Today's Interesting Engineering

[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Students achieve 2,098mpg in the Supermileage competition

A team of students from Canada has managed to achieve 2,098mpg fuel efficiency in a car that they built. Students from the Universite Laval in Quebec designed the vehicle for competition in the 36th SAE Supermileage competition and this happens to be their 2nd consecutive win.

[Image Courtesy of SAE International]​

It is more than just two wins the University of Laval has achieved. In fact they have actually won five times over eight years. The Alerion mileage team of the university managed to achieve even higher figures for fuel efficiency, in 2010 they achieved 2,488mpg and in 2009 they managed 2,757mpg. Of course these figures are well off the most fuel efficient vehicle, the PAC-Car II from ETH Zurich, which is powered by hydrogen. This managed to reach an impressive 12,666mpg back in 2005.

[Image Courtesy of SAE International]​

This could not take part in the SAE Supermileage competition due to the fact that to take part they have to run on the same iso-octane fuel. The event is held in Michigan in the USA, with the winner being the vehicle offering the highest fuel efficiency over the course, with a span of 9.6 miles. The teams taking part in the event are also awarded based on the design of the car. All vehicles have to be single cylinder, have a four-cycle engine and be single person.

[Image Courtesy of SAE International]​

The students used the shell of the vehicle from last year and this allowed them to put their focus on areas that needed refining, such as the fuel line, clutch and the electronics. The driver from last year took a walk around the track along with the driver for this year, to give him tips.

[Image Courtesy of SAE International]​

The University of Laval has been awarded a total of US$1,500 and is going to have recognition at the SAE 2015 Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress, which is going to be held in October this year.

Via [SAE International]

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Nemo Garden grows crops underwater in Italy

If you check out the Liguria stand at the Milan 2015 Expo you will find a bizarre project that is intriguing, the Nemo Garden. This is an attempt at growing crops under the ocean inside biospheres that are filled with air. It is one effort that may prove to be a low cost energy solution for growing food in regions where it was once though impossible.

[Image Courtesy of Nemo Garden]​

Liguria is located in Northern Italy and the region is famous for poor soil and farming. This is due to the soil being too rocky, the hills being steep, landslides, flooding and a population that is overcrowded. This has meant that farmers have had to turn to terrace farming and this isn’t very energy efficient.

[Image Courtesy of Nemo Garden]​

Many regions around the world are faced with the same issues and problems and an underwater garden could be the answer. Sergio Gamberini and Luca, his son, chose to implant biospheres around 8 meters under the ocean off the tourist beaches in Liguria. It might sound like a crazy idea but there is some method to the madness of it all. The sunlight can penetrate a few feet under the water’s surface and the ocean manages to keep the temperature at 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Another huge benefit is that parasites cannot attack the crops growing under the ocean.

​

[Image Courtesy of Nemo Garden]​

Evaporating sea water collects and condenses on the biospheres inner walls and this helps to create a humidity level of around 85%. This of course helps the growth of the crops. This means that the system is sustainable and it uses very little energy.

[Image Courtesy of Nemo Garden]​

The Nemo Garden began life in 2012 and it has continued to flourish. There are now five biospheres under the water and these have been anchored down onto the floor of the sea and filled with air. Shelving along with sensors and cameras are located in them and these mean the plants can be monitored. At the moment there are bunches of basil growing and this is harvested 50 days later. They are then taken to the laboratory and analysed. The results have shown that there is no real difference between the plants grown underwater and those grown in soil above. The only minor difference is that the underwater ones seems to have a flavour that is stronger.

​

[Image Courtesy of Nemo Garden]​

Planting began in June for this year’s crop and you can check out a live stream courtesy of Ustream.


Via [Nemo Garden]

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Microchip releases medicine in the body every day at the right time for many years

Microchips Biotech, an MIT spinoff company, has developed a microchip to be implanted in the body which can hold hundreds of medicine doses. The technology allows the controlled doses to always be released at the right time, preventing the patient from having any problems due to forgotten doses.

