The Engineer articles from January 2003

The Engineer archives from January 2003

A grounding experience.
January 10, 2003... The news this week that NASA is to face a six-month review that will end manned space flight will bring down the curtain on a performance that should have ended many years ago. Though the Cold War has been over for 14 years the US...

Putting rail back on track.
January 10, 2003... RAILWAY RESEARCH projects focusing on speed, cost, noise, safety and track and train interoperability will be announced in April. The European Union's European Rail Research Advisory Council recently launched its Strategic Research Rail...

Call-up for cabbies.
January 10, 2003... A SYSTEM that allows mobile phone users to hail taxis via their handsets is ready for commercial launch, its UK developer announced this week. Automotive group Manganese Bronze said its Zingo service would begin operation in the spring...

Cycling skates. (Good).
January 10, 2003... Skateboards with pedals are to be the new craze to power youngsters along the street, according to their inventors. Why not just use a bicycle?

Skiers. (Good).
January 10, 2003... Skiing enthusiasts need no longer worry about the lack of snow due to global warming. German researchers have come up with environmentally friendly potato-based artificial snow flakes. We are now waiting for the knockwurst skis.

Lawns. (Bad).
January 10, 2003... Grass is to be irradiated to protect it from frost. Radiation is said to accelerate grass growth. Shame then that it kills just about everything else.

Tomorrow's world. (Bad).
January 10, 2003... TV's weekly science programme, watched by over three million people, has been axed after 38 years. Meanwhile, the BBC continues to fund new channel BBC Four, whose flagship shows attract 3,000 viewers.

Not so cool maiden flight.
January 10, 2003... A leak in the cooling system of Ariane 5's main motor caused the super-rocket to spin out of control last month, investigators revealed this week. The enhanced heavy-lift rocket was on its maiden flight on 12 December when it was destroyed,...

When crime gets up your nose.
January 10, 2003... CRIMINALS COULD one day be identified by their smell, if a project launched by the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency is a success. Odours can be detected from a very small number of molecules, while smells from a suspect can linger...

A bike out of hell.
January 10, 2003... Is it a bike? Is it a car? No, it's a Tomahawk A MOTORBIKE with a top speed of 300mph was unveiled by DaimlerChrysler at the Detroit Motor Show. The motorbike, known as the Tomahawk, has a Dodge Viper 8.3-litre, 500hp engine built into...

Displaying colours in a new light.
January 10, 2003... A MATERIAL capable of emitting both red and green light will simplify the production of displays and increase their brightness, its developers claim. The light-emitting material, being developed by Philips and Amsterdam University,...

Making a virtue of drink-driving.
January 10, 2003... DEVELOPERS OF the M400 Skycar are to test a set of alcohol-powered engines for vertical take-off and landing. The futuristic vehicle is the brainchild of Dr Paul Moller of California-based Moller International. The company plans to build three...

Bidding for a flight of fancy.
January 10, 2003... Flight enthusiasts are queuing up for the chance to buy their own personal strap-on aircraft. US-based Trek Aerospace's SoloTrek XVF consists of two overhead ducted fans powered by gas to create lift. The operator stands on footpads,...

Surgery goes down to the wire.
January 10, 2003... Drill-free brain surgery is now possible using a magnet on the end of a thin wire, which is passed through a patient's arteries. The method, called endovascular surgery, was developed in the US, and could be used to treat aneurysms, strokes,...

Disaster relief via satellite.
January 10, 2003... Some of the world's poorest nations are to get free access to satellite communications technology to help co-ordinate disaster relief efforts. Remote areas of countries lacking a modern communications infrastructure will be equipped with...

Driverless freight train: automatic locomotive can transport cargo between scheduled timetables without disruption. (News).
January 10, 2003... A DRIVERLESS freight train bristling with advanced technology and billed as the world's first 'lorry on rails' has been unveiled in Germany--but is unlikely to operate on the UK's antiquated railway system for many years. CargoMover uses a...

