ENGGtalks Newsroom

20 Apr 23

Thousands of stranded cars left undetected on smart motorways, Labour claims

Civil, Structural & Architecture, Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

According to Labour’s analysis of live lane breakdown incidents between 2016 and 2020, 60,925 were believed to be on roads without a permanent hard shoulder. The party then drew upon detection rates published by the Office of Road and Rail to come up with its figure of an average of…

20 Apr 23

HS2 work ‘will continue to progress’ despite concerns over rail line’s future

Civil, Structural & Architecture, Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

Transport secretary Mark Harper made his comments in the Commons earlier today (Thursday) after Conservative MP Theo Clarke (Stafford) asked him: “I welcome the government’s commitment to railway reform, but the secretary of state will know from my recent meeting with the rail minister that my Stafford constituency is heavily…

19 Apr 23

GPT-4, AGI, and the Hunt for Superintelligence

Computer & Information Technology

For decades, the most exalted goal of artificial intelligence has been the creation of an artificial general intelligence, or AGI, capable of matching or even outperforming human beings on any intellectual task. It’s an ambitious goal long regarded with a mixture of awe and apprehension, because of the likelihood of…

19 Apr 23

DIY Neurotech: Making BCI Accessible

Biotechnology & Biomedical

Brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, are having a bit of a moment: Big tech companies have invested in the development of these neurotechnologies—designed to connect brains to digital machinery—specifically making substantive acquisitions of EEG-based neurotechnology startups in recent years. Even companies like BlackRock Neurotech, Neuralink, and Synchron, which are developing surgically…

19 Apr 23

The road to decarbonisation begins with increasing grid flexibility

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation, Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

The fight against climate change has reached a critical deadlock. Armed with the information that modernising the grid is essential to significantly cutting carbon dioxide emissions, distribution system operators (DNOs) have the responsibility of bringing this vision to fruition. Electricity loads are anticipated to double by 2050 due to widespread…

19 Apr 23

Australia unveils roadmap to boost uptake of electric vehicles

Civil, Structural & Architecture, Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

As part of the plan, the federal government will introduce a fuel efficiency standard, working with the industry to finalise details in coming months, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said. Apart from Russia, Australia was the only developed country to either not have or be developing fuel efficiency standards, which encourage…

19 Apr 23

Modeling Electric Motors and Drivetrains

Computer & Information Technology

There has been an exponential increase in the demand for electric vehicles, with hybrid and electric cars expected to account for a considerable portion of car sales in the near future. Designing efficient motors is critical for increasing range, reducing battery capacity requirements, and improving power density and costs. Register…

18 Apr 23

Remembering Ross Stone, an Influential Leader of IEEE Technical Activities

Metallurgy & Material Science

W. Ross Stone, an influential IEEE Technical Activities leader, died on 29 March at the age of 75.The Life Fellow received the 2023 IEEE Richard M. Emberson Award “for sustained contributions to and impactful leadership in the IEEE Technical Activities publication enterprise.” Stone held several leadership positions with the IEEE…

18 Apr 23

Quadrupeds Are Learning to Dribble, Catch, and Balance

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation, Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

Now that anyone, anywhere can get themselves a quadrupedal robot without having to apply for a major research grant, we’re seeing all kinds of fun research being done with our four-legged electromechanical friends. And by “fun research” I mean very serious research that is making valuable contributions toward practical robotics.…

18 Apr 23

E-scooter firm blames vandals as it pulls out of Sunderland

Civil, Structural & Architecture, Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

Zwings only began operating in the city in January after the previous provider pulled out, citing rising energy costs as a key factor. Now, Zwings has said it will cut the available number of its electric scooters in Sunderland from Wednesday this week and end its trial in the city…