There are garage start-ups and then there’s the wood-shop-turned-invention-factory in the garage where Jack Andraka, 15, dreamed up a prize-winning science fair project that could change how cancer is detected and treated.

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Filed under: Biomedical, Chemical, e-News, Materials | 1 Comment »

Tags: Biomedical, cancer, grand champion, Intel Science and Engineering Fair, ISEF, Jack Andraka, nanotube

What do Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga have in common with engineering? All belt out chart-topping singles in a costume tailor-made for a techno beat and larger-than-life image: an LED dress. Wearable technology reaches beyond fashion to lightweight military armor and applications in sports, cybersecurity, and medicine. Check out these fun examples!

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Filed under: Chemical, e-News, Electrical, Industrial / Manufacturing, Materials | 1 Comment »

Tags: cast, concept cast, Cornell, CuteCircuit, dye, equestrian, fabric, Fashion, fractures, Hidez, high-performance apparel, high-performance fabric, Juan Hinestroza, LED, materials engineering, MIAmobi, nanoscale material, Nanotechnology, Nike, Olympics, Pedro Nakazato Andrade, racehorse, RFID, sensors, Sports, Tags: athletics, textile manufacturing, Textiles

In science, speed is just distance divided by time. But in sports, where fractions of a second can determine champions, speed is everything. That’s why many athletes look to engineering for a high-tech edge that can maximize velocity and performance.

Take Nike’s new track and field uniforms — released just in time for the summer Olympics.

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Filed under: e-News, Explore Engineering, Industrial / Manufacturing, Materials | 1 Comment »

Tags: Fashion, Materials, Olympics, Sports

Smartphone addicts everywhere will rejoice at Google’s latest portable technology innovation: reality-enhancing eyeglasses. The glasses are a product of Google X, the company’s secretive experimental research lab.

The specs function much like a smartphone or tablet computer, but without the extra bulk or the screen interface. Using voice-activation, they offer wearers the latest information pertaining to their surroundings, such as weather, transportation info, and directions to the nearest coffee shop. They even have a built-in camera that allows users to snap photos of interesting sights and to video chat with friends (watch concept video above to see them in action). According to the New York Times, the glasses could be on sale as early as next year, retailing for around the price of a new smartphone.

Filed under: Computer, e-News, Environmental, Materials, Ocean | Comments Off on Seeing the World Through Google-Tinted Glasses

Tags: Computer, Environmental, Materials, Ocean

Crunchy as it appears, the structure above is no chocolate wafer resting atop a dandelion. It is metallic micro-lattice, newly christened the world’s lightest material. Created for DARPA by HRL Laboratories in collaboration with researchers at the California Institute of Technology and the University of California, this material is so light that it can balance on dandelion fluff without crushing it. However, don’t be deceived by its size or weight, as materials can actually get stronger when shrunk to nanoscale.

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Filed under: e-News, Materials | Comments Off on Lighter Than a Feather

Tags: Materials, Nanotechnology