In this week’s episode of the Engineering Update starring Editor Kasey Panetta (@kcpanetta), Digital Editor Jason Lomberg (@JasonECNMag), and WDD’s Editor-in-Chief, Janine E. Mooney (@JMooneyWDD):
Ford debuts app-powered e-bikes
Ford debuted its smart e-bike prototypes at the 2015 Mobile World Congress last week as a part of its “Smart Mobility Plan.”The MoDe:Me and MoDe:Pro connect to your smartphone and give toy navigation feedback via the handlebar grips. The grips vibrate when you need to turn left or right. In addition, the bikes will alert you of hazards ahead or behind while you ride. For instance, the rear sensor will identify if a car approaching too fast behind you….
Creating cheaper night vision
Semiconductor technology from the University of Texas at Dallas could pave the way for cheaper night vision, making it affordable for everyday use. Current technologies rely on image intensifiers which magnify natural light sources like the moon and the stars or active illumination which uses image intensifiers along with sources of illumination in the near-infrared or shortwave infrared band. This plus specialty semiconductor devices make present night vision techniques expensive, prohibitively so for almost anyone but military.
Air traffic control for drones
When the FAA ruled that drones had to be kept in line sight of the pilots, it put a definite damper on the UAV jubilee, but it wasn’t long before people started coming up with creative ideas to get around the draconian law. These ideas included things like a potential loophoop in onboard real time cameras and a truck that serves a drone deployment, but NASA went with a bit of different route. Working with U.S. aerospace company Exelis Inc and a few other organizations, NASA is working to create what they call an air traffic management system….
