The Engineer articles from April 2005

The Engineer archives from April 2005

COMMENT: What we want from No 11.
April 8, 2005... A letter to the next Chancellor of the Exchequer, to be opened on 6 May, 2005. Subject: engineering and technology. Priority: high. Dear Mr Brown/Letwin/AN Other (delete as appropriate). Here at The Engineer we know that you have a lot...

What a smasher.
April 8, 2005... Coast Guard vessel breaks new ground cutting through ice in the Great Lakes One of the world's most advanced ice-breaking vessels has made a spectacular entry to the water at a shipyard in Wisconsin. The $90m (#48m) US Coast Guard...

Projecting a whole new mobile image.
April 8, 2005... Siemens has developed a mobile phone with a built-in projector that can project an entire keypad or display on to a surface. The projector system can be used to give presentations and slide shows. The system uses a semiconductor laser that...

Robots: your life in their hands.
April 8, 2005... The Pentagon has awarded funding of #6.4m to build a robotic 'surgeon' that can perform life-saving operations on wounded soldiers trapped under enemy fire on the battlefield. A consortium of universities and companies led by Silicon...

IN BRIEF: All wired up for broadband.
April 8, 2005... Technology consultant Scientific Generics is leading a project to investigate the provision of wireless broadband to the UK's rural communities. The project, on behalf of communications regulator Ofcom, which also includes Lucent Technologies,...

IN BRIEF: A gesture to make mobile phones easier to use on the move.
April 8, 2005... University of Glasgow researchers are developing 'audio clouds' to control gadgets using movement and sound, which they claim could make operating mobiles on the move easier and safer. The team is working on accelerometers to sense motion,...

IN BRIEF: Brainwave for the paralysed.
April 8, 2005... In the US a severely paralysed man has become the first person to be fitted with a brain implant, BrainGate, that may enable the disabled to move objects by thought alone. In tests the patient could, through his thoughts, open and close a...

IN BRIEF: Rolls-Royce in bid to commercialise fuel cell system.
April 8, 2005... Rolls-Royce has signed an agreement with a Singaporean consortium to jointly invest $100m (#53m) to develop a commercially viable fuel cell power system. The consortium, EnerTek Singapore, will hold a 25 per cent stake in Rolls-Royce Fuel...

Super scans.
April 8, 2005... UK firm develops high-energy magnets that could improve MRI scanners Oxford Instruments is working with a superconductor specialist to develop a new generation of MRI scanners that will give doctors far more information about their...

Flight control.
April 8, 2005... Airbus set to test 'mini flaps' for adaptable aircraft wings to reduce drag on take-off Airbus is planning its first flight tests later this year of 'mini- flaps' for aircraft wings, designed to reduce drag during take-off and increase...

Speck-tacular advance in sensor technology.
April 8, 2005... Five Scottish universities have successfully implemented sensor applications to run on specks of silicon the size of a 2p. Researchers at the Speckled Computing Research Consortium have also built the specks - miniature devices that can be...

Eye, robot.
April 8, 2005... Computer models of human visual responses will help robots get their priorities right Multi-tasking robots capable of stopping what they are doing and responding to events in the corner of their 'eye' are being developed in a project...

Fresh air fare.
April 8, 2005... West Coast taxi fleet is first in US to use emission-free large-scale lithium-ion battery technology A California taxi firm is the first business in the US to use electric cars that can run for 100 miles on a single charge. The...

Supercharged route to powerful, smaller car engines.
April 8, 2005... A variable-speed supercharger being developed in the UK could facilitate the next generation of downsized engines with the performance of larger units, its designer claims. Reducing engine size is one of the best ways for European carmakers...

Fire cracker.
April 8, 2005... Nano research could lead to a new generation of fire-retardant textiles Researchers are close to producing a fire-retardant synthetic cloth using nano materials. So far a team of specialists in fire chemistry, polymers and textiles from...

Growth industry for smaller chips.
April 8, 2005... A device capable of building structures molecule by molecule and at high speed could be used to guide the growth of replacement body parts and build miniaturised organic electronic circuits. The University of Sheffield will lead a...

Speed reading.
April 8, 2005... University of Florida device uses algorithms to provide more accurate speeding data A computerised system to view and judge the speed of moving objects could lead to the development of speed cameras that are not only highly accurate but...

Turning the tide on our coastal defences.
April 8, 2005... Researchers at the University of Liverpool are working on a computer model that will establish the risk posed to sea walls and other coastal defences around the UK during storms, enabling engineers to deal with the threat better in the...

