Catching up

Flatpack furniture is one thing, but flatpack bridges? That may seem like reaching, but over 50 of them been constructed in the UK and Ireland, and civil engineers at Queen's University Belfast announce that work will soon begin on the world's longest flatpack arch bridge... Continue Reading Queen's University Belfast to create world's largest flat-pack bridge

Section: Architecture

Tags: Bridge, Concrete, Construction, Engineering

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Autonomous drones could be used to inspect bridges
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Rotterdam's new market housed under huge residential arch
Gel sensors to detect bomb chemicals and illegal drugs in seconds
Paint-on "sensing skin" is designed to detect damage in concrete structures
London’s Tower Bridge gets LED makeover for Queen's Jubilee and 2012 Olympics


The next big discovery is always beyond the next hill, but what if you can't see over it? That's the problem facing NASA with its Mars rovers, so the space agency is looking into how robotic helicopters could help scout the land ahead and give engineers back on Earth data to help plot the best route. .. Continue Reading NASA developing robotic helicopter scout for Mars rovers

Section: Space

Tags: Helicopters, Mars, NASA, Prototype, Robotic, Solar Powered, Spacecraft

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MAVEN uses special radio to relay data from Curiosity Mars rover
NASA announces new rover mission for Mars
Google Earth goes to Mars
Computer model tests Mars 'tumbleweed rovers'
NASA prepares Mars orbiters for comet close encounter
NASA'S MAVEN spacecraft succesfully arrives at Mars


The Hubble space telescope has given us decades of incredible images, but it's reaching the end of its service life and the question is, what will come after? One possibility is the Aragoscope from the University of Colorado Boulder, which uses a gigantic orbital disk instead of a mirror to produce images 1,000 times sharper than the Hubble's best efforts... Continue Reading Lensless space telescope could be 1,000 times stronger than Hubble

Section: Space

Tags: Hubble, NASA, NIAC, Space telescope, University of Colorado

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Collision creates largest known spiral galaxy
Gigantic Milky Way panorama captures more than half of the galaxy’s stars
Hubble captures sharpest ever image of Andromeda
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JPL develops space flowers to help find Earth-like planets


A team of scientists led by UC Irvine has shown that you can unboil an egg, or at least egg whites ... but it isn't easy. Far more than a breakfast table trick, the feat is designed to demonstrate a new technique for recovering valuable molecular proteins quickly and cheaply that could have important biochemical applications... Continue Reading How to unboil an egg

Section: Science

Tags: Amino Acids, Chemistry, UC Irvine

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Plastic antibodies effective in living animals


When the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks face on Sunday, it will also showcase new technology as the first Superbowl game played under LED lighting. According to the makers, the new high-performance LED stadium lights built by Cree and Ephesus Lighting will provide better lighting for less energy... Continue ReadingSuperbowl to be lit by LEDs for the first time

Section: Sports

Tags: HDTV, LED, Lighting, Stadium

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The dwarf planet Ceres has come into sharper focus with NASA's Dawn spacecraft sending back the best images yet of the asteroid. Shot on January 25 from a distance of 147,000 mi (237,000 km) as the unmanned probe closes in for its March rendezvous, the resolution was 30 percent better than the best images obtained by the Hubble space telescope. .. Continue Reading New Dawn Ceres image outdoes Hubble

Section: Space

Tags: Asteroid, Ceres, Dawn, Hubble, NASA, Space telescope, Spacecraft

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Dawn begins Ceres approach for orbital rendezvous
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NASA's Dawn probe sets its sights on dwarf planet Ceres
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft becomes first probe to enter orbit around object in asteroid belt


You may not have noticed, but the Earth had a close shave on Monday as an asteroid with its own moon made a cosmic near miss. As it passed within 3.1 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon, NASA's 230-foot-wide Deep Space Network captured radar images of asteroid 2004 BL86 and its tiny satellite... Continue Reading Once-in-a-generation near miss for Asteroid with its own moon

Section: Space

Tags: Asteroid, California, NASA

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NEOWISE returns first test images post hibernation


For several years, NASA and its private enterprise partners have been working on the space agency's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) to provide an astronaut ferry service from US soil to the International Space Station. Now a panel from NASA, Boeing, and SpaceX has outlined the latest timetable leading up to the first commercial flights... Continue ReadingNASA, Boeing and SpaceX outline future of commercial manned spaceflight

Section: Space

Tags: Boeing, CST-100, Dragon, International Space Station, NASA, Spacecraft, SpaceX

