eGFI - Student Blog » And Now

When Engineers Do Halloween

axb — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:05:39 +0000

What happens when you cross an engineer with Halloween? Incredibly awesome things, like using two iPads to create the illusion of a gaping hole in one’s torso:

Mark Rober, this costume’s proud creator, works as a Mechanical Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Gizmodo reports that he has spent the past 5 years developing hardware for the next Mars Rover, set to launch this Thanksgiving. Clearly he does some pretty amazing things in his spare time, as well. Props to the most creatively engineered costume this year!

And Now: Flavor-Shifting Ice Cream

axb — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:23:06 +0000

Liz Fenner with cherry-flavored microcapsules used to add a kick to vanilla ice cream

Ever felt paralyzed by the choice between two equally delicious ice cream flavors? Fear not – Elizabeth Fenner, a food science graduate student at the University of Missouri, may have solved your dilemma.

Fenner and associate professor Ingolf Gruen used a technique called “micro-encapsulation” to create ice cream that changes flavors as it melts in your mouth. The process, which has been used in long-lasting chewing gum and microwave dishes, involves “covering flavor compounds in wax, gelatin, protein, or food-grade polymer casing just millionths of a millimeter in size,” reports University of Missouri news. Employing this technology in ice cream is more challenging due to the small amount of time it spends in people’s mouths, and the fact that ice cream isn’t chewed.

After experimenting with different polymers, Gruen and Fenner came across a special (now secret) ingredient that dissolves immediately inside the mouth and does not break apart during the mixing process. Fenner also found that compared to traditional flavored ice cream, the encapsulated variety keeps its original taste, texture, and color for up to twice as long.

Although a lucky group of taste-testers responded very positively to the vanilla with a cherry kick that the team brewed, there are as of yet no plans to make it available commercially. Here’s hoping Ben & Jerry’s takes notice.

Photo: Keith Montgomery/University of Missouri

And Now: The World’s First Amphibious Ice Cream Truck

axb — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:31:38 +0000

Recently, the blogosphere has been all atwitter about the world’s first amphibious ice cream truck, which first set sail on the Thames last month. It was created by Cadbury ice cream in celebration of National Ice Cream Week (May 30th – June 5th). This summer it will be touring UK beaches and selling tasty treats on land and sea.

While the van is unlikely to withstand any serious storms or pirate attacks at sea, it can travel at close to 6mph while playing jangly tunes. Here’s a video with more details of its creation:

What sort of inventions would you like to make amphibious and why? (Our answer: the iPhone).

And Now: The World’s Tallest Lego Tower

axb — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:19:02 +0000

In addition to its legendary soccer prowess, Brazil now has one more thing to brag about: being home to the world’s tallest Lego tower.

Over 6,000 Brazilian children participated in the 4-day construction effort earlier this month in Sao Paulo, crafting small sections of the monument. Around 500,000 individual Lego pieces were used, and the tower reached a final height of 102 feet (beating out Chile’s previous record by about 10 inches).

Watch a video of the tower’s construction below:

What did you accomplish last recess?

And Now: The Hamster-Powered Strandbeest

axb — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:53:57 +0000

A new spin on Theo Jansen’s Strandbeesten should leave even the artist himself smiling. Starting with a make-your-own-Strandbeest kit from Gakken (an educational toy company), I-Wei Huang, an animator and steampunk hobbyist, put his own unique and furry twist on the design.

Eschewing wind and solar power sources, Huang creatively modified the miniature Strandbeest to incorporate a plastic hamster ball. The mechanical power source? None other than a tiny hamster named Princess.

Watch as Princess’s new robo-suit delights young children and leaves one cat very confused:

And Now: AutoFrost Puts the Icing on the Cake

axb — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:17:48 +0000

How’s this for a sweet new invention: five students from Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering have built a cake-decorating robot for a class project.

Called AutoFrost, the machine combines electronic sensors, computer programming, and precise mechanics with delicious gooey confections. Just doodle your design on a basic Microsoft Paint-like program, hit the button that says, “I’m ready to design an amazing cake,” and watch the frosting begin.

Image: Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

And Now: The Size and Scale of the Universe

axb — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:47:03 +0000

Ever wondered just how large a galaxy is or how minuscule an atom might be?

Now you can get a better idea of how the size of our earth measures up to, say, a strand of DNA or the Cat’s Eye Nebula. Just check out this awesome visualization tool, created by Cary and Michael Huang:

Scale of the Universe

And Now: How to Melt a Rock Using Sunlight

axb — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:52:39 +0000

Don’t try this at home, kids.

In this amazing clip, Jem Stansfield, the host of BBC’s Bang Goes the Theory (sort of a UK version of Mythbusters), visits the Solar Furnace Research Facility in Southern France. There a researcher demonstrates the power of intensely concentrated sunlight, using a special furnace that can reach temperatures of 3,500 degrees C (that’s about 6,332° F), and even melt solid rock!

A little background: solar furnaces are devices that concentrate the sun’s rays into a single, powerful focal point. They are usually constructed of curved (parabolic) mirrors, which reflect and focus the light. Potential applications range from solar-powered cookers and barbecues to providers of energy for outer space manufacturing.

For more information and examples, see this page.

And Now: Super Mario Turns 25!

axb — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:50:24 +0000

Today, everyone’s favorite plumber celebrates his 25th anniversary. To commemorate a quarter century of Super Mario Bros, the folks at Nintendo have put together this nifty retrospective video – watch how the game has changed (and stayed the same) over the years:

Click here to view the embedded video.

For a more in-depth history of Mario, check out this story.

Let’s hear from you: If you had to design the next Mario game, what would the theme be? What would you name it?

Image: Noodle93/Flickr

And Now: The Flame Throwing Trombone

axb — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:50:35 +0000

Hot on the heels of the Jet Engine Schoolbus, it's the next crazy DIY project: The Flamethrower Trombone!

Johnathan Crawford (also known by his YouTube username "Pyro"), gives a brief rundown of how he made this fantastical instrument (but not why), followed of course by an explosive demonstration.

Don't try this at home, kids.