Which are the best engineering animals in the world? | Q&A: Protolabs' role in combating the coronavirus pandemic | Survey: German engineering feels pandemic consequences
April 3, 2020
Essential news for the global engineering community
Which are the best engineering animals in the world?
The Vogelkop Bowerbird is known for building impressive homes. The 'bower' is the hut-like structure they build can span many feet in width and height. The front of the entrance is typically adorned with leaves, flowers, and shiny beetle body parts.
Protolabs is supporting efforts to curtail the spread of coronavirus by using injection molding, 3D printing, CNC machining and sheet metal fabrication to create medical products. Vice President Robert Bodor discusses how the company's newfound focus has affected production lines, its supply chain and safety protocols.
A survey from VDMA, Germany's mechanical engineering association, reveals the percentage of mechanical engineering companies whose operations have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic rose to 84% from 60% nearly two weeks ago. Nearly half of those affected said they suffer from "serious" or "noticeable" supply chain disruptions.
Mechanical engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have found a way to create an in vitro model for studying tumors that mimics the tunable stiffness of a collagen-based extracellular matrix. The team induced collagen to create micron-scale bundles, which were then aligned by a microfluidic channel.
Biotech pioneer Amgen is joining the hunt to find new drugs to treat the novel coronavirus, making the company the latest drugmaker to shift resources to the pandemic. Amgen has partnered with Adaptive Biotechnologies, mobilizing the two companies to discover a treatment.
Limbitless Solutions, a direct support organization at the University of Central Florida, is using its bionic arm-making machines to produce plexiglass face shields for medical workers. UCF students are working remotely on shield designs.
Engineers at Johns Hopkins University are leading an effort to develop and prototype a 3D-printed splitter that allows a single ventilator to treat multiple coronavirus patients. The design includes a filter that helps prevent cross-contamination as well as features that allow clinicians to track and customize air flow for each patient.
The European Commission's Autopilot program has demonstrated how the internet of things can be used to enhance autonomous driving. "This information allows us to look beyond the line of sight of on-board sensors, and what we will see is how we can detect obstacles, pedestrians, cyclists and crowds," said Bart Netten, senior scientific researcher for TNO.
Lucid Motors released a video that confirms a 400-mile range for its Air electric car, which made a February trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles on one charge. The prototype car recharged during an overnight stay in Los Angeles, then made the trip back to San Francisco.
The coronavirus pandemic is forcing companies to embrace the employee experience, adopt more sophisticated video collaboration tools and find new ways to foster culture, writes Peter Ballard. It could also lead to more companies filling business continuity voids, embracing remote work and reducing travel.
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