Read More

Filed under: Architectural, e-Videos, Environmental, Industrial / Manufacturing, Materials, Mechanical | Comments Off on Video: Purdue students invent innovative, weather-resistant shelter for disaster victims

Tags: Architectural, Environmental, Giving Back, Industrial, Materials, Mechanical

A D-series supersonic jet from MIT (MIT/Aurora Flight Sciences)

In the next three decades, air traffic is predicted to double, which will require a lot of fuel and potentially increase harmful emissions.

To combat this, NASA challenged six different research groups to radically redesign the passenger aircraft in order to increase fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and allow planes to take off on shorter runways.

Read More

Filed under: Aerospace, e-News, Materials, Transportation | Comments Off on Leaving on a Futuristic Jet Plane

Tags: Aerospace, Aviation, Green Transportation, Materials, Transportation

Rafael Smith explains his concept for the Uber Shelter (Purdue University)

There are currently over 36 million displaced persons all over the world. In the wake of recent natural disasters, it is more crucial than ever that adequate shelter be made available to help ease temporary and long-term homelessness.

Fortunately, over the past few years, several engineers have been working to make both low-income housing and temporary shelters more efficient and affordable.

Read More

Filed under: Architectural, Civil, e-News, Environmental, Industrial / Manufacturing, Materials, Mechanical | Comments Off on Gimme Shelter: Advancing Affordable Housing

Tags: Architectural, Environmental, Giving Back, Industrial, Materials, Mechanical

Observation platforms usually open up broad scenic vistas but seldom let you see what’s directly below. With new creations of laminated safety glass, however, that’s changing. The Skydeck of Chicago’s Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower,  has added four glass-bottomed balconies, nicknamed The Ledge, which let tourists peer down from the 103rd floor to neighboring rooftops  and streets. The wrap-around observation deck of China’s Oriental Pearl TV Tower similarly shows off views of downtown Shanghai and the Huangpu River, some nine hundred feet down.

Read More

Filed under: Architectural, e-News, Materials | 5 Comments »

Tags: Architectural, Materials

Biomimicry is an exciting field of engineering that continually produces amazing designs.  We have reported on the robotic arm based on an elephant trunk, artificial honeybee silk, and biofuels inspired by frog foam.  Now biomimicry is tackling the problems of cargo ships.

For any mode of transportation, a heavier load increases fuel costs and emissions.  This is especially true for an ocean-traveling container ship, which uses massive amounts of energy to propel through water.

However, by mimicking the hydrophobic characteristics of the water fern, researchers at the University of Bonn believe they can design a more energy-efficient container ship.

Read More

Filed under: e-News, Materials, Ocean, Transportation | Comments Off on More Problems Solved Thanks to Biomimicry

Tags: Biomimicry, Biotechnology, Ocean, Transportation