Engineering news
January | Hydrogen to power UK trains
Professional Engineering
Hydrogen trains could carry passengers on routes around the UK as early as 2021 after two pioneers in the field confirmed a new project. Alstom and Eversholt Rail aim to create a “clean train for the modern age” by converting Class 321 trains to run using hydrogen technology.
February | 'Smart' wound dressing will know when you are healing, prevent amputations
Professional Engineering
A ‘smart’ wound dressing will automatically monitor healing and infection, potentially reducing the 7,000 annual lower limb amputations for people with diabetes in England. The disposable dressing would use fibre optic sensors and a standalone opto-electronic unit with smartphone connectivity to monitor multiple biomarkers, including temperature, humidity and pH.
March | Trans-Atlantic robot hand operator feels a connection
The Engineer
An operator in California felt a keyboard, chess and Jenga pieces from the other side of the world, controlling a robotic hand with haptic feedback in London. The system, developed by the Shadow Robot Company, SynTouch, HaptX and ANA Holdings, could be useful for nimble tasks in dangerous environments, such as nuclear decommissioning or space station construction.
We took a more in-depth look at Shadow Robot technology in August.
April | 'Radically new' wing from NASA and MIT automatically changes shape
Professional Engineering
A “radically new” wing made from hundreds of small identical pieces automatically adjusted its shape in response to aerodynamic load, a step that could have major implications for aircraft efficiency and manufacture. The material structure, which is designed to be assembled by ‘swarms’ of small assembly robots, could also be adapted for other modern structures such as space antennas or increasingly large wind turbine blades. The wing’s adaptability could allow much greater flexibility in aircraft design and manufacture.
May | Navy’s new Dragonfire laser weapon gets energy boost from Formula One flywheel
Professional Engineering
Development of the Dragonfire laser weapon was boosted by a flywheel created for Formula One. Officially known as the Dragonfire Laser Directed Energy Weapon, the naval warfare device will reportedly have a power rating of 50kW. The weapon will provide defence and protection from aerial or marine enemies. It could also dazzle enemy equipment.
June | 'Zero carbon footprint supersonic flight' – Boom Supersonic makes huge claim after fuel partnership
Professional Engineering
Boom Supersonic’s claimed that it will make the first ever ‘zero carbon footprint’ supersonic flight next year. The ambitious start-up, which is developing a 55-seat commercial airliner, made the claim after announcing a partnership with little-known fuel company Prometheus. The California firm reportedly “sucks” carbon from the air and uses electricity from renewable sources to convert it into petrol, diesel and jet fuel. Burning just that fuel to power an aircraft could result in no net increase in carbon emissions.
July | Car device blasts water off the road to reduce deadly aquaplaning
Professional Engineering
Built using an inexpensive canister of compressed carbon dioxide and a manual switch to activate a solenoid and release the gas, a prototype was recently tested on Horiba Mira’s specialist aquaplaning and wet road test surfaces. Two systems capable of one-second bursts were fitted to the front wheels, and the car did emergency braking and aquaplaning tests with and without the devices activating.
August | Sucking water from desert air
Professional Engineering
Arid deserts could become lush oases and help prevent the growing issue of water scarcity thanks to a new material that harvests water from dry air. Aimed at providing water to people in dry and off-grid areas worldwide, the metal organic framework was created by Omar Yaghi and colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley. Used in a new water-harvesting device, each kilogram of the material reportedly produced 0.7 litre of water – about one-and-a-quarter pints – per day from the arid air of California’s Mojave Desert.
September | Sportswear-style prosthetics approved
The Engineer
A sportswear-inspired prosthesis designed for accessibility, low cost and ease-of-use received a CE Mark, meaning it can be used for medical applications. The prosthetic arm from Mitt Wearables is combined with a number of interchangeable tools, helping restore independence for users by tackling a variety of tasks.
October | Dry ice to keep your train running on time
Professional Engineering
Researchers from the University of Sheffield were developing a new efficient solution for removing slippery leaves from train lines. The method uses a stream of supersonic air to blast pellets of frozen industrial by-product carbon dioxide – dry ice – at the rail head, freezing leaves and making them brittle. The pellets then turn back into gas, increasing in volume and blasting leaves from the line.
November | 'Smashing' start for Cybertruck
The Guardian
Tesla unveiled its latest electric vehicle, the pickup style Cybertruck, in an extravagant ceremony led by CEO Elon Musk. The vehicle offers trademark fast acceleration and emissions-free travel in a futuristic package. Musk also promoted the truck’s tough armouring – although that took a dent when demonstrations designed to showcase the vehicle’s resilience saw two windows smashed by a metal ball.
December | Low-flying support for delivery drones
Professional Engineering
A new IMechE poll found that only 23% of adults support drone deliveries. Highlighted in a report entitled Public Perceptions: Drones, the potentially surprising low level of support comes from concerns including package theft and accidents. Media coverage of incidents involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) also probably played a part, said IMechE head of engineering Dr Jenifer Baxter to Professional Engineering.
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.