Touch screens such as those found on the iPhone or iPad are the latest form of technology allowing interaction with smart phones, computers and other devices. However, scientists at Fraunhofer FIT has developed the next generation non-contact gesture and finger recognition system. The novel system detects hand and finger positions in real-time and translates these [...]
Archive for the ‘Engineering’ Category
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Juno Spacecraft Armored Up to Go to Jupiter
July 16th, 2010 NASA’s Juno spacecraft will be forging ahead into a treacherous environment at Jupiter with more radiation than any other place NASA has ever sent a spacecraft, except the sun. In a specially filtered cleanroom in Denver, where Juno is being assembled, engineers recently added a unique protective shield around its sensitive electronics. New pictures of [...]
Biofuel Quest: Genome Signatures Enable Tracking of Algal Complexity
July 16th, 2010 On the long and difficult road toward a carbon-neutral source of transportation fuels, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is pursuing a diversified approach. This effort involves exploring a range of potential new fuel sources in nature: from plants that may serve as cellulosic feedstocks — fast-growing trees and perennial grasses on land — to [...]
110-Foot Concrete Bridge Withstands 8.0 Earthquake Simulation
June 15th, 2010 After a succession of eight separate earthquake simulations, a 110-foot long, 200-ton concrete bridge model at the University of Nevada, Reno withstood a powerful jolting, three times the acceleration of the disastrous 1994 magnitude 6.9 Northridge, Calif. earthquake, and survived in good condition. “This is very satisfying to see how well the design and components [...]
Towards Nanowire Solar Cells With a 65-Percent Efficiency
June 12th, 2010 Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/) researchers want to develop solar cells with an efficiency of over 65 percent by means of nanotechnology. In Southern Europe and North Africa these new solar cells can generate a substantial portion of the European demand for electricity. The Dutch government reserves EUR 1.2 million for the research. The current [...]
New Process Is Promising for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars
June 10th, 2010 A new process for storing and generating hydrogen to run fuel cells in cars has been invented by chemical engineers at Purdue University. The process, given the name hydrothermolysis, uses a powdered chemical called ammonia borane, which has one of the highest hydrogen contents of all solid materials, said Arvind Varma, R. Games Slayter Distinguished [...]
On a Roll: Designing the Next Rover to Explore Mars
June 2nd, 2010 The concept of a wind-powered vehicle that can be used to explore the surface of Mars — a so-called “tumbleweed rover” that would roll over the surface of Mars like a tumbleweed — has been around for more than 10 years, but so far there has been no consensus on exactly what that vehicle should [...]
First Images of Heavy Electrons in Action: Characteristics of ‘Hidden Order’ in Unusual Uranium Compound
June 2nd, 2010 Using a microscope designed to image the arrangement and interactions of electrons in crystals, scientists have captured the first images of electrons that appear to take on extraordinary mass under certain extreme conditions. The technique reveals the origin of an unusual electronic phase transition in one particular material, and opens the door to further explorations [...]
Microbe Power as a Green Means to Hydrogen Production
June 1st, 2010 Scientists have been hard at work harnessing the power of microbes as an attractive source of clean energy. Now, Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University researcher Dr. Prathap Parameswaran and his colleagues have investigated a means for enhancing the efficiency of clean energy production by using specialized bacteria. Microbial electrochemical cells or MXCs are able [...]
Military Develops Multi-Purpose ‘Green’ Decontaminants for Terrorist Attack Sites
April 10th, 2010 Chemists with the United States military have developed a set of ultra-strength cleaners that could be used in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. The new formulas are tough enough to get rid of nerve gas, mustard gas, radioactive isotopes, and anthrax. But they are also non-toxic, based on ingredients found in foods, cosmetics, and [...]