. In high school, I was good at math and science and liked […]
Neural Network Uses Low-Res Footage to Detect a Crowd’s Emotions
There’s an algorithm that can take low-quality video footage of a crowd of people, and detect the group’s emotions. Developed by National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) researchers Alexander Tarasov and Andrey Savchenko, the algorithm is faster than similar technologies, rendering results in one hundredth of a second. The system is also “comparable […]
Infographic: The Past, Present, and Future of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) uses computer systems to replicate human intelligence, and its influence stretches across a multitude of disciplines. One application brings together AI with ancient coins. Researchers at Scotland’s St. Andrews have developed a machine learning-based method for understanding images of ancient coins. AI has also been used to map human emotions, assist with […]
I Became an Engineer: Because I Always Knew I Would Be One
***Editor’s Note: The “I Became an Engineer” blog runs every Friday. To share your story email jennifer.delaosa@advantagebizmarketing.com*** This week’s story comes to us from ECN reader Sudipto Bose, general manager, automotive and time domain solutions, Tektronix. Growing up in a small town in India, I always knew I’d become an engineer. The same way you support […]
Engineers Destroy Space Batteries to Assess the Risk of Exploding Satellites
As part of a three-year test campaign, ESA engineers are trying to evaluate the risk of abandoned satellites with disastrous battery reactions exploding in orbit. For the “abuse” testing, engineers forced space batteries past the brink of destruction, “through overheating, overcharging, short circuits, and even by shooting them with bullets,” according to the ESA. The […]
A Wearable Nanogenerator Inspired by Self-Repairing Movie-Starring Robots
Watching a movie isn’t just a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, it can also spur new discoveries. A Purdue University team, led by the Ravi and Eleanor Talwar Rising Star Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering Wenzhuo Wu, found inspiration in movie technology that featured robots fixing themselves through a liquid formula. Transitioning from […]
