Today's Interesting Engineering

[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Turkish firm boss shared $27 million with his employees after selling company

The leading Turkish firm in online food ordering, yemeksepeti.com, was bought by Berlin’s billion-dollar takeout food service Delivery Hero last May in a $589 million transaction. The big news here however, is how the firm’s CEO, Nevzat Aydın, has decided to invest a part of this money – He distributed $27 million with his 114 employees. “We did this because if there is a success, we have accomplished it altogether,” Aydın told Hürriyet Daily News.

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The founder, who graduated in Computer Science from a top ranked university in Turkey, was called crazy due to his innovative entrepreneurial ideas when he started the company back in 2000 with a $80,000 investment. The company has become a great success since then, most of it thanks to this CEO’s peculiar way of running his company and motivate his employees. He was no regular boss, and insisted on creating a fun and relaxing work environment that would inspire creativity. The employees could play table tennis, watch football games on big screens situated in the office, play billiards, and lots more.

According to Aydın, the offer for the company came up from $3 million to $589 million in 15 years, and having patience to wait for the right moment to sell it was essential in order to be able to reach such a big offer. And after closing the deal with Delivery Hero, Aydın didn’t think twice before sharing US$27 million with his 114 employees, which meant more than US$200,000 per employee.

“Some employees cried, some screamed, some wrote letters of thanks,” he said. “There were emotions, because you affect the lives of the people. People can buy homes, cars. They can immediately do something otherwise they could not with monthly wages of 3,000-5,000 Turkish Liras (equivalent to US$1,080-US$1,800). It was a good thing; I wish we could have given them more.”

Source: Hürriyet Daily News

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Naturally Occurring Nuclear Reactor found in Oklo, Africa

While Americans pride themselves on being able to unlock the secrets of the atom for military purposes as well as sustainable energy, it seems that the mother nature is still able to solve even the most complex problems well before us. In 1972, French physicist Francis Perrin made an interesting discovery in Oklo, Africa. While mining uranium ore, he discovered that the concentration of uranium 235 was less than what is typically found in uranium ore samples. Uranium 235 can be found to make up 0.720 percent of an uranium sample but samples taken in Oklo showed a decrease to 0.717 percent. This may not seem like much but, with the large amount of ore in the mine, the small decrease showed that nearly 200 kilograms had been missing.

[Source: The Ages of Gaia]​

With further research the mine showed that it had the proper conditions for a natural nuclear reaction to take place. Since uranium 235 only reacts to slow moving neutrons before it decays into more stable elements, water must be present to absorb the kinetic energy of the neutrons. Uranium 235 releases energy in the form of heat when interacting with its surroundings and caused the water in the cave to heat up enough to evaporate. The nuclear reaction would then stop with the neutrons moving too fast to interact with the uranium and the water continued to flow back to where it had been before it evaporated. This continued until the amount of uranium-235 was too small to sustain a reaction.

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[Source: virtualtravelog.net]​

With 16 sites in the Oklo mine, the estimated power output was 100 kilowatts. This is enough to power close to 1,000 modern television sets but with this energy not being put to good use, all it did was contribute to global warming. While this was not a just cause, the fact that nature figured out how to set up the proper conditions for uranium to decay through fission in a controlled cycle before us is fascinating. This leaves a sense of wonder and also a sense of fear with the possibility of other naturally occurring nuclear reactors still to be found.

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Esbee Cables – Possibly the last cable you’ll buy

Every user of a cell phone, tablet, or iPad knows what the Achilles heel of their device is. Regardless of who made it, or what model it is, it’s the charging/data cable that’s most likely to crap out first. Some of those are, in fact, legendarily fragile and/or touchy. That’s surprising, given how critical they are. Surprising enough that it drove Moazzam Khan to found Esbee Cables; his company is poised to debut what they refer to as, possibly the last cable you’ll buy: If he’s right, it could be game changer.
Consumers are always looking for a deal, and charger/data cables are no exception. When genuine OEM, (Original Equipment Manufacturer), Apple cables retail at dang near $20 for a three footer, those bargain jobs off eBay or Amazon for .99¢ look pretty enticing. Alas, as so many have discovered, you absolutely do get what you pay for. If you read the fine print on those lightning cables, you’ll see the term “MFI Certified” on the pricier versions – What that means is “Made For Ipad/pod/phone’, and refers to the fact that the accessory in question is certified to work with Apple stuff; anything not marked MFI is, well, not guaranteed to work.
From wire gauge, to insulation, and the care with which all that is assembled, the difference between cheap and pricy cables is night and day. 99.9% of those cheap cables are what’s termed 28/28 AWG cables – The first number refers to the gauge of the data transfer wire, followed by the gauge of the charging wire. AWG means American Wire Gauge, and describes thickness of the wire, and as such, its ability to transfer data and power – The higher the AWG number, the thinner the wire. What this means from a practical standpoint is that a 28/28 AWG cable is inadequate for charging; those will push no more than 500mah to your device, and most likely less – that’s all that wire can handle – That translates to ridiculously slow charges for most devices. What you really want is 24 AWG power wire; that’s 60% thicker than the 28 AWG stuff, and can handle 2 amps of charging power with ease. That’s as good, or better, than what shipped with your device.



