Research & Development news

• Who goes there?

  21-11-2019 10:00 via The Engineer
  
  Sci-fi eye
  If you’re scared now, just wait until you see the future of face recognition technology, writes Gareth L Powell
  October’s issue of The Engineer featured an article discussing the controversy surrounding trials of live facial recognition (LFR) technology by South Wales Police and the Metropolitan Police.Put simply, LFR technology enables a computer connected to a surveillance system to recognise individuals in real-time, which could allow those individuals to be tracked and
  
  Read more

• Bill Gates-backed Heliogen targets 1,500°C solar thermal

  21-11-2019 09:00 via The Engineer
  
  A US startup backed by Bill Gates is targeting solar thermal energy hitting 1,500°C that can transform carbon-heavy industrial processes and create zero-carbon fuels.Heliogen uses advanced computer vision software to align a large array of mirrors with extreme precision in order to reflect sunlight to a single target. The California-based company claims it has already used this technology to exceed temperatures greater than 1,000 degrees Celsius, which is hot enough to replace fossil fuels i
  
  Read more

• German team begins tests of aeroelastic wing technology

  21-11-2019 08:30 via The Engineer
  
  Aircraft with aeroelastic wings make first successful test flights as result of six-country collaborative effort
  The seven-metre wingspan test aircraft at the Oberpfaffenhofen research airfield. Image: Fabian Vogl, TUMResearchers from the Technological University of Munich (TUM) and the German Aerospace Centre, DLR, led the test flights from an airfield in Oberpfaffenhofen. The tests involved two aircraft, both equipped with wings which are wider in span and lighter than conventional wings. The
  
  Read more

• Guy Martin drives Fastrac tractor into the record books

  21-11-2019 08:02 via The Engineer
  
  Guy Martin has driven JCB into the record books for the second time this year after hitting 135.191mph in a Fastrac tractor at Elvington Airfield in York.The achievement follows JCB’s first Guinness World Record for the fastest tractor at Elvington in June. Called Fastrac One, it reached 103.6mph with Martin – a mechanic, motorbike racer and TV presenter – at the wheel.
  A team of JCB engineers in Staffordshire then set about developing Fastrac Two, which was lighter than its pr
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Magnetic freight delivery concept could slash road congestion

  20-11-2019 13:13 via The Engineer
  
  A hyperloop-inspired goods delivery concept that uses linear motors to propel crates along a nation-wide network of pipes could help remove polluting freight traffic from roads and revolutionise the delivery of goods.  
  The system will send delivery crates through pipes at speeds of around 31mphThis is the claim of Magway, a London based-start up behind the scheme that has already received almost £1.5m of seed funding and grants since it was founded in 2017, including a £650,000
  
  Read more

• Airbus reports progress on Euclid space telescope

  20-11-2019 12:49 via The Engineer
  
  Assembly is now underway on the main telescope of Euclid; the highest-performance optical instrument that Airbus has ever constructed
  The entire silicon carbide primary structure of Euclid in the Toulouse cleanroom. Image: AirbusThe Euclid mission aims to map the geometry of the “dark universe” – the regions which are too cold to emit visible light. Its telescope, the most complex that Airbus has ever designed and built, according to Philippe Pham, head of Earth observation, na
  
  Read more

• Brain implant electrode material shows MRI compatibility

  20-11-2019 12:12 via The Engineer
  
  An alternative electrode material for brain implants has been shown to be MRI compatible and more durable compared to metal implants.
  Side-by-side look at platinum (left) and glassy carbon (right) thin-film electrodes for deep brain stimulation (Image: SDSU)Deep brain stimulation involves implanting electrodes into the brain to produce electrical impulses that control abnormal movement, but current implant materials can present anomalies when the patient requires further medical evaluation via a
  
  Read more

• ABB subsea system opens new offshore opportunities

  20-11-2019 12:05 via The Engineer
  
  A new subsea power distribution and conversion system could help transform offshore energy production, according to its owner, ABB.
  The subsea power unit has just completed a 3,000-hour shallow water test at a sheltered harbour in Vaasa, FinlandIn development since 2013, the new unit will allow offshore operators to access up to 100MW of power, over distances of 600km and at depths of 3,000m. This is all facilitated via a single cable from the shore, with the entire system requiring little or no
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• November 1867: HMS Hercules

  20-11-2019 10:00 via The Engineer
  
  Hyperbole and awe: the Hercules was the most powerful ship in the Royal Navy, as Jason Ford writes
  The rise of the ironclads
  The Hercules was laid down at Chatham in 1886 and emerged 337ft long with a 70ft 6in beam and a displacement of 5,226 tons. The vessel was propelled at speeds up 14 knots per hour by its giant 1,200-horsepower engines.Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard is home to a technology first that was once the toast of the nation but would be obsolete a decade after she was launche
  