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If F1 racers can be hybrids, then why not superyachts? That seems to be the thinking of Feadship De Voogt Naval Architects as it launched "the world’s first hybrid superyacht," Savannah, last Saturday. The centerpiece of a James Bond-themed launch ceremony for the new owner and the people involved in the yacht's construction over the last three years, the Savannah not only boasts a novel power plant, but is also the first superyacht to be entirely metallic painted save for the mast domes... Continue Reading Savannah, the world's first hybrid superyacht

Section: Marine

Tags: Diesel, Electric, Hybrid, Lithium-ion, Superyacht, Yachts

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After months of searching, the Euopean Space Agency (ESA) has given up the hunt for the lost Philae comet lander. Despite having narrowed the final resting place of the unmanned probe to a "landing strip" measuring 350 x 30 m (1,150 x 100 ft) on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the space agency has been unable to locate it and has commanded the Rosetta spacecraft to move into a higher orbit as it continues its science mission... Continue Reading ESA abandons comet lander search

Section: Space

Tags: Comets, ESA, Philae, Rosetta, Spacecraft, Unmanned

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Though we tend to think of private spaceflight as being in the SpaceX league, it also includes many smaller-scale efforts. For example, the non-profit Planetary Society has announced that its LightSail spacecraft will make its first test flight in May. The solar-propelled CubeSat will lift off as a piggyback cargo atop an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. .. Continue Reading Planetary Society's LightSail to make first test flight in May

Section: Space

Tags: Georgia Tech, Planetary Society, Satellite, Solar Sail, Spacecraft, Spaceflight

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Dawn probe data indicates ancient flowing water on Vesta

The last place you'd expect to find signs of water erosion is in the Asteroid Belt, but researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory say that data collected during the Dawnspacecraft's visit to Vesta indicates that it not only once had water, but that it formed gullies and other erosion features on its surface. .. Continue Reading Dawn probe data indicates ancient flowing water on Vesta

Section: Space

Tags: Asteroid, Dawn, JPL, NASA, Spacecraft, Unmanned

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Dawn begins Ceres approach for orbital rendezvous
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NASA’s Dawn spacecraft unlocks secrets of giant asteroid

NASA and Microsoft team up for virtual Mars exploration

Years before the first astronauts set foot on Mars, scientists will already be there – virtually. Thanks to a collaboration between NASA and Microsoft aimed at advancing human-robot interactions, the space agency's OnSight software will allow researchers to explore a virtual Martian landscape created from data sent back by the Curiosity rover. .. Continue Reading NASA and Microsoft team up for virtual Mars exploration

Section: Space

Tags: 3D, Curiosity Rover, JPL, Mars, Mars Science Laboratory, Microsoft, NASA

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The B-52 gets upgraded weapons bay

For a plane that's now being flown by the original crews' grandchildren, the B-52 is still going strong. For its latest upgrade, Boeing has installed a new weapons bay launcher that will allow the venerable bomber to carry smart weapons inside and reduce fuel consumption. .. Continue Reading The B-52 gets upgraded weapons bay

Section: Military

Tags: Aircraft, Boeing, Bombs, US Air Force, Weapons

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Redesigned Atlas robot can walk tether-free

Like a teenager going off to college, DARPA's Atlas robot has cut the tether and is walking on its own without a safety line. The centerpiece of this year's DARPA Robotics Challenge(DRC), the upgraded Atlas robot was unveiled to the competing teams in Waltham, Massachusetts last week during a technical shakeout. .. Continue Reading Redesigned Atlas robot can walk tether-free

Section: Robotics

Tags: Autonomous, Boston Dynamics, Competition, DARPA, DARPA Robotics Challenge,Humanoid, Robotics, Robots

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Rosetta reveals comet secrets

A generation ago, Astronomers thought of comets as simple things – huge dirty snowballs of rock and ice with a few organic chemicals thrown in. But after six months orbiting comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the unmanned Rosetta probe has shown them to be far more complex and active than previously thought. .. Continue Reading Rosetta reveals comet secrets

Section: Space

Tags: Comets, ESA, Rosetta

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Rosetta maps comet's surface for first time

Solar Impulse 2 round-the-world route revealed

In anticipation of its historic round-the-world flight attempt, the route planned for Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) has been unveiled. The first solar-powered plane capable of day and night flight, the Si2 will spend 25 days aloft spread over a period of five months as it traverses 35,000 km (22,000 mi) with stops at 12 locations around the globe. .. Continue Reading Solar Impulse 2 round-the-world route revealed