The microdevice uses individual reservoirs covered with a metal membrane. Each of these reservoirs contains a dose of medicine. The membrane is removed with an electrical impulse and the drug is released in the body. The chip can be remotely programmed so the dose release time can be changed anytime by the doctor or patient.

During the microchip tests, patients had results similar to treatments with injections. Patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis and sclerosis can benefit from treatment with the microchip. It can also be used with contraceptive medication.



Teva Pharmaceutical, one of the largest companies in Israel, paid more than $35 billion commercialize the technology. However, to effectively reach the market and be readily available at pharmacies the microchip still needs to clear out some bureaucracy, such as getting approval from the Food and Drug Administration in the USA.

Source: Geek

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Screen cracks might become a thing of the past and here’s why

Screen cracks might just become a thing of the past. Think about it for a second; what if you never have to worry about your phone screen cracking again? What if you don’t have to give up those hundreds of dollars to replace your smartphone screen?


[Courtesy: CNN]

The key lies in a new form of plastic called Vitrimers. It is commonly known that there are two types of plastic: thermoplastics and thermosets. Thermoplastics are special in the sense that they become malleable in presence of heat but are rigid when cooled. Thermostats however, do not lose their rigidity even when subject to intense heat.

Vitrimers are unique because they have a combination of the properties exhibited by thermoplastics and thermostats. Vitrimers are very rigid. In the presence of heat, vitrimers can still retain their physical structure but can also possess some malleability at the surface. This would enable the Vitrimer to close up cracks on its surface indefinitely.

So the next time your screen cracks, apply some heat to it and notice how the screen cracks fade away. Then order some pizza with those hundreds of dollars that would have been used to replace your phone screen.

Vitrimers were discovered by a material scientist at the ESCPI Institute located in Paris. He goes by the name Ludwik Liebler. This discovery lead to him winning the 2015 Inventor Award from the EPO (European Patent Office). He had a couple of things to say about all this.

“We think that the first applications will be in transport, in cars, in planes, in all the applications you have that need toughness, for repair and increasing durability of your objects,” he said. “The vitrimers can have both of the two worlds, but they are fundamentally different. They combine this permanent network, resistance, dimensional stability with the possibility of being malleable, (and) completely recyclable.” he followed up.


Ludwik Liebler’s inspiration came from T-1000, the liquid metal from Terminator 2: Judgement Day [Courtsey: CNN]


Apart from treating screen cracks, there are other interesting application possibilities for vitrimers. One example is healing wounds. He said, “It seems to work, at least in animals,” claims Liebler. “We made this experience with gluing liver, which you can buy, and then we made experiments with colleagues in the hospital on liver in rats and it works, and we had a surgery on pigs and it works.”

This is one of the top innovations in 2015 and there are obviously countless possibilities for this new technology. But at the moment, it’s still under research and awaiting perfection. When they become available, expect that when your screen cracks, all you need is a lighter to fix it up. Or it might even fix itself up!

Just so we’re clear, your screen cracks won’t heal themselves, YET!


Source: CNN





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[CarlS]

Fix your broken screen with a hair dryer. I like that!

 

[DaveM]

Technology sure is cool and I wish I could be around in another 100 years or so to see where it has gone, at the rate of change we now seeing I can only wonder where it will be by then.

 

[CarlS]

It is changing rapidly for sure. I'm not sure I could stand the world politically for another 100 years,

 

[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

United Tower, Bahrain – A New Twist.

The 21st Century has witnessed the construction of numerous unusual landmark buildings. Interesting and unique towers have constituted a fair percentage thereof, from Frank Gehry’s Eight Spruce Street in New York City, to the Robot Building in Bangkok, and the Kingdom Center in Riyahd, Saudi Arabia: The United Tower in Bahrain, is a new twist on the theme.


The United Tower really does look strikingly like a brad point drill bit, right down to the razor crisp edges of the lands and smooth faced flutes. Rising from an octagonal base plate, the fifty story structure describes a perfect counter-clockwise twist, such that each land begins and ends in the same plane along the structures vertical axis – where the land leaves the foundation and its terminal end at the top are perfectly aligned. The tower is the newest jewel on the crown that is Bahrain Bay, a massive waterfront development, located on the north shore of Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. The US$2.5 billion, half million square meter reclamation and construction project culminated in the formation of three artificial islands, and a blend of residential, commercial, tourism, and public facilities, including over three kilometers of quay wall and four kilometers of roads.