Galileo in jeopardy: the future of the European satellite navigation system becomes increasingly doubtful. (News).
January 10, 2003... A LONG-RUNNING argument between Germany and Italy could mean the death of Galileo, intended as Europe's answer to the US GPS satellite navigation system, experts warned this week. Since EU approval for the [pounds sterling]2.2bn project was...

NASA device could cut car emissions by a third. (News).
January 10, 2003... A CATALYTIC CONVERTER developed for use in space could hold the key to reducing car emissions by almost a third. The NASA-designed system was originally to be used in carbon dioxide lasers on satellites studying the composition of Earth's...

Sound treatment: US team claims ultrasonic wave cleaning technique could help stop spread of CJD. (News).
January 10, 2003... ACOUSTIC STERILISATION of medical instruments could help prevent transmission of deadly variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease during surgery, US researchers claim. Prions, proteins that can cause v CJD in humans may contaminate equipment...

The speed's the limit: first trial of cars with computer-controlled speed control to go ahead. (News).
January 10, 2003... THE UK's FIRST large-scale government-funded trials of a computer-controlled car speed limitation system are to take place in Leeds this spring. As part of Department for Transport research into controlling vehicle speed externally, 20...

In-car Internet to be more accessible. (News).
January 10, 2003... A telematics system designed to make in-car access to the internet and route-planning information more affordable has been developed by Delphi, The technology will allow vehicle makers to offer audio, telephone and navigation services at a much...

Beam me up, and down: US trials laser technology to detect potentially dangerous vortices around runways. (News).
January 10, 2003... LASER TECHNOLOGY designed originally to detect submarines is to be trialled to help increase airport safety and capacity. The laser 'listens' for traces of dangerous wake vortices forming on an aircrafts's wingtips as it lands or takes off....

Bio-cars: Qinetiq leads UK project to develop plant fibres for environmentally-friendly vehicle components. (News).
January 10, 2003... CAR BODY materials are to be grown from plants in a UK project to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles while increasing their safety and fuel efficiency. The Qinetiq-led Biomat project, which also includes Ford, will develop...

Driverless taxi passenger trials to begin this month. (News).
January 10, 2003... PASSENGER TRIALS of the world's first driverless taxi service will begin in Cardiff this month. The Urban Light Transport system, known as Ultra, is set to become fully operational in the Welsh capital in 2005 (The Engineer, 11 January,...

Wireless warriors: British troops trial Bluetooth technology to enhance battlefield capability. (News).
January 10, 2003... SOLDIERS IN the British Army could soon be using the latest wireless technology to connect weapons, hi-tech sights and sensors and a central computing unit. Relying on Bluetooth connections, the technology is designed to enhance soldiers'...

Chips in a new block: network routeing equipment to be miniaturised using chip 'supercubes'. (News).
January 10, 2003... A METHOD of stacking microchips into tiny cube arrangements will allow the development of super-fast miniature computers with data transfer rates of terabits per second, Italian researchers claim. The most immediate application for the...

Digital system ends phone calls with echo. (News).
January 10, 2003... A UK-DEVELOPED digital processing system aims to improve the quality of phone calls by reducing the risk of echo and other distortion on advanced communications networks. London-based Tecteon claimed its newly developed microchip-based system...

Airbags for pedestrians: on-car sensor system to identify people and reduce the risk of severe injury. (News).
January 10, 2003... AN AIRBAG SYSTEM to protect pedestrians is set to be unveiled later this year following UK trials. Two airbags, fitted to a car's bonnet and windscreen, are designed to inflate moments before the vehicle hits a pedestrian to reduce the...

Fingering the criminals: Japanese develop method for detecting fingerprints on human skin. (News).
January 10, 2003... FORENSIC EXPERTS in Japan claim to have succeeded in developing a method for obtaining fingerprints left on human skin. The discovery provides a vital breakthrough in gathering evidence and narrowing down suspects in rape, sexual assault or...

