Travelers and air-traffic controllers alike truly owe Heinz Erzberger a "thank you." As an expert in the area of trajectory optimization, flight mechanics, controls, and automation concepts and algorithms for the air traffic control system, Heinz Erzberger recently designed the Center-TRACON Automation System (CTAS), which the Federal Aviation Administration has adopted as its terminal area air traffic automation system. CTAS was conceived and is being prototyped at the NASA Ames Research Center. The system inaugurates a new approach to air traffic control, called human-centered automation, that combines the skill of controllers with computer-generated advisories. Early production versions of CTAS tools are installed at air traffic control facilities serving the Denver, Atlanta, Miami, and Los Angeles airports, and FAA plans to install CTAS at more than 20 sites nationwide. To date, CTAS demonstrates improvements in both capacity (up to 13%) and delay savings (an average of 2 minutes per flight). The tools in CTAS benefit air traffic controllers by reducing stress and workload, and benefit air travelers by reducing delays and increasing safety.
Safety networks have become more complex, and have actually become simpler and easier to deploy for plant operators. This slideshow highlights developments in plant safety with an emphasis on integrated safety networks.
As the MEMS industry spans a myriad of industries and markets, the future of MEMS in consumer electronics will enable a myriad of functionality, applications, and personalization.
The Nest is a sleek-looking digital thermostat which can actually "learn" its owners' schedule and then continue to regulate temperature to suit the user's preferences and patterns.
Thanks to embedded electronics, medical devices are getting smaller and smarter than ever. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are now able to call physicians. MRIs, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines are gaining mobility. And the venerable Band-Aid may soon be able to detect illnesses ranging from fevers to heart arrhythmias. On February 21, join Design News senior editor Charles Murray for a wide-ranging discussion, "Embedded Angles for Medical Products," which will explore the latest developments in medical electronics. The discussion will examine advances in medical device technology and offer an inside look at the embedded electronics behind it.
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