PlanetSolar is the first boat to travel around the world on sunlight alone. Christian Ochsenbein, the on-board electrical engineer during the 19-month journey, shows off the yacht’s power system. For more information visit https://spectrum.ieee.org.
Automotive/Transportation
My Classmate, the Robot: NY Pupil Attends Remotely
In an elementary school hallway, a teacher takes her second-graders to the library, leading a single-file line of giggling boys and girls that’s perfectly ordinary until you get to a sleek white robot with a video screen showing the face of a smiling, chubby-cheeked boy. Devon Carrow’s life-threatening allergies don’t allow him to go to […]
VA Part of $29M Agreement with Toyota
Virginia has joined 28 other states in a $29 million agreement with Toyota Motor Corp. over allegations the company concealed safety issues related to unintended acceleration. In a complaint filed along with the agreement, the states allege Toyota engaged in unfair and deceptive practices when it failed to timely disclose known safety defects with accelerator […]
New Airbag Protects Pedestrians
Car safety has come a long way since the very first Ford Model-T took to the streets back in 1908. From air bags to digital rear-view mirrors, drivers can now feel more comfortable when they get behind the wheel — and safer. Now that the driver is more secure, the automotive industry has shifted its […]
3D Printing Helps Scientists Track Big Fish
Scientists are using 3D printing to build a new generation of hi-tech fish tags made of titanium. The aim is to use the tags to track big fish such as marlin, tuna, swordfish, trevally and sharks for longer periods. Source: CSIRO
Explosive Breakthrough in Research on Molecular Recognition
Ever wonder how sometimes people still get through security with explosives on their person? Research done in the University of Alberta’s Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering has revealed a new way to better detect these molecules associated with explosive mixtures. A team of researchers including post-doctoral fellows Seonghwan Kim, Dongkyu Lee and Xuchen Liu, […]
Conditions on Disabled Cruise Ship in Dispute
A cruise line says it is making the passengers stranded aboard a disabled ship in the Gulf of Mexico as comfortable as possible with running water and some working bathrooms, contradicting the accounts of some passengers who told relatives of filthy, hot conditions and limited access to food. The ship, the Carnival Triumph, is still […]
NY Town Sued for Banning ‘Frack’ Talk
Two environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday against an upstate New York town, claiming it violated residents’ right to free speech by banning discussion of natural gas drilling at town board meetings. The town board in Sanford, about 100 miles southwest of Albany in Broome County, passed a resolution in September saying there […]
Cheap, Strong Lithium-Ion Battery Developed
Researchers at USC have developed a new lithium-ion battery design that uses porous silicon nanoparticles in place of the traditional graphite anodes to provide superior performance. The new batteries—which could be used in anything from cell phones to hybrid cars—hold three times as much energy as comparable graphite-based designs and recharge within 10 minutes. The […]
Virtual Vehicle Vibrations
“Sit up straight in your chair!” That command given by countless parents to their children may one day be delivered by vehicle designers to a robot that is actually a computerized model of a long-distance truck driver or other heavy equipment operator, thanks to a University of Iowa research program. That’s because a UI researcher […]