Specific engineering and construction information for the tower are somewhat hard to come by. Mohamed Aref Sadeq Engineering Consultants did the design work, though their site included nothing more than a two sentence description of the tower. Similarly, Ahmed Al Qaed Construction, the primary contractor, had a one sentence description. That said, further digging discovered this very interesting site belonging to a young architect and designer named Unni Matthew, who did production and working drawings for the tower, working for ASDC in Bahrian. Poke around in his work, and you see fascinating snippets, from initial sketches and inception, to some very detailed pieces from the working drawings.


As part of the overarching Bahrain Bay Project, the tower and all its neighbors are held to strict regulations regarding sustainability. The development authority espouses a relatively broad-minded view in this regard; they couch sustainability in terms of not only environmental concerns, but economic and social as well. They refer to the project as a “Smart City, conscious of the need to both preserve precious resources and to use carefully sourced materials for the construction. Therefore, all third party developers have to comply with extremely strict criteria.”


In keeping with this master development scheme, the United Tower will house a five-star Wyndham hotel and meeting facilities, as well as commercial office and retail space. Cooperation Investment House SPC, the managing body for the property, states that the tower will provide “an exceptional work environment, ideal for businesses requiring a presence in the Kingdom.”

Although GulfBusiness.com notes that “Bahrain’s office rental rates have remained flat as the Gulf state continues to witness political unrest and struggles with oversupply in the market,” clearly the developers are banking on the kingdom’s relatively open economy, highly valued currency, and Manama’s existing heavy investment in banking and tourism to draw business to the United Tower.

The post United Tower, Bahrain – A New Twist. appeared first on Interesting Engineering.

 

[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Indigo Clean is the bacteria killing light

Ultraviolet light is one way of sterilizing objects but of course it isn’t wise to use them in the room with humans as it is harmful. Typically when using ultraviolet light to clean a room, that room has to be cleared out first, but this could be about to change thanks to Indigo Clean. This is a new type of light that may mean we see the end of the traditional UV cleaning.

[Image Courtesy of Indigo Clean]​

Indigo Clean is a sanitizing light that doesn’t harm humans and it can be installed just the same as any traditional light is fitted. However, the big difference is that while normal lights don’t clean harmful bacteria from the air, this one does. It constantly kills bacteria in the air and on surfaces that are exposed to the light. This means that the traditional UV sanitizers can be done away with along with having to clear the room for cleaning that way.

[Image Courtesy of Indigo Clean]​

The Indigo Clean is not only useful for killing bacteria, it provides illumination too and as the light is switched on all the time for illumination this means that cleaning is constant and microorganisms will not be able to build up on surfaces where the light reaches. This essentially means that the new system can be used in hospitals along with being used in homes.

The system is installed on the ceiling just as with any typical lighting fixture. It relies on special LEDs to give out light at a wavelength of 405nM. The light is visible but it’s not a bright white light, instead it has a bluish tinge and at the same time destroys anything harmful in the environment.

Kenall Manufacturing holds the license and the Indigo Clean system will be supplied in North American markets.

Via [Indigo Clean]

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Sweet treats for the feet thanks to Shoe Bakery

Fans of confectionary who also have a passion for shoes will love the idea the Shoe Bakery has of blending the two together in sweet treats for the feet.The shoes are designed to look like cakes and treats and each pair is hand made to order and customers can have shoes made to their own designs.

[Image Courtesy of ifitshipitshere]​

The shoes are so realistically designed that you would think you could reach down take them off your feet and eat them, but of course you cannot. They are however a work of art in themselves and you may be tempted not to wear them for fear of spoiling them and instead just put them on show for all to see and drool over.

[Image Courtesy of ifitshipitshere]​

The Shoe Bakery was founded April 2013 with the idea of creating unique off the shelf shoes for women. Through their online store, they offer shoes in categories such as the cake collection, ice cream collection, baby cakes collection and arm candy collection, with the latter being their handbag range. Prices vary between $80 and $400 for the limited edition shoes.

