The Engineer articles from April 2004

The Engineer archives from April 2004

Boeing takes the gloves off.(ThisWeek)
April 2, 2004... LAST WEEK a Boeing executive in London handed to journalists copies of a heavy spiral-bound dossier. The document, full of helpful diagrams and pleasing colour photographs depicting air travel in the modern age, purported to be an overview of...

NASA X43-A blasts into record books.(ThisWeek)
April 2, 2004... A NASA JET broke the world speed record this week using an air-breathing hypersonic engine, but the technology will only be used by the military for the foreseeable future, experts say. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Despite media claims of...

Rendezvous at 28,000kph.(ThisWeek)
April 2, 2004... THE EUROPEAN Space Agency has successfully tested a navigation device for automatic docking with the International Space Station. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The videometer (VDM) will control the European Space Agency's Jules Verne...

Pack up your drones in your old kit bag.(ThisWeek)
April 2, 2004... THE ISRAELI MILITARY has unveiled a range of spy drones capable of fitting inside a soldier's backpack. One of them, Birdy, weighs just over 1kg and can fly for an hour while transmitting pictures. A soldier can launch and control Birdy by...

Robotic band of brothers.(ThisWeek)
April 2, 2004... SONY, Fujitsu and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have unveiled new technology to allow robots developed separately to be controlled simultaneously via a computer network. Linked by a common network protocol, Sony's robotic dog Aibo and kneehigh...

Curry and chips for all.(ThisWeek)
April 2, 2004... A CHEAP handheld computer designed by Indian scientists has been launched after a three-year delay. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Simputer was conceived in 2001 to provide the country's poor with access to the internet--only one in 1,000...

Sounding off on the road.(ThisWeek)
April 2, 2004... PSYCHOLOGISTS from Leeds University are helping car manufacturers find the most appropriate sound to warn drivers of hazards on the road. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During tests volunteers were subjected to a range of noises including...

Barging goes heavyweight.(ThisWeek)
April 2, 2004... A SEA-GOING BARGE is spear-heading the government's plan to move abnormal loads on to the UK's waterways. The Terra Marique--funded by an [pounds sterling]8.5m DoT grant--can carry loads up to 1,200 tonnes including power station turbines,...

The 2X4 engine: UK project researches a four-stroke unit that switches to two-stroke.
April 2, 2004... AN ENGINE capable of switching between two-stroke and four-stroke operation to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions could be fitted to cars by the end of the decade, according to automotive consultancy Ricardo. ...

Off target: the UK must double the pace of its annual emissions reductions to meet targets.(News)
April 2, 2004... THE UK WILL fail to hit European vehicle emissions targets, according to an industry survey. The rate of reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from new cars sold in the UK slowed last year, and on current trends the country will miss the...

Printing on a jet plane: BAE Systems and Airbus study 'direct print' electronic circuitry techniques to save weight and space.(News)
April 2, 2004... BAE SYSTEMS is investigating the use of techniques to print electronic circuits directly on to aerospace structures, reducing weight and increasing the amount of space available within aircraft. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The company is...

Testing the water on satellites: steam propulsion is to be used in space.(News)
April 2, 2004... IT DOESN'T QUITE mark a return to the golden age of steam, but boiling water has made an unlikely reappearance in the design of a satellite propulsion system. The steam propulsion device, developed by Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL), was...

Seeing the light in fog, sand and dust.(News)
April 2, 2004... A multi-sensor system designed to enable helicopters to land safely in the zero visibility conditions created by the sand and dust of Iraq and Afghanistan will be tested this year by the US Army and Air Force. The technology, developed by BAE...

Lightweight diesels on parade: joint venture leads to high-power military engines for new generation of armoured vehicles.(News)
April 2, 2004... A JOINT VENTURE between MTU Friedrichshafen and Detroit Diesel has resulted in a new family of diesels intended for military applications, with half the size and weight of existing engines of the same power. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Remote control: orange trials US fuel cell technology to develop cost-effective power for masts in inaccessible locations.(News)
April 2, 2004... MOBILE PHONE company Orange is using a fuel cell for the first time to power a base station in a remote part of the Scottish Highlands. The six-month trial, which began earlier this year, is intended to develop a cost-effective method of...

