Brawn with Brains

There are now many organizations that are utilizing some form of artificial intelligence or machine learning-powered robotics to help with automation capabilities. These companies are learning just how many duties that were once considered too hard for robots these AI-powered machines can handle.

What Color Is Your Hydrogen?

It’s possible to produce hydrogen in ways that don’t have carbon impacts. Most of the research and entrepreneurial interest is in “green” processes that do not generate net carbon emissions. The scramble is on to find the least expensive and most energy-efficient method for producing it.

Robots with Tails

Until recently, most four-legged robots have lacked a feature that is found again and again in nature—a tail. Studies of animal locomotion and robots in the laboratory indicate that leaving out tails has been a design drawback. In fact, research conducted by our lab at Virginia Tech has shown that an articulated robotic tail can effectively maneuver and stabilize a quadruped both for static and dynamic locomotion.

Interruptible Power

A leading energy expert examines the causes of the Texas power crisis of February 2021. He finds that many of the contributing factors were well known beforehand and even caused a smaller power outage in 2011. He then lists some steps that could help reduce the potential for another, similar blackout.

Re–Engineering Education

During the first year of the pandemic, colleges of engineering across the country revamped how they deliver lectures, run labs, administer tests, and even attract students to come to their school. These changes to long-standing norms were initially adopted as temporary, emergency measures, but faculty, administrators, and students found that some of them were improvements. As the next academic year is set to begin this month, school administrators have had to assess the lessons from COVID-19 to see what parts of the new normal should become simply normal.

Future Ready

Engineering companies have been investing in training to bring their existing workforce up to speed. Over the last year, as workplaces became remote, online learning opportunities have helped in upskilling and reskilling the engineering workforce. Conversations with experts unearthed many lessons learned from dealing with the chaos, disruption, isolation, and frustration born from COVID 19. But those hard-won lessons, the experts warned, would be in vain unless all stakeholders work together toward implementing the changes needed to turn the best of them into reality.

Reaching New Heights

The history of the ASME A17 elevator safety code is intertwined with the ability to build ever-taller skyscrapers. One key landmark, the Empire State Building, may have been impossible without the contribution of ASME code committee members.

Interruptible Power

A leading energy expert examines the causes of the Texas power crisis of February 2021. He finds that many of the contributing factors were well known beforehand and even caused a smaller power outage in 2011. He then lists some steps that could help reduce the potential for another, similar blackout.

Reaching New Heights

The history of the ASME A17 elevator safety code is intertwined with the ability to build ever-taller skyscrapers. One key landmark, the Empire State Building, may have been impossible without the contribution of ASME code committee members.

Future Ready

Engineering companies have been investing in training to bring their existing workforce up to speed. Over the last year, as workplaces became remote, online learning opportunities have helped in upskilling and reskilling the engineering workforce. Conversations with experts unearthed many lessons learned from dealing with the chaos, disruption, isolation, and frustration born from COVID 19. But those hard-won lessons, the experts warned, would be in vain unless all stakeholders work together toward implementing the changes needed to turn the best of them into reality.