[Image Courtesy of ifitshipitshere]​

Whether you want shoes to look like your favourite ice cream treat with sprinkles, your favourite cake with a cherry on top or perhaps a wedding cake for your special day, you can get them from the Shoe Bakery.

[Image Courtesy of ifitshipitshere]​

The shoes are designed and made by Chris Campbell who says he got the idea as he loves shoes and confectionary so the natural thing was to put the two together to create unique shoes for women who don’t want to wear the same as everyone else. Chris also makes shoes to order from ideas customers have and works alongside them to create the ultimate shoe. Check out the many scrumptious designs below, they will make your mouth water.

[Image Courtesy of ifitshipitshere]​

Via [Ifitshipitshere]

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

TL3 Racing Simulator offers a 200 degree display that wraps around you

If you have ever wanted to get behind the wheel of a racing car you might be interested in the TL3 Racing Simulator. However you are going to have to take out a loan as the technology costs as much as a small car at £34,995.

[Image Courtesy of MotionSimulation]​

The CXC Motion Pro II TL3 racing simulator offers a force-feedback steering mechanism and this is said to be like driving a real car, even down to the finest details. To make you feel more like you are driving a real car there is the spherical projection screen of 200 degrees and this offers one of the most realistic of visual experiences possible.

[Image Courtesy of MotionSimulation]​

The TL3 Racing Simulator is said to offer the ultimate professional level simulation solution and this is due to the gaming pod that fully immerses the person using it as it is almost entirely closed. The wraparound display takes the breath away whether you choose to drive a tank down the road in Grand Theft Auto, or you chose to take a Ferrari or Veyron down the highway. The wraparound display helps to recreate the visuals as you can see out of your periphery vision just as you can see all around you.

[Image Courtesy of MotionSimulation]​

The simulator uses three projectors and they beam an image of 8.2 feet which has a resolution of 1,080 x 5,760. To make sure that you keep cool in the pod there are low noise cooling fans to take the warm air out. The unit has a variable driving position that is a world’s first and ensures you get the feeling of sitting in an actual car. The steering wheel can be adjusted and there is a set of electro/mechanical actuators to give a driving feel that is realistic, such as pitch and roll along with heave.

Via [MotionSimulation]

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

How did the internet almost run out of space?

The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) is an organization that assigns IP addresses in North America. When ARIN announced that it has run out of IP addresses, some thought an internet apocalypse was imminent. At the time, any device in need of an IP address was added to a waiting list. The problem was that ARIN didn’t have any IP address left to assign to any device from the waiting list.


All devices connected to the internet around the world [Courtesy: businessinsider.com]

The IP address is the primary mean of identification on the internet platform. It is used to identify any kind of device that might be connected to the internet, ranging from computers, mobile phones and perhaps even robots. It consists of four sets of numbers, each ranging from 0 and 255. For example, an IP address could be 22.231.113.64. This IP address representation is called the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4).

IPv4 has been in use for quite a long time so it might be expected that it would eventually run out. IPv4 has 4.3 billion possible combinations and they are almost all used up. This means the internet is running out of space unless something can be done.

The CEO of ARIN had some disturbing statements as well. He said, “Within three to four weeks, we will hit the point where there is no inventory,”


The future without the internet [Courtesy: tnation.t-nation.com]

However, this development is not as surprising as it sounds. Last year, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) made statements claiming that IP addresses would be exhausted soon. In order to prevent that from happening, an upgraded version of IPv4 was initiated. This version is called Internet Protocol version 6 or IPv6.

In fact, IPv6 is not new to us. It has been in existence since the 1990s. Rather than using the conventional sets of numbers, IPv6 uses 8 sets of both numbers and letters. So for example, an IP address in IPv6 would look like this: 2001:0db8:0a0b:12f0:0000:0000:0000:0001.

IPv6 has 34 undecillion (that’s 34 with 13 zero’s behind it) combinations. It’s very unlikely that it would run out of space. It would also mean that almost anything could connect to the internet because of the sheer number of spaces available on the IPv6. This is indeed a very good progress.