US snaps up Cambridge ZigBee portfolio.(News)
April 2, 2004... THE LAUNCH of ZigBee--a new power-efficient, low-cost wireless networking technology--this week moved closer when a US firm swooped for a world-leading team of Cambridge specialists. Ember, a Boston pioneer in radio frequency networks, has...

Plastic steel: injection moulding technique produces flexible materials with strength of steel.(News)
April 2, 2004... A TECHNIQUE for bonding steel with polymer to produce products in one step could be used to make strong and flexible parts for car interiors, consumer electronic devices and computer equipment. The method, known as polymer injection forming...

Light touch helps sensors come clean.(News)
April 2, 2004... SENSORS THAT HELP cars run cleaner and make petrochemical plants safer could become far more effective, thanks to researchers from Penn State University in the US. Using the same material which pigments white paint, Craig Grimes' team has made...

Boeing takes the fight to airbus: Europeans will be proved wrong in vision for future of air travel, says US aircraft giant.(Business)
April 2, 2004... BOEING has fired its latest salvo against rival aerospace giant Airbus in what is shaping up as one of the bitterest commercial dogfights of recent times. The US company claimed its European counterpart has got its forecasts of future air...

Amec wades into Iraq water deal: UK firms secure lucrative contracts in changing Arab world.(Business)
April 2, 2004... UK ENGINEERING and technology groups have secured footholds in a fast-changing Arab world that is potentially lucrative and uncertain in equal measure. The UK has finally notched up a major commercial deal in post-Saddam Iraq, while UK...

BAE Systems risks demotion on aircraft carrier programme.(The Week in Business)
April 2, 2004... BAE Systems could lose its prime contractor status on the project to build two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy, according to reports. The MoD is said to be considering handing overall responsibility for the carrier programme to the...

Transense expects royalties in 2005 from tyre pressure monitors.(The Week in Business)
April 2, 2004... Transense Technologies, which is developing new tyre pressure monitoring systems, said it expects to begin earning royalties from its devices next year. The company is using surface acoustic wave [SAW] technology to create battery-free pressure...

Far East operations bring seven per cent profits boost for Rotork.(The Week in Business)
April 2, 2004... Specialist engineering group Rotork has been boosted by its growing presence in developing markets, the company's year-end financial results revealed. Rotork increased profits by seven per cent to [pounds sterling]29m in 2003, despite a...

Prodrive beefs up Thailand operation to meet demand.(The Week in Business)
April 2, 2004... Midlandsautomotive consultant Prodrive is joining the eastwards rush by boosting its operations in Thailand. The company, which was set up with just a handful of staff in 2001, soon expects to employ more than 50 people in its Bangkok office....

Ultra Electronics bags [pounds sterling]22m orders for submarine detectors.(The Week in Business)
April 2, 2004... UK defence and aerospace group Ultra Electronics has notched up a string of orders for its marine military technology. Ultra said the US and Canadian navies had placed orders worth more than [pounds sterling]22m for its sonobuoy systems, used...

Pulling the plug on Regenesys plunges energy policy back into the dark ages: the government must look beyond the near-term future if the UK's utility companies are to have a chance of providing enough electricity for our grandchildren. William Nuttall reports.(Comment)
April 2, 2004... IN OUR 20 February lead story (Electric Shock--Ground-breaking UK electricity storage project is closed by its German owners'), we reported that German utility company RWE had abandoned work on the Regenesys regenerative fuel cell project at...

Real rail revolution.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 2, 2004... I enjoyed your article on why the UK needs high-speed rail links (Feature, 5 March), but I would like to see this radical reform go even further. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With global warming and diminishing oil supplies making mass road...

An air of balance.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 2, 2004... The former airship pilot who advocates the use of airships for passenger travel (Comment, 19 March) may have flown them for over 30 years, but he has missed a vital point. For every activity, whether investing in the stock market or a new...

... and finally.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 2, 2004... In common with your many correspondents who remember the Triumph Herald with hydraulic wheel motors at the National Engineering Laboratory (Letters passim) I too have fond memories. During a visit to the NEL some time between 1964 and 1966...

Two heads are better ... Now you can benefit from the combined brain power of two bearing giants.(FAG)
April 2, 2004... Two bearing giants, INA and FAG, have now joined forces to provide industry customers with innovative bearing solutions from a single source. With a total of 180 years of bearing experience and know-how, the two leading rolling bearing...

