Tag: physical sciences
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Mini Scanner Developed for Teaching CT Technology
Biomedical engineers at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada have developed a scaled-down computed tomography (CT) scanner to teach about the technology in the classroom. The invention of Jerry Battista, who chairs Western’s biophysics department, and Kevin Jordan of the London Health Sciences Centre is now manufactured, and distributed to other universities by Modus Medical…
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Traffic Intersection Study Pinpoints Stoplight Danger Zone
Engineers at Oregon State University in Corvallis have identified more about the dangers faced by drivers and pedestrians alike when traffic lights turn yellow at intersections. The findings of transportation engineering professor David Hurwitz and colleagues from OSU and University of Massachusetts in Amherst appear in this month’s issue of the journal Transportation Research Part…
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Hydrogen Power Utility Vehicle Practical, Not Cost-Effective
A pilot test in Switzerland of a street cleaning truck powered by a hydrogen fuel cell shows the vehicle saves energy and is environmentally friendly, but the high costs of the vehicle do not yet make it financially feasible. The test was carried out by the Swiss materials science and technology research institute Empa, with…
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Texas Instruments Opens New Analog Chip Research Lab
Semiconductor manufacturer Texas Instruments launches today a new Silicon Valley research laboratory in Santa Clara, California. The company says the lab will also provide opportunities for collaboration with researchers and students at universities in the region. The company’s 70-acre Silicon Valley Labs plans to focus on R&D involving analog and mixed analog/digital signal circuits. Projects…
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U.S. Patent Awarded for Isobutanol Production Process
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Gevo Inc. in Englewood, Colorado, a maker of biofuels from renewable feedstocks, a patent for its process of producing isobutanol with reduced accumulation of by-products. Patent no. 8,133,715, “Reduced By-Product Accumulation for Improved Production of Isobutanol,” was awarded today to 12 inventors and assigned to Gevo. Isobutanol…
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Nanotubes Boost Biosensors for Faster Medical Diagnostics
Researchers at Oregon State University in Corvallis have adapted carbon nanotubes to increase the speed of biological sensors that can reduce the time and costs for medical lab tests. The team led by physics professor Ethan Minot published their findings last month in the journal Lab on a Chip (paid subscription required). Carbon nanotubes are…
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Photo-Printing Technology Developed for 3-D Polymer Shapes
Researchers at University of Massachusetts in Amherst have developed a simple technology for producing three-dimensional shapes from thin polymer films. The findings of the work by Ryan Hayward, Christian Santangelo, and their UMass colleagues appear in the current issue of the journal Science (paid subscription required). The new method, funded by National Science Foundation, involves exposing…
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Computer Processor Power Scheme Cuts Waste, Energy Use
Engineers and computer scientists at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland have developed a method for allocating power in computer processors that cuts device energy use by as much as 40 percent. The team led by computer science professor Swarup Bhunia presented their findings in January at the 25th International Conference on VLSI (Very-Large-Scale Integration)…
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Algorithms Plot Optimal Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Routes
Engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have devised mathematical methods to plot the optimal routes for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), increasingly used for industrial, research, and security applications. The team led by mechanical engineering professor Pierre Lermusiaux will discuss its work in May 2012 at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Setting an…
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Bridgestone Tire to Study Natural Raw Rubber Alternative
Bridgestone Corporation, a global tire manufacturer in Tokyo, Japan unveiled plans today for a research project in the U.S. to develop a new commercially viable, renewable source of tire-quality natural rubber. The project aims to harness the cultivation of guayule — pronounced why-YOU-lee — as an alternative to hevea trees, the current source of almost…