The IPv6 is claimed to be faster than its counterpart. It is also claimed to be more direct and consumers will not notice the transition from using IPv4 to IPv6. Surprisingly enough, it happens that IPv6 has not been welcomed as well as it would have expected to be. In the U.S, only 21% of all the internet traffic operate using the IPv6. It is also believed to be much less outside the U.S according to data obtained by Google.

As more and more internet users appear, transition from IPv4 to IPv6 becomes inevitable. As a result, Internet Service Providers would need to brace for the impact that comes with the Information Age. The impact of exponential increase in internet traffic.



Source: USA Today

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Glass pod suits strapped to a mountain cliff makes for an adventurous stay in this hotel in Peru

Adventure lovers out there that are always craving new challenges will definitely go crazy over this hotel. Ever thought of sleeping on a mountain cliff? The Natura Vive Skylodge provides this unforgettable experience in the Sacred Valley in Cusco, Peru, giving anyone who is up for the challenge the chance to have a nice evening in a glass capsule strapped 400 feet up the mountain.



Each of the three suits measure 7.5m by 2.5m and has four beds, dining table and private bathroom with a dry ecological toilet and sink. Of course there is a catch to staying in this luxurious little glass pod with it’s breath-taking view, guests have to climb the 400 feet up the mountain or take a trail filled with zip-lines in order to get up there, though there is no need of prior climbing experience.

​

The best part of it all is the 300 degree stunning view of the valley that the glass pod suits provide, since they are completely see-though, although curtains are available for those who like some privacy. The daily rates, which include round-trip transportation, guides, equipment, gourmet dinner with a bottle of wine, and breakfast over the Sacred Valley, costs around US$300 per person.

So, would you have the courage to face this adventure?



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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Floating city by Seasteading Institute could arrive by 2020

Peter Theil, the founder of Paypal is one of the investors in an organisation that wants to build a floating city state by the year 2020. The Seasteading Institute wants to build semi-independent cities that float and say they would offer the chance to try new modes of government and at the same time would help to tackle several problems.

[Image Courtesy of Seastanding Institute]​

The Seasteading Institute believes that by developing floating cities they will be taking the first steps towards fulfilling what they call “8 Great Moral Imperatives”. These include feeding those who are hungry, enriching the poor, making the sick cured, giving the atmosphere a clean-up, restoring oceans, powering civilization in a sustainable way, living as one with nature and stopping wars.

[Image Courtesy of Seastanding Institute]​

The way to reach all of the above is for humanity to harness what the ocean offers. The institute believes that they have the potential to provide space that will be able to accommodate the growing global population while at the same time providing food and generating sustainable energy.

The institute also believes that the floating city would be able to bring in start-up governments. The city-states would allow people just to sail their home away and join another colony if they didn’t agree with the way that the government was behaving. This would mean that governments would be forced to compete with each other so as to attract citizens in their region.

​

[Image Courtesy of Seastanding Institute]​

The city-states would be similar to pieces of jigsaw that could be moved and reassembled and of course the more popular government would essentially have more people living in their colony. The institute has published a feasibility report on the project and they firmly believe that the project could have a market.

​

[Image Courtesy of Seastanding Institute]​

The initial design of the floating city concept featured modular platforms that would all slot together and which could be moved around. They would be made of reinforced concrete of 50m x 50m or pentagons with sides of 50 meters and would be able to support housing, apartments, offices, hotels and three story buildings. Initially, 11 of the modules could be fitted together and this would provide homes for 300 residents at a cost of around US$167 million.


Via [Seastanding Institute]

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Japan and the USA will fight head to head with giant robots

America made a giant robot and Japan followed suit and then the gauntlet was laid down by the USA and the Japanese accepted and so we are looking forward to a fight between the two giant robots.

[Image Courtesy of Megabots]​

The fight is going to be the international giant robots fight and we’ll see the two robots with pilots inside squaring up to each other. Giant steel fists will be flung, guns will fire and the robots will be fighting to the death.

http://interestingengineering.com/w...obashi-america-japan-giant-robot-battle-5.jpg

[Image Courtesy of Megabots]​

The gauntlet was thrown down by American Megabots and Suidobashi of Japan picked it up. But what do we know about the two huge steel robots?