Plugging the gap: scientists are poised to leap into the TeraHertz gap, the last unexplored part of the electromagnetic spectrum--and the UK is set to lead the way. Andrew Lee reports.(Terahertz Imaging)(Cover Story)
April 2, 2004... THE UK IS ahead of the game in what promises to be one of the most exciting areas of applied technology in the coming decade: the exploitation of TeraHertz imaging. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For once Europe in general and the UK in...

University challenge: as head of technology R & D at the industrial engineering giant ABB, Markus Bayegan sees his role as networking with academic and industrial partners to create 'a climate of innovation'. Andrew Lee reports.(Interview)
April 2, 2004... DR MARKUS BAYEGAN has Cambridge on his mind. The historic colleges and riverside walks of that fair city are, however, of less immediate interest to Bayegan than its potential benefits to the worlds of power and automation. These are the twin...

A smarter fix: the once humble fastener may never be the same again. Developments in shape memory alloys mean that not only will we be able to open new-look intelligent devices at the push of a button, they will also be programmable for security reasons and be easily recyclable. Jon Excell reports.(Machine Building)
April 2, 2004... ASK THE AVERAGE PERSON to say something interesting about fasteners and you'll typically be treated to a pun involving the word rivet. The fact is that fasteners--the ubiquitous, unobtrusive workhorses of the industrial world--have never really...

The end of rock 'n' roll: gyroscope technology developed for Japan's space programme has been adapted to dramatically reduce the rolling motion of boats. Jon Excell reports.(Boat Design)
April 2, 2004... SPARE A THOUGHT for the well-heeled owners of luxury yachts. Their lifestyle may look idyllic, but add choppy water to all that gin and rich food--and the dream can soon turn into an ugly appointment with a toilet bowl. However, thanks to an...

Glaring addition: combining the best characteristics of metal and composites, the Airbus A380 will test a new material designed to reduce weight and improve safety on aircraft. Jon Excell reports.(Materials)
April 2, 2004... WHILE THE low weight of aluminium means that it is still the most common material used in aircraft construction, this staple of the aerospace industry does nevertheless have a few less desirable properties. It's not the strongest material...

Let there be light: groundbreaking research into the use of lasers for creating lightweight structures could herald the dawn of a new industrial era. Jon Excell reports.(Materials)
April 2, 2004... ALAN JOCELYN, director of the Aerospace Manufacturing Research Centre at the University of West England, believes that we stand on the cusp of a new manufacturing era. Developments in laser manufacturing technologies could, he said, bring...

Bye-draulics: energy and fuel-efficient electric power steering systems, once restricted to smaller, lighter cars, are now finding their way on to mid-range models. Christopher Sell reports.(Power Transmission)
April 2, 2004... AN ELECTRIC power-steering system developed by ZF Lenksysteme of Germany is enabling heavier cars to run more efficiently, helping to cut carbon dioxide emissions. Under an EU directive, by 2008 each manufacturer's carbon dioxide...

Driven to collapse: with safety in mind, a US company has developed a totally different driveshaft technology that could also help make vehicles quieter and smoother Christopher Sell explains.(Power Transmission)
April 2, 2004... SIMPLE and efficient design means the automotive driveshaft has remained fundamentally unchanged since its invention around a century ago. But that has all changed with the development by US company Dana of a new shaft that collapses in an...

Screening blue murder: the three-finger salute of 'Ctrl, Alt, Delete' has become second nature to most users. But engineers need a stable computing environment, so why do we put up with Windows? Asks Charles Clarke.(Software)
April 2, 2004... VERY RARELY do systems selectors consider all the options before choosing an operating system. All too often it is selected for non-technical reasons, corporate policy or just plain bias. There used to be a financial incentive for choosing...

Raising the profile: a laser scanner under development by German engineers could lead to improved rail safety by monitoring the whole track area around a train as it moves. Jon Excell reports.(Vision Systems)
April 2, 2004... AS RAIL TRAVEL gets faster the potential for foreign objects causing accidents dramatically increases, and careful monitoring of the area around the tracks becomes more and more crucial. Operators currently employ a variety of different...