None of that stuff is lost on the folks at Esbee Cables. A UCSB trained Mechanical Engineer, he founded the company as a response to those very problems. As Khan explains, “Everybody owns more than one charging cable and they are all ugly. They get tangled, they’re messy, and on top of that, they’re cheap rubber; they break at the connectors and at the wire/connector joint, and they don’t live up to the money they cost.” That last issue is what really got Esbee started. Again, Khan explains, “We started by tackling the existing problem of cables fraying at the ends. Our initial plan was to leather coat them, to provide additional reinforcement for the terminal ends. But, the more we looked at existing cables, the less we liked, so we ended up completely redesigning the cable inside out.” What they ended up designing might just be the first Super Cable.


The cables themselves are manufactured in China to Esbee’s specs, and as noted, they spec’d a very nice cable indeed. First item of note, these are unibody, four core cables – meaning two wires each dedicated to power and data, instead of the typical two wire core. Power wires are 24/28 AWG, and data wires are 30/30 AWG, (And the extra wire set means that 24/28 power wire pair is more than adequate to push fast charging). All those wires are tin plated, which adds considerable durability. Instead of the typical two to three layers of insulation, there are five; in addition to individual wire insulation, there’s an aluminum shield layer, which is then topped by an 18 strand layer of tinned copper mesh, (Most cables have 8 strands or less). A thermoplastic elastomer jacket, (TPE), provides a flame retardant, low smoke, Halogen-free alternative to PVC, which is a nice touch.


Then comes the leather. Esbee Cables are, as Khan noted, leather wrapped, and leather, good leather, adds a notable level of durability, strength, and class. After initial manufacturing, cables are sent to the Indus Valley in Pakistan for hand finishing with natural hide and suede. There’s classic black and brown hide leather and five colors in suede, so preferred vibe is covered for everything from high school kids to grandparents. Brass buckles neatly secure coiled cables.


Esbee claims their cables are “the world’s toughest” and has a video in production to prove just that. Cables come in lightning and micro USB configurations; the lightning cables are MFI Certified, meaning they’re built to standards set by Apple and certified to be ‘Made For IPhone/IPad/IPod.’

EsBee cable prices will start out at $24 for early bird kickstarter donators. While that’s a few bucks more than the Apple OEM cable, Khan points out “that’s comparing a five star cable to a 1.5 star cable (according to the apple website reviews).” If Esbee cables are all they’re cranked up to be, it’s well worth the difference.


Esbee’s Kickstarter campaign is set to launch within the next few weeks. Given the need for a truly high performance cable, it’s bound to be a ripper once it’s kicked off. Check their website and Facebook page to stay tuned in.



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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

New storage chip from Intel is 1,000 times quicker than flash

Intel has come up with a new storage chip and they say that it is tougher and faster than what any of the competition has to offer and it is in production. 3D Xpoint is 1,000 times faster than NAND architecture which is seen in the majority of solid state drives and flash memory. It doesn’t have transistors and instead it relies on bulk material property change in order to switch bits from low to high resistance states. The memory cells then go into an intricate 3D checkboard pattern that is layered and which has 10 times the density of conventional memory.

[Image Courtesy of Google]​

The industry has been searching for decades to find ways to reduce the amount of lag between the data and processor to make faster analysis and this non-volatile memory is able to achieve the goal. With it will come performance to storage solutions and memory that will be game changing.

At the moment the limitations of the memory are not clear. Intel has also managed to single out fraud detection along with disease tracking as early applications along with analysing data in real time. The chip may also be used in applications such as immersive gaming if the chip was brought to the personal computer. Benefits of the chip are that it is non-volatile and durable and it is aimed at long term storage solutions. Being able to access the data fast could mean new applications for everyday services.

Via [TheVerge]

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Samsung design a monitor to wirelessly charge smartphones

Smartphone owners have made use of wireless charging for many years; however the technology has needed a special charging pad. Samsung are changing this has they have come up with a design for a monitor that can charge smartphones wirelessly.
The SE370 might look just like any other monitor when first looking at it. The monitor is available in a choice of 23.6 or 27 inch configuration and is offered with a blue and white finish. However if you take a closer look at the stand you can see that it contains the Qi charging pad of Samsung which is built into the display base in the centre.

[Image Courtesy of Samsung]​

Many people rest their phone close to them on the desk when working on a computer so the logical thing is to offer a place to rest the phone where it can charge. To charge the phone all the user has to do is place the phone on the stand of the monitor and it will charge automatically and an LED light will come on to remind the user that the device is charging.Of course only devices that are compatible with Qi will charge with the new monitor. Other devices that use such as Powermat for charging wirelessly will not work with the monitor.

There is a huge amount of research going on into wireless charging technology and people are coming up with some ingenious ideas when it comes to charging. Researchers in the US looked into a way of charging mobiles by using magnetic fields which were up to 30 centimetres away from the charger. An electronics company have also come up with what they call WattUp technology that is able to charge as many as 12 devices when they are up to 4.5 metres from the charging station.

