A radiation sensing technology called Timepix was first created for CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, and then transitioned to the ESA for off-Earth missions. Its next career move, however, is analyzing artworks to sift out which are real, and which are fakes. “The art market is a jungle—some say that around 50 percent of art pieces […]
I Became an Engineer: Because I Went to Work with My Dad
***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 Patty Felts, principal product manager—product strategy, cellular, u-blox Americas. As a kid, I gravitated toward math and science, I really enjoyed it. My dad was a civil engineer. Often he […]
Motion-Powered Sensor Can Track Firefighters in Burning Buildings
Researchers at McMaster University have developed a fireproof, motion-powered, low-cost sensor that can track the location of firefighters within burning buildings. Miners, steelworkers, and other professions where the risk is high and visibility varies can also benefit. When the movement of a sensor-wearing individual stops, alerts are sent to notify the rest of the on-site […]
How Does Verification Need to Change to Enable AI/ML Chip Designs?
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) serve as the fuel source for new semiconductor architectures, and as a result, the two also leave a new string of verification and development challenges in their wake. With advanced algorithms and neural network systems, test architectures will have to find a way to keep up. For some insight […]
Rovers Ready to Search for Martian Life Burrowed Deep Underground
Chile’s Atacama Desert often serves as a testbed for robotic rovers bound for Mars, since it closely mimics the Martian environment. While at the site, trial rovers recently posted some exciting results—they were able to recover subsurface samples, which could greatly aid missions looking for signs of life on Mars. “We have shown that a […]
Which Countries Contribute the Most E-Waste per Person?
As we increasingly turn toward technology, electronic waste (e-waste) rises up as a considerable downside. On the positive side, there are efforts to help e-waste buildup, like Japan’s endeavor to make the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic medals out of discarded and obsolete electronics. However, according to Statista, “E-waste is still increasing over time, both […]
I Became an Engineer: Because of the Air Force Technical Applications Center
***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 Ken Whiteleather, pr. electrical engineer, Sparton DeLeon Springs, LLC. When I was a senior in high school, I really had no direction and no idea what I would grow up […]
Warning: Your Laptop May Be Hacked via Common Plug-In Devices
Many laptops and desktop computers may be more vulnerable to hackers than previously thought, according to University of Cambridge and Rice University researchers. Attackers can infiltrate unattended machines through network and graphics cards, chargers, docking stations, projectors, and other common plug-in devices, in a matter of seconds. Specifically, “computers with Thunderbolt ports running Windows, macOS, […]
New Fuel Cell Could Power Electric Drones and Submarines
The transportation industry is responsible for a sizable chunk of energy consumption in the United States. Although electric vehicle adoption is underway, electric-powered submarines, ships, planes, and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) pose a harder transition, due to their requirements for both power and energy. But that may not be the case for long. Engineers from […]
Testing a Solid-State Battery on the Moon
Spark plugs and ceramics manufacturer NGK Spark Plug has become a corporate partner in the HAKUTO-R Program led by ispace, a lunar exploration company. This partnership will add an interesting component to the program—testing a trial design of NGK Spark Plug’s solid-state battery technology on the moon. The battery test will hopefully help the lunar […]