Preview: MACH 04.
April 2, 2004... THE INTERNATIONAL exhibition of machine tools and manufacturing technology, MACH 2004--at the NEC from 19-23 April, includes more than 400 exhibitors from the UK and overseas and will encompass the whole spectrum of metal cutting and metal...

Operation overview: with maximum productivity the buzzword, Mazak of Japan realised the machine tool industry needed a comprehensive, synchronised global management tool--and CPC software was born.(Preview)
April 2, 2004... IN AN ever changing, cost-driven manufacturing environment, the need to achieve maximum productivity from an investment has never been greater. More and more, machines are operating with automated component loading, fewer operators and very...

Update.
April 2, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION Hinges Pinet Industrie, founded in 1840 and one of the largest independent hinge and hardware manufacturers in Europe is delighted to announce the opening of...

Brain teaser.(ProblemPage)
April 2, 2004... In the sequence 1, 3, 7, 15, 31, what is the one thing the numbers have in common--apart from the obvious arithmetical progression (and yes, the next number is 63)? Solution next issue. Sent in by Bill Crouch, Future Technology Heat...

You could span the centuries at Ironbridge.(ProblemPage)
April 2, 2004... The Iron Bridge is known around the world as a symbol of the iron-led revolution that originated in the UK. The bridge still spans the River Severn at the heart of the small town that bears its name. Cast in 1779 by Abraham Darby III, its great...

Techneed challenge.(ProblemPage)
April 2, 2004... Film fabrication A US manufacturer is looking for a process for converting thermoplastic or thermoset polymers into a high-quality optical film or sheet with a thickness of between 0.2-0.7mm. www.yet2.com/demag/219 Invisible fraud...

Mike to the rescue.(Patent of the Week)
April 2, 2004... We have all witnessed the rather pitiful efforts of stranded motorists when their beloved vehicle stops and refuses to move any further, writes Christopher Sell. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] First there's the saunter to the front of the car,...

Only fools and horsepower?(This Week)
April 16, 2004... LAST YEAR The Engineer revealed that Sir Clive Sinclair was planning a successor to the luckless C5. The battery-powered, two-wheeled vehicle for urban transportation was due, we were told, for launch some time this year. [ILLUSTRATION...

US firms take a licence with nuclear plant law.(This Week)
April 16, 2004... A CONSORTIUM of seven companies is to seek a licence for an advanced nuclear power station in the US. No atomic energy plants have been built there since the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island in 1979, and there are no plans yet to actually...

Gene analysis fights corrosion.(This Week)
April 16, 2004... SCIENTISTS at the Institute for Genomic Research have sequenced the genome of a sulphate-breathing bacterium that damages oil and gas pipelines and oil field equipment. The analysis of the microbe's genes is expected to help researchers...

Plug-in polymer takes a bow.(This Week)
April 16, 2004... US RESEARCHERS claim to have developed a conducting plastic molecule that could make it easier to produce thin TV screens and fabric capable of transmitting data. TDA Research said the molecule has a conducting centre and two non-conducting end...

NASA allows rovers to play extra time.(This Week)
April 16, 2004... NASA HAS approved an extended mission for the Mars Exploration Rovers, scheduling up to five months of extra overtime assignments. The first to land, Spirit, completed its three-month prime mission last week, when it exceeded 600m of total...

Fujitsu sees Samsung in court.(This Week)
April 16, 2004... JAPANESE FIRM FUJITSU has launched legal action against rival Samsung in a US federal court, accusing the company of infringing its patents in plasma display panels. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fujitsu has also filed a lawsuit against the...

Skiers get vibe and glide.(This Week)
April 16, 2004... A PIEZO ACTUATOR designed for the Rosetta space probe has been used to improve the gliding attributes of a pair of skis used in the Les Arcs Pro Mondial speed competition in France this week. The vibration control system, designed by Cedrat...

Sci-fi coupe in a sphere of its own.(This Week)
April 16, 2004... THE LATEST wacky racer dreamt up for the movies is the Audi RSQ sport coupe, unveiled at the New York motor show. Designed to suit the whim of film director Alex Proyas, this rum roadster runs on spheres instead of wheels. It will star in the...

Diving into uncharted waters: world's first fuel-cell powered submarine set to enter service with German navy this summer.(News)(Cover Story)
April 16, 2004... THE WORLD'S first fuel cell-powered submarine will enter service this summer. The Engineer can reveal. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The U31, a Class 212A submarine manufactured at the Kiel shipyard of German company Howaldtswerke-Deutsche...

