The Engineer articles from May 2006

The Engineer archives from May 2006

ENGINEER 1856-2006: Happy birthday, The Engineer.
May 8, 2006... If every anniversary is worth celebrating, some deserve the status of a truly special occasion. We trust you will agree that 150 years is very special indeed, and in that spirit hope you enjoy the souvenir edition of The Engineer that...

THE BIG PICTURE: Cutting to the chase.
May 8, 2006... Environmentally friendly trimaran aims to beat world circumnavigation record by piercing the waves A biodiesel-fuelled trimaran will attempt to break the powerboat world record for circumnavigating the globe. According to its...

THE BIG PICTURE: Rotors lose their bearings.
May 8, 2006... Eurocopter has celebrated a milestone in the development of advanced rotor technology at its Donauworth plant in Germany. Following the first flight of a BK117 helicopter with an adaptive rotor system in September 2005, April 2006 saw the...

THE BIG PICTURE: Crushing advance for troops.
May 8, 2006... The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and US Army have unveiled the Crusher unmanned ground combat vehicle at Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Centre in Pittsburgh. Crusher is a six-wheeled,...

IN BRIEF: Insect's eye vision.(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Using the eyes of insects as models, a team of bioengineers at the University of California, Berkeley has created a series of artificial compound eyes. These could eventually be used as cameras or sensory detectors to capture visual or...

IN BRIEF: Diamonds are for grading.(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Researchers at Cambridge University have developed iGem, a system to make the grading of diamonds more consistent. Four diamond experts were asked to grade 503 computer-generated stones and their opinions were then used as a set of rules for...

IN BRIEF: Scottish Executive launches new wave of research.(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... One of the UK's biggest studies into the environmental effects of marine renewable energy has begun in Scotland. The Scottish Executive has commissioned the study to examine the effects of using tidal and wave power to generate energy. The...

NEWS: Steering group.
May 8, 2006... Industry and academia combine to help create safer and more environmentally-friendly HGVs A consortium of manufacturers and academics is planning to create safer, more efficient and environmentally-friendly heavy goods vehicles. Its next...

NEWS: Sense of speed.
May 8, 2006... Wireless sensing technology on track to help improve UK athletes' performance at 2012 Olympics Top sprinters from the UK hoping to compete in the 2012 Olympics are to get a head start thanks to a project that will use wireless sensing...

NEWS: Harvesting renewable energy from heat.
May 8, 2006... Tiny microgenerators that create power from heat could provide a lightweight, renewable alternative to batteries for wireless sensor systems. Southampton University researchers hope to develop a micro-machined generator that can produce a...

NEWS: Sea change.
May 8, 2006... Wind-powered kinetic energy system claims to desalinate seawater more efficiently Offshore wind turbines could turn seawater into drinking water more efficiently by using kinetic energy instead of electricity. A new design that...

NEWS: Hirsute machines.
May 8, 2006... Researchers replicate rats' whiskers to improve the sensory capabilities of autonomous robots Rats may be feared and loathed, but they have one feature that some humans are eager to replicate - whiskers. These long, stiff hairs, known as...

NEWS: Making light work of headlamp versatility.
May 8, 2006... Drivers of the new generation Mercedes E-Class will benefit from the results of a 10-year, e50m (#34m) multi-national European research project. The Advanced Front Lighting System project, co-ordinated by the EU's Eureka project, has...

NEWS: Arm control.
May 8, 2006... Robot aims to help stroke victims recover lost skills by stimulating healthy parts of the brain Researchers at Nottingham University are using a robot to give stroke victims a helping hand by enabling them to learn to use healthy parts...

NEWS: Helping the aged.
May 8, 2006... A mobile phone device that could be a lifesaver for the elderly and infirm has been developed. While most young people carry a mobile, uptake among older people is much lower because they can be complicated, the buttons too small and the...

NEWS: Far-sighted.
May 8, 2006... Five-year US research project to investigate the benefits of OCT in early glaucoma diagnosis Biomedical engineers hope to save the sight of millions by pushing the boundaries of an established imaging device. They aim to use optical...