Ships use concrete to avoid sinking. (News).
January 10, 2003... A LIGHTWEIGHT concrete filling injected into a ship's bulkhead will make vessels more resistant to collisions, fatigue and corrosion, according to its Norwegian developers. Risk management agency Det Norske Veritas, in partnership with Aker...

Chilling prospect: self-cooling container chills drinks in less than three minutes. (News).
January 10, 2003... A BEVERAGE that can cool itself could provide athletes and people travelling to even the remotest parts of the world with cold drinks on demand. The device, which exploits a principle known for centuries called sorption cooling, is based...

Extracting diamonds from black gold. (News).
January 10, 2003... DIAMOND-LIKE MOLECULES that industry has been trying to manufacture for 50 years have finally been obtained from petroleum. The molecules have potential uses in a wide range of industries including microelectronics and pharmaceuticals. The...

Cutting headlight glare: US eye-tracking device and LCD aim to reduce car accidents. (News).
January 10, 2003... THE DANGERS posed to drivers by glare could be alleviated by a device being patented in the US. Glare caused by bright sunlight or the sudden appearance of another car's headlights is distracting and is thought to contribute to a...

Marconi: as it nears a [pounds sterling]4bn restructuring deal, what next for the giant once hailed as the epitome of technology-driven firms? (Company Profile).
January 10, 2003... IT IS unclear if Marconi's new management has made a resolution for 2003, but if it has, 'avoid being the UK's biggest corporate basket case two years running' would be a contender. The telecoms company enters the new year close to...

Philips beefs up Wi-fi stake with the acquisition of Systemonic. (The Week).
January 10, 2003... Electronics giant Philips has moved to strengthen its technology portfolio in the fast-growing wireless networking arena. The Dutch group has signed a deal to buy Systemonic one of the world's leading specialists in the silicon systems...

Ferraris sets heart on Del Mar's expertise with [pounds sterling]6m purchase. (The Week).
January 10, 2003... UK medical technology group Ferraris is to buy one of North America's leading developers of heart monitoring systems. The Birmingham company will spend [pounds sterling]6m to acquire Del Mar Medical Systems a major supplier of...

Aortech seeks buyer for heart valve and monitoring businesses. (The Week).
January 10, 2003... While Ferrari's expands, fellow UK heart specialist Aortech International signalled a retreat on several fronts. Aortech will seek a buyer for its two major commercial businesses, which manufacture artificial heart valves and cardiac...

New year boost as CDT given go-ahead for use in US mining. (The Week).
January 10, 2003... Clean Diese Technology (CDT), which is developing catalysts to reduce emissions from diesel engines, received a new year boost when US safety authorities approved its system for use in the mining industry. The federal go-ahead opens the way...

Osmetech poised for US approval for its 'e-nose' technology. (The Week).
January 10, 2003... Osmetech the UK firm developing e-nose technology for medical diagnostic applications claimed it is poised to gain US regulatory approval for its device. The company said it expects the US Food and Drug Administration to clear one of its...

Even in a recession you can't get enough of IT: investment in IT has fallen by the steepest level in more than 30 years. But this is no time to make-do and mend. (Comment).
January 10, 2003... LOOKING BACK over what was probably the worst year in the short history of the information technology industry, at first glance it looks as if we've finally had enough of IT. Sales of hardware and software have slumped, leading to a spate of...

A giant leap backwards. (The Final Countdown).
January 10, 2003... In the 1960s the US manned space programme seemed to be well on the way to revealing the secrets of the universe. But since the end of the Cold War, NASA's mismanagement and a change of economic policy have shaftered that heroic dream. THE...

