Engineering & Technology
Data-sharing for a greener future: How can JIDEP contribute?
As the global push toward sustainability moves beyond a trend to becoming necessary, we must address the inertia and challenges in securing a circular economy. JIDEP – a joint project by manufacturers, technology companies, and leading research organisations – proposes an ambitious but technically astute way to encourage companies to share valuable data. Industrial progress has long been defined by […]
Lightweighting the future with aluminium crossover alloys
Before the transport sector can reduce its carbon emissions, the metal alloys used to manufacture vehicles will need to become more lightweight, while maintaining their useful properties. To tackle this challenge, the CrossAlloy team – a collaboration between AMAG Austria Metall AG and Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria – is developing aluminium crossover alloys. These alloys combine strength and formability into sustainable […]
Predictive Analytics in the world of big data with application for targeting decisions
Predictive Analytics (PA) models are an increasingly important method for predicting future events in big data applications based on past observations for which the response values are known. One of the most popular applications is targeting decisions, which is commonly used in many domains, such as marketing and banking. The leading prediction models still belong to the realm of regression. […]
Robotics and autonomy: From space robots to applications in daily life
Robots are an integral part of our world, with mostly non-autonomous systems providing support in practically every aspect of modern life. These robots are used in industry, surgical procedures, and the household, with more autonomous robots developed for space and deep-sea applications which are more detached from human activities. Dr Sirko Straube and Professor Dr Frank Kirchner from the German […]
How could we build a liveable space habitat?
In the not-too-distant future, humanity will be faced with the challenge of building permanent homes in space. For this to happen, space habitats will need to closely replicate Earth’s gravity, while dealing with the threat of radiation and meteorites from outer space. Through his research, Werner Grandl at Space Renaissance International in Italy considers how these challenges could be overcome. Through […]
Satellite internet technology: A double-edged sword
Medical care is increasingly reliant on the internet, thus alternatives, such as satellite internet, should be available in case terrestrial services fail. William Nahm, who is pursuing dual MD/MBA degrees from NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Harvard Business School, USA, emphasises the need for faster and more reliant satellite internet, especially in healthcare. While satellite internet provides a lifeline […]
Urban Drone Operation: How wind in cities could affect air taxis of the future
In cities, many companies are now considering urban air mobility vehicles, from drones for parcel delivery to air taxis for travel. However, gusts of air, especially around buildings, can create pockets of wind with different properties, which could cause areas of turbulence and affect the stability of the aircraft. A research team led by Dr Abdulghani Mohamed, senior lecturer at […]
Anamorphic cryptography: How can we ensure private communication?
Cryptosystems have been developed to send secure messages with the assumption that the receiver’s key – what the intended recipient needs to read the message – is secure from adversaries. However, there have been tensions, dubbed as ‘Crypto Wars’. Friction has arisen between governments, hoping to access encryption keys to learn about potential threats, and industry, which believes that the […]
Inclusivity, diversity, and gender equality in cybersecurity
Digital and communication technologies have revolutionised humanity; however, cyber attacks pose a constant threat that transcends national boundaries. As such, collaborative international approaches to cybersecurity are needed. Cybersecurity has traditionally been a male-dominated field. However, at Cardiff Metropolitan University in the UK, Dr Liqaa Nawaf and her colleagues have established a new, British Council-funded initiative to promote improved gender equality […]
Understanding field scattering in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistors
Field-effect transistors featuring stacked layers of semiconductors are important elements of many electrical devices, especially in wireless communication systems. Through a series of studies, research led by Professor Zhaojun Lin at Shandong University, China, has identified one particular mechanism driving an unavoidable limitation in these devices. By drawing from their new theoretical description of ‘polarisation Coulomb field scattering’, the team […]