FOCUS: Gas pressure.
April 8, 2005... A determined team and a nation's need to succeed could see the small- scale Irish effort to extract methane from hydrates outstrip that of larger countries, says Julia Pierce With global oil prices soaring and continued concerns over the...

BUSINESS: Getting Smart.
April 8, 2005... Costs to be slashed as DaimlerChrysler bids to make ailing Smart brand pay DaimlerChrysler will administer a harsh dose of medicine to its Smart brand in a bid to jolt the ailing city runaround into financial health. The automotive...

BUSINESS: Russian hard case acquires Western values.
April 8, 2005... A Russian-developed coating technology designed to extend the lifespan of steel and alloy components made its debut on the London Stock Exchange this week. The firm producing Hardide, a technology originally developed at Moscow State...

BUSINESS: Powering through.
April 8, 2005... Antonov automatic gearbox commercialisation on schedule despite widening losses Transmission engineering group Antonov said it is on track to commercialise its automatic gearbox technology despite its losses widening to over #3m last year....

BUSINESS: Warning signal.
April 8, 2005... Rail setbacks herald AEA profits shortfall AEA Technology this week warned shareholders that profits were set to fall 'well short' of previous estimates following major setbacks to its UK rail business. AEA said its chairman and...

Canon poised to enter biotech sector with diagnostic DNA chips.
April 8, 2005... Electronics giant Canon is set to take its first step into the biotechnology sector, according to reports from Japan. The company is said to be planning to adapt the bubble-jet deposition technology used in its printers to mass-produce DNA...

Low automotive sales and steel price rises sap Renold finances.
April 8, 2005... Engineering group Renold has issued a profits warning to shareholders. The company said lower than expected sales from its automotive division and sharp rises in the cost of steel would leave its full-year financial results below...

MTL splashes out #7m for German display units supplier.
April 8, 2005... UK instrumentation group MTL has spent nearly #7m to snap up GeCma, a Cologne-based supplier of display units for use in hazardous industrial areas. MTL will pay an extra #1.4m if the newly-acquired business meets performance targets. ...

VIEWPOINT: Bridging the digital divide.
April 8, 2005... Developed countries roll out broadband telecoms infrastructure at an ever-increasing pace, but developing nations are missing out. Ahmed Toumi explains how satellite technology could help close this gap One of the top priorities for the...

Letter: No freak wave needed.(Letter to the Editor)
April 8, 2005... Regarding your feature 'Rogue Elements' dealing with maritime safety (Feature, 25 February) while the involvement of a so-called 'freak wave' cannot be ruled out of the equation, it is very important to realise that the Derbyshire bulk...

Letter - TALKING POINT: Nuclear industry must earn our trust.
April 8, 2005... Sorry but I think you are on the wrong track over nuclear energy. (Comment and News, 29 March). As an occasional reader of your magazine (I'm not an engineer) it is quite clear that you see nuclear as a `good thing' that can steer us...

Letter: Extremely confused.(Letter to the Editor)
April 8, 2005... Your article 'Rogue Elements' on freak waves and their possible role in maritime disasters ((Feature, 25 February) was very interesting, but I am still confused as to what exactly constitutes a 'freak wave'. Surely maritime history is...

SEARCH & RESCUE TECHNOLOGY: Robot rescuers.
April 8, 2005... A new breed of rescue workers that crawl, slither, burrow, swim and report signs of life in places impenetrable by humans could soon play an increasing role in emergencies. Jon Excell reports The building you are in has collapsed. Trapped...

INTERVIEW - HUGH WHALLEY: Smart money.
April 8, 2005... Siemens is investing heavily in integrated home technology with the goal of introducing it into mainstream houses. Andrew Lee talked to Hugh Whalley, who aims to make us all 'smart' You don't need to be all that old to remember when getting...

DESIGN ENGINEERING: Dead ringers.
April 8, 2005... UK team unveils project for a self-replicating device based on rapid prototyping technology that could have big implications for the manufacturing industry. Christopher Sell reports Researchers at the University of Bath have unveiled...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - MOBILE CRANES: Holding sway.
April 8, 2005... Belgian engineers have developed self-erecting mobile crane technology that is said to be safer and more efficient than the conventional alternative. Christopher Sell reports Engineers at Belgian crane manufacturer Arcomet have developed...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - SOFTWARE: Solid message.
April 8, 2005... SolidWorks deserves credit for steering clear of the PLM acronym, says Charles Clarke, reviewing its latest offering The latest release of SolidWorks marks its tenth birthday in the marketplace, and despite of being owned by Dassault...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - FASTENINGS & ADHESIVES: Forming a bond.
April 8, 2005... All products have component pieces that have to be joined together, and engineers are increasingly turning to adhesive bonding for a permanent join. Mark Venables reports The choices of fixing components together are numerous and varied....

