Industries
Powering up human reach for the Red Planet
NASA and its partners will host a news conference at noon EST (9 a.m. PST) Thursday, 18th January, at the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas, to discuss a recent experiment involving a new power source that could provide the safe, efficient and plentiful energy needed for future robotic and human space exploration missions. Audio of the news conference and presentation slides will stream live on NASA’s website.
Durable rail bogies turns to carbon fibre and 3D printing
New generations of railway vehicles with carbon fibre frames and key components made using the latest 3D printing technology could be the result of new research at the University of Huddersfield. The investigation of novel materials and manufacturing processes is being carried out by the University’s Institute for Railway Research, which has been awarded funding of almost £300,000 as part of an EU-backed project to develop lighte...
Non-opioid treatment option for people with chronic pain
Boston Scientific has announced that the U.S. FDA has approved the Spectra WaveWriter Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) System. It is the first and only system approved by the FDA to simultaneously provide paresthesia-based and sub-perception therapy. The system allows physicians and patients to combine therapeutic options, customise therapy and capture real-time feedback designed to treat chronic and debilitating pain successfully.
Growing patient-specific T cells could aid immunotherapies
Immunologists and oncologists are harnessing the body’s immune system to fight cancers and other diseases with adoptive cell transfer techniques. In a normal immune response, a type of white blood cell known as T cells are instructed by another kind of immune cell called an antigen-presenting cell (APC) to expand their numbers and stay alive.
Next-gen flexible robots are as strong as biological muscles
In the basement of the Engineering Center at CU Boulder, a group of researchers is working to create the next generation of robots. But instead of the metallic droids you may be imagining, these robots are made from soft materials that react to applied voltage with a wide range of motions. Such soft robots contain tremendous potential for future applications as they adapt to dynamic environments and are well-suited to closely interact with h...
Year of Engineering emphasises on digitalisation and robotics
This year is expected to bring a lot of exciting things to industry, but The Government’s ‘Year of Engineering’ Campaign, which has launched this week is certainly high up on the list. It includes a number of activities which recognise the role of digital and robotics as a crucial part of the portfolio of skills for engineering.
Sound-to-notation app makes noise in the music industry
A hybrid technology drawing inspiration from virtual assistants and apps such as Google Translate is now available to musicians across the world. Using it allows for translating sounds into music notations with unmatched accuracy. For the laypeople who simply want to enjoy music in their car or through headphones, music notation’s complexity has always been off-putting. Not only is it uneasy to read, but it’s even harder to write...
Robotics increasingly integral to Industry 4.0 success
Instead of me facing you with another rhetorical question about, what technology we will see in 2018, or how digitalisation is all anyone wants to talk about, let me tell you about what I learnt from semiconductor company Infineon. The big focus for the company here is robotics, and more importantly; how does robotics translate into business opportunities? Well first of all the question is not necessarily how, but why? Infineon is a company ...
Drone technology benefits from motion plastics
The FitoStinger drone was developed for effective pest control as it can often be difficult, especially if surrounding areas must not be affected. The lightweight design is partly attributed to motion plastics from igus that include the extremely light drylin linear guide made of carbon.
Agriculture 4.0: farming is going digital
Digitisation and networking in agriculture are the modern expression of ideals that are understood as 'holistic thinking'. Thinking in terms of process chains has always been a guarantee of success in the agricultural sector. For large parts of the agricultural industry, digitisation is giving rise to extended areas of responsibility and also altered fields of activity. Author: Hans-Gerd Birlenberg, Head of the Business Unit Agribusiness &a...