Engineering & Technology
Two-photon polymerization for advanced sensor manufacturing
Sensors built from microscopic optical components could offer numerous benefits, but so far their reach has been limited by shortcomings in 3D manufacturing techniques on non-conventional platforms. In their research, Dr Hengky Chandrahalim, Capt Jeremiah Williams, and colleagues at the US Air Force Institute of Technology, have overcome this challenge through the technique of ‘two-photon polymerization’, which allows them to […]
Predictive discarding for sustainable Industry 5.0
The computer chip shortage has prompted Dr Geert van Kollenburg and his colleagues at Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands, to find data-driven methods to optimise chip manufacturing processes. As part of the MadeIn4 project, they have developed a predictive discarding framework in which quality predictions from artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are used to decide on whether to discard an […]
Improving the safety of unmanned aerial systems: A fuzzy logic–AI approach
With their ever-increasing capabilities and applications, the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is set to soar. This creates an urgent need for solutions that safely manage UAS operations in congested low-altitude airspace. Some advanced UAS-control methods are based on reinforcement learning techniques, but these are not yet fully validated. Taking a fuzzy logic-based approach to this problem are Dr […]
Durability of wood – integration of experimental and numerical approach
If a building is to have a lifetime of fifty years or more, it is important to be able to predict how the construction materials will fare in that timespan. This is particularly challenging for natural materials like wood due to natural differences in the structure. Serena Gambarelli and Josipa Bošnjak at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, employ a hygro-mechanical […]
Secret Manhattan Project ciphers finally solved
While working on the creation of the world’s first atomic bomb, mathematician Paul Olum challenged his colleague, the distinguished theoretical physicist Richard Feynman, to solve his two ciphers – Olum 1 and Olum 2. Feynman failed, and the ciphers went unsolved for more than 75 years. Paul Relkin, an American software developer and cryptanalysis enthusiast, has recently published the first […]
Autoneum – making sustainable acoustic and thermal management of cars a reality
The automotive manufacturing industry has reached a point of no return. Advancing electrification and increasing sustainability standards have forced manufacturers to change strategic tack and design vehicles that are more environmentally responsible in every phase of their lifespan. Swiss company Autoneum is at the cutting edge of acoustic and thermal management solutions for automobiles – an increasingly important component to the […]
Securing communication in quantum anonymous networks
The demand for secure network communication is increasing as online fraud and cybercrime pose threats to users’ security and data confidentiality. Awais Khan, Dr Junaid ur Rehman and Professor Hyundong Shin, from the Kyung Hee University, Korea, have developed two key protocols for quantum anonymous network communication: the quantum anonymous collision detection (QACD) protocol and quantum anonymous notification (QAN) protocol. […]
Discovering the optimal schedule for adiabatic quantum computation
Quantum computers outperform classic machines when it comes to solving complex calculations. Commercial quantum computers are now available, and these perform quantum computation via a process called ‘adiabatic evolution’. The quantum adiabatic theorem states that if a quantum mechanical system is subjected to external conditions that are gradually changing, it can adapt its configuration. Dr Stefan Isermann from T-Systems International […]
The collapse of the Polcevera Viaduct – an avoidable tragedy
The dramatic collapse of the Polcevera Viaduct, in the Italian port city of Genoa in 2018, had all the hallmarks of unfortunate tragedy, but to the trained eye it was inevitable. Twenty-five years before the disaster, Professor Janusz Rymsza, a specialist in bridge design and field testing at Poland’s Road and Bridge Research Institute, warned Italian engineers that the design […]
Continuous flow strategies for accelerated materials discovery
Polymerisation reactions play a crucial role in the design and optimisation of new materials for many existing and emerging technologies. The large commercial demand for tailored polymers requires developing innovative synthetic approaches that afford precision, control, and automation, while addressing environmental and workplace safety concerns. Dr Tim Erdmann and colleagues at IBM Research, Almaden Lab (USA), are exploring new synthetic routes […]