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E-books Gain Ground as Most Popular Research Sources Among Students
Electronic books and other digital reference materials are gaining popularity as research sources for students, according to a global survey conducted by Ebrary, a digital content service and delivery company based in Palo Alto, California, USA. Roughly 6,500 students participated in the survey at about 400 institutions across the globe. The ease of access and convenience of online search tools are two primary reasons students gave for preferring electronic sources over print books, although print books were chosen as the most reliable documents. Read more
Morphing Chemical Robots Developed
Scientists at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, recently received a US$3.3 million contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop morphing chemical robots. The soft and squishy chembots will be able to squeeze into spaces as tiny as one centimeter then morph back into something 10 times larger and ultimately biodegrade. The Tufts team will design the chembots to perform feats no current machine can accomplish, according to Professor of Biology Barry Trimmer, the Henry Bromfield Pearson Professor of Natural Sciences and co-principal investigator on the project. Among these tasks will be the ability to enter confined or complex spaces; follow cables, ropes or wires; and climb trees or other branched structures. The robots could extend the capabilities of today's unmanned ground vehicles by accessing urban environments, tunnels, caves and debris fields. Read more
Learn more about chemical robots in IEEE Xplore®
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Canadian Companies Open Labs to Schools
A coalition of Canadian companies, including Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, Nortel Networks and IBM Canada, plan to create a lab sharing program that will make their research facilities and resources available to IT students in high school and college during weeknights and weekends. The firms are concerned about skill shortages they say will result in a shortfall of nearly 90,000 workers in science, technology, engineering and math within three to five years. The coalition hopes the program, along with plans to promote IT careers through media relations campaigns and efforts to educate elementary and high school counselors about the breadth of opportunities in IT, will result in heightened interest among young students. Read more
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Ice Clouds Recreated in Lab to Gain Ground in Airplane Path Peril
By recreating ice clouds similar to those found in nature that form on airplanes and cause crashes, researchers at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, USA, have moved toward developing a method to sense which types of ice crystals are dangerous for airplanes to fly through. In the ice cloud chamber experiment, the researchers send a laser beam through the chamber and measure its transformation in polarization, which varies according to size, distribution and shape of the ice crystals in the computer-controlled system. “No one has previously done what we are doing in terms of this lab scale and the ability to vary as many elements,” said Todd Nilsen, a mechanical engineering student that worked on the project. The team’s research was sponsored by a US$5,000 grant from R.L. Associates, Inc., a research and development company specializing in optical technology. Read more
Learn more about ice clouds in IEEE Xplore®
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Doors Open to More Engineering Colleges for Women
India is set to witness a significant jump in the number of exclusive engineering colleges for women this year. Of 100 new engineering colleges likely to be sanctioned for the 2008-09 academic year, 30 are expected to be exclusively for women. Apart from the growing preference of women for engineering courses, the All India Council for Technical Education’s (AICTE) decision to relax rules for setting up women’s engineering colleges as a step towards women’s empowerment had companies and societies lining up with applications, said Chairman of State Council for Higher Education K. C. Reddy. “This is a typical case of supply driven by the demand. Engineering is becoming attractive for women because of better job prospects,” Mr. Reddy said. Read more
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10 Great Tech Books
Veteran technology writer Steven Levy names his picks for the top 10 tech books in the July issue of IEEE Spectrum. The list was created to appeal to lay readers and engineers alike, taking into account the actual reading experience along with the impact and significance of the title. This is one top 10 list that engineers, programmers and technology professionals won’t want to miss. See titles
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Princeton Receives US$100 Million for Environment Center
Princeton University, New Jersey, USA, will get US$100 million from alumnus Gerhard R. Andlinger to create a center for energy and the environment. The donation will pay for an 110,000-square-foot laboratory to be part of the university's School of Engineering and Applied Science, which is seeking to expand its role in the development of sustainable energy production, climate change and related fields. It also will be used to create a fund for research in areas that do not get many federal grants. Andlinger’s gift coincides with contributions from three other benefactors dedicated to environmental education. Read more
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Battery-Powered Chair Car Provides Multiple Uses
A power chair that can transport people who are disabled and easily carry up to 100 kilograms of bio-cargo is being developed by engineering students from Durgapur, India. The chair operates much like a small car but is activated with an arm-mounted steering of the scooter, providing a more seamless operation. Researchers see a potential use for short distance transportation for people inside colleges and universities, airports, hospitals and other large buildings. Highlights of the device include advanced suspensions that reduce shocks and vibrations, as well as battery-powered rear wheels that last for two years. Read more
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Messages Make a Difference in Drawing Young People to Engineering Careers
In an effort to attract more young people to the field of engineering, a report from the National Academy of Engineering outlines statements to be used for advancing public understanding of engineering. The report recommended that people in the engineering field start using tested messages in a comprehensive communications plan. According to the report, the messages included positive terminology that focuses on the creative skills engineers have and how these skills are essential to the health, happiness and safety of society. The report includes an online survey of 3,600 people and strives to eradicate common stereotypes many people believe about engineers. Read more
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Arab World’s First Solar-Powered Car Sees Light
The first solar-powered car in the Arab region has been created by a group of engineering students and their professor at the American University of Beirut, Saudi Arabia. While the solar-powered vehicles are still years away from commercial availability, the researchers are eager to explore ways to acquire funding to make the vehicles available for public use. Named Apollo’s Chariot, after the Greek sun god, the car changes solar energy into 1,000 watts of power through 36 small and eight large photovoltaic cells. The one-seat vehicle contains the cells, batteries and a direct current motor which changes energy from the batteries into a standard source of energy. Read more
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