NEWS: Taking radiotherapy soundings.
May 8, 2006... Radiotherapy is an essential part of cancer treatment, but it is difficult to ascertain precisely how much radiation a tumour has received. In a bid to solve this problem, engineers at Purdue University, Indiana have invented a monitoring...

BUSINESS: Voller shows remote interest in new markets.
May 8, 2006... Voller Energy, the Hampshire developer of portable fuel cell technology, hopes to tap into a range of new markets with the launch of a system that can recharge equipment by remote control. The new cell is aimed at devices such as...

BUSINESS: IDMoS gets teeth into early-stage dental work.
May 8, 2006... Dundee specialist set to launch system to exploit worldwide shift towards preventive management Medical technology specialist IDMoS says it is on course to commercialise a new dental analysis system by the end of the year. The Dundee...

VIEWPOINT: Wider outlook.
May 8, 2006... The scope of photonics is broadening by the day. From fast internet to LEDs to healthcare, the industry has promising potential, says Viviane Reding The photonics industry employs around 200,000 people in Europe, and two million other...

LETTER: VAT's enough.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2006... I am sure that everone on the planet who drives an oil-based fuel car would love to be able to replace it with a hybrid, like the Honda Civic. This is only available in a saloon and is manufactured in the US. The price is a little high...

LETTER: Unhealthy situation.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2006... Mr Mynott is rather sweeping in his assertions on health (Letters, 24 April). Maybe some areas of the world have fewer identified cancers because people generally die younger of other diseases. Cancer is not one disease but a whole series...

LETTER: Flight scandal.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2006... How much longer can the scandal of no-fuel duty on aviation fuel continue, in the light of the consensus now emerging on the dire consequences of global warming? Fuel duty will come, and about time too. Engineers should be preparing, by...

LETTER: Loads of trouble.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2006... Every day, radio travel reports announce 'a lorry has overturned', which begs the questions why, how and what causes this - and what are engineers doing to resolve the problem? It seems to me that we need to have better vehicle speed...

NANOTECHNOLOGY: Particles of hope.
May 8, 2006... Nanotech is being heralded as a white knight for the developing world, with the potential to eradicate poverty, disease and pollution. Julia Pierce reports Six years into a new millennium and around five billion people in the developing...

INTERVIEW: Water works.(Interview)
May 8, 2006... Dr Tom Smith believes that a modern take on a centuries-old technology could bring low-cost irrigation to poor regions of the world. Jon Excell reports Motivated by a burning desire to improve the lives of the world's poorest people,...

DESIGN ENGINEERING: Breath test.
May 8, 2006... New generation of powder inhalers that could have a positive impact on the lives of millions of asthma sufferers makes its debut in the US. Stuart Nathan reports Asthmatics and those with other pulmonary disorders could soon benefit from...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - PROSTHETIC TECHNOLOGY: Covering the angles.
May 8, 2006... German researchers claim to have developed prosthetic leg which mimics the exact sequence of movements that the foot makes during walking. Stuart Nathan reports Generally, we take our bodies for granted. How its various mechanisms...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - DESIGN SOFTWARE: Design centre.
May 8, 2006... Full integration between computer-aided simulation and design means that products, parts and processes can be worked on by different departments concurrently. Charles Clarke explains Past efforts to apply computer-aided engineering (CAE)...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - MACHINE BUILDING: Safety first.
May 8, 2006... The Victorians combined brass and unprotected cogwheels in their great industrial sculptures of machines. But as design has evolved, the emphasis has swung from aesthetics to safety. Colin Carter explains Building machines today isn't the...

PATENT ROUND-UP.
May 8, 2006... Net result A non-lethal means of immobilising hijackers on board an aircraft has been patented (US7014147). A net made from high-tensile steel is embedded in the floor in a number of locations throughout the aircraft. The net is connected...

COMMENT: Lofty aspirations for the airship.
May 22, 2006... Here at The Engineer we have been scouring the history books quite a lot recently, and it is fascinating to chart the evolution of technology's success stories, also-rans and never-weres. The airship is an interesting example of a...