Section: Aircraft

Tags: Aircraft, Solar Cell, Solar Impulse, Solar Impulse 2

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Breva's latest watch packs a pop-up speedometer

You're blowing down the freeway in your convertible and your speedometer suddenly fails; what can you do? If you're wearing a Breva Génie 03 wristwatch, you stick it out the window and carry on, as the latest in the Breva line is claimed to be the first watch to include a pop-up mechanical speedometer. .. Continue Reading Breva's latest watch packs a pop-up speedometer

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Analog, Mechanical, Speed, Watches

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Moog welcomes back the machine by bringing back large format synthesizers

Moog is reviving the analog electronic synthesizers of the 1970s that sparked a musical revolution. The company announces that it's restarting limited production of three of its classic large format, modular synthesizers, which were originally produced in 1973: The System 55, the System 35, and the Model 15... Continue Reading Moog welcomes back the machine by bringing back large format synthesizers

Section: Music

Tags: Analog, Modular, Moog, Synthesizer

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Meccanoid G15 KS brings Meccano into the robot age

Meccano is one of those toys with a very strong nostalgia element, involving memories of hours spent bolting together a toy wheelbarrow or a coffee table-size Forth Bridge. But 21st century kids relate more to smartphones than traveling cranes, so Meccano has come up with its Meccanoid G15 KS – a kit robot that can be programmed using motion capture. .. Continue Reading Meccanoid G15 KS brings Meccano into the robot age

Section: Children

Tags: Bluetooth, Education, Engineering, Meccano, Programming, Robots, Toys

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Shelby GT350R – the most track-ready road-going production Mustang ever built

If there's one thing about Shelby Mustangs, it's that for half a century they've shown what Ford can do when it takes the gloves off. At the 2015 NAIAS in Detroit, the "most track-ready road-going production Mustang ever built" – the Ford Shelby GT350R – took a bow to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Shelby GT350 Competition... Continue Reading Shelby GT350R – the most track-ready road-going production Mustang ever built

Section: Automotive

Tags: Anniversary, Detroit Auto Show 2015, Ford, Ford Mustang, Mustang, Shelby

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Scientists use football fans to test earthquake detection equipment

When sports fans get really excited it seems like there's an earthquake – and scientists don't want to let that phenomenon go to waste. As the American football teams the Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers faced off in Seattle on the weekend, University of Washington seismologists with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) planted seismographs to study the fanmade "earthquake" caused as a way of testing new sensors and software. .. Continue Reading Scientists use football fans to test earthquake detection equipment

Section: Science

Tags: American Football, Communications, Earthquake, Internet, Seattle, Stadium,University of Washington, Washington

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New navigation module to help future freighters act as their own sails

In 2013, Norway's Lade AS unveiled designs for Vindskip, a "hybrid" merchant ship which aims to harness the wind courtesy of a specially-shaped hull, in the process taking the burden off of its natural-gas powered engines and saving fuel. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute's Center for Maritime Logistics and Services (CML) have been working to help realize this goal by developing an algorithm that will allow the Vindskip's navigation system to use the combination of power and sail at its most economical. .. Continue Reading New navigation module to help future freighters act as their own sails

Section: Marine

Tags: Environmental, Fraunhofer, Norway, Ships, Wind Power

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Dolfi ultrasonic pebble automates hand washing delicates

Delicate clothing are the here-there-be-dragons of the laundry world. Unlike jeans and socks, one mistake can result in a favorite garment shrinking to doll size or ending up a gray, shredded mess. To help avoid this sort of wash day tragedy, Swiss engineering lab MPI Ultrasonics has come up with Dolfi, a pocket-sized device that makes laundering hand-washables a hands-free job... Continue Reading Dolfi ultrasonic pebble automates hand washing delicates

Section: Around The Home

Tags: Cleaning, Clothing, Crowdfunding, Hands-free, Indiegogo, Laundry, Portable,Ultrasonic

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ISAAC robot joins NASA to weave advanced composites

The robot revolution continues at NASA this month as its Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia prepares to bring its Integrated Structural Assembly of Advanced Composites (ISAAC) robot online. One of only three robots like it in the world, it will be formally commissioned on January 26 before being put to work making lighter, stronger composite components for aerospace vehicles... Continue Reading ISAAC robot joins NASA to weave advanced composites

Section: Robotics

Tags: Carbon Fiber, Kuka, Manufacturing, Materials, NASA, Robotics, Robots

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Elon Musk releases video of Falcon 9 landing attempt