Via [ScienceAlert]

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Carbon Engineering Aims To Reduce Carbon Dioxide In The Atmosphere

[Source: Carbon Engineering]​

With carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rising, the world looks for a solution other than increasing the time it takes to get to work, the grocery store or the next family vacation. Carbon Engineering aims to solve that problem by pulling carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. Carbon Engineering is a independent Canadian company founded in 2009 and funded by private investors including Bill Gates and Murry Edwards. Below is a graphic that depicts a current solution to reducing carbon in the atmosphere. This includes capturing carbon directly from buildings that emit carbon dioxide which is easier since the concentration is so high. These systems are also not feasible for transportation vehicles since vehicles are not stationary.

[Source: Carbon Engineering]​

Fans have been designed to pull ambient air and then push it through corrugated PVC sheets. These sheets will have a capture solution supplied from the top and pulled down by gravity. The carbon dioxide then reacts with the capture solution forming a carbonate salt and is collected at the bottom with excess solution. This process is shown in the graphic below. If the only need is to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere the the process would stop here but, Carbon Engineering is also working on using this carbon to create hydrocarbons.​

[Source: Carbon Engineering]​

The carbon dioxide will be harvested using a paper membrane to separate the carbon dioxide from the capture solution. The capture solution will be recycled into the system and the carbon dioxide will be used for other purposes explained in the next paragraph. The energy required in the separation of the of the carbonate salt comes from renewable energy including natural gas, wind and nuclear and any carbon dioxide produced in the production of energy will be fed through the system.​

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[Source: Carbon Engineering]​

The carbon dioxide that has been isolated is meant to react with hydrogen provided from electrolysis. Electrolysis requires electricity which will be provided with renewable energies and like before, any carbon dioxide produced will be entered directly into the system. The processing of carbon dioxide and hydrogen is meant to produce hydrocarbons which can be used in current technologies that require them. The cycle then repeats itself when carbon dioxide is release in the atmosphere and then absorbed by the system.​

[Source: Carbon Engineering]​

Trees may seem like a more “green” solution but this process will require 1,000 times less area and the beauty of the system is that it can be placed where trees do not have the ability to grow. While an ideal placement of this system would seem to be in a zone with not much plant life, there is still a need for water to provide the hydrogen and if this would take place in the desert for example, systems for pulling water out of the air or ground would be necessary as well.​

Sources​

1: Carbon Engineering – About CE​

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Hugh Herr is reinventing the human machine with extreme bionics

Hugh Herr was a great mountain climber at a very young age. That was until he had to get both his legs amputated from the knees down after a climbing incident at age 17. Then he became an even better mountain climber. Herr had to use prosthetic legs to walk, but he took the opportunity to transform his limitations into innovations. He went on to build bionic limbs adapted for every type of climbing: using screwdrivers instead of feet to climb vertical rocks, another one using nails to give more support on the ice, and many more.


Photograph: Andrew Kornylak/Aurora Photos


“At the beginning of that year society said I was broken,” said Herr. “One year later I had surpassed my pre-amputation climbing abilities and done climbs no climber had ever done. I had augmented my body within 12 months, so much so that a few competitors were threatening to cut off their own legs”

Herr became and engineer and decided to specialize in robotic prosthetics. He is now the head of the MIT Media Lab’s Biomechatronics group which develops new types of prosthesis for amputees. These prosthesis not only have a beautiful design, they are also intelligent, being controlled by thought. When the brain gives an unconscious command to move the leg that is no longer there to respond, programmed microprocessors stimulate an artificial tendon, simulating those movements on the prosthetic leg. It makes the artificial limb an integral part of the body. And it doesn’t stop there: it also has touch sensors, which means you can feel the ground you step on as if it were your real foot.

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Hugh says that his team develops a new software or some new part for the prosthesis pretty much every week. And in recent years this process has accelerated. Herr found Adrianne Haslet-Davis, a dancer who lost her left leg in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. He decided to create a special prosthesis for her, one with the parts and the software necessary to allow her to dance again, which she did on the TED stage during his presentation.

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The presentation itself was an extremely important step in the proper development of the prosthesis. By making a perfect TED presentation, Hugh and his team caught the attention of many people to the work being done to recover amputees – the video presentation had millions of hits. And drawing attention means receiving more investment to continue the research.

Watch his inspiring TED presentation where he shows his incredible technology in a talk that’s both technical and deeply personal.


Source: TED

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Increase your Efficiency using a VoIP System

In every business, there are certain systems that need to be maintained, and one of them is the phone system. Without the phone system, you will be left with an absolute inability to communicate with your staff or the outside world, and that would be tragic. Not only would you lose productivity, but you would also find that your business just could not survive – at least not for too long. That said, you need to find the best phone systems for business– check out someone like BroadConnect USA— and you need to make sure that the systems will fit your needs. Sometimes this can be a bit of a challenge, but at this point we can all agree that typical phone systems simply are not going to do the trick. When you are a subtle business, which is to say one to two people in an office, then you might just get away with a typical phone line, but as you grow you will need to fight the mounting costs somehow. That will not always be easy, especially for companies that grow suddenly to accommodate a boom in business. Fortunately, PBX systems are being replaced by Voice over IP. PBX had its time, but now, VoIP has presented a far better option than ever before. How does it work exactly? VoIP is still a new technology, at least when compared to the PBX phone systems, and it is without a doubt the direction that the vast majority of businesses are going to take in the future.

