Eureka Magazine Technology

Crossing the line: How Hawk-Eye's goal line technology will work

It's an uncomfortable thought for any England fan, but the fact is that goal line technology could well have meant Germany winning the World Cup in 1966. However, while we may be grateful that it's happening now and not 50 years ago, the fact is that goal line technology finally seems to be here and able categorically to state once and fopr all what is, and is not a goal.

Expansion of oil and gas operations raises environmental concerns

Graphic pictures of wildlife covered in black gloop are the obvious symbols of the environmental devastation that can occur when large amounts of crude oil are spilt. It is a situation in which nobody wins. The environment is severely damaged and the oil and gas companies lose millions in lost revenue, cleaning costs and fines.

How can the need for fast, powerful and accurate linear actuation be met?

Factory automation and robotic application engineers are often faced with the challenge of requiring fast, accurate and powerful linear actuation within a small allocated volume. In these circumstances, the two most commonly available technologies are rotary DC motor-driven actuators and linear DC motor actuators.

Innovation boosts wheelchair safety and lifespan

It is estimated that there are as many as 750,000 full-time wheelchair users in the UK, of whom a significant proportion are under 18. Clearly, while a chair for a fully-grown adult may have a lifespan as long as that of the user, a wheelchair for a child has to take account not only of their smaller size, but also of the fact that they are growing and developing physically, meaning that chairs must be replaced at regular intervals.

Is 3D printing really going to be as disruptive as we are told?

The hype around additive manufacturing, aka 3D printing, is reaching fever pitch. Some of those involved in the sector say that it will be 'bigger than the internet', 'you can print anything', and even that it will begin 'a new world order'. These are big claims, but what can we actually get now and expect to get in the future?

Will carbon fibre ever be a cost effective alternative to traditional materials?

Engineers in general and (and those that need to take weight out of structures in particular) are becoming increasingly aware of carbon fibre. The classic example of this is in aircraft, where removal of weight saves operators millions over its flying life. And car manufacturers, too, are now taking carbon fibre more seriously in an effort to reduce fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions.

Could crowdfunding revolutionise design?

Of all the trends noticeable in 2012, perhaps one of the most significant for innovators and inventors was the emergence of a funding model with the potential to revolutionise innovation: crowdfunding.

Is more always better when it comes to automatic transmission?

Never has the automotive sector had to bring to market so many new technologies in such a short space of time.

Robotic fish enable better understanding of the mechanics of underwater flow

A European research project called FILOSE (Robotic FIsh LOcomotion and SEnsing) has developed robots with a new sense: lateral line sensing.

Sea creatures offer inspiration for novel means of adhesion

The adhesive properties of certain fish and molluscs are offering novel means of adhesion.

Software helps to optimise the next generation of aircraft

Making trade-offs is fundamental to being an engineer. Taking different attributes and weighing them against each other to reach a solution is fundamental to the profession. However, there are limits to how much can be quantatively compared before more senior engineers need to make a judgment call that is based as much on experience as calculation.

Thermal management software helps keep the heat off

As technology advances and greater electronic performance is demanded from platforms without any enlargement, products are becoming more densely packed and, as a consequence, hotter.

Wearable sensors to revolutionise the medical industry?

The idea of wearable sensors is really nothing new. Pendants worn around the neck and on wrists have been used for decades.

Internal tyre sensors tell drivers a vehicle’s weight

As a driver, there are times when every seat is taken and the boot is crammed full. Aside from a generally reduced performance and the need to drive slightly differently with a heavier load, this is not something to which one typically gives much thought.

3D printed medical implants gather pace

Every day, it seems, we at Eureka seem to receive a story positing a new potential medical application for 3D printing.

Autonomous, collaborative machines set to change the face of robotics

The prospect of 'swarms' of robots behaving autonomously and collaboratively to achieve complex industrial tasks is one that can excite and alarm in equal measure.

British company turns to crowdfunding to develop affordable 3D scanner

A British company is using crowdfunding to raise the money to launch an affordable 3D desktop scanner.

Full implementation of variable speed drives could save industry up to £2.5bn

The fact that fitting variable speed drives to electric motors can offer significant cost and efficiency savings in industry is hardly news.

Industrial Ethernet continues to find wider adoption in automation systems

Ethernet is making inroads into the industrial sector as system builders and manufacturers look to improve communications between machines and with the back office systems which run their operations.

Ultrasonic sensors give additional mobility to visually impaired

Ultrasonic sensors are being used in a product that is helping the blind and visually-impaired (VI) to safely and independently negotiate the modern world.

'Intelligent' polymers used in next generation air-to-air refuelling system

The integration of smart electronic systems into materials is slowly moving from the world of Formula One to more robust aviation applcations. This can be seen in a new, next-generation, air-to-air refuelling system.

Aero engines benefit from additive manufacturing processes

If one were to choose an industry sector whose acceptance of additive manufacturing would seem to signal its arrival as a fully-fledged production technology, aerospace would probably be top of the list.

Autodesk's PLM 360 solution proves a hit

Having been announced at Autodesk University in December 2011 and launched as a product in February 2012, Autodesk's PLM 360 cloud-based PLM platform has, depending on your viewpoint, either recently passed or is about to pass its first birthday. And, according to the company, the first year has more than vindicated the product.

Conceptual design takes centre stage at Solidworks World 2013

Held in Orlando, Florida, the 15th SolidWorks World event welcomed 4,500 delegates to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels and was the occasion for parent company Dassault Systèmes to announce its 2 millionth licence sold.

Driving the next generation: Why the future of motorsport is vital to the mainstream

Motorsport is an onslaught on the senses. The sound, the speed, the smell; it's an experience. But, while some enjoy motorsport, others see it as a a frivolous with little crossover or relevance to any 'real' engineering.