Engineering

New chemical radar among national security innovations in ACS podcast
The American Chemical Society wants to do its share to bolster societal safety — and a new series of an the organization-sponsored podcasts describe an array of technologies to help assure personal safety and national security
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Anti-invisibility cloak would render invisible objects visible again
A perfect invisibility cloak guides rays so effectively that none reaches the cloaked object within, keeping it in total darkness — a disadvantage if invisibility cloaks are ever to be used to shield tanks, steer microwaves in space, or hide humans; scientists find a solution
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Boeing awarded laser weapon contract
Boeing wins $36 million contract to continue development of a truck-mounted laser weapon aiming to destroy flying projectiles — from rockets to artillery shells to mortar rounds
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Environment-friendly spook: Solar-powered UAV breaks endurance record
Qinetiq’s Zephyr high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) aircraft flies for 82 hours and 37 minutes
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U.K. start-up to demo serious flying robo-saucer in 2009
Innovative British company will demonstrate a robotic flying saucer next year; the hovering craft is based on the Coanda effect, and will be of help to soldiers and first responders in urban settings
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Making precast concrete structures safer
Precast concrete helps builders save time and money, and also increase buildings’ durability; new research aims to make them better able to withstand earthquakes
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New U.K. center's mission: Use science to make world safer
The Institute for Security, Science and Technology at Imperial College London will scour the research world for innovations which would make the world safer
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Robot aircraft rides thermal currents to save fuel
Soaring birds use thermal air currents to keep them aloft for hours and save energy; the same principle is now being applied to UAVs
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Team Stellar wins U.K. MoD's Grand Challenge
The U.K. Ministry of Defense holds a competition to determine the best autonomous robots that can identify, monitor, and report military threats faced by U.K. troops; Team Stellar, comprising several technology-savvy companies, wins
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U.K. Grand Challenge mini-vehicle competition held this weekend
Eleven teams made it to the final of the U.K. Ministry of Defense mini-vehicle competition, aiming to promote devising highly autonomous vehicles capable of identifying threats that are being encountered by U.K. troops on overseas operations
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Simple aluminum structure protects against explosions
Norwegian researchers develop a simple aluminum structure which is made of double-walled panel that can be filled with a suitable heavy substance found on site, such as dirt, sand, gravel, or pebbles
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Using kites to generate electricity
The amount of power available from wind is related to the cube of its speed; blades at higher altitudes could thus generate up to five times the amount of electricity as at lower altitudes; why, then, not place blades at higher altitudes?
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UTD students place 2nd in Robotic submarine competition
Students’ 11th-hour changes help propel team to top Ranks in underwater challenge
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Self-healing wire to bolster avaiation safety
In 1996 an explosion downed TWA flight 800 off the shore of Long Island, killing all 230 passengers and crew; University of Dayton researcher who identified a plausible cause of the explosion has developed a self-healing wire designed such explosions in the future
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Military use of robots increases
The U.S. military goal is to have approximately 30 percent of the army be robotic forces by somewhere around 2020; it is well on its way
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