Understanding Phone Systems

There are two different ways that you might choose to utilize your phone system. The first way, of course, is for exterior calls. This includes calls to customers, calls to clients, even calls to suppliers that you are associated with. Without the outside line element, your business simply would not survive for very long.

Interior calls are made from the same phones, but they are handled using an internal system, and they can call any office or any desk that is connected to the VoIP phone system. For larger offices, the system can be tailored properly to individual floors, and in the end, it is simply a much better choice for you, your employees, and even the customers that depend on you. All in all, a phone system like this will raise your efficiency ten times over.



Unify and Consolidate

Adopting the newest technology is important, and it will help your business out considerably, but have you ever considered just how beneficial it can be to consolidate all of your assets? With a VoIP phone system, you can now merge your phone, your data, and even your voicemail. In addition to that you can add your videoconferencing to the list. The Internet is making it more and more possible to add dozens of different systems together, ultimately making it so that you don’t have to raise a finger to get connected. With so many different systems being stored and handled off-site, your business can do what it does best: business.

Uptime and Efficiency

One thing you might be concerned about when switching over to a new system is the uptime and effectiveness of that new system. This is most definitely a concern for anyone, and it doesn’t just extend to the VoIP switchover. As a matter of fact, there are going to be concerns about any sort of system or upgrade as to whether or not it will not only work, but will fill the shoes of the previous system. That being the case, you need to make sure that your concerns are appeased. We can easily guarantee a 99.999 percent uptime for our servers, and quite frankly you should expect nothing less from any service. Why, exactly? Because without your phones, your business simply will not run, and you can’t have that. Your company depends on its ability to communicate with the outside world whether it is to speak with clients, talk to partners, or perform any other task that might seem routine to you. Your business, however, is our business, and your ability to communicate is our priority. With constant support and great uptime, you are making the right choice.

There is a lot to be said for this new system, and while something bigger and better always comes to overtake old technology, we are convinced that VoIP is the way of the future, at least for right now. Take a look at our page and decide what level of service is for you, at least at the moment. Remember, we are completely scalable, and we have the ability to provide you what you want when you want it. Your future as a company is uncertain, and we will be ready to meet your expansion challenges.

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Cymatics – Visually Exposing the Vibrations of Sound


Source: TED talk-Evan Grant

Cymatics is the study of seeing sounds. Sounds may have been visualized as far back as 1000 years ago in Africa when hide drums would accumulate sand revealing geometric patterns when they were played. Today sound frequency visualization experiments are done using all different mediums. The image below is a sound snapshot of Beethoven’s 9th symphony translated into light.​

Source: TED talk-Evan Grant

According to John Stuart Reid, ancient Egypt may have had vast knowledge on the subject of sound resonance. Reid is an acoustics engineer and expert in cymatics or modal phenomena. Inside of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Reid performed a simple experiment in the King’s Chamber. A “glissando” is a musical term that means gliding smoothly from one pitch to another. So using his vocal range, Reid laid inside of the sarcophagus and sang a glissando. The King’s Chamber revealed a very strong resonance vibration which indicated that the ancient Egyptians may have known quite a bit about sonic resonance. It is this sonic vibration that can be used to reveal specific geometric patterns on a sandy drum.
Every day more and more scientists, artists, and everyday people are using and experimenting with cymatics and proving that sound indeed can move matter. If you’re interested in cymatics and would like to learn more, we’ve compiled the following must see videos to get you started:​

• Watch the video below if you’d like to see the effect sound frequency has on water. The reverse effect is crazy!​

• Artist Nigel Stanford’s music video beautifully displays his work with sound resonance using sand, fire, water, and electricity. These displays are visually stunning and definitely worth a watch!
• Artist Jodina Meehan uses a violin bow to play a handheld cymatics plate. This visual display of sound is used by violin bow makers for testing purposes.
• Two Students at George Mason University experiment with putting fire out using sound waves.
• Evan Grant discusses and demonstrates cymatics in this eye opening TED talk.
• And lastly, here’s a talk that acoustics engineer John Stuart Reid gave about his experiments with resonance inside of the King’s Chamber at Giza in Egypt.​

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Bolt M-1 is part moped, electric motorcycle and bicycle

The Bolt M-1 is a 2 wheeled form of transport that is said to be part bicycle, electric motorcycle and moped. The electric bike has 5,500 watts and this allows it to travel up to 40mph, while at the same time being taken back to 1,000 watts so that it can be ridden in the form of an electric bike.


Image Courtesy of Bolt Motorbikes


The founder of Bolt Motorbikes is Dr. Nathan Jauvtis and when he moved to San Francisco he rode around on a moped. He said that he found it to be the perfect form of transport for moving around the city. He went on to form Bolt along with Zach Levenberg and the pair came up with their own version of the moped by way of the M-1.


Image Courtesy of Bolt Motorbikes


The design of the M-1 is very much along the same lines as that of a moped and the pair wanted to be careful so as to keep it within the specifications of California when it came to their definition of an electric bicycle. This means that there is no need for the rider to own a motorcycle license. The design was kept simple so as to entice riders of ordinary bikes and it is perfect for those looking for a form of transport that is light and which is suitable for urban commuting. The co-founder said that anyone who can ride a bicycle will be able to ride the Bolt.


