Video: Wearable Sensor Builds Maps on the Fly
Blog 10/31/2012 9 comments MIT researchers have created a prototype of a wearable sensor that can create maps of a person's environment as they move through it. Researchers envision emergency responders using the device to navigate disaster sites.
Snafus With the Speakers
Made by Monkeys 10/31/2012 38 comments The owner of this audio equipment manufacturer discovered monkeys in his assembly operation.
Undersampling Shifts Signal Bandwidths
Mechatronics Zone 10/31/2012 3 comments In some cases, you can take advantage of aliasing and use it with a technique called under-sampling or bandwidth sampling.
Design Your Own Keynote for DESIGN West
Blog 10/30/2012 4 comments Preparations for DESIGN West, the center of the engineering universe, are well underway, and we want to know –- who would you like to hear deliver the keynote address?
Patent Pushes Back Against 3D Printing Piracy
CAD/CAM Corner 10/30/2012 13 comments A broad patent filed by Microsoft vet Nathan Myhrvold's company centers on a "manufacturing control system" that establishes digital rights management for 3D printing.
What's Your First 'Engineering' Story?
Blog 10/29/2012 28 comments Brand Director Rich Nass recalls his first engineering experience, in which he built a color organ with his dad. Do you remember yours?
PTC Quietly Releases Free Mathcad Version
CAD/CAM Corner 10/29/2012 11 comments Engineers looking to beef up their stockpile of free design tools should take a peek at PTC's new Mathcad Express, a free, somewhat limited version of its engineering calculation software.
Slideshow: MCU Fun With SparkFun
Blog 10/26/2012 7 comments SparkFun's Department of Education spent an evening in Boulder, Colo., this week, teaching people how to solder a microcontroller.
Implementing '5S' Programs in Manufacturing Facilities
Guest Blogs 10/26/2012 9 comments Many manufacturing facilities are following the path toward a "5S" workplace organizational and housekeeping methodology as part of continuous improvement or lean manufacturing processes.
3D Printing Shapes Factory of the Future
CAD/CAM Corner 10/25/2012 14 comments Shapeways is opening a state-of-the-art 3D printing facility that gives small engineering shops and hobbyists an affordable way to produce their designs.
Products to Watch For
Blog 10/24/2012 3 comments In the Product Showcase section, we’ve just posted some products from IAR Systems, LDRA, and Analog Devices that need a little highlighting.
Slideshow: Scenes From Convergence 2012
Captain Hybrid 10/23/2012 14 comments The Society of Automotive Engineers' Convergence 2012 conference in Detroit provided a glimpse of future automotive electronics.
Materials Buyers Are Multitaskers
Engineering Materials 10/23/2012 14 comments Our recent Materials Survey shows that design engineers will be setting the parameters of many designs. Today's engineers have cross-discipline expertise and are involved in multiple job functions.
A Part Failure, Not a Design Flaw
Sherlock Ohms 10/22/2012 6 comments On the surface, it looked as if the scope failed due to a design flaw. Actually, it was a part failure.
Engineer Solves Glass Slipper Dilemma
Blog 10/19/2012 16 comments What qualities would the glass in Cinderella's slippers need to have in order for her to walk and dance comfortably, and hold her weight?
Undersampling Changes Bandwidths
Mechatronics Zone 10/19/2012 8 comments Before you choose a frequency, you should understand how each upper and lower sampling frequency affects aliasing of signals in the 8MHz bandwidth.
Sea Turtle Robot Will Swim Autonomously
Blog 10/19/2012 16 comments Engineers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have built a robot modeled on a sea turtle that is capable of underwater autonomous navigation.
Video: MABEL Mimics Human Gait
Blog 10/18/2012 6 comments MABEL is a new humanoid robot developed by researchers at Oregon State University and the University of Michigan that can walk and climb stairs like a human.
Biofuel From Seaweed Saves Water, Land Area
Engineering Materials 10/18/2012 16 comments Making biofuels from seaweed is one of the latest ideas for creating sustainable fuels that don't compete with food crops. Two different teams, one US-led and one in India, are working on solutions.
SpaceClaim 2012+ Zeros In On Four Areas of CAD Use
CAD/CAM Corner 10/18/2012 6 comments Continuing its charter to open up 3D modeling to more uses cases, SpaceClaim Engineer 2012+ adds enhancements in the areas of manufacturing, simulation, concept development, and mesh remodeling.
Battery Management Technology Could Boost EV Performance
Captain Hybrid 10/17/2012 18 comments Researchers are working on a math-based battery management technique that could dramatically cut charging times for electric vehicles, while boosting useable battery energy and power.
Siemens PLM Software Puts Acquisition Plans in Motion
CAD/CAM Corner 10/17/2012 3 comments Siemens PLM Software acquires Kineo CAM in a move that bolsters its PLM suite with motion optimization, collision avoidance, and path planning capabilities for both product design and manufacturing applications.
Interfacing Intelligent Sensors With Industrial Ethernet Networks
Blog 10/17/2012 6 comments While Industrial Ethernet has become the kingpin and standard for automation control networks, some devices such as smart sensors and actuators are relying on a simpler, point-to-point communications protocol to save on the cost, size, and complexity that an Ethernet solution requires.
Slideshow: Evolution of the Robotic Canadarm
Blog 10/16/2012 29 comments Canada's main contribution to the US Space Shuttle program has been the Canadian Space Agency robotic manipulator arms, Canadarm and Canadarm2. See how they have evolved.
Not So Simple Mirror Replacement
Made by Monkeys 10/16/2012 34 comments Replacing the side view mirror on the Nissan Frontier looks easy, until you have to find the cable connector.
3D Systems Bulks Up Scanning Piece of Its 3D Vision
CAD/CAM Corner 10/16/2012 6 comments In a bid to build out its vision for 3D content-to-print solutions, 3D Systems acquired Raidform, adding 3D scan-to-CAD and inspection software to its burgeoning arsenal of 3D tools.
3D Printing Flies High
Engineering Materials 10/15/2012 15 comments Materials and processes for creating 3D printed production parts from plastics, metals, and even carbon composites are on the horizon for aerospace applications.
These Fuses Melt in Water
Sherlock Ohms 10/15/2012 32 comments The new building came with a slew of electrical problems -- blown fuses and faulty phone lines.
Why Can't Engineers Get Good Jobs?
Blog 10/15/2012 23 comments In his new book, Peter Cappelli says many companies, overwhelmed by the flood of résumés they receive for each job posting, rely on computers to weed out the unqualified. This is hurting many applicants.
Slideshow: Machine-Made Cocktails
Blog 10/12/2012 17 comments The Inebriator, powered by an Arduino Mega 2560 microprocessor project board, makes mixing up the perfect cocktail seem effortless.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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