Efficient chips: UK firm develops power recycling technology for mobile phones, laptops and space missions.(News)
April 16, 2004... A UK-DEVELOPED system designed to recycle the power used by electronic circuits has been adopted by a technology supplier to ESA and could be used in space missions. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Adiabatic Logic has developed a system that...

Innos goes commercial with silicon.(News)
April 16, 2004... UK FIRM INNOS has established a research facility to develop new silicon technologies. The company, a spin-out from Southampton University's school of electronics and computer science, will work with industrial partners to develop...

Easy rider: prodrive is working on a slimline vehicle that drives like a bike but with the comforts of a car.(News)
April 16, 2004... AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY specialist Prodrive is developing a narrow, fully enclosed vehicle with the banking action of a motorbike, which the company claims could be the answer to modern traffic congestion. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Maintaining a clever sense of balance.(News)
April 16, 2004... RESEARCHERS in the UK are developing an alternative option to improve life for the city driver: a three-wheeled two-seater car with a tilting chassis. The Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport (CLEVER) is the same height as a normal...

Smooth operator: the Port of Brisbane introduces a driver-free crane system.(News)
April 16, 2004... A SEMI-AUTOMATED container terminal--the first of its kind in the world--is to be constructed at the Port of Brisbane, and will significantly increase the capacity of shipping operations at Australia's third-largest port. [ILLUSTRATION...

More brain power to your engine: scientists come closer to a vehicle that 'thinks' and recalibrates as it is driven along.(News)
April 16, 2004... US RESEARCHERS are developing an engine capable of learning in a similar way to the human brain, to increase fuel efficiency and reduce harmful gas emissions by 50 per cent. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The researchers aim to apply neural...

Sony gives robots learning support.(News)
April 16, 2004... SONY IS developing robots capable of adapting and learning new skills as part of a European Union-funded research project. The [euro]4.3m ([pounds sterling]2.8) ECAgents project will attempt to bridge the gaps between complex systems research...

Flow chart: US researchers successfully test wireless implant to monitor and improve blood flow.(News)
April 16, 2004... A WIRELESS IMPLANT designed to give advance warning of clogged arteries has been successfully tested in the US. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The tiny implant, the Stentenna, is the first to combine electronic sensing of blood flow with the...

Organic nanoshells help detect biotoxins in humans.(News)
April 16, 2004... BIOLOGICAL SENSORS capable of detecting previously invisible biotoxins and chemical warfare agents in the human body are being developed using nanoshells of organic materials. The hollow nanoshells, being developed at the University of...

Philips' profits boost gets good reception: dramatic tumaround as joint venture with Korea's LG Electronics helps dutch group return to better times.(Business)
April 16, 2004... ELECTRONICS giant Philips this week signalled the return of better times thanks to the world's growing love affair with the flat screen TV. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Dutch group posted a [pounds sterling]361m profit for the first...

Cobham: niche hi-tech aerospace acquisitions pay off handsomely as group wins big defence contracts and ups profits.(Company Profile)
April 16, 2004... IT WAS business as usual for Cobham earlier this month when the UK aerospace and defence group bagged a $100m ([pounds sterling]54m) contract to supply sub-systems to the Boeing 7E7 and bought a new company. Cobham has been winning a lot...

Generics plans [pounds sterling]7m rescue bid: shares package should secure future for two years.(Business)
April 16, 2004... TECHNOLOGY incubator Generics Group has unveiled plans to raise more than [pounds sterling]7m in new funding to avoid running out of money as early as next month. The Cambridge company, which invests in new technologies and carries out...

RTS expected to raise [pounds sterling]9m from sale of US automation firm Wright.(The Week in Business)
April 16, 2004... Robotic Technology Systems has sold its US business to concentrate on developing its UK operations. RTS bought US automation specialist Wright in May 2000, when it was winning significant orders in the US for laboratory equipment. Global...

Alphamosaic gets [pounds sterling]5m more from investors thanks to VC01 demand.(The Week in Business)
April 16, 2004... Investors have stumped up an extra $9m ([pounds sterling]4.9m) of working capital for chip maker Alphamosaic. The company, which is in its second full year of trading, has experienced a rise in demand for its VC01 multimedia processor that adds...

