ENGGtalks Newsroom

04 Aug 23

When Autonomous Vehicles Collide, Data Takes Over

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation, Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

When a self-driving car is involved in an accident, its data tells the story—which can be essential for crash investigators to determine who or what was at fault, as well as for automakers to apply lessons learned to make their self-driving systems smarter and safer. In 2004, IEEE Standards Association…

04 Aug 23

Adopting robots makes profits drop before they rise, study finds

Computer & Information Technology

As demand for industrial robots surges, new research suggests the rewards are slow to materialise. According to the Cambridge University study, robots typically cause early losses before they can yield a payoff. The researchers analysed industry data across 25 EU countries between 1996 and 2017. They found that when adoption levels are…

04 Aug 23

Cornwall tests lifesaving drone service

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation

The drone service is is being tested at Crantock Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, as part of an operational lifeguard service. The trial is being carried out by the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) and the RNLI, with drones developed by Eagle Eye Innovations (EEI). The drones, manufactured by…

04 Aug 23

Report finds renewables expansion requires UK electricity network revamp

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation, Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

Nick Winser, who now provides independent advice to ministers on electricity network issues, said that, while challenging, speeding up the delivery of strategic electricity transmission lines is “vital and achievable”. Winser also suggests that new power lines could be built in half the time compared to current infrastructure. He has…

04 Aug 23

A policy agenda for building a UK Research Cloud

Computer & Information Technology

Following the announcement of a pilot for a national data research cloud by the UK Government and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), there is unprecedented momentum towa…

04 Aug 23

India restricts laptop, tablet and PC imports to boost domestic production

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation

The Indian government has restricted imports of personal computers, laptops, palmtops, automatic data processing machines, processors and mainframe computers with immediate effect. In a notice issued on Thursday, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said that companies would, with immediate effect, need a “restricted imports” licence to ship such devices…

04 Aug 23

HADAR Brings Depth and Texture to “Ghostly” Heat Images

Computer & Information Technology

If autonomous vehicles and robots are ever going to be safe and efficient, they need to perceive their surroundings. They also need to be able to predict the behavior of the stuff around them—whether that’s other robots, vehicles, or even people—and plan their paths and make decisions accordingly. In other…

03 Aug 23

Fusion Is Having a Moment

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation, Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

As Earth’s inhabitants suffer through what may wind up being the hottest year on record, there’s a Promethean spark of hope. Virtually unlimited fusion energy appears to be, if not right around the corner, at least within hailing distance.Last December, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility finally succeeded in…

03 Aug 23

Airbus joins transatlantic mission to build ISS replacement

Computer & Information Technology

As the International Space Station approaches retirement, a transatlantic team is creating a replacement: Starlab. Airbus and US startup Voyager this week announced a joint venture for the project. The two companies will develop, build, and operate Starlab, which aims to further unite the US and Europe in space. “This…

03 Aug 23

This Supercapacitor Is Made From Concrete and Carbon

Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

As the world continues to try and move away from fossil fuels, researchers are looking for new ways to store energy produced from greener sources like solar panels. As part of that effort, a team of researchers from Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and MIT have developed a…