Elon Musk has revealed video and details of the crash of the Falcon 9 booster as it attempted to make an historic powered landing after the launch of the CRS-5 mission. In a series of brief statements on Twitter, the SpaceX founder and CEO explained the cause of the crash and future plans for the company's ambitions to produce a fully reusable space launch system... Continue Reading Elon Musk releases video of Falcon 9 landing attempt

Section: Space

Tags: CRS-5, Elon Musk, Falcon, International Space Station, SpaceX, Unmanned, Video

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ESA spaceplane launch gets green light

The European Space Agency has given the green light for the launch of its unmanned spaceplane, Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV). The original plan for a launch atop a Vega rocket from the ESA space center in French Guiana last November was put on holddue to safety concerns about its trajectory. With these issues now resolved, lift off is rescheduled for February 11. .. Continue Reading ESA spaceplane launch gets green light

Section: Space

Tags: ESA, IXV, Launch, Spacecraft, Unmanned

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Mercedes provides more details on top-of-the-range Maybach S-Class

In November, Mercedes Benz took the wraps off its latest go at reviving the Maybachmarque and now it's handing out more details about the luxury sub-brand's S 500 and S 600. Less a car for driving than being driven in by your chauffeur, the new S-class features understated lines and is intentionally designed as a status symbol for the upper automotive crust... Continue Reading Mercedes provides more details on top-of-the-range Maybach S-Class

Section: Automotive

Tags: Aerodynamics, Automotive, Luxury, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz

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ORNL unveils 3D-printed Shelby Cobra in Detroit

It stands to reason that if you had a big enough 3D printer, one of the first things you would do is print a replica of a vintage 1965 Shelby Cobra sportscar, and that's what the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) did for the 2015 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The result of a project that took only six weeks from conception to finished product, the vehicle not only celebrates the Shelby Cobra's 50th anniversary, but also acts as a demonstration of modern additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping technology... Continue Reading ORNL unveils 3D-printed Shelby Cobra in Detroit

Section: Automotive

Tags: 3D Printing, Automotive, Detroit Auto Show 2015, Oak Ridge National Laboratory,ORNL, Prototype, Shelby, US Department of Energy

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NASA drops mini robots into volcano for science

Space may be vast, but the planets can be pretty cramped – especially when it comes to volcanoes. This is unfortunate because the difficult to navigate fissures that are a major volcanic feature contain clues as to the interior of planets and moons and the mechanisms that formed them. To help learn more, NASA is dropping miniature robots down crevices inaccessible to humans as a way of extracting information about volcanoes on and off the Earth... Continue Reading NASA drops mini robots into volcano for science

Section: Space

Tags: JPL, NASA, National Geographic, Robotics, Robots

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DNAtrax tracks tainted food with molecular bar code

According to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), 129,000 Americans are sent to hospital and 3,000 die each year from food poisoning. Currently, tracing contaminated food is largely a matter of record keeping and detective work, but Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers, in partnership with DNATrek, have developed DNATrax, a DNA-based additive for directly tracking food from producer to consumer... Continue Reading DNAtrax tracks tainted food with molecular bar code

Section: Science

Tags: Bacteria, DNA, Food, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Piracy, Tracking

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NASA test fires SLS engine

The Orion spacecraft may have had its maiden flight, but it's still waiting for the Space Launch System (SLS) booster that will send it beyond the Moon. That wait got a bit shorter on Friday as NASA test fired the RS-25 engine that will power the SLS. The first of eight hot tests, it took place at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi... Continue Reading NASA test fires SLS engine

Section: Space

Tags: NASA, Orion Spacecraft, Space Launch System, Space Shuttle, Spacecraft

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Fraunhofer developing polymer test to ward off skanky beer

There's nothing quite as refreshing as a glass of beer on a hot day and nothing more disgusting than discovering that the beer has gone off in the bottle, leaving a sour, cloudy mess. To save innocent palettes and Sunday barbecues, the Fraunhofer Institute is developing a new polymer powder that can quickly detect pathogens in beer before they can ruin the brew. .. Continue Reading Fraunhofer developing polymer test to ward off skanky beer

Section: Science

Tags: Bacteria, Beer, Beverages, Fermentation, Fraunhofer, Membrane, Polymer

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Growing greens on the Red Planet

When the first living visitor from Earth lands on Mars we might well expect it to be a man or a woman, but if students from the University of Southampton Spaceflight Society have their way, it could be one small step for a lettuce. That may seem more than a bit mad, but its part of an experiment to see if crops can grow in the Martian environment as a prelude to colonization... Continue Reading Growing greens on the Red Planet

