Last year, a conceptual, futuristic video featuring interactive glass touchscreens went viral:

This video, called “A Day Made of Glass,” was created by Corning (a company that engineers glass and other materials) and now has been viewed over 17 million times on YouTube. Although the video is admittedly cool, just how realistic is its vision?

Read More

Filed under: Computer, e-News, e-Videos, Materials | 1 Comment »

Tags: Computer, Materials

As breathtaking as large, panoramic photos often are, the process of creating them is, to many photographers, a much less attractive prospect. While painstakingly stitching together images from a recent vacation, Technische Universität Berlin graduate Jonas Pfeil came up with a better idea: a spherical camera, called a camera-ball, that can take 360-degree panoramas in a single snap. Once the softball-sized sphere is tossed into the air, a built-in accelerometer tells when the ball has reached its zenith. Then a microcontroller triggers simultaneous action by 36 two-megapixel cellphone cameras, capturing a mosaic of images.

Read More

Filed under: Computer, e-News, Electrical, Mechanical | Comments Off on Jump Shot: Panoramas Made Easy

Tags: Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, Photography

Anyone who’s ever worked up a sweat running for the school bus knows it takes energy to move. Now, a young inventor in England has come up with a way to capture the ambient kinetic energy of footsteps–or dance moves–and use it to generate electricity.

Pavegen tiles are rubber, waterproof squares made from recycled tires, and 80 percent of their inner workings are made from recycled materials, too. When people step on them, the tiles harvest the energy and convert it to electricity.

Read More

Filed under: e-News, Electrical, Environmental, Materials | 2 Comments »

Tags: dance, Electrical, Electrical Engineering, Electricity, Energy, Green Technology, lights, Materials, Pavegen, recycling, sidewalk, Technology

Everyone loves to complain about the full body scanners that the Travel Security Administration implemented in 2010 to screen airport travelers. But now the same technology could be employed for a much more exciting purpose: fashion.

A new company called Fitted Fashion promises to bring 3D scanning technology to clothing stores and shopping malls in the near future (a similar body scanner is already in use at a mall in Philadelphia). Customers need only to step inside a scanning booth for about 30 seconds, where a white light captures over 400 distinct body measurements.

Read More

Filed under: Computer, e-News | Comments Off on 3D Body Scanners to Make Custom Jeans

Tags: Computer, Fashion

2011 was another busy year for engineers all over the world. From inventing a device that turns air into water to exploring the oceans in a tiny submarine, scientists and engineers are exploring uncharted territory.

Like last year, we at eGFI have chronicled the most awe-inspiring innovations and stories, so in case you missed one, we present:

The Most Popular, Interesting, Weird, or Just Plain Cool eGFI Blog Posts of 2011

Read More

Filed under: Aerospace, Agricultural, Architectural, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, e-News, Electrical, Environmental, Explore Engineering, Industrial / Manufacturing, Materials, Mechanical, Ocean, Transportation | Comments Off on Best of 2011: Our Top Stories

Tags: 3D, Aerospace, Agricultural, Architectural, Aviation, Biomedical, Biomimicry, Biotechnology, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Design, Electrical, Energy, Environmental, Giving Back, Green Technology, Green Transportation, Industrial / Manufacturing, Materials, Mechanical, Ocean, Robotics, Software, Technology, Trailblazers, Transportation