http://phys.org/technology-news/engineering/ en-us Phys.Org provides the latest news on engineering technology, engineering science, computer engineering , civil engineering, chemical engineering, aerospace engineering and environmental engineering. People with moderate visual impairment, particularly those who have difficulty perceiving the full extent of their surroundings, could use the ingenious device that these UC3M scientists have created. “This device is aimed at people who would bump into everything that they fail to see because of their loss of visual field, caused by glaucoma, retinal pathologies, etc.”, states the head of the project Professor Ricardo Vergaz, of UC3M’s Electronics Technology Department. http://phys.org/news257449230.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 28 May 2012 18:40:41 EST news257449230 A new motor has been installed in the Oran W. Nicks Low Speed Wind Tunnel, replacing a 900RPM, 1,000-horsepower synchronous motor from Allis-Chalmers that was surplused by the U.S. Navy back in World War II. http://phys.org/news257413429.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 28 May 2012 09:50:01 EST news257413429 The larger the reaction vessel, the quicker products can be made – or so you might think. Microreactors show just how wrong that assumption is: in fact, they can be used to produce explosive materials – nitroglycerine, for instance – around ten times faster than in conventional vessels, and much more safely as well. At the ACHEMA trade fair, held June 18-22 in Frankfurt, researchers will demonstrate microreactors they use for a very broad range of chemical processes. http://phys.org/news257412797.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 28 May 2012 08:33:29 EST news257412797 Sensors that work flawlessly in laboratory settings may stumble when it comes to performing in real-world conditions, according to researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. http://phys.org/news257079956.html Technology - Engineering Thu, 24 May 2012 12:06:13 EST news257079956 Getting a shot at the doctor’s office may become less painful in the not-too-distant future. http://phys.org/news257059673.html Technology - Engineering Thu, 24 May 2012 06:28:16 EST news257059673 University of Granada researchers have developed a 3D imaging system that scans 3D models of historical buildings using data obtained from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)–an aircraft without a human pilot onboard. This is the first 3D imaging system to combine the use of UAVs, image-based 3D modeling technologies, and virtual representation of models to produce a realistic modeling of 3D objects from images. http://phys.org/news256986025.html Technology - Engineering Wed, 23 May 2012 10:00:31 EST news256986025 (Phys.org) -- In 1505 Leonardo da Vinci began painting a mural – to commemorate the Battle of Anghiari – in the Palazzo Vecchio’s Great Hall, the seat of government in Renaissance Florence. http://phys.org/news256900983.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 22 May 2012 10:23:29 EST news256900983 Researchers have shown how to create morphing robotic mechanisms and shape-shifting sculptures from a single sheet of paper in a method reminiscent of origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. http://phys.org/news256842511.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 21 May 2012 18:09:33 EST news256842511 (Phys.org) -- Traffic lights on highway access ramps can help prevent traffic jams. Swiss engineers are testing this approach to increase the capacity of Swiss highways. http://phys.org/news256809330.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 21 May 2012 08:55:37 EST news256809330 It’s easy to see that University of Cincinnati design students Alex Broerman and Ashley Ma are on to something with their new design and prototype for a prescription-medicine pill bottle that better serves the needs of the blind and visually impaired by means of a simple and inexpensive innovation. http://phys.org/news256804453.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 21 May 2012 07:34:31 EST news256804453 University of Nevada, Reno computer science engineering team Kostas Bekris and Eelke Folmer presented their indoor navigation system for people with visual impairments at two national conferences in the past two weeks. The researchers explained how a combination of human-computer interaction and motion-planning research was used to build a low-cost accessible navigation system, called Navatar, which can run on a standard smartphone. http://phys.org/news256565780.html Technology - Engineering Fri, 18 May 2012 13:21:01 EST news256565780 A Georgia Tech research team has developed a novel technology that could change how industry designs and casts complex, costly metal parts. This new casting method makes possible faster prototype development times, as well as more efficient and cost-effective manufacturing procedures after a part moves to mass production. http://phys.org/news256559996.html Technology - Engineering Fri, 18 May 2012 11:40:11 EST news256559996 Tiny beads may act as minimally invasive glucose sensors for a variety of applications in cell culture systems and tissue engineering http://phys.org/news256559817.html Technology - Engineering Fri, 18 May 2012 11:38:24 EST news256559817 A team of researchers from the Department of Fire Protection Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) will conduct groundbreaking tests on May 23-25 aimed at better understanding the effects of earthquakes on building systems designed to suppress or prevent the spread of fires. The test are part of a major $5 million study, supported by a coalition of government agencies and industry partners, seeking to learn what needs to be done to ensure that high-value buildings, such as hospitals and data centers, can remain operational in the aftermath of earthquakes. http://phys.org/news256404247.html Technology - Engineering Wed, 16 May 2012 16:24:25 EST news256404247 Like other professionals, architects have used computer-aided design (CAD) software in their work for decades. Typically, the resulting digital files are converted to hard-copy plans, which are then used to support traditional construction practices. http://phys.org/news256385529.html Technology - Engineering Wed, 16 May 2012 11:13:07 EST news256385529 (Phys.org) -- Aeronautical engineers believe hypersonic planes flying at seven to 15 times the speed of sound will someday change the face of air and space travel. That is, if they can master such flight's known unknowns. http://phys.org/news256379570.html Technology - Engineering Wed, 16 May 2012 09:33:10 EST news256379570 Instead of building a better mousetrap, a team of Rice University freshmen took a mousetrap and built a better way to treat dehydration among children in the developing world. http://phys.org/news256316089.