Quality controller: he may have had an unconventional education, but the unassuming man who gave the world the three-way catalytic converter has won a host of awards and an RAEng Fellowship for his work. (Profile: Barry Cooper).
January 10, 2003... IF THERE HAS been an improvement in air quality in our congested town and city centres, or if the sight of a diesel vehicle belching out black smoke is slightly rarer these days, then to a large extent you can thank the efforts of one man. ...

Letters.
January 10, 2003... Window on the truth It's not often responsible writers tell the truth about Microsoft in well respected magazines. So it was refreshing to read Fiona Harvey's article 'It's time Microsoft dealt customers a better hand' (Comment, 6...

The Lunar Men. (Books: Review).
January 10, 2003... Jenny Uglow Faber and Faber, [pounds sterling]25 ***** A mixture of science, social history and an extraordinary cast of characters makes The Lunar Men a potent brew. Jenny Uglow's book tells the story of the Lunar Society of...

Flight: 100 Years of Aviation. (Books: Review).
January 10, 2003... RG Grant Dorling Kindersley, [pounds sterling]30 ***** To mark the first century of powered flight the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, have teamed up with Dorling Kindersley to...

The Science of Superheroes. (Books: Review).
January 10, 2003... Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg Wiley, [pounds sterling]14.99 ***** You would imagine the fact that superheroes are ridiculous fantasy figures that have no basis whatsoever in science would be obvious to everyone. But apparently...

Battle stations: Catalina flying boat. (TV).
January 10, 2003... Better known as the Cat, this bomber (pictured) was one of the great designs of World War ll. Veterans describe their exploits. Channel 4. 16 Jan, 8pm

Engineering and the arts. (Lectures).
January 10, 2003... Royal Institution, London, Looks at the advantages in strengthening the link between engineering and the arts and how this can be achieved. 12 Feb. 020 7670 2985, www.rigb.org

IEE faraday lecture. (Lectures).
January 10, 2003... UK venues. Aimed at school students, this annual lecture is a presentation of art in science and engineering. This year's title is 'Fighting Crime with Science'. Starts 28 Jan. Contact Kerry Leslie, 01793 444209, www.epsrc.ac.uk

Treasures from the deep. (Exhibitions).
January 10, 2003... National Railway Museum, York In 1857 a ship carrying two steam locomotives bound for Nova Scotia sank off Scotland, The pieces have now been brought to the surface and this exhibition tells the story. Continuing. 01904 621261, www.nrm.org.uk

Working water project. (Exhibitions).
January 10, 2003... The Museum of London has unveiled a full-scale working example of a Roman water-lifting machine. It was created following the discovery in 2001 of the remains of two first century machines in the City of London, Continuing. 020 7600 0807....

Brain Teaser.
January 10, 2003... An electrical student had been learning Ohm's Law. He decided to test his knowledge on a 60W 240V light bulb. He calculated the operating current to be 60/240 = 0.25 amps, and the resistance, using R=V/i, to be 240V/0.25A = 960 ohms. He then...

Your Brain Teaser could win a trip to thinktank.
January 10, 2003... Next issue's published Brain Teaser wins a family ticket (admitting up to four people) to Thinktank, Birmingham's museum of science and discovery. Thinktank's 10 interactive galleries on four floors illustrate how science and technology...

Do you call here often? (Patent of the Week).
January 10, 2003... Some inventions change the world, others are a lawsuit waiting to happen. The 'point-to-call' mobile phone system could go either way. As described by its inventors point-to-call apparently allows mobile phone use s to ring up complete...

Time to back nuclear power.
January 24, 2003... The UK has come a long way since the end of the Cold War when debates about nuclear energy were often enmeshed with arguments about nuclear weapons. Opponents of the nuclear arms race often brandished Nuclear Power? No Thanks!' signs in the...

Vibrations. (Good).
January 24, 2003... VIBRATIONS: A mobile phone company n the US claims its handsets will allow users to send each other a range of different physical sensations. Immersion said its vibe-tones would express emotions like anger in the form of a slap with a short,...