Image Courtesy of Bolt Motorbikes


The Bolt M-1 can be put into economy mode and then never taken out of that mode if that is what the rider wants. The motor will then be limited to offering just 1,000 watts and be optimized for going up to 50 miles by way of motor power alone and a speed limit of 20mph. The rider will not have to use the pedals; however should the rider want to use them they can.


Image Courtesy of Bolt Motorbikes


When in the economy mode it is within the limits of California for motorized bikes. The sport mode on the Bolt is for using off road only and when in this mode the range is around 30 miles. The M-1 comes with USB phone charger, Bluetooth support and a control system that is computerized and protected with a passcode. The battery pack offers a quick release to make charging easy and in 1.5 hours it charges to 90%. The bike is just 140 pounds in weight and the first production run of it has sold out. The M-1 is listed at US$5, 485.


Image Courtesy of Bolt Motorbikes


Image Courtesy of Bolt Motorbikes


Image Courtesy of Bolt Motorbikes


Image Courtesy of Bolt Motorbikes


Image Courtesy of Bolt Motorbikes


Image Courtesy of Bolt Motorbikes


Via [Bolt Motorbikes]

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Sustainable Alternative Lighting With Galvanic Cells


Source: SALt


SALt or Sustainable Alternative Lighting is a start up that has recently gained attention for their innovation in lighting. The goal of the company is to offer a cost effective, safe and environmentally friendly lighting solution as an alternative to kerosene or battery powered lamps.


Source: SALt


Source: SALt


The SAlt lamps use galvanic cells which consist of two electrodes, an electrolyte solution as well as salt and water which are the consumables. These are meant to be replaced every 6 months with running the system for 8 hours a day along with proper care and maintenance. Other notable features include its ability to run on salt water and it’s USB port which gives it the ability to charge a variety of devices.


Source: SALt

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Sources: SALt, Science Alert

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Monorail – The future of mass transportation?


Futuristic aesthetics of monorails bring a vision of the future at sight. Image Courtesy-WDWINFO


In a world where metros, bullet trains, cruises and super sized jumbo jets have dominated mass transportion, the chances of asking such a question might be very bleak and sound quite senseless. But will it sound the same to you after reading this article? Here is something you need to know about the monorail.

Well if you are technical-sensed person you will understand that Monorail has something to do with a single rail and you’re exactly right! It is simply a ‘bogey’ or what you would call as a bus which moves on just one rail, typically elevated. These vehicles are either suspended from a straddle or a narrow guide way. It uses numerous wheels along the sides of the beam way to stabilize the tall vehicle. However, Mag-Lev technology is also being used to drive the monorails in a few cities.


Glimpse of a hanging monorail in japan – Courtesy of Feorag


Each and every day hundreds of thousands of passengers are carried on monorails. Many of the world’s transit monorails exist in Japan, eight of which are full-scale urban transit systems. Monorails also exist Australia, Malaysia, India, Europe, Russia and in the United States. Several more are either under construction or in advanced planning. The Walt Disney Monorail System near Orlando, Florida, has one of the highest ridership of all monorails where well over 100,000 passenger trips are recorded each day on the 14 miles of beam-ways. Recently, however, a number of major transit grade monorails have been either built or are in construction or planning phase. Japan is the clear leader in the construction of monorail systems.


The Tron Artwork featured monorail belonging to Walt-Disney Monorail System. Image Courtesy-Druidhills


In most cases rail is elevated, but monorails can also run at grade, below grade or in subway tunnels. They can be individual rigid vehicles, articulated single units, or multiple units coupled into trains. Almost all modern monorails are powered by electric motors fed by dual third rails, contact wires or electrified channels attached to or enclosed in their guidance beams, but diesel-powered monorail systems also exist. Historically some systems, such as the Lartigue Monorail, used steam locomotives. Modern monorails also come equipped with the tilting technology which help the train to negotiate a tight curve with ease.

It could just fairly be called the motorcycle version of a metro rail due to several reasons. For the fact that it is more economical both in operation and construction, it occupies lesser space due to its ability to travel on only a single beam or rail. The construction by itself is very simple and can be completed swiftly causing least disturbance to its surrounding. The construction of a monorail guide-way is so simple that it involves: digging a hole, droppin in a pre-built support pylon, trucking in the track which was manufactured offsite, and finally lifting it into place.

Now you might ask yourself, if monorails are really so awesome then why aren’t there more of them? An excellent question indeed! “There aren’t any transit monorails, we shouldn’t build something that hasn’t been proven.” It’s a ludicrous reason, but it sticks for some reason. This is despite the fact that there are dozens of successful transit monorails around the world. Monorails are perceived as new, experimental and untried. Not enough people are aware of the many transit monorails in operation today along with their proven track record. But monorails have an excellent track record of safety, Eco-friendliness and reliability and I wish to see a day soon when the investors realize the pros of monorail and give them more importance.

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Colony Collapse Disorder

There’s no debate that honey bees are critical to what we eat. Although specific percentages are subject of some debate, it’s a given that at least 50% of world food supplies are pollinated by bees, and that figure may be as high as 75%. Those figures include one third of all fruits and vegetables. Throw in honey, beeswax, and several derivatives thereof, and we’re talking about some $200 billion dollars in food crops: the importance of healthy bee populations is clearly highlighted.