THE BIG PICTURE: Taking the legwork out of walking.
May 22, 2006... Two-legged robot would be several steps up from the wheelchair A researcher in Japan has developed the world's first biped walking robot that is capable of carrying a person. Created by Atsuo Takanishi, an engineering professor at Tokyo's...

THE BIG PICTURE: UAVs join the jet set.
May 22, 2006... An innovative jet-powered UAV developed by EADS has completed its first fully autonomous flight tests in Spain. The Barracuda experimental aircraft completed a 20-minute pre-programmed course without any control from the ground, and has paved...

THE BIG PICTURE: Full throttle for Mille Miglia.
May 22, 2006... BMW has unveiled a concept car that combines modern technology and historical styling prior to this year's Mille Miglia race in Brescia, Italy. While taking its inspiration from the famous BMW 328 racing car, the new model is underpinned with...

IN Brief: Green light for biomolecular motor nanotechnology.(Brief article)
May 22, 2006... Researchers from Delft University of Technology's Kavli Institute of Nanoscience have discovered how to use the motors of biological cells in extremely small channels on a chip. Based on this, they built a transport system that uses...

IN Brief: Breaking the silicon code.(Brief article)
May 22, 2006... Danish researchers claim that a significant linear electro-optic effect can be induced in silicon by breaking the crystal symmetry. This is done by depositing a straining layer on top of a silicon waveguide that induces a non-linear...

IN Brief: Giving troops the cold foot.(Brief article)
May 22, 2006... Heat can be a deadly enemy for soldiers in desert war zones, so researchers in the US are developing a wearable micro-climate cooling system. The system will be placed in soldiers' boots and under their battledress overgarment hoods. The...

NEWS: Signalling a new TV era.
May 22, 2006... BAE develops high-definition wireless system which claims to improve live television broadcast quality BAE Systems has developed a wireless TV studio system which will not only allow cameramen far greater freedom of movement, but also...

NEWS: Looking to the future.
May 22, 2006... MoD awards joint UK team #8m contract to develop 'third generation' thermal imagers A new generation of thermal imaging technology offering much higher resolution and sensitivity is to be developed by a UK research team comprising...

NEWS: Making light work of medical monitoring.
May 22, 2006... The hand-held Tricorder used by 'Bones' McCoy on Star Trek's USS Enterprise to scan patients in his futuristic sick bay may be fictional - but today's optical engineers are developing a tool which uses light to reveal the structure of body...

NEWS: Beaming in on safety.
May 22, 2006... Mercedes unveils truck featuring suite of sensor systems that could cut road accidents German engineers have unveiled what they claim is the world's safest truck. Bristling with the very latest active safety systems, the so- called...

NEWS: Nervous energy.
May 22, 2006... Dutch researchers boost plastic electronics technology with fabrication of the first molecular diodes The emerging technology of plastic electronic circuits has been boosted by the construction of the first molecular diodes. The...

NEWS: A display of huge versatility.
May 22, 2006... Cheaper, longer-lasting and more versatile materials for high- performance flat panel displays claim to have been perfected by DuPont, which will use them to improve the manufacture of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). These need less...

NEWS: Chips are up.
May 22, 2006... German collaboration devises chip designed to handle broadband internet data faster and cheaper As the demand for faster broadband internet grows, so does the need for technology that can handle ever-increasing amounts of data quickly...

NEWS: UK project seeks to build multiple-hop antenna system.
May 22, 2006... Entire communities may soon be networked by meshes of radio transmissions that will carry much more data than existing wired services. A new kind of antenna will act as a relay node, forwarding signals through the air to link eventually with...

NEWS: Full-filling.
May 22, 2006... Project investigates the viability of turning landfill waste into liquid to generate energy Energy experts at Aston University have joined forces with UK waste company Biffa to investigate a new method of recovering energy from landfill...

NEWS: Kicking the fossil fuel habit.
May 22, 2006... Better batteries for hybrid cars are one goal for scientists planning to use supercomputers to model new materials at the nano-scale. They are imitating the way the pharmaceutical industry makes new drugs, by investigating the chemical...