Electric toothbrushes. (Good).
January 24, 2003... ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSHES: The dentist's favourite gadget, the electric toothbrush, has been found to be no better at stopping gum disease and plaque build-up than a manual brush. But the question is: is the tooth fairy still alive and brushing?

Scotland. (Bad).
January 24, 2003... Scotland: The North has so little sunshine it scuppered a European victory tour for the world's fastest solar-powered car. The [pounds sterling]1m vehicle, which can reach 100mph, could not even start due to Scotland's cloudy sky.

Boffins. (Bad).
January 24, 2003... BOFFINS: should not be referred to by that word, according to the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies. Its president, Dr Jeckell, said that boffin suggested weird old men in flapping coats pouring strange chemicals...

Ships get moor attractive.
January 24, 2003... MOORING SHIPS with magnets will be tested at Rotterdam in the Netherlands later this year. A series of powerful electromagnets will be built into the quay to moor giant container ships. If the system works it could save the port [pounds...

A licence to still more internet.
January 24, 2003... THE GOVERNMENT this week gave a boost to the roll-out of wireless broadband internet 'hot spots' at public venues such as cafes and hotels by freeing up extra room on the radio spectrum. It will change radio licensing regulations to allow...

Aisle trial radio tags, says Tesco.
January 24, 2003... SUPERMARKET chain Tesco has become the first European retailer to trial radio frequency identification (REID) tags on a product in its stores. The retailer will place REID tags on packs of Gillette Mach3 razor blades at one of its stores...

US electric combat vehicle comes out of the shadows.
January 24, 2003... THE SHADOW, the US military's first hybrid electric combat vehicle, has completed a 1,000-mile demonstration test, It negotiated mountain passes, snow and rough urban terrain, and will undergo additional trials in March. The four-wheel...

US could make lightning strike on Iraq in the Gulf.
January 24, 2003... US FORCES in the Gulf could be equipped with a missile that delivers a lightning bolt to knock out enemy electronics and communications systems. The High Powered Microwave Weapon is reported to be capable of unleashing two billion watts from...

NASA goes to work on a pumpkin.
January 24, 2003... NASA IS making final preparations for the launch of its Ultra Long Duration Balloon (ULDB), the largest super-pressure balloon ever to be flown. The pumpkin-shaped balloon, made from lightweight polyethylene film about the thickness of...

ESA's biggest rocket fails to get off the ground.
January 24, 2003... DEVELOPMENT of the European Space Agency's biggest rocket, the Ariane 5-ESCB, has been put on hold following a failed launch in December. This latest version of the Ariane 5 is designed to lift 12 tonnes into orbit. An ESA spokesman said that...

Fingering criminals has never been so sweet.
January 24, 2003... A MOBILE system that allows police to rapidly check the fingerprints of suspects against those of known criminals has been unveiled in the US. The system, called Sweet-finger, scans, processes and transmits fingerprints to a central...

Sea-ing is believing as troubled Osprey flies with head held high.
January 24, 2003... THE MARINE variant of the troubled V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft has successfully performed a flight manoeuvre while at sea. The plane, which was grounded two years ago after two fatal crashes, is designed to tip its two propeller engines to...

Will mobiles finnish traffic jams?
January 24, 2003... FINLAND'S transport ministry is to use mobile phone signals to time people's car journeys in order to detect traffic jams. Every handset regularly links with a base station and by monitoring 5 per cent of mobiles the government believes it can...

The sky in the eye.
January 24, 2003... A TECHNOLOGY developed to allow astronomers to see distant stars with a ground-based telescope almost as well as with the Hubble Space Telescope can be used to diagnose eye diseases earlier, helping to prevent blindness. The computerised...

Early warning system: scanning cancer tumours magnetically could make MRI tests a million times more sensitive.
January 24, 2003... THE DETECTION and treatment of cancer tumours could be dramatically improved by techniques being developed to make medical imaging technology up to one million times more sensitive. The techniques also have possible uses in the oil and gas...

