Posted on September 28th, 2010 by axb
Wonder Woman has been jetting around in an invisible plane since 1942. Now, sometime this century, the rest of us non-superheros might be able to do so, as well.
Not for those with easily-induced vertigo, a future Airbus passenger plane would have the ability to turn its fuselage (the main body of the airplane) completely transparent. Next time your captain turns on the fasten seatbelt light, he or she might next announce that the cabin is about to…disappear from sight!
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Filed under: e-News, Explore Engineering, Materials, Transportation | 3 Comments »
Tags: Aeronautics, Materials, Transportation
Posted on September 23rd, 2010 by jxh
Some people choose not to ride a bicycle to work or school because it would simply be too inconvenient; not every place has a bike rack outside, and sometimes the chain grease can make for a messy commute.
Well, now you don’t have to worry about those problems, thanks to a new chainless bike that can be easily disassembled.
Designed by Hungarian engineers, the Stringbike uses two steel cables attached to pulleys, which move on swinging discs as you pedal. The discs replace a traditional round gear system, and they can be changed depending on your needs.
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Filed under: e-News, Mechanical, Transportation | 4 Comments »
Tags: Mechanical, Transportation
Posted on September 16th, 2010 by jxh
Find waiting at an empty intersection annoying?
Your driving frustrations may soon be relieved, if city planners adopt a new self-organizing system for traffic lights.
European engineers have designed and tested a system that would give each traffic signal a sensor, to read the current traffic situation, and a computer chip, to calculate the expected flow of vehicles and then determine how long the light should stay green.
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Filed under: Computer, e-News, Electrical, Industrial / Manufacturing, Transportation | 1 Comment »
Tags: Computer, Electrical, Industrial, Transportation
Posted on September 13th, 2010 by jxh
Your apartment is heated by the warmth of human bodies in a nearby Metro station – creepy or cool?
We’re not sure, but French engineers are moving ahead with plans to install the experimental heating system in a public housing project in Paris.
The caloric heat collected from Metro passengers, as well as the heat collected from the train itself, will funnel through an underground corridor to heat exchangers that will push warm air through the building’s pipes.
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Filed under: Civil, e-News, Environmental, Transportation | Comments Off on Metro Passengers Will Heat Apartments
in Paris
Tags: Civil, Energy, Environmental, Green Technology, Green Transportation, Technology, Transportation
Posted on September 10th, 2010 by axb
Ever wonder how cars can make turns without skidding? Well, you have engineers to thank – more specifically, those who invented the differential (a device which allows the wheels of a car to turn at different speeds).
This vintage engineering tutorial, made by the General Motors, clearly and engagingly explains how differential gears work. Posted on YouTube last year, it has now received close to a million views – not bad for something made in 1937!
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Filed under: e-News, e-Videos, Mechanical, Transportation | Comments Off on Blast from the Past: A Vintage Engineering Video on Differential Gears
Tags: Cars, Engineering in History, Mechanical, Transportation
