Saul Griffith likes to create things — pretty cool things. He invented low-cost eyeglass lenses that can mold into various shapes within 10 minutes to correct people’s vision.

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Military engineers concentrate on creating new weapons for the battlefield.

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Cars of tomorrow will certainly look different from today’s. Gasoline-powered, internal-combustion engines are bulky. Getting rid of them would free up a lot of space, allowing engineers to rethink automotive design. Car interiors may look more like comfortable lounges with customized seating arrangements. And forget steering wheels: Carnegie Mellon University researchers predict that self-driving robotic cars are only a decade away.

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Harvard University engineer Robert Wood is developing a robotic fly. Propelled by tiny, flapping wings, the microrobot (right) weighs no more than a few grains of rice and flits about just like a real fly. It’s pretty cute, but it’s also a deadly serious device.

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Today’s roller coasters are engineering marvels, taller and faster than ever. Kingda Ka in New Jersey (left) has a 418-foot drop and races to speeds of 128 mph. Its hydraulic launch system catapults riders to maximum velocity in just 3.5 seconds. In 2002, the top speed of the world’s fastest ride was “only” 106.9 mph.

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Filed under: Architectural, Electrical, Explore Engineering, Mechanical | 4 Comments »

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