Hyperpolarisation techniques. (News).
January 24, 2003... THERE ARE various methods of hyperpolarising nuclei, and the research teams will be investigating each to determine which is the most effective, as part of the [pounds sterling]21 m Basic Technology Programme funded by Research Councils UK. ...

A known goal: football tagging system could help referees' decisions. (News).
January 24, 2003... A UK UNIVERSITY aims to create a radio tagging system that can track the movement of sports players to within a few centimetres. The system, which could revolutionise refereeing and sports training regimes and give TV viewers instant access...

Driven without destruction: US police trial in-car system allowing them to access data while driving at high speed. (News).
January 24, 2003... POLICE IN THE US are testing the first command-and-control system specifically designed for use in patrol cars. The Tacnet system, developed by automotive technology giant Visteon, turns the interior of a standard police vehicle into something...

Trafficking in safety: affordable radar early warning beacons could end motorway pile-ups in poor conditions. (News).
January 24, 2003... MOTORWAY pile-ups caused by poor visibility could be eliminated by a beacon that warns motorists of stationary traffic ahead, its US inventors claim. The device, roughly the same shape and size as a cat's eye, would be placed at regular...

Fission mission: the ESA funds research into a mission to Mars, though plans for manned flights are shelved. (News).
January 24, 2003... A EUROPEAN mission to send astronauts to Mars would be based on spacecraft powered by nuclear reactors, according to researchers at Qinetiq. Although the future holds little prospect of more funding for manned space flight (see The...

Roll call: sensor system alerts ferries to sea conditions.
January 24, 2003... FERRY PASSENGERS in the Mediterranean could benefit from faster journeys and less seasickness, with the development of a sensor monitoring system. At present ships' captains tend to slow down as soon as they experience bad weather to ensure...

Dogs have had their day: a system capable of detecting a trillionth of gram of drugs could oust the canine nose. (News).
January 24, 2003... A DEVICE capable of detecting tiny quantities of heroin and cocaine on clothing or boxes could become a powerful weapon in the fight against drug smuggling. The system, developed by Swedish firm Biosensor Applications, can identify...

Properties developers: US team creates a switchable surface that could revolutionise printing, medical science and electronics. (News).
January 24, 2003... RESEARCHERS IN the US have created a surface that can change its properties without altering its chemistry, which could advance fields ranging from medical science to biology, printing and electronics. The material, developed by a team from...

Electrical pulses used to control inactive limbs. (News).
January 24, 2003... FOR the first time paralysed people have been able to stand up and balance for several minutes without the aid of a support, using a new technique to control muscle movement developed at Glasgow University. Researchers in the university's...

Off-the-shelf quantum desktops: researchers attempt to integrate the functions of quantum physics into conventional PCs. (News).
January 24, 2003... QUANTUM COMPUTERS could form part of everyday PC technology, providing super-fast processing for specialist tasks, if a UK research project is successful. Applications could include breaking the world's toughest encryption systems,...

Crash barrier: UK researchers investigate a control system to fly damaged aircraft to safety. (News).
January 24, 2003... A SOPHISTICATED autopilot that could land a damaged plane safely is being developed in the UK. When engines, ailerons or other systems fail, the pilot may be unaware of the extent of the problem and fly into disaster. The...

A click round the ear could keep credit cards secure. (News).
January 24, 2003... CASH CARD FRAUD and mobile phone theft could be prevented by a device identifying individuals by a clicking sound produced in the ear. The technology, being researched at Southampton University, is based on the routine tests used to detect...

Doctor, I shrunk the lab: researchers could bring all the power of an optical laboratory to a single chip. (News).
January 24, 2003... DOCTORS COULD soon carry an entire optical laboratory in their pockets, allowing them to diagnose disease and prescribe treatments for individuals based on their cells' response to different drugs. Optical systems allow biologists to look...