DESIGN ENGINEERING - BELTS & CHAINS: Heart of steel.
April 8, 2005... To overcome the problem of food products being contaminated by the chain lubricant used in conveyor systems, the use of steel belts is on the increase. Mark Venables reports When designing any mechanical conveyor system for the food,...

COMMENT: Technology plus style equal success.
April 22, 2005... Here in the UK, most mainstream media coverage of the automotive industry is currently focused on Rover - a very British corporate disaster story that is reaching its sad conclusion in the teeth of a general election campaign. But a look...

All systems go on new Cadillac.
April 22, 2005... Cadillac's 2005 production STS will trial 50 advanced GM automotive technologies GM will use a Cadillac to test new automotive technology including a real-time satellite feed that shows individual objects surrounding the vehicle, such...

Flying eye for NASA shuttle.
April 22, 2005... NASA has released details of two technologies for the next shuttle flight, due next month or early June. A high-definition video imaging system will provide detailed pictures of the spacecraft during lift- off. The WB-57 Ascent Video...

3D goggle-box without the goggles.
April 22, 2005... A display technology from Toshiba will allow viewers to see 3D images on a flat screen without using special glasses. From an angle the images appear to stand out several centimetres from the surface. Applications include arcade games and...

IN BRIEF: Wireless on track for trains within two years.
April 22, 2005... High-speed mobile wireless connectivity in trains could become reality in two years, with the formation of a multinational consortium led by Qinetiq. The consortium, currently holding talks with major UK and international train operators,...

IN BRIEF: Shape memory devices to be used in keyhole surgery.
April 22, 2005... Polymers that assume a remembered shape in response to light could be used in next-generation surgical implants. Developed by engineers from MIT and the GKSS research centre in Teltow, Germany, they build on research into plastics that change...

IN BRIEF: Warning system to monitor Washington DC airspace.
April 22, 2005... A ring of laser warning lights has been installed around Washington DC to alert pilots who stray into restricted airspace. The system, which will become active next month, will be controlled by the US military. Aircraft will be tracked by...

Light speed.
April 22, 2005... UK team develops ultra-fast laser capable of delivering data rates needed for the next decade An ultra-fast laser built in the UK has clocked up a data transmission rate of 1.36 terabits per second, in a breakthrough that could lead to a...

Frozen assets.
April 22, 2005... Ultra-cold atoms could hold key to optical computers UK physicists who became famous for 'freezing light' now believe their work could hold the key to creating the memory and central processing unit for future optical computers. New...

Cyber cars.
April 22, 2005... Sensor advance brings driverless vehicles a step closer Sensor-guided, driverless cars could be a step closer following a UK project to investigate the technologies needed for autonomous vehicles. The project, Auto Taxi, has developed...

Signalling a new era.
April 22, 2005... Ofcom tells forum 'innovation not regulation' must drive UK's wireless communications Innovators rather than regulators should shape the future of wireless communications technology in the UK, according to a senior policy maker at...

ID goes 3D.
April 22, 2005... Smart card combines facial, iris and fingerprint recognition for on-the- spot identity checks A global alliance of biometrics experts has claimed a world first with the development of a smart card that can carry out facial, iris and...

Sentri acts on brain's impulses.
April 22, 2005... The US Marine Corps has developed a robotic truck that mimics the brain's ability to recognise different sounds, allowing it to identify gunshots and return fire. The Gunslinger vehicle is based on the algorithm Sentri (Smart Sensor-...

Easily led.
April 22, 2005... 3D image-guidance system for robotic surgeons could make keyhole surgery safer To make 'keyhole' heart operations safer and easier to perform UK researchers are developing an image-guidance system for robotic surgeons, Minimally...

Virtual necessity for taking in the sights.
April 22, 2005... Tourists will soon be able to see UK castles as their architects intended them - newly constructed forts rather than mounds of earth and long-ruined walls. The University of Nottingham's interactive systems team has developed handheld...