Throughout the thousands of years that humans have practices some form of beekeeping, (apiculture), there have been serious incidents of die off among entire bee colonies – Disappearing Disease, Spring or Fall Dwindle, and May Disease were some of the names given to the phenomenon. That was before the early and mid 2000s, when the wholesale die off of honey bee colonies became so prevalent that it gained a new moniker – Colony Collapse Disorder. By this point, the problem wasn’t limited to a season or relatively small area; it occurred across North America and Europe.


What happens when CCD strikes is the wholesale disappearance of adult bees, with little or no dead bees evident in and around the hive. What’s left are the babies, known as capped brood, and the Queen. There is generally plenty of food, honey and pollen. In relatively short order, predators like wasps, other bees from a healthy colony, wax moths, and small hive beetles attack the depleted colony and destroy it outright. Where all the adult bees go, and why, remain largely unknown. Possible causal factors for CCD have been widespread, from mute infection and various pathogens, to immunodeficiencies, climate change, and loss of habitat.

Last year, a widely publicized Harvard University study claimed that to have identified a family of pesticides called neonicotinoids as the cause of CCD. Developed by Shell and Bayer in the 1980s and ’90s, neonicotinoids work on the central and peripheral nervous system of insects by binding to and blocking nerve cell receptors, causing paralysis and death. The group includes Imidacloprid, the most widely used pesticide in the world. Used for everything from pest control on pets to agriculture, Imidacloprid is sold under many brand names. Almost since their inception as viable pesticides, concerns about the environmental effects of neonicotinoids, and specifically their impact upon pollinators, has also been voiced. The problem seems to stem from the fact that the chemical accumulates in pollen and nectar of treated plants, potentially putting bees at particularly risk.


The Harvard study, which came out in the spring of 2014, and lead by Associate Professor of Environmental Exposure Biology Chensheng Lu, put neonicotinoids clearly in the crosshairs for CCD. No small part of the study and the media whirlwind that followed it was the contention that CCD has not only continued, but is expanding to this day. For a while, it seemed as if the world at large was game to buy into the findings, fanned by the media blitz. Lu became the darling of the green movement. Yet by winter of last year, bee experts were starting to disagree with Lu’s findings on some very fundamental grounds – What they noted was nothing less than a refutation of bees even being in the kind of danger Lu’s study posited – They stated without reservation that, while troubling, the mass die offs witnessed in the mid 2000 has in fact passed, and that bee colonies throughout the world had not only rebounded, but have done so at record levels.


Where things actually lie can be a bit difficult to ascertain. The truth likely lies somewhere between Lu’s eminent doom message, and the claim that all is well. Pesticides are certainly over used in our world. Just as the presence of anti-microbials in everything from laundry detergent to hand soap has quite likely lead to more disease resistant strains, an over abundance of pesticides does not help in the wild. As with so many things, it seems the biggest challenge we face in discerning what to do is the ability to wade through popular media, in order to adequately discern fact from fiction.

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Le Reve Bleu – the Blue Dream

Say the name Bugatti, and a fair number of folks will recognize it as an automobile. Fewer will know the name of Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti, the founder of Automobiles Ettore Bugatti, or that he, while Italian by birth and heritage, was actually French, as was his namesake company. Fewer yet will know that Bugatti was founded in 1909 in Molsheim, which, at the time, was actually a German town; (Molsheim is located in Alsace, which changed hands quite a few times back in those days). Likely next to nobody knows that Ettore Bugatti also built airplanes, actually, an airplane – One very special airplane – Le Reve Bleu – the Blue Dream.

Ettore Bugatti came from an artistic family. His father designed furniture and his mother was a renowned sculptor. When Bugatti’s father insisted he follow a traditional apprenticeship program, he became involved with internal combustion motors. Quite quickly, it became apparent that Ettore had a knack for automobiles. After starting his own motor car company, he became interested in expanding the role for his elegantly engineers engines. His first flirtation with aircraft design came with engines he developed during World War One.



The war to end all wars drove truly astounding advancements in aircraft design. The fragile, clunky machines at the start of the conflict gave way to cutting edge fighters by war’s end. Naturally, having experienced the adrenaline rush of unprecedented speed in the air, several army’s worth of pilots had no desire to quit, and air racing rose from the ashes of war.

Bugatti, who’s motor car designs showed clear signs of his parent’s artistic influences, quickly became enamored of the air racing concept, and was determined to design a winner – Having won the very first Monaco Grand Prix race, he saw no reason why he’d not succeed in the air. At the same time, the late 1930s, it was amply evident that peace in Europe would not last; the French government approached Bugatti about designing a fast fighter. Bugatti saw no reason that he couldn’t kill both birds with one design. His answer was the Model 100.


Co-designed with the legendary Belgian aeronautic engineer, Louis de Monge, the Model 100 generated five patents that survive well into the modern age – the pressure differential air cooling system, offset/inline engine system, automated flaps, V tail control system, and variable geometry wing. The Model 100’s fuselage was as sleek as you’d expect from a Bugatti. It was, in fact, one of the first composite air frames; laid up from balsa and tulipwood, covered with stretched linen, and doped in Bugatti racing blue – Hence the Model 100s nickname, Le Reve Bleu, the Blue Dream.