Ultra adapts airborne compressors for USAF bomb programme.(The Week in Business)
April 16, 2004... Ultra Electronics is to adapt its range of airborne compressors for the US Air Force's Small Diameter Bomb programme. The HiPPAG compressor will be used to generate the pneumatic energy required to eject the bombs from the aircraft. The...

Domnick Hunter expands into US with [pounds sterling]10m purchase of PTI Filtration.(The Week in Business)
April 16, 2004... Durham engineering group Domnick Hunter is to expand its manufacturing operations into the US. The filtration specialist has acquired PTI Advanced Filtration of Oxnard, California, from ESCO Technologies for $18m ([pounds sterling]9.8m). The...

ESA launches [euro]1.5m initiative to support space technology inventions.(The Week in Business)
April 16, 2004... ESA has launched an initiative to bring space technology inventions to fruition as quickly as possible by promoting collaboration between inventors, developers and customers. ESA has [euro]1.5 million ([pounds sterling]984m) to spend on the...

Nanotechnology it may be--but we need to give it mega funding: despite being at the forefront of the technology in its early days, the UK is not as dominant as it should be due to lack of serious government backing, says David Windle.(Comment)
April 16, 2004... THERE IS A NEED for an exciting new range of sciences that can capture the imagination and completely revolutionise the way we live. One of those is nanotechnology [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Despite being at the forefront in the technology...

Laser reaction.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 16, 2004... I read with interest the article 'Let there be light' (Design Engineering, 2 April) in which you discussed the potential of a new laser-based manufacturing future that will lead to the replacement of conventional 'Victorian' manufacturing...

Radical but flawed.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 16, 2004... Jonathan Dalton's suggestions on the reform of the UK's rail network (Letters, 2 April) are certainly radical. But is he seriously suggesting replacing motorways with rail routes? I share his concerns about global warming, and detest the ever...

Flying into trouble.(Talking Point)
April 16, 2004... I was one of the few dissenting voices in your magazine that approved of the decision to scrap Concorde. The supersonic airliner no longer made financial, engineering or technological sense. How encouraging it is to see that the battle...

Fuel for thought: hydrogen-powered civil aircraft are a possibility, according to new EU research. But will they ever be a reality? Helen Knight and Keith Nuthall report.
April 16, 2004... CAR MANUFACTURERS, ever eager to display their environmentally friendly credentials, have long presented research into hydrogen fuel as evidence of a desire to clean up their act. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] But doubts remain about the...

Nanonascence: Paul Reip, managing director of Qinetiq Nanomaterials Ltd, says 2004 will be the year that nanotechnology 'takes off' in the UK. George Coupe spoke to him.(Interview)
April 16, 2004... PAUL REIP is excited about nanotechnology, and it would appear he has good reason. His company, QNL boasts a unique method of producing many different substances at the nanometric level, all of which could have potentially large consumer or...

Brain Teaser.(ProblemPage)
April 16, 2004... In the days before the European Union, two men returned from a shopping trip to France. At Dover they found they had to pay duty on their cases of wine. One had 64 cases and the other 20. Unfortunately they did not have sufficient money to...

Learn about pictures at Thinktank's exhibition.(ProblemPage)
April 16, 2004... Next issue's published Brain Teaser wins a family ticket (admitting up to four) to Thinktank, Birmingham's museum of science and discovery, chosen by The Good Britain Guide 2003 as Discovery Centre of the Year. And it's not surprising....

Optical fibre.(Tech Need Challenge)
April 16, 2004... A north American research institute is looking for a way to produce a polymer optical fibre with low loss at the near Infrared wavelength of 1.55[micro]m. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The fibre is intended for use in an optical...

Oil-filled capsules.(Tech Need Challenge)
April 16, 2004... This company is looking for water soluble liquid-filled capsules of 0.8-1.8mm dia. Ideally they would be soluble at low water temperature conditions and be capable of containing an oil. The capsules are wanted for use in a non-regulated...

Human glue.(Tech Need Challenge)
April 16, 2004... This company is seeking an adhesive or polymer that could be activated through chemical interaction with human body fluids, an external chemical source, light or other radiated means. The adhesive--intended as a replacement for standard...