[Image Courtesy of Megabots]​

The Megabot of the USA stands at 15 feet tall and weighs in at 12,000 pounds. The Kuratas of Suidobahi is 13 feet tall and this weighs in at 9,000 pounds. The Megabot is able to move around on tracks similar to a tank and the Kuratas is lighter and quicker and has a set of four wheels and extending wide legs and this means it moves fast.

[Image Courtesy of Megabots]​

The Megabot is driven by two pilots, there is one driver and a gunner operating paintball cannons mounted on the arms of the robot and these fire out paintballs that are oversized at a speed of around 120 mph.

​

[Image Courtesy of Suidobashi Heavy Industries]​

The Kuratas has a single pilot who wears an augmented reality heads up display. The high tech headgear features automated target acquisition along with a tracking interface and this helps the robot to keep its guns on target of the opponent at all times. The twins include a twin Gatling BB cannon that is able to fire 6,000 BB pellets in one minute and a water cannon that sends out missiles in random directions.

[Image Courtesy of Suidobashi Heavy Industries]​

At the moment neither of the two robots is ready to fight and as the pilot in the Kuratas is fully enclosed it is difficult to see how the paintball cannons of the Megabot will hurt the pilot. The BB pellets may not do much damage to the team in the Megabot either and neither of the two robots is particularly quick off the mark with punches.

[Image Courtesy of Suidobashi Heavy Industries]​

However both of the giant robots do have twelve months to get ready for battle and during this time they should be able to work out how they are going to fight to win. It is going to be a spectacle that fans of robots will not want to miss and they will have June 2016 ringed on their calendar.

[Image Courtesy of Megabots]​

​

[Image Courtesy of Suidobashi Heavy Industries]​

Via [Megabots/Suidobashi Heavy Industries]

The post Japan and the USA will fight head to head with giant robots appeared first on Interesting Engineering.

 

[CarlS]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Floating city by Seasteading Institute could arrive by 2020

Peter Theil, the founder of Paypal is one of the investors in an organisation that wants to build a floating city state by the year 2020. The Seasteading Institute wants to build semi-independent cities that float and say they would offer the chance to try new modes of government and at the same time would help to tackle several problems.

[Image Courtesy of Seastanding Institute]​

The Seasteading Institute believes that by developing floating cities they will be taking the first steps towards fulfilling what they call “8 Great Moral Imperatives”. These include feeding those who are hungry, enriching the poor, making the sick cured, giving the atmosphere a clean-up, restoring oceans, powering civilization in a sustainable way, living as one with nature and stopping wa

[Image Courtesy of Seastanding Institute]​

The way to reach all of the above is for humanity to harness what the ocean offers. The institute believes that they have the potential to provide space that will be able to accommodate the growing global population while at the same time providing food and generating sustainable energy.

The institute also believes that the floating city would be able to bring in start-up governments. The city-states would allow people just to sail their home away and join another colony if they didn’t agree with the way that the government was behaving. This would mean that governments would be forced to compete with each other so as to attract citizens in their region.

​

[Image Courtesy of Seastanding Institute]​

The city-states would be similar to pieces of jigsaw that could be moved and reassembled and of course the more popular government would essentially have more people living in their colony. The institute has published a feasibility report on the project and they firmly believe that the project could have a market.

​

[Image Courtesy of Seastanding Institute]​

The initial design of the floating city concept featured modular platforms that would all slot together and which could be moved around. They would be made of reinforced concrete of 50m x 50m or pentagons with sides of 50 meters and would be able to support housing, apartments, offices, hotels and three story buildings. Initially, 11 of the modules could be fitted together and this would provide homes for 300 residents at a cost of around US$167 million.


Via [Seastanding Institute]

The post Floating city by Seasteading Institute could arrive by 2020 appeared first on Interesting Engineering.