Bugatti’s primary motivation was to beat the Germans for the world air speed record. By the spring of 1939, a Messerschmitt Bf 109 had flown faster than 469 mph. Bugatti believed his Model 100 would surpass 500 mph; he would never find out if it were true. Before the Model 100 could be finished and flown, the Germans invaded France. The plane was removed from the furniture factory it was being built in, trucked into the countryside, and hidden in barn. Bugatti died in 1946, never having seen his creation fly.

In 1970, an American Bugatti restorer bought the plane, had it shipped to the U.S., where he removed the engines and left the rest as is. Though the first half of the ’70s, a restoration of the Model 100 was attempted and eventually abandoned. That effort was resumed after the Experimental Aircraft Association, (EAA), took possession of the plane; it now resides at the Airventure museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, but still has never been flown, and is too fragile to leave the museum.


That fact have driven the efforts of the Rev Bleu team from the EAA. This crew intends to build and fly an exact replica of the fighter variant of Bugatti’s dream, The Model 100P. They are well on the way to achieving their goal, though much remains to be done. Fundamentally, they are attempting to build a plane from very sparse plans and technical information, with literally no one who was involved with the original left alive to consult. It is a labor of love as much as engineering, as the project’s webpage clearly reflects. Perhaps in the no too distant future, Ettore Bugatti’s Blue Dream will finally soar, a fitting tribute to its inspired creator.

http://interestingengineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_1885.jpg?d29c6d



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[DaveM]

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Neuroscientist shows how to control someone else’s arm with your brain

The brain is a wonderful and complex system in the human body. Still, very little is known about the brain. The neuroscientist and engineer Greg Gage is trying to change that and make neuroscience more accessible to all, including students of all educational levels.

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“The brain is an amazing and complex organ. And while many people are fascinated by the brain, they can’t really tell you that much about the properties about how the brain works because we don’t teach neuroscience in schools.” said Gage during his TED Talk presentation in Vancouver.

Gage showed a modification of SpikerBox – a simple non-invasive device that can be used in high schools in order to teach student more about the electrical impulses of the nervous system. The SpikerBox was the first of many products developed by Gage’s company Backyard Brains, which aims to entertain and engage children in learning about the capabilities of the brain, in order to stimulate an early interest in neuroscience.

The device, which he demonstrated during his presentation, requires two volunteers and is arranged to be connected only by electrodes and a computer system that detects electrical signals and uses the brainwaves of the controlling person to cause the other one to involuntarily move their arm. As nerves are close to the skin, the process is non-invasive and as such, the device is perfectly safe for children to use and requires only self-adhesive sticky pads and conductors attached to the arms for the device to work.

“One out of five of us, that’s 20% of the entire world will have a neurological disorder. And there are zero cures for these diseases. And so it seems that what we should be doing is reaching back earlier in the education process and teaching students about neuroscience so that in the future they may be thinking about possibly becoming a brain scientist.” Gage said.


Source: TED Talks

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

New solar battery achieves an energy saving of 20% over regular batteries

Less than a year ago, a team at the Ohio State University (OSU) in the United States lead by Professor Yiying Wu, presented a solar battery capable of capturing and storing energy. The device is a solar cell and a rechargeable battery, but has the potential to be better than the two combined.

[Credit: Kevin Fitzsimons/Ohio State University]​

This is possible because, in addition to collecting, converting and storing solar energy as chemical energy, the solar battery eliminates losses that occur between it’s multiple components – achieving an energy saving of 20 percent.

But when trying to turn this prototype into a practical solution, the researchers had a few problems: its electrolytes were made of organic solvents, not soluble in water, in addition to not being environmentally friendly. The good news is that the team has just solved this problem by replacing the organic solvents by an aqueous water solution of lithium-iodide (Li-I). Therefore, the new version is what they are calling an “aqueous solar flow battery”, resulting from the combination of the Li-I battery wand the dye-sensitized solar cells.

“The truly important innovation here is that we’ve successfully demonstrated aqueous flow inside our solar battery,” Yiying Wu from Ohio State University, said in a press release. “It’s also totally compatible with current battery technology, very easy to integrate with existing technology, environmentally friendly and easy to maintain.”

[Credit: Kevin Fitzsimons/Ohio State University]​

The researchers’ calculations indicate that new solar battery shows energy savings of nearly 20 percent. While the typical battery had to be charged to 3.6 volts to discharge 3.3 volts, the solar flow battery was charged to only 2.9 volts to discharge the same 3.3 volts.

But the team will have to continue the research in order to reach 100 percent energy savings, which would make it a fully solar-chargeable battery.

“This solar flow battery design can potentially be applied for grid-scale solar energy conversion and storage, as well as producing ‘electrolyte fuels’ that might be used to power future electric vehicles,” one of the team, doctoral student Mingzhe Yu, said in the press release.

Source: Gizmag

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Check out Messner’s impressive mountain-top museum

One of the greatest mountaineers in the world, the Italian Reinhold Messner, famous for being the first person to climb Mount Everest without an oxygen tank among many other adventures, is now dedicated to creating museums intended for mountaineering culture. Among the projects already undertaken by Messner, the latter has drawn the attention not only of mountaineering lovers, but also lovers of the incredible architectural design done by the famous architect Zaha Hadid.