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 15 May 2012 15:55:02 EST news256316089 U.S. Navy divers take on dangerous tasks every day—and starting this week, they will be part of a multinational effort near Estonia to help clear the Baltic Sea of underwater mines left over from as long ago as the First and Second World Wars. http://phys.org/news256314104.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 15 May 2012 15:23:46 EST news256314104 Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new way to fine-tune wireless power transfer (WPT) receivers, making the systems more efficient and functional. WPT systems hold promise for charging electric vehicles, electronic devices and other technologies. http://phys.org/news256295514.html Technology - Engineering Tue, 15 May 2012 10:12:15 EST news256295514 The Department of Defense will begin funding an Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored project aimed at developing Web applications to help multinational navies police the world's oceans, officials announced May 14. http://phys.org/news256223127.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 14 May 2012 14:05:39 EST news256223127 (Phys.org) -- In order to test the new "smart" protective vest, an experimenter wearing one has jogged several kilometers on the treadmill in a climate-controlled chamber at Empa. During the jog he lost 544 grams in weight through sweating –  but thanks to the vest‘s integrated cooling system this was still 191 grams less than if he had been wearing a conventional garment. http://phys.org/news256206679.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 14 May 2012 09:31:26 EST news256206679 (Phys.org) -- Massey University mechatronics professor Olaf Diegel made his dream come true when he created a series of colourful 3D-printed electric guitars with latticed bodies adorned with spiders and butterflies.   http://phys.org/news256205161.html Technology - Engineering Mon, 14 May 2012 09:06:21 EST news256205161 (Phys.org) -- Scientists at EPFL have developed a single antenna that is capable of transmitting the same data as a two-antenna system. This achievement will be more than useful for future communication systems. http://phys.org/news255944854.html Technology - Engineering Fri, 11 May 2012 08:47:48 EST news255944854 Siemens is using a special water-treatment technique to make ship traffic more environmentally friendly. By disinfecting the ballast water in ships, a system named Sicure protects marine environments from damage due to the introduction of alien plant and animal species. In addition, Sicure can also process cooling water. This combination of features is unique worldwide. Siemens has now received full certification for Sicure from the International Maritime Organization (IMO). A new IMO guideline will require that all ocean-going ships be equipped with certified disinfecting equipment for sterilizing their ballast water. This regulation will mean that over 50,000 ships worldwide will have to be retrofitted in the near future. http://phys.org/news255941178.html Technology - Engineering Fri, 11 May 2012 07:46:31 EST news255941178 (Phys.org) -- Classrooms have become smarter, thanks to the use of digital devices such as computers, SMART boards, and other handheld devices. But are these technological advancements birthing a new and smarter generation of engineers? According to a University of Pittsburgh study, yes: Students using such tools are more successful than those who don’t because the technologies promote better working memory and more flexible and transitional thinking.  http://phys.org/news255934032.html Technology - Engineering Fri, 11 May 2012 05:47:52 EST news255934032 The shorter the pulse duration, the more precisely the laser tool operates. Ultra-short laser pulses of outstanding high average püower are opening the doors to new applications in high throughput materials processing. Thanks to the short pulse duration, thermal damage of the material being processed is minimized. http://phys.org/news255856286.html Technology - Engineering Thu, 10 May 2012 08:50:02 EST news255856286 With a GPS receiver in your smartphone, you can navigate your way over highways and streets with certainty. But once you get inside a building, it provides no further assistance. That’s why Fraunhofer researchers, together with the Bosch Corporation and other partners, have engineered a navigation system for interior spaces. Thanks to a clever combination of sensors, the module tracks the movements and position of its user in precise detail. At the Sensor+Test trade fair in Nuremberg from May 22-24, 2012, researchers will deliver a live demonstration of how this new interior-space navigation operates. http://phys.org/news255856400.html Technology - Engineering Thu, 10 May 2012 08:13:26 EST news255856400 These coatings offer protection against rust, scratches and moisture and improve adhesion: Surfaces with a nano coating. A new plasma process enables these coatings to be applied more easily and cost-efficiently – on an industrial scale. http://phys.org/news255856238.html Technology - Engineering Thu, 10 May 2012 08:10:45 EST news255856238 An often quoted parable has the "foolish builder" building on sand, but in reality many major cities are built on soft deposits – some in earthquake prone regions – and world-leading research at UTS will help make them safer. http://phys.org/news255855959.html Technology - Engineering Thu, 10 May 2012 08:06:29 EST news255855959 (Phys.org) -- A fleet of 100 floating robots took a trip down the Sacramento River today (Wednesday, May 9) in a field test organized by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley. The smartphone-equipped floating robots demonstrated the next generation of water monitoring technology, promising to transform the way government agencies monitor one of the state’s most precious resources. http://phys.org/news255855893.html Technology - Engineering Thu, 10 May 2012 08:05:27 EST news255855893