Well, lets see.
1. Where do you farm and grow food?
2. Does not look like motorcycle riding country.
3. Who makes the political decisions? Who decides what style of government?
4. Where does the working class live? They are gonna need a lot of stevedores.
5. What is their firearms policy. I don't see much room for a firing range.

Not for me!

 

[DaveM]

What is their firearms policy. I don't see much room for a firing range.

What do you mean you just float a small target off to the one side of your house and you away

It sure is an interesting concept and I could see it would be very cool for a holiday theme park idea but I am not sure I would be ready to live like that full time. If you read one of the other post they also looking at farming underwater in pods so that could be where all the food comes from then. I could also see it opening up all sorts of other jobs that might not be applicable to a land based city.

As far as riding goes to would just have to trade your bike in for one of these.

 

[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Why microwaves exist because of a single bar of chocolate

The invention of microwaves start with an interesting story. The story of a man called Percy Spencer.


Percy Spencer [Courtesy: theharlow.net]


Percy Spencer was born in July 19, 1894 in the United States and grew up to be an engineer. Sometime in 1945, he had a strange experience while working with magnetrons. Magnetrons are high-powered vacuum tubes that were used in radar technology at the time. Magnetrons also generated microwaves but that wasn’t known at the time.

While working with magnetrons, he noticed that the peanut butter chocolate bar in his pocket had started to warm up and melt all of a sudden. Being the curious scientist he was, he decided to find out why his candy bar was melting. It turned out that the microwaves emitted by the magnetrons were directly responsible for the chocolate bar heating up. Microwaves were discovered as a result and it was a great discovery.

After this discovery, he performed further research into this mysterious new phenomenon. With time, other researchers also recognized the significance of Spencer’s discovery. Applications of microwaves now include satellite communication, weather monitoring and radar technology among many others.


One of the first microwave ovens produced [Courtesy: businessinsider.com]


Business Insider got to talk with Rod Spencer – Percy Spencer’s grandson – regarding his grandfather’s innovation and he had quite the story for them. He said, “My grandfather was watching a microwave testing rig, and he realized that the peanut-cluster bar in his pocket started to melt — it got quite warm”

“So he put two and two together and he decided to get some popcorn, so he sent the popcorn in and it started popping all over the place,” he continued. “The next morning, he brought in an egg. One of the engineers who was a little disbelieving in terms of a microwave’s ability to cook, just as he was looking over, the egg blew up in his face.”

It was quite the drama. Percy Spencer was an engineer but that didn’t stop him from going into business himself, especially when he realized that he could use microwaves to cook food very quickly. He patented his new invention and established a company to produce and sell out this new invention – RadaRange. RadaRange is now what is commonly known as the microwave oven. Rob Spencer had something to say about this as well.

“The early microwave ovens, and we had one, were as large as a refrigerator, would take twenty minutes to warm up before you could cook anything, but they were ten times more powerful than anything you can buy today, so a potato was cooked in thirty seconds,” he said.

“The microwave oven eventually became known as Raytheon’s largest commercial failure, and the reason why was that like so many other failures, they saw the cool technology but they didn’t understand the market,” he added.


A new generation microwave [Courtesy: 5oo.org]

Percy Spencer wasn’t quite the Steve Jobs apparently. The current generation of microwave ovens have become much smaller and are now available in 96% of U.S. homes as of 2009. Percy Spencer has the credit of making our lives easier. His name is also present in the National Inventors Hall of Fame in honor of his contribution along with other greats such as Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers .

Thank you, Percy Spencer, for noticing that melting chocolate bar.



Source: Business Insider

The post Why microwaves exist because of a single bar of chocolate appeared first on Interesting Engineering.

 

[CarlS]

What do you mean you just float a small target off to the one side of your house and you away

It sure is an interesting concept and I could see it would be very cool for a holiday theme park idea but I am not sure I would be ready to live like that full time. If you read one of the other post they also looking at farming underwater in pods so that could be where all the food comes from then. I could also see it opening up all sorts of other jobs that might not be applicable to a land based city.

As far as riding goes to would just have to trade your bike in for one of these.

I got to try one of those at an expo. They are really cool and I would like to own one - but they aren't two wheels.

 

[DaveM]

They look like great fun to have around