  Read more

• May 1937: HMS Hercules

  20-11-2019 10:00 via The Engineer
  
  Hyperbole and awe: the Hercules was the most powerful ship in the Royal Navy, as Jason Ford writes
  The rise of the ironclads
  The Hercules was laid down at Chatham in 1886 and emerged 337ft long with a 70ft 6in beam and a displacement of 5,226 tons. The vessel was proelled at speeds up 14 knots per hour by its giant 1,200-horsepower engines.Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard is home to a technology first that was once the toast of the nation but would be obsolete a decade after she was launched
  
  Read more

• Energy skills event targets students across East Anglia

  19-11-2019 15:49 via The Engineer
  
  Students from Norfolk and Suffolk will be able to get a taste of careers in the energy industry at an upcoming skills event in East Anglia.Skills for Energy 2019 is taking place on Wednesday 27th November in the new £11.4m Energy Skills Centre at East Coast College, Lowestoft. According to the organisers, the event will aim to inspire the next generation of energy professionals with interactive STEM-based activities including virtual reality experiences, robot and ROV control, nautical cha
  
  Read more

• Super-repellent coating helps toilets save water

  19-11-2019 13:09 via The Engineer
  
  Engineers at Penn State University have developed a super-repellent coating for toilets that leads to cleaner and more efficient flushing.More than 141 billion litres of water are used just to flush toilets each day, with millions of people around the world affected by water scarcity at the same time. According to the Penn State team, its coating can reduce the amount of water required to flush a toilet cleanly by 50 per cent, from six litres to just three litres.
  Engineering consumer technology
  
  Read more

• Teams announced for world’s first electric air race

  19-11-2019 13:00 via The Engineer
  
  Eight international teams are set to take part in next year’s Air Race E competition, the world’s first electric air race.
  The UK’s Team Condor aircraft was unveiled at the 2019 Dubai AirshowThe competition, which will see electric race planes fly wing tip to wing tip around a 5km circuit, just 10 metres above the ground and at speeds of upto 450kmh has been hailed by Air Race founder Jeff Zaltman as a significant milestone for the aviation industry that will will provide a tes
  
  Read more

• This week’s poll: the benefits of Bloodhound

  19-11-2019 12:17 via The Engineer
  
  As the Bloodhound LSR team prepares to return from the Kalahari Desert after its successful opening round of high-speed testing, The Engineer asks what the most important benefits of the project are likely to be
  Driver Andy Green at the wheel of Bloodhound LSR on Hakskeen Pan in South Africa. Image by Charlie Spedding
  Take Our PollIt’s been a long road for Bloodhound, and The Engineer has been following the project since the very beginning. Through its design phases, the slow process of bu
  
  Read more

• Last week’s poll: Formula One’s zero carbon pledge

  19-11-2019 11:45 via The Engineer
  
  We asked readers of The Engineer for their thoughts on Formula One’s pledge to reduce its net carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2030.Formula One has committed to making the entire sport carbon neutral by 2030 through increasing the efficiency of its racing engines and making further improvements to the energy efficiency of its factories and offices. It will also offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated by moving cars and equipment around the world to races by planting trees, working
  
  Read more

• Late, Great Engineers: Gustave Eiffel

  19-11-2019 10:00 via The Engineer
  
  Best known for his eponymous tower in Paris and the Statue of Liberty in New York, Gustave Eiffel’s career was a mixture of technical achievement, public scandal and obscurity, as Nick Smith explains 
  Gustave Eiffel, 1832-1923Despite being one of the most important engineers and aerodynamicists of his age, Gustave Eiffel’s reputation ultimately rests on two instantly recognisable landmarks: the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. His monumental career spanned seven decades,
  
  Read more

• How China plans to lead the computer chip industry

  19-11-2019 01:05 via BBC News - Technology
  
  China wants to end its dependence on imported computer chips, but experts says it will struggle.
  
  Read more

• Instagram 'stalker' app Ghosty drops off Google Play Store

  18-11-2019 19:33 via BBC News - Technology
  
  The app's removal followed claims by Instagram that it violated the photo-sharing platform's rules.
  
  Read more

• Thousands flock to Wikipedia founder's 'Facebook rival'

  18-11-2019 18:28 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Jimmy Wales says his new social network, WT:Social, now has more than 160,000 members.
  
