Ever been on an airplane when the engines suddenly throttle up seemingly for no reason? It's probably because the pilot just switched from auto pilot (AP) back to manual control by disconnecting the AP and bringing the throttle levers back into the correct position. With SKF's new Automatic Throttle Control Unit, due out in two new planes in the coming months, that will no longer be an issue. "In older designs, the levers remained in a fixed position under auto pilot mode, so they were in the wrong place when the pilot resumed control. Further, the torque of the servo motors driving the levers was transmitted through a clutch, which made it very difficult for the pilot to override the automatic throttle without disconnecting it formally," says Product Manager Michel Giacomoni. "With our new system, the levers are driven by auto pilot and the pilot can override the AT through a force feedback system." Giacomoni notes that the force feedback comes from the corrective action of the AP computer, a modular avionic unit that gives the pilot feedback that the AT is engaged and that it is working correctly. Two new competitive aircraft will be the first to employ the system—the Gulfstream G200 (certified on July 2, 2004) and the Falcon 2000EX EASy, which is certified for delivery.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
Researchers at MIT and Sandia National Labs have observed a reaction in lithium-air batteries that could help improve the design of these cells for electric vehicles and other applications.
Healthcare might seem to be an unlikely target application for the Internet of Things technology, but recent developments show small ways that big-data is going to make an impact on patient care moving into the future.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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