Section: Space

Tags: Mars, Mars One, Students, University of Southampton

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Avy Android-powered smart speaker pumps up the jam

Tablets, smartphones and the like are a boon to people who like their life to have a soundtrack, but for all their advanced computing power, they often lack in the audio department – especially when earphones aren't an option. The result is often an inelegant combination of devices with add-on speakers making up for the mobile devices' lack of audio oomph. The Avy Smart Speaker, which makes its debut at CES 2015, is designed to combine an Android-based tablet with a Hi-Fi system for the audiophile... Continue Reading Avy Android-powered smart speaker pumps up the jam

Section: Electronics

Tags: Android, Audio, Audiophile, CES 2015, Kickstarter, Speaker, Speakers, Touch Screen,Wi-Fi

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Robot learns to cook by watching YouTube

Cooking, they say, is as much an art as a science, so it's no surprise that robots have a difficult time in the kitchen. Perhaps one day robot chefs will be as commonplace as blenders, but they will still need to learn their job. To help them, scientists at the University of Maryland and NICTA, Australia are working on ways for robots to learn how to cook by watching YouTube videos... Continue Reading Robot learns to cook by watching YouTube

Section: Robotics

Tags: Cooking, NICTA, Robots, University of Maryland, YouTube

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CRS-5 mission scrubbed a second time

Today's launch of the CRS-5 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has been scrubbed. The launch, which was scheduled for 6:20 am EST, was aborted one minute and 21 seconds prior to lift off due to an issue with the second stage. The launch would have seen the first attempt of a powered booster landing on a barge... Continue Reading CRS-5 mission scrubbed a second time

Section: Space

Tags: CRS-5, Dragon, International Space Station, Launch, SpaceX

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Montblanc's new e-Strap adds smart functionality to luxury watches

If you want the functionality of a smartwatch, but don't want to give up your old wrist timepiece, you can always settle for an add-on module or a smartband, but they don't offer much for the haute horlogerie market – until now. The TimeWalker Urban Speed e-Strap series by Montblanc bills itself as the "first luxury brand to combine wearable technology with fine watchmaking.".. Continue Reading Montblanc's new e-Strap adds smart functionality to luxury watches

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Mechanical, Smartwatch, Watches, Wearable

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ESA tests force-reflecting joystick on International Space Station

In may look like the ultimate gaming joystick, but its purpose is very serious. On the International Space Station, astronauts recently finished putting the European Space Agency's (ESA) Haptics-1 joystick through its paces. The purpose of the first force-reflecting joystick in space is to improve how robots and humans interact in weightlessness... Continue Reading ESA tests force-reflecting joystick on International Space Station

Section: Space

Tags: Haptics, International Space Station, Joystick, Robotics, Space Travel

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Cotton cars to bring down costs of composites

Built in East Germany, the Trabant 601 was notorious for its many faults – not the least of which was a body made out of Duroplast, a hard plastic made of cotton waste and phenol resins that led those in the West to describe the car as being made of cardboard. However, it now looks as if the Trabant is getting the last laugh as scientists look at ways of making cars out of cotton and other botanical fibers formed into a new class of hybrid composites... Continue Reading Cotton cars to bring down costs of composites

Section: Automotive

Tags: Automotive, Carbon Fiber, Fraunhofer, Hybrid, Materials

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Review: The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball vacuum cleaner

Today, the Dyson company unveiled its next step in vacuum technology, the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball, which does away with not only the bag, but the filter as well. Dyson claims this not only removes the need to clean dust filters, but maintains the vacuum's suction for the machine's working life. Gizmag had the opportunity to get in early and put the Cinetic Big Ball Animal through its paces... Continue Reading Review: The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball vacuum cleaner

Section: Around The Home

Tags: Dyson, Vacuum, Vacuum cleaner

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Porsche unveils high-tech 918 facility

The Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid supercar has been called the "genetic blueprint for the Porsche sports car of the future," but the technical innovations aren't restricted to the car's two electric power systems and V8 engine punching 887 bhp. The company has also put a lot of innovation into its Porsche 918 Spyder factory in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. The 4,000 sq/m (43,000 sq/ft) facility where the 918 is hand built employs 100 people and uses a new take on the assembly line... Continue Reading Porsche unveils high-tech 918 facility

Section: Automotive

Tags: Hybrid, Porsche, porsche 918, Spyder

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