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Located 2275 meters above sea level, the Messner Mountain Museum Corones sits on top of Mount Kronplatz in Italy, and is the final project of the six mountain-top museums in the rockfaces of the Dolomites. The museum devoted to alpine history, which is already open to the public, brings together information, photographs, videos and objects collected by mountaineers during their adventures in various parts of the world.

The 1000 m² building is composed of rectangular concrete blocks encrusted in the mountain. The concrete, which was chosen to give a futuristic appearance, also makes up the embedded furniture (cabinets and benches) and internal walls, which are 50 cm thick. In addition to the exhibition halls and an auditorium, the museum features outdoor terraces with panoramic views toward the city of Bolzano.

Check out the breathtaking pictures of the project:



Source: Messner Mountain Museum Corones, Telegraph

Images source: Zaha Hadid Architects



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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Tesla Motors develops creepy robotic tentacle to charge electric cars

Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants their electric cars to be as convenient as a regular fueled car and a good part of this convenience is making charging the vehicle simple, so Tesla’s research department showed a slightly odd solution to that. The idea is that you should be able to drive your Tesla into a automated charging station that would do everything independently without your help.





And how is it done? – One might ask – With a tentacle that looks like it came out of some sci-fi movie. The concept was actually hinted by Musk on tweeter last year when he said, “Btw, we are actually working on a charger that automatically moves out from the wall & connects like a solid metal snake. For realz.”


Tesla announced that the system is still only a prototype but the system design does make sense, you will never have to get out of your car and go through the hassle of charging it yourself and the tentacle is the ideal robotic design to search for the charging port in order to plug itself in. This also means that the same charger could be used for different car models without the need of any adaptation.

Source: Science Alert

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Oru – The Origami Inspired Kayak

When Oru designer and founder Anton Willis moved into a San Francisco apartment he didn’t have room for his fiberglass kayak so he had to put it in storage. Having space limitations inspired him to find a solution and he began thinking of the Japanese art of origami or folded-paper. If only he could design a kayak that could easily shape-shift into its very own compact carry box. The greatness of the solution would have to be two-fold. The strength at the folds would allow the kayak’s shell to double as a frame and it could be folded from a single sheet of material. A second sheet would be unfolded creating a sturdy floorboard to help reinforce the cockpit. Then it would need bulkhead panels, straps, and buckles to hold the folds together and complete the design.​

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(Source: www.orukayak.com)​

In November 2012 once the final design was fully tested, Oru created a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter and the money poured in. Their financial goal of $80,000 was very quickly exceeded and since then the company has been growing their family of quality collapsible kayaks and kayak accessories.​

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(Source: www.orukayak.com)​

If you’re wondering how waterproof Oru kayaks are than have no fear. Willis chose a tough, resilient, abrasion resistant 2-ply corrugated polypropylene made by Coroplast. The material technology combined with the folding design makes Oru kayaks just as waterproof as any other ones on the market. There is only one seam and it’s above the waterline so unless it’s raining only drips and dribbles from the paddles can get in.​

(Source: www.orukayak.com)​

Depending on the model, Oru’s listed kayaks will only add between 26lbs and 34lbs to your load and hold up to 400lbs. When folded up they are compact enough to store in a closet, take on a plane, or pack in a car and that’s pretty cool for a kayak! Oru Kayaks are safe, convenient, and fully recyclable. If you’d like to learn more about Oru kayaks and accessories visit their website at www.orukayak.com.
If you like this article and want to learn more about origami inspired engineering check out these cool article links.​

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[DaveM]

In today's Interesting Engineering we have the following

Man of Steel or Super Non-Newtonian Fluid?

(Source: YouTube-Warner Bros. Pictures, screenshot)​

A few years back I watched a great documentary titled The Science of Superman and it answered a lot of questions about the man in blue. Recently I was reading about the researchers working at Moratex in Poland who invented a non-Newtonian fluid for use in complex body armor and it got me thinking.​

A non-Newtonian, shear thickening, or a dilatant material is one that is soft and flexible until a force is quickly applied to it. These materials are solids that have been suspended in liquid without dissolving. When stirred slowly the mixture acts like a liquid and is fluid but if you try to stir it too fast you won’t be able to generate enough force to do it. Basically the faster the force is applied the harder the material becomes. Cornstarch and water is a perfect example and if any of you have attended a child’s science fair you know how cool it is to play with. Dip your finger in it slowly and it acts like a liquid but hit it with a hammer and it acts like a solid!​

This video made by the University of Chicago explains all about Newtonian versus non-Newtonian materials and shows a cornstarch and water experiment for illustration.​

Since the early 2000’s when the researchers in Poland began their work with non-Newtonian fluids more and more uses have been found for the technology. Patents are popping up all over the world and not just for body armor. There are way too many shear thickening fluid applications to list but here’s one video that was put out by the Association of Research Libraries to give a couple of good examples of the applications that are out there.
What all this means of course is that Superman’s suit could have been made with fabric (perhaps Kevlar or nylon) that was impregnated with a dilatant fluid! I’m not saying that shear thickening technology answers all the questions about the power behind the Kryptonian fabric but it could explain why it’s impenetrable.​

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