  Read more

• De-clutter guru Marie Kondo opens online store

  18-11-2019 17:49 via BBC News - Technology
  
  After preaching against household clutter, the best-selling author is launching a store selling homeware.
  
  Read more

• Disney+ fans without answers after thousands hacked

  18-11-2019 16:31 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Hours after its new streaming service was launched, customer details were sold on the dark web for under £10
  
  Read more

• Ford unveils all-electric car - the Mustang Mach-E

  18-11-2019 14:07 via BBC News - Technology
  
  The new vehicle has a 370-mile range, no door handles and storage under the front bonnet.
  
  Read more

• Bloodhound tops 1,000 km/h in final Kalahari test

  18-11-2019 13:33 via The Engineer
  
  Bloodhound has rounded out its Kalahari test programme in style, hitting 628 mph (1,010 km/h) in its final 2019 run across the Hakskeen Pan track in South Africa.Run Profile 8 saw the vehicle hit a number of pre-defined parameters, with Bloodhound reaching maximum velocity in 50 seconds. Driver Andy Green lifted off the throttle at 615 mph (989 km/h), stabilised the car and then deployed a drag parachute to slow the car safely to a halt at the 11 km mark. The four weeks of testing in the Kalahar
  
  Read more

• Squid discovery could revolutionise molecular engineering

  18-11-2019 12:42 via The Engineer
  
  The “marvellous molecular machine” that enables a Pacific squid to change its appearance may have implications for pharmaceuticals and energy applications
  Cephalopods are fascinating creatures. Possessed of great intelligence of a form entirely alien to humans, octopus and squid have physical abilities that often defy belief. Among these is their ability to change their appearance thanks to structures in their highly complex skin that control colour and texture. Studies of the mechan
  
  Read more

• Engineering consumer technology: Royal flush

  18-11-2019 10:00 via The Engineer
  
  Japanese toilets incorporate a fascinating array of technologies and are starting to take off in the UK. Andrew Wade reports
  Japan’s electronic toilets are something of a cultural touchstone for the rest of world. They embody the country’s forward-thinking, futuristic society, as well as its deep respect for water and ritual ablution, rooted in the Japanese ethnic religion of Shinto. For many in the west, these high-tech toilets are as quintessentially Japanese as sushi or karaoke. Y
  
  Read more

• Yahoo Japan and Line set to merge

  18-11-2019 08:11 via BBC News - Technology
  
  The deal would combine Japan's largest messaging service with its largest search engine.
  
  Read more

• Should we be worried by ever more CCTV cameras?

  18-11-2019 01:11 via BBC News - Technology
  
  The global surveillance market continues to grow at a fast pace, led by Chinese technology.
  
  Read more

• Sexist and biased? How credit firms make decisions

  18-11-2019 01:07 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Amid probes into Apple's "sexist" credit card, questions are being asked of IT-based financial decisions.
  
  Read more

• Xbox's boss: Years before game streaming is mainstream

  17-11-2019 10:35 via BBC News - Technology
  
  BBC Click's Marc Cieslak talks to Xbox's Phil Spencer about the future of gaming.
  
  Read more

• Why US tech giants are putting billions into housing

  17-11-2019 01:28 via BBC News - Technology
  
  The booming tech industry has pushed San Francisco house prices out of the reach of ordinary workers.
  
  Read more

• Uber's paradox: Gig work app traps and frees its drivers

  16-11-2019 02:55 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Ride pick-up app's algorithm offers drivers freedom while trapping them at the same time, experts say.
  
  Read more

• Golden Joystick awards: Resident Evil 2 awarded 'ultimate game' title

  15-11-2019 18:45 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Fortnite and streamer Ewok also win, while Yu Suzuki is given the lifetime achievement award.
  
  Read more

• General election 2019: Labour pledges free broadband for all

  15-11-2019 18:02 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Labour would part-nationalise BT to deliver the policy and tax tech giants to help cover the £20bn cost.
  
  Read more

• Huge inflatable breast outside Facebook HQ

  15-11-2019 16:58 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Medical tattoo artists takes on Facebook over nipple block and she is joined by cancer patients to protest
  
  Read more

• Will fibre broadband be obsolete by 2030 - and what about 5G?

  15-11-2019 16:06 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Labour promises to give every home in the UK full-fibre internet if it wins the general election.
  
  Read more

• Huawei launches foldable Mate X in China

  15-11-2019 14:12 via BBC News - Technology
  
  A small batch of Huawei's folding Mate X phone have sold quickly to consumers in China.
  
  Read more

• Apple removes vaping apps from app store

  15-11-2019 14:04 via BBC News - Technology
  
  The ban will hit 181 apps but anyone already using a vaping program will be able to continue using it.
  
