When it comes to helping the global community recover from natural disasters, engineers are at a distinct advantage. Not only can they build survivor-seeking robots and provide food and clean water for those affected, but they also have the ability to analyze the aftermath of a storm or a quake and help communities be better prepared for such events. Engineering students and professionals across the country are now using their skills to help rebuild the countries of Haiti and Chile after their recent devastating earthquakes.
Looks like OK Go has jumped on the engineering bandwagon – their latest music video, “This Too Shall Pass” features the Rube Goldberg machine to end all Rube Goldberg machines.
In a recent LA Times blog post, lead singer of OK Go Damian Kulash said of the giant mechanism: “Its only purpose is to be awesome…When I was a kid, all I did was play with Legos and Transformers.”
If you thought bike lanes in the sky were cool, chances are you’ll be really psyched about the Shweeb, the world’s first human-powered monorail. A few creative New Zealanders designed a transportation system that would have commuters whizzing through the city in aerodynamic capsules. Shweeb riders can reach speeds up to 20 mph using less energy than it takes to walk!
Imagine yourself standing 13 feet away from the hoop, the eyes of all your teammates and the hushed crowd upon you as you concentrate. A free throw (also known as a foul shot), can be one of the most nerve-racking events in basketball. But, it may not have to be quite as stressful.
With all the March Madness about to ensue, we thought it would be the right time to bring you some exciting news: engineers at North Carolina State University have aced the secret of the free throw.
The latest project of Larry Silverberg and Chau Tran, two Mechanical and Aerospace engineering researchers, involved over 100,000 animated simulations of free throw shots to help them determine the optimum technique. Turns out there are four basic elements to hitting nothing but net on your foul shots:
Two companies believe that they have created the ultimate truth-revealing technology to help accurately determine who should go to jail and who should be freed.
Instead of relying on polygraph tests (see above image), which use pulse and breathing measurements to catch liars, the companies are using brain-scanning fMRI (functional magnetic-resonance imaging) scanners, which work by detecting the change of oxygen levels in response to neural activity. If a section of the brain is working hard, it will use more oxygen and glow brighter on the scan.
If you plan on working in an auto factory or going into space anytime in the future, your most helpful coworker just might be a robot.
GM partnered with NASA to create Robonaut 2, also known as R2, a humanoid machine that can manipulate tools and other objects with greater dexterity than previous models. GM and NASA have spent three years working on Robonaut 2 at Johnson Space Center in Houston, and will continue to make improvements until R2 is deemed mission-ready. Watch the following video to learn more about how R2 was created
As the 2010 Winter Olympics wrap up, it’s time we recognized some of the achievements in Vancouver, and we’re not talking about gold medal performances. The Canadian city is notable for its efforts to set new standards of sustainability by making this year’s games the greenest yet.
Two companies believe that they have created the ultimate 
