Independent vehicles can descend to the depths of the Mariana Trench, but it is a more difficult engineering solution for ROV's. Woods Hole Oceanographic sent a hydrid vehicle (can operate completely independent or with a fiber optic cable for communication) to the bottom of the trench a few years ago - the Nereus.
Sending a manned vehicle down to that depth is a huge engineering feat and shows the determination to design and build a vehicle that can withstand the environment and sustain human life at the same time.
ROV's have a limitation with the power cable that controls their maneuvering, the length of the cable (over 8,000 meters) becomes an excessive force on the winch assembly. At times the weight of the cable can be more than it's rated load, without the vehicle at the bitter end.
Glenn, ROVs are not usually engineered to dive anywhere near this deep--7 miles--because of the incredible pressure. From what I've seen, most of them can descend a few thousand meters.
Could an ROV have done the same exploration ? Deep sea exploration, while very expensive, is still not as costly as space exploration. There are some deep-diving submarines available to wealthy and determined persons. Will Sir Richard Branson eventually branch out from Space Ship 2 to deep sea 'flights' ?
It's amazing the range of James Cameron's interests and skills. Not only is he a brilliant film director, but he's really been a pioneer of science, technology, and engineering, particularly as it relates to ocean expedition. There's so much to be gained from this work, and the lessons around engineering will find their way into numerous industries and applications--of that, I have no doubt.
By experimenting with the photovoltaic reaction in solar cells, researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in energy efficiency that significantly pushes the boundaries of current commercial cells on the market.
In a world that's going green, industrial operations have a problem: Their processes involve materials that are potentially toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive. If improperly managed, this can precipitate dangerous health and environmental consequences.
With LEDs dropping in price virtually every year, automakers have begun employing them, not only on luxury vehicles, but on entry-level models, as well.
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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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