Engineering news
United Airlines plans supersonic flights with Boom
New Atlas
United Airlines has agreed to buy 15 Overture supersonic airliners from Boom, with an option to buy 35 more. The aircraft, which is expected to fly from 2025, will hold up to 88 passengers and fly at up to Mach 1.7 (2,100km/h).
TfL to consider driverless trains
E&T
Transport for London (TfL) will develop a business case for driverless trains after reaching a deal for a £1.08bn funding package from the government. The operator will work towards fully automating at least one entire Underground line, with on-board attendants on each train.
'Electronic nose' accurately sniffs out hard-to-detect cancers
Professional Engineering
A new ‘electronic nose’ can detect and distinguish between hard-to-detect cancers with up to 95% accuracy, its developers have said. The odour-based test, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyse vapour from blood samples, was developed at the University of Pennsylvania.
New battery lay-out could enable longer range for electric car
The Engineer
Start-up Page-Roberts has unveiled a design for a new electric car, with batteries positioned between the front seats and a row of rear-facing seats. The lay-out, which avoids the conventional use of a ‘skateboard’ style arrangement with batteries under the floor, could reduce weight and make the vehicle more aerodynamic.
Manufacturers reduce aircraft backlog
Aerospace Manufacturing
The backlog of orders for commercial aircraft has reduced by 1,000 compared to levels in April last year, as manufacturers plan a return to pre-pandemic production rates. There are still more than 12,800 aircraft on global order books.
Companies get extra cash for taking on new apprentices
Professional Engineering
Companies can now apply for extra funding to help take on new apprentices, with £3,000 available for each new apprentice hired as an employee from 1 April until 30 September. The cash incentive is designed to help more employers invest in the skilled workforce they need for the future.
’Digital fabric’ can store data
New Atlas
Researchers at MIT have developed digital fabric made of fibres with hundreds of integrated silicon chips. The fabric can be made into clothes, and can be used for physiological monitoring or data storage.
Half a million new workers needed for wind industry
Energy Live News
Almost half a million new highly-trained workers will be needed for the global wind industry in the next five years, according to a report from the Global Wind Energy Council, the Global Wind Organisation and the Renewables Consulting Group. More training capability will be needed to meet the target.
Airbus research and test centre ‘will accelerate zero-emission aircraft development’
Professional Engineering
A new £40m research and test facility will accelerate the design, manufacture and eventual operation of zero-emission aircraft, Airbus has said. Jointly funded by the government’s Aerospace Technology Institute programme and the aerospace multinational, the Aerospace Integrated Research and Test Centre (Airtec) opened yesterday (3 June) in Filton, Bristol.
’Digger Finger’ identifies buried objects
The Engineer
Researchers at MIT have developed a robotic finger known as the Digger Finger, which uses ‘tactile sensing’ to identify concealed objects. The device could be adapted for finding underground cables or helping disarm buried bombs.
Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? The Professional Engineering newsletter gives you vital updates on the most cutting-edge engineering and exciting new job opportunities. To sign up, click here.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.