Clean air act.
April 22, 2005... World first as UK researchers claim system could halve harmful coal emissions UK researchers claim to be the first in the world to cut the level of harmful minerals in all types of coal by a factor of more than 100. The development,...

Space for nodular development.
April 22, 2005... Sensing nodes for use in miniature satellites weighing less than 100g are to be developed in the UK with support from NASA and Surrey Satellite Technology. Picosatellites, each less than one cubic centimetre in size, could be used in...

High-level energy.
April 22, 2005... Clusters of airborne wind generators could feed electricity to the national grid An international engineering team is building a prototype airborne wind turbine that could be moored at high altitude to provide a constant source of...

Greater chill factor for chips.
April 22, 2005... The technology used in a fridge could hold the key to the development of miniature advanced cooling systems for future weapons systems and supercomputers. Existing integrated circuits or computer chips contain about 100 million...

FOCUS: Return of the beagle.
April 22, 2005... The European Space Agency looks likely to be including technology developed by Colin Pillinger and his team onboard for a 2011 mission to Mars. Helen Knight reports Colin Pillinger is back in business. The leader of the ill-fated...

BUSINESS: Westward ho for Russians.
April 22, 2005... Russia showcases its intention to forge closer links with western companies at Hanover Fair Russia's ambitions to be a major player in pan-European engineering and technology were underlined by its most prominent role yet at the Hanover...

BUSINESS: MicroEmissive powers up for mass production.
April 22, 2005... MicroEmissive Displays, a Scottish company commercialising micro- displays that use light-emitting polymer technology, said it is close to tying up a deal for volume manufacture of its devices. A spin-off from Edinburgh and Napier...

VIEWPOINT: Education, investment and incentives.
April 22, 2005... The Engineer invited the three main political parties to outline how their policies would ensure a thriving UK engineering and technology base fit for the 21st Century. Here's what they said LABOUR: We believe scientists and...

Letter - TALKING POINT: Counting the cost.
April 22, 2005... It is always interesting to read about the latest advances in healthcare engineering, such as MRI scans and eye implants in the The Engineer, but we never really get an idea of is how much it is all going to cost. I would imagine that many...

Letter: Great idea, wrong time.(Letter to the Editor)
April 22, 2005... The recent launch of Intelligent Energy's fuel cell-powered, zero emission scooter creates something of Catch 22 situation. Because the cell requires hydrogen, no-one will buy the bike until refuelling stations provide a reliable hydrogen...

Letter: Lines of defence.(Letter to the Editor)
April 22, 2005... Your magazine always includes news and features of interesting work carried out by companies like BAE Systems - often in conjunction with universities. To me this underlines the work done by our defence industry, which must be the most...

Letter: Miles of experience.(Letter to the Editor)
April 22, 2005... In answer to your story 'Eye, robot' (News, 8 April) BAE Systems would like to emphasise that it has a high regard for Darpa's Grand Challenge. Despite only a few miles having been completed in last year's event, the Challenge provides...

POLICE TECHNOLOGY: Going to war against crime.
April 22, 2005... New technology for the police is a big issue in the UK. But does our development process match up to the different approach of the US? Julia Pierce reports This Week's backing by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair for...

INTERVIEW - DR CHRISTOPH WIESNER: Melding of minds.
April 22, 2005... TWI is at the forefront of research into joining, cutting and surfacing materials, a centre of expertise that, says Dr Christoph Wiesner, provided technology transfer long before the term was coined. Andrew Lee reports To the...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - MICRO ENGINEERING: Another dimension.
April 22, 2005... Microengineered components are still manufactured using tried-and- tested 2D processes. A UK research project aims to develop cost- effective multi-functional 3D miniaturised devices. Christopher Sell reports The ability to manufacture...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION: Back to basics.
April 22, 2005... When Lotus was asked to design and build a one-off, it discarded total computer integration and decided to return to its roots and do the job the traditional way. Charles Clarke reports When an anonymous South East Asian customer asked...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - DATA ACQUISITION: Monitoring is child's play.
April 22, 2005... Data acquisition is an important tool in the search for operational economies in production processes. Paul Gay looks at some recent examples Quality assurance and all-round improved efficiency through operational economies is constantly...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - AUTOMATED HANDLING: A handle on efficiency.
April 22, 2005... Automated handling systems can streamline the production process and cut inefficient non value-added time without compromising quality. Martin Oakham reports Regardless of the application or a component's complexity, production costs can...