(Reuters) – It’s been more than half a century since some of the first concept cars boasting self-driving features were presented to the world and they’re still not on the roads. But many auto executives say the industry is on the cusp of welcoming vehicles that make the idea of keeping both hands on the […]
Automotive/Transportation
UC research promises quiet cars — even when hitting unexpected bumps in the road
All noise is not necessarily equal – especially when it comes to sound minimization in automobiles. For instance, automakers have long used sound-absorbing materials (passive control) in the design of cars in order to minimize engine noise and the “routine” noise of tires traveling on smooth pavement at a consistent speed. However, a means to […]
University of Tennessee engineering team develops chip for Mars rover
NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Rover ‘Curiosity’ would have a hard time completing its mission if it were not for a successful partnership between the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a professor-student team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Rover “Curiosity” would have a hard time completing its mission if it were […]
Cost-effective production of infrared lenses
Rain pelts down on the roof of the car; it is difficult to make out anything in the pitch dark. Suddenly, a deer runs out of the forest and onto the road, but the driver cannot respond in time. When it comes to such dangerous situations, micro-bolometers constitute one way of “extending” the human eye […]
A simple way to help cities monitor traffic more accurately
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cities count the number of cars on the road in order to plan everything from the timing of stoplights to road repairs. But the in-road metal detectors that do the counting can make errors – most often by registering that a car is present when one isn’t. One common error is called […]
Mini Minis in athletics cause big branding stir
(Reuters) – Remote-controlled miniatures of Mini cars whizzing around the athletics stadium to shuttle javelins, discus and hammers back to the athletes have triggered branding questions at what are strictly ad-free Olympic venues at the London Games. The International Olympic Committee ensures adverts or logos of products are not visible in the fields of play […]
EMI test receiver is presented as world’s fastest
The new R&S ESR test receiver is available in two different models for frequencies ranging from 10 Hz to 3 GHz or 7 GHz to meet the requirements of all users who perform EMC certification on commercial equipment. The R&S ESR covers all commercial standards relevant for test houses and EMC labs used by electrical […]
Intelligent cars warn each other
The “Safe Intelligent Mobility – Test Field Germany (simTD)” research project aims to help drivers select the best routes, detect obstacles before they see them and cut emissions through energy-efficient driving. To achieve these goals, researchers have electronically networked cars with each other and their infrastructure, known as car-to-car and car-to-x communication. Over the coming […]
In 360-degree vistas, Google Street View delivers road trips through 5 Calif. national parks
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Imagine being the only driver on a two-lane asphalt highway as the stark desolation of Death Valley National park passes on each side and the crystal blue sky stretches up from the horizon. Or picture a tight left turn on Yosemite’s Glacier Point Road where in the east iconic Half Dome […]
Google admits it did not delete Street View data
(Reuters) – Google Inc said on Friday it had not kept its promise to delete all the personal data, such as emails, its Street View cars collected in Britain and other countries in 2010. The U.S. company admitted in May 2010 that its vehicles, which photograph neighborhoods to create street level images, had accidentally collected […]