Posted on August 12th, 2010 by jxh
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and most intact of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built as a tomb for Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu around 2560 BC, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years.
Now, a robotics team from Leeds University in the UK will attempt to unlock one of the pyramid’s greatest secrets: what lies behind a hidden doorway in the Queen’s Chamber.
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Filed under: Architectural, e-News, Mechanical | 9 Comments »
Tags: Architectural, Engineering in History, Mechanical, Robotics
Posted on August 8th, 2010 by axb
Here’s some good news for all the Transformers fans out there: researchers at Harvard and MIT have been busy creating new smart material that can change its shape on command. Called “programmable matter by folding,” this nifty robotics project involves wiring flexible alloys and programming them to fold themselves into origami-like shapes.
The current prototype can fold itself into a boat or an airplane depending on the signal it receives – watch in this video [after the jump]:
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Filed under: Computer, e-News, Electrical, Materials, Mechanical | 1 Comment »
Tags: Computer, Electrical, Materials, Mechanical, Robotics
Posted on July 27th, 2010 by axb
If you’re planning to visit the western coast of France anytime soon, be sure to keep an eye out for a 40-foot-tall mechanical elephant. Perhaps taking inspiration from steampunk fiction and Jules Verne, French engineers, artists, and craftspeople have cobbled together a movable mammoth using 45 tons worth of reclaimed wood and steel.
The Great Elephant is part of the Machines of the Isle of Nantes project, and exhibit of fantastical creations, which aims to inspire the imaginations of citizens and tourists alike. And it’s not just for decoration, either: this robust creature can carry up to 49 passengers on a 45-minute walk around the city of Nantes.
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Filed under: e-News, Mechanical, Transportation | 1 Comment »
Tags: Art, Mechanical, Robotics, Transportation
Posted on July 27th, 2010 by jxh
Bathrooms may dispose of waste, but they create it, too: The average person flushes the toilet five times a day, using between 8 and 35 gallons of water. Not only that, but Americans each use about 50 pounds of toilet paper every year.
Now, thanks to Tom Broadbent, an industrial design graduate from De Montfort University in Leicester, UK, bathrooms may start impacting the environment in more positive ways by becoming power generators.
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Filed under: Civil, e-News, Environmental, Mechanical, Trailblazers | 1 Comment »
Tags: Civil, Environmental, Mechanical
Posted on July 8th, 2010 by jxh
The Solar Impulse HB-SIA, with André Borschberg at its controls, successfully landed this morning after flying for more than 26 hours.
The plane was in the air the all day and all night, relying entirely on solar energy. The flight is the longest and highest in the history of solar aviation.
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Filed under: Aerospace, e-News, Mechanical, Transportation | 3 Comments »
Tags: Aerospace, Green Technology, Green Transportation, Mechanical, Transportation
