The Leading Source for Design Engineering News & Insight
Manufacturers Gather to Share Knowledge, Discuss Efforts
May 23, 2013 10:09 am | by Society of Manufacturing Engineers | Society Of Manufacturing Engineers | News | CommentsSharing information, driving innovation in manufacturing and preparing an advanced manufacturing workforce will be the focus of the 2013 Society of Manufacturing Engineers Annual Conference to be held June 2-4, 2013, at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Md.
Maple Global Optimization Toolbox Offers Greater Problem-Solving Capabilities
May 23, 2013 10:01 am | by Maplesoft | Maplesoft | News | CommentsMaplesoft has announced a major new release of the Maple Global Optimization Toolbox for solving a wide variety of optimization problems in mathematics, engineering, and the sciences. For this new release, Maplesoft has partnered with Noesis Solutions to develop a new version of the Maple Global Optimization Toolbox that is powered by Optimus technology.
Electricity-Generating Shoes
May 23, 2013 9:31 am | by Rice University | News | CommentsA group of Rice University mechanical engineering students are getting a charge out of having the coolest new shoes on campus. As their capstone project that is required for graduation, four seniors created a way to extract and store energy with every step. Their PediPower shoes turn motion into juice for portable electronics and, perhaps someday, for life-preserving medical devices.
Hack a Banana, Make a Keyboard!
May 23, 2013 9:22 am | by TED | Videos | CommentsWhy can't two slices of pizza be used as a slide clicker? Why shouldn't you make music with ketchup? In this charming talk, inventor Jay Silver talks about the urge to play with the world around you. He shares some of his messiest inventions, and demos MaKey MaKey, a kit for hacking everyday objects.
Shoe-Mounted Generator
May 23, 2013 9:12 am | by Rice University | Videos | CommentsThe PediPower hits the ground before any other part of the prototype shoe. A lever arm strikes first. It is attached to a gearbox that replaces much of the shoe’s sole and turns the gears a little with each step. The gears drive a motor mounted on the outside of the shoe that generates electricity to send up to the battery.
Herb the Robot
May 23, 2013 9:07 am | by Slightly Overdone | Videos | CommentsWho said Robots shouldn't dress cool. Herb was created out of the desire to create a more natural neckjoint for a Robot, and a more efficient eye-rig. And beside the technical parts, also to explore the possibilities to add even more character to the Robot's appearance.
Teardown: JBC CD-2BB Soldering Station
May 23, 2013 9:04 am | by EEVblog | Videos | CommentsIn this EEVblog Teardown, what's inside the JBC CD-2BB soldering station?
Stricken Japan Nuke Plant Struggles to Keep Staff
May 23, 2013 5:49 am | by Yuri Kageyama - AP Business Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsKeeping the meltdown-stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in northeastern Japan in stable condition requires a cast of thousands. Increasingly the plant's operator is struggling to find enough workers, a trend that many expect to worsen and hamper progress in the decades-long effort to safely...
Chevy Spark to Be Among Lowest-Price Electric Cars
May 23, 2013 12:02 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsGeneral Motors Co. says the Spark EV subcompact will be among the lowest-priced electric cars in the U.S. The electric Spark will have a starting price of $27,495 when it goes on sale next month in California and Oregon. GM also is offering a low-mileage lease for $199 per month, with $999 due...
Rig Manager Testifies in Shell Barge Grounding
May 22, 2013 10:27 pm | by DAN JOLING - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsAfter drifting toward shore on a floating drill rig tilted by 30-foot swells and 45-knot winds, then riding a basket up to a hovering Coast Guard helicopter, Todd Case said he would revise the towing plan for the vessel on a winter trip across the Gulf of Alaska. In hindsight, he told a Coast...
GM Recalling Cadillac SUVs to Tighten Wheels
May 22, 2013 7:03 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsGeneral Motors Co. is recalling more than 27,000 Cadillac SUVs worldwide because the wheels can fall off. The company says the recall affects the 2013 Cadillac SRX with 18-inch wheels. Canadian safety regulators say the wheel nuts may not have been tightened enough at the factory. GM says the...
Navy's unmanned ocean recon craft makes 1st flight
May 22, 2013 5:32 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsAn unmanned jet built for U.S. Navy high-altitude maritime surveillance missions has made its first flight. Northrop Grumman Corp. says the MQ-4C Triton took off from Palmdale, Calif., Wednesday and completed a 90-minute flight. The aircraft is designed to fly missions lasting up to 24 hours at...
Pro-Motion Software for Easy Setup of Embedded Motion Controllers
May 22, 2013 5:20 pm | by Performance Motion Devices, Inc. | Performance Motion Devices, Inc. | News | CommentsPerformance Motion Devices has announced a major new release of its Pro-Motion software for Windows-based environments. Pro-Motion 5.0 adds a number of key capabilities including an upgraded axis setup wizard, support for SPI-based motion amplifiers including PMD's ATLAS digital amplifier products, and support for all-in-one embedded motion cards and systems.
Sciaky Enters Partnership with EVOBEAM
May 22, 2013 4:53 pm | by Sciaky | News | CommentsSciaky, a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries (PSI) and leading provider of additive manufacturing solutions, announced today that it has entered into a business partnership with EVOBEAM GmbH of Mainz, Germany to further expand its electron beam (EB) welding product portfolio.
Discovering the Mathematics-Based Gömböc Shape
May 22, 2013 1:39 pm | by Maplesoft | Maplesoft | Articles | CommentsWhen the existence of the Gömböc shape was discovered in 2007 by Hungarian scientists Gábor Domokos and Péter Várkonyi, it solved a long standing mystery. For years mathematicians had discussed, debated and tried to prove its existence using mathematical equations.
