Engineering news

Engineering

Sodium-ion batteries lean heavily on lithium-ion expertise, patent analysis suggests

Researchers from the University of Münster, ETH Zurich, Stanford University, and the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production (FFB) used AI-supported patent analysis to show how strongly battery technologies ...

Robotics

Engineers demonstrate lightweight 'exoskeleton' that helps stroke survivors walk

A leading cause of disability in the United States is hemiparesis, a condition where impaired motor control, muscle weakness, and spasticity affect one side of the body. Occurring in 80% of stroke survivors, reduced mobility ...

Engineering

Engineers discover new physics principle to break sound absorption barriers in ventilated spaces

In everyday life, designing spaces that both let air flow and absorb sound can be a tricky balancing act. Usually, materials that allow air to pass through—like vents—also let sound escape, making it hard to reduce noise ...

Engineering

A heatshield for 'never-wet' surfaces: Engineers repel even near-boiling water with low-cost, scalable coating

Superhydrophobic surfaces—those famously "never-wet" materials that make water bead up and roll away—have a stubborn weakness: hot water. Once temperatures climb above roughly 40 degrees Celsius, many superhydrophobic ...

Engineering

A new way to study how cannabis use impacts safe driving

As marijuana legalization expands across the U.S., it is outpacing research on the impact of cannabis use behind the wheel. Researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) recently spent two years collecting ...

Engineering

Tackling uplift resistance in tall infrastructure sustainably

Tall structures like radio towers experience high wind loads that generate uplift forces at their foundations, a challenge that is increasing burden, as natural occurrences like typhoons and tornadoes become more frequent ...

Engineering

3D printing platform rapidly produces complex electric machines

A broken motor in an automated machine can bring production on a busy factory floor to a halt. If engineers can't find a replacement part, they may have to order one from a distributor hundreds of miles away, leading to costly ...

Engineering

The giant fire tornado that could save our oceans

In the frantic hours following an offshore oil spill, emergency responders face a destructive decision: let the oil spread or ignite it. Once ignited, it creates an "in-situ" fire pool that stops the oil from spreading and ...

Robotics

Climate-optimized construction with robots

A straight wall is not necessarily a climate-optimized wall. Depending on the wall's exposure to sun and shade, there is an ideal angle for individual bricks. The calculations come from a digital design configurator—and ...

Engineering

Q&A: Can minerals compromise concrete structures?

Concrete is the most widely used human-made material on Earth and generally considered to be one of the most affordable, versatile and strongest construction materials, according to Aleksandra Radlinska, professor of civil ...

Engineering

Italy approves plans for world's longest suspension bridge

Italy's government on Wednesday approved a controversial 13.5-billion-euro ($15.6-billion) project to build what would be the world's longest suspension bridge connecting the island of Sicily to the mainland.

Robotics

Muscle-inspired sheet-like robot navigates the tightest spaces

A POSTECH research team has developed a thin, flexible robotic actuator inspired by human muscle proteins. As thin as paper, yet capable of generating strong forces, this robot can maneuver through tight spaces and manipulate ...

Engineering

Remote detection system developed for wind turbine blade damage

Maintaining wind turbines and identifying potential vulnerabilities is expensive and time-consuming, especially when they are located offshore. As a result, rotor blades are often simply replaced, a costly process when damage ...