Industries
Overhead cranes increase productivity in £20m robotics factory
Crane and hoist manufacturer, Street Crane, has supplied and installed overhead cranes at Fanuc UK’s new 107,000ft2 purpose-built headquarters at Ansty Park in Coventry. Fanuc builds around 6,000 robots, 125,000 servomotors, 84,000 servo amplifiers, and 25,000 CNC controllers every month to serve the wave of demand within manufacturing for ‘fourth industrial revolution’ technology.
Ultra-high-energy cosmic rays have extragalactic origin
Researchers participating in the Pierre Auger Collaboration, which runs the world’s largest cosmic ray observatory located in Mendoza Province, Argentina, have discovered that, above a certain energy level, these particles are of extragalactic origin. Cosmic rays include some of the most energetic particles in the universe and constantly collide with the Earth’s atmosphere.
Brain-machine interfaces treat neurological disease
Since the 19th century at least, humans have wondered what could be accomplished by linking our brains – smart and flexible but prone to disease and disarray – directly to technology in all its cold, hard precision. Writers of the time dreamed up intelligence enhanced by implanted clockwork and a starship controlled by a transplanted brain. While these remain inconceivably far-fetched, the melding of brains and machines for treat...
Mutation can supercharge tumour-suppressor
Cancer researchers have long hailed p53, a tumour-suppressor protein, for its ability to keep unruly cells from forming tumours. But for such a highly studied protein, p53 has hidden its tactics well. Now, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have tapped into what makes p53 tick, delineating a clear pathway that shows how the protein mediates anti-tumor activity in pancreatic cancer.
DRG system helps patients battling complex regional pain syndrome
Abbott has announced the U.S. launch of the company's Proclaim DRG Neurostimulator System, a new device designed to deliver stimulation to the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and alleviate pain in patients suffering from complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) of the lower limbs. With the Proclaim DRG system, Abbott has added new, patient-centric benefits to a device capable of delivering the company's sustained and superior pain relief for patient...
ESO telescopes observe first light from gravitational wave source
For the first time ever, astronomers have observed both gravitational waves and light (electromagnetic radiation) from the same event, thanks to a global collaborative effort and the quick reactions of both ESO's facilities and others around the world. On 17 August 2017 the NSF 's Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States, working with the Virgo Interferometer in Italy, detected gravitational waves passi...
Neutron star collision seen for the first time
On August 17, a team of four Carnegie astronomers provided the first-ever glimpse of two neutron stars colliding, opening the door to a new era of astronomy. Along with colleagues at UC Santa Cruz, the team used the Swope telescope at Las Campanas Observatory to discover the light produced by the merger, pinpointing the origin of a gravitational wave signal less than 11 hours after it was detected.
Security flaw leaves all Wi-Fi traffic open to eavesdropping
KU Leuven researchers have discovered serious weaknesses in a protocol that secures all protected Wi-Fi networks. Attackers can exploit these flaws to steal credit card numbers, passwords, and other sensitive information. Researcher Mathy Vanhoef (Department of Computer Science / imec-DistriNet) detected the weakness by performing a novel type of attack against the so-called 4-way handshake of the WPA2 protocol, which secures all protected W...
F1 subcontractor expands with 5-axis machining
At a High Wycombe engineering company many years ago, Ray Harris started out on a five year mould and tool making apprenticeship, at just 16 years old. After two years he left as much of this type of work was being offshored and he could see little future in it. Harris moved to a nearby subcontractor that specialised in supplying components for Formula 1 and has worked in the industry ever since, both in the supply chain and in-house for two lead...
Improved brain organoids could help Zika virus research
UCLA researchers have developed an improved technique for creating simplified human brain tissue from stem cells. Because these so-called “mini brain organoids” mimic human brains in how they grow and develop, they’re vital to studying complex neurological diseases. In a study published in the journal Cell Reports, the researchers used the organoids to better understand how Zika infects and damages fetal brain tissue, which...