In many businesses, big and small, overall equipment efficiency is a way to understand performance and quality value of an enterprise. This article is going to help you get a better look at OEE as a way of upgrading modern production management and digital transformations that makes factories really smart. Why is equipment effectiveness the main key to success? If […]

Over the years, we’ve seen a number of drones that are designed to capture other drones. One of the latest, aptly named the Drone Interceptor, utilizes detachable net-pulling propellers to get the job done. Designed by Lithuanian hacker Aleksey Zaitsevsky, the aircraft takes the form of a quadcopter with a very high power-to-weight ratio. This characteristic allows the Drone Interceptor to […]

Modern cities produce an absolute avalanche of data every second of every day, from cameras and sensors belonging to dozens of separate systems. In such a smart world, it’s amazing that so many traffic lights are still so dumb. A new project beginning in Melbourne, Australia aims to harness this avalanche of data using deep learning AI and predictive modeling, […]

There are many parts of the world in which fresh water may be plentiful, but it’s also full of harmful microbes. An experimental new filter is able to purify such water for drinking, and it’s powered solely by sunlight. The flat-bodied prototype device was designed at Switzerland’s EPFL research institute, by a team led by Prof. László Forró. Water enters […]

Industrial piping has a hard life, as it’s constantly exposed to liquids that can damage its inner surface over time. A new polymer coating could help protect such pipes, while removing toxic metals from the liquids as it does so. Currently under development at Australia’s Flinders University, the coating is “made easily” from an inexpensive mixture of elemental sulfur and […]

Lithium-sulfur batteries are a hugely promising energy storage solution with the type of density that could see smartphones run for five days, and scientists continue to make exciting advances that bring them closer to commercial reality. The latest comes from researchers at Australia’s Monash University, who have developed a novel layer component that shapes as a critical piece of the […]

When most people think of life vests, they likely picture yokes that are worn around the user’s neck. Switlik Survival Products’ new UA-80 Evolution Vest takes what is claimed to be a better approach, however, by going under the arms. Reportedly the first FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)-approved device of its kind, the UA-80 is designed for constant-wear use by professional […]

Researchers have developed a new type of artificial muscle that’s entirely made out of natural proteins. Responding to changes in its environment allows the muscle to flex on demand, which could make it useful for implants, prosthetics or robotics. As promising a technology as artificial muscles have been, most of the time they’re still a bit too artificial, often made […]

It wasn’t so long ago that 3D printing was the new kid on the block. Now the term 4D printing is making headlines, stretching our ability to conceptualize once again. To understand 4D printing, it helps to have a better familiarity with 3D printing. 3D printing was originally developed in 1984 by Charles Hull. However, it was 2007 before anyone other than businesses and the […]

When a car crashes into a roadside object at an intersection, chances are pretty high that object will be a traffic light pole. If it’s a new energy-absorbing pole, however, the likelihood of injury or even death may be significantly reduced. Traditional street light poles are relatively rigid and unyielding, so collisions with them can be quite nasty for the […]