Honeywell signs agreement to provide system-design for Shell

Mar 9 | News

Honeywell announced that it has signed a global five-year agreement to be a Main Automation Contractor (MAC) for Shell.

Next wave of microelectronic biomedical devices

Mar 9 | News

A team of  engineers from MIT’s Microsystems Technology Laboratory (MTL) are working on tiny, low-power chips that could diagnose heart problems, monitor patients with Parkinson’s disease or predict seizures in epileptic patients.

Lending a helping hand

Mar 8 | News

Univ. of Utah engineers developed a computer-controlled, motorized hand and arm support that will let doctors, artists, and others precisely control scalpels, brushes, and tools over a wider area than otherwise possible, and with less fatigue.

Silicon nanowires trap sunlight

Mar 5 | News

Solar cells made from silicon are projected to be a prominent factor in future renewable green energy equations, but so far the promise has far exceeded the reality. While there are now silicon photovoltaics that can convert sunlight into electricity at impressive 20% efficiencies, the cost of this solar power is prohibitive for large-scale use. Researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), however, are developing a new approach that could substantially reduce these costs.

Developing a helicopter that would investigate nuclear disasters

Mar 4 | News

Students at Virginia Tech’s Unmanned Systems Laboratory are perfecting an autonomous helicopter they hope will never be used for its intended purpose. Roughly six feet long and weighing 200 pounds, the re-engineered aircraft is designed to fly into American cities blasted by a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb.

Microrings could nix wires for communications in homes

Mar 4 | News

Purdue Univ. researchers have developed a miniature device capable of converting ultrafast laser pulses into bursts of radio-frequency signals, a step toward making wires obsolete for communications in the homes and offices of the future.

Producing multifunction nanodevices

Mar 1 | News

A team led by Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison researchers has developed a new approach for creating powerful nanodevices, and their discoveries could pave the way for other researchers to begin more widespread development of these devices.

Heat exchanger tech crucial to new automotive hydrogen storage system

Feb 23 | News

A patent has been filed by Purdue engineers for a heat exchanger that uses standard automotive coolant to help shed heat created by a metal-hydride-based hydrogen storage system. The great thing about metal hydrides is that pressure changes can release hydrogen for fuel, but the heat generated by absorption can drastically slow refueling.

World’s largest wind tunnel streamlines semis

Feb 19 | News

Aerodynamic drag can sap more than 50% of the energy produced by diesel-powered semi-truck’s engine and rolling resistance can claim about 30% more. To relieve some of inefficiencies—and ease our reliance on this fuel—Livermore Lab is using NASA Ames’ wind tunnel to design a whole new type of truck.

Building a better lithium-ion battery

Feb 18 | News

A tiny scaffold-like titanium structure of Nanonets coated with silicon particles could pave the way for faster, lighter and longer-lasting Lithium-ion batteries, according to a team of Boston College chemists who developed the new anode material using nanotechnology.

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Much ado about next to nothing

Mar 15

The recent review of the past 10 years of the National Nanotechnology Initiative--as presented by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology--suggested the rise of nanomanufacturing as the near future of nanotechnology. But the actual proposed funding reflects a cautious approach, even about nanotech in general.

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

Mar 5

I typically attend the annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy each year in pursuit of specific coverage. This year, I sought out candidates for coverage in a vacuum technology article, and pulled together some instruments for a spectroscopy guide. But as busy as that kept me, it wasn’t all mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps on the show floor.  

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NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

Jan 7

NuGard First Response Protective Clothing are lightweight coveralls, jackets, and pants that provide protection from heat and flame while keeping the wearers body temperature constant.

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Jan 7

Professor David Wessel shows his multi-touch interface that uses computer technologies that allow him to experiment with fine controls to "caress" the instrument.