  Read more

• Canada refuses visas to over a dozen African AI researchers

  15-11-2019 13:21 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Visa hassles made another AI conference move to Ethiopia, rather than deal with Canadian officials.
  
  Read more

• Catching a comet

  15-11-2019 12:23 via The Engineer
  
  Fast show: Andrew Wade reports on an exciting new UK-led project to intercept a long-period comet for the first time.
  Graphic concept illustrating the mission’s journey from L2 to intercept a tagret (Credit: ESA)There’s an assumption with space missions that they must be years in the planning before they’re approved for launch. In the case of Comet Interceptor, a new UK-led project to observe a long-period comet up close for the first time, that assumption couldn’t be mor
  
  Read more

• Lightweight heat shield protects superfast aircraft

  15-11-2019 12:00 via The Engineer
  
  Carbon nanotubes form the basis of “buckypaper” material to protect hypersonic aircraft in flight
  While passengers endure 19 hour non-stop flights from London to Sydney, aerospace researchers are working on ways to speed up flight. Materials scientists from Florida State University (FSU) reports in the journal Carbon that they have developed a thin, lightweight material that they believe could help shield aircraft from the intense heat that they would experience flying at  aroun
  
  Read more

• Qantas flies London-Sydney direct in research flight

  15-11-2019 11:13 via The Engineer
  
  Australia’s flagship airline Qantas has flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner non-stop from London to Sydney as part of a new research programme. The flight, which touched down in Sydney after 19 hours 19 minutes, is part of the airline’s Project Sunrise, which is pushing the limits of ultra long haul passenger flight in an effort to open up new direct routes. Last month saw Qantas fly non-stop from New York to Sydney in 19 hours 16 minutes. The third and final research fight will be fr
  
  Read more

• Wearable wireless sensor monitors baby blood oxygen

  15-11-2019 10:44 via The Engineer
  
  Researchers are developing a wearable sensor to measure a baby’s blood oxygen levels, a vital indication of the lungs’ effectiveness and whether the baby’s tissue is receiving enough oxygen.
  Prof Ulkuhan Guler shows off an early prototype of the miniaturised, wearable device that will one day monitor infants’ blood oxygen levels (Image: WPI)Prof Ulkuhan Guler, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of Worcester Polytechnic Institute’
  
  Read more

• Election 2019: What big tech isn't telling us about ads

  15-11-2019 02:36 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Exploring the gaps in the political advertising databases provided by the tech giants.
  
  Read more

• The £7,500 dress that does not exist

  15-11-2019 01:31 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Fashion collections that only exist in digital form are being sold, as the fashion industry learns from computer games.
  
  Read more

• Life-like Russian androids and other news

  15-11-2019 01:07 via BBC News - Technology
  
  BBC Click's Paul Carter looks at some of the week's best technology stories.
  
  Read more

• 'Cryptoqueen' brother admits role in OneCoin fraud

  14-11-2019 15:29 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Konstantin Ignatov, brother of Dr Ruja Ignatova, pleads guilty to money laundering and fraud.
  
  Read more

• Social-media influencers: Incomes soar amid growing popularity

  14-11-2019 15:28 via BBC News - Technology
  
  A post worth just £104 in 2014 is now banking £1,276 a report suggests.
  
  Read more

• Jet suit inventor breaks speed record off Brighton beach

  14-11-2019 14:54 via BBC News - Technology
  
  Richard Browning says he wants to show how the technology had improved since his previous record.
  
  Read more

• Swiss team develops more sustainable reinforced concrete

  14-11-2019 13:34 via The Engineer
  
  Replacing steel in fibre reinforced concrete with stiff polyethylene and adjusting concrete mix reduces carbon footprint without compromising strength or consistency of wet mixture
  If human history can be divided into ages named after materials, we could now be said to be in the steel-and-glass age. But the artefacts of our previous epoch, the concrete age, are still all around us, and concrete underpins the shining structures now being built. It also comprises much of our road and rail infrastr
  
  Read more

• Prototyping: new methodology reduces risk and drives value

  14-11-2019 12:32 via The Engineer
  
  Dominic Tribe explains how production-oriented prototyping can help reduce costs and risks for manufacturers by integrating design resources
  Until now, the upfront costs associated with the production of prototypes and the lack of an industry-wide approach to their development, has limited their potential as a cost-reduction strategy. However, this could all change with the rise of production-oriented prototyping (POP).
  Involving the same team of component and full assembly designers responsible
  
  Read more

Follow @R_and_D_UK on Twitter!