NEWS: Sensational.
May 22, 2006... DARPA-funded initiative aims to develop bionic arm that moves naturally in response to thought Researchers at the University of Utah have begun a four-year project to develop a bionic arm that moves naturally in response to thought and...

FOCUS: Electric storm.
May 22, 2006... Two projects to research and harness wind energy look set to put windfarms on the European map as a signficant source of power. Niall Firth reports Lately, it would seem as though expert opinion over the UK's energy future has been...

BUSINESS: Turbo Genset on track for Beijing Olympics contract.
May 22, 2006... Turbo Genset - the UK designer and manufacturer of power systems - has secured a $1.5m (#800,000) contract with rail giant Bombardier Transportation for work on a major Chinese project. The Middlesex company will provide 40 auxiliary power...

BUSINESS: BOC steps on the gas.
May 22, 2006... UK giant's finances in good shape as it prepares for #8bn takeover by Linde A strong financial showing in the first half of the year ensured that the UK's global gas giant BOC will be in good shape when it is taken over by German rival...

VIEWPOINT: Giving the game away.
May 22, 2006... Entertainment software is quietly having a major influence on more serious aspects of our lives, providing applications such as training videos for the Army and healthcare programs for patients Several notable technologies that were...

LETTER: A happy anniversary.(Letter to the editor)
May 22, 2006... I have read and enjoyed many of your Engineer 150 pieces. I was a little surprised, however, by a few of the articles chosen for inclusion and some that were left out. As he is considered our greatest engineer, I thought there could be...

LETTER: Burning issue.(Letter to the editor)
May 22, 2006... According to your article 'Water works' (Interview, 8 May) the flame organ was 'an 18th century musical curiosity'. This implies the instrument has not been used for a century, and only its unusual principles are of interest today. The...

AIRSHIPS: Return of the blimp.
May 22, 2006... The future of the airship did not go down with the Hindenburg. A new generation of these magnificent flying machines is about to be used for communications, military surveillance and more. Niall Firth reports The residents of Akron, Ohio...

INTERVIEW: Watching brief.(Interview)
May 22, 2006... From counter-terrorism to drug detection to humanitarian aid, Frank Asbeck directs operations at the European Union Satellite Centre. Niall Firth reports on his increasingly crucial role Hidden amid a sea of acronym-rich institutions, the...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - AUTOMATION: Air conditioning.
May 22, 2006... Airbus flies in the face of tradition with the introduction of automated wing production lines for airliners and military transports. Stuart Nathan reports Airbus flies in the face of tradition with the introduction of automated wing...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - NANOSTRUCTURES: Stressed out.
May 22, 2006... Joint UK-US research into technique to force metal around corners and stretch it to shape could mean safer, lower cost manufacture of tiny mechanical devices. Stuart Nathan reports Forcing metal round corners could be a vital step in the...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - CONDITION MONITORING: Mission control.
May 22, 2006... With constant pressure to increase productivity, condition monitoring technology is sure to become a vital tool in a plant engineer's portfolio. Mark Venables explains With growing integration between the control functions within...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - SOFTWARE: Meeting demands.(Company overview)
May 22, 2006... A highly interactive graphical planning environment with integrated business intelligence enables the real-time creation, sharing and monitoring of production plans. Charles Clarke explains The continuing trend in ERP seems to be for the...

Patent round-up: Sensor of light.
May 22, 2006... A mobile phone with an integrated ambient light sensor has received a patent (GB2418808). The sensor recognises when the clamshell-type phone is open and then switches to 'active' mode. When the ambient light falls below a certain level the...

Patent round-up: Saucer-y.
May 22, 2006... An aircraft based on a flying saucer (WO2006045321) uses inverted airflow over the entire craft to generate lift. Air sucked from a turbo fan is forced over the aircraft's body while the high-pressure exhaust gases are expelled from its rear....

Patent round-up: It's a deal.
May 22, 2006... An intelligent card shoe for playing Baccarat without a dealer has received a patent (WO2006041706). The system deals the cards and moves them between the various areas of play in the same order every time. It is fitted with a sensor that reads...