Engineering news
Electric Eel regional aircraft takes off
The Engineer
A hybrid electric aircraft has made its first flights in Scotland. The Electric Eel from Ampaire, which uses batteries and a conventional combustion engine, could be suitable for regional routes.
Starliner capsule issues delay test flight
Space.com
A test flight of Boeing’s ‘astronaut taxi’ Starliner capsule was delayed indefinitely after issues were identified in 13 valves in its propulsion system. The test will include a flight to the International Space Station, followed by a stay of five to 10 days.
Barnacle-inspired glue from MIT seals wounds within seconds
Professional Engineering
Inspired by the sticky substance that barnacles use to cling to rocks, MIT engineers have designed a strong, biocompatible glue that can seal injured tissues and stop bleeding. The new paste can adhere to surfaces even when they are covered with blood, and can form a tight seal within about 15 seconds of application.
Tiny ‘neurograin’ chips form brain-computer interface
Professional Engineering
Tiny chips known as ‘neurograins’ have been combined into a wireless network capable of recording and stimulating brain activity. With potential to one day help people with brain or spinal injuries move or communicate, the brain-computer interface (BCI) system was developed by researchers at Brown University in Rhode Island.
Drone flight algorithm slows down to go fast
Professional Engineering
A drone controlled by a new MIT algorithm can fly through an obstacle course up to 20% quicker than drones with conventional planning algorithms. The new program was designed to find the fastest route around obstacles without crashing. It combines simulated and real flight data from a drone tackling an obstacle course in both physical and virtual space.
Siemens Gamesa to double the size of offshore turbine blade factory
The Engineer
Siemens Gamesa plans to double the size of a Hull factory building blades for offshore wind turbines. The £186m expansion, which could be completed in 2023, will bring 200 new jobs.
3D-printed ‘chain mail’ fabric can stiffen on demand
Professional Engineering
A new type of chain mail-style fabric is flexible like cloth but can stiffen on demand, its developers have said. The 3D-printed fabric of interlocking octahedrons was developed by researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the California Institute of Technology.
Purdue plans hypersonic research facility
The Engineer
Purdue University in Indiana will build a $41m hypersonic research facility. The facility will include the only ‘quiet’ Mach 8 wind tunnel in the world, and a hypersonic pulse shock tunnel.
Graphene binds bacteria-killing molecules to medical implants
Professional Engineering
A new technique for combining bacteria-killing drugs with graphene could help prevent ‘great suffering’ caused by infections, its developers have said. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden developed the new method, in which water-insoluble antibacterial molecules were bound to graphene.
Robotic fish could point way forward for underwater drones
E&T
Researchers at the University of Virginia have developed a technique that enables different cruise speeds in swimming robots. The research could lead to the creation of more efficient underwater vehicles.
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.