Boeing has begun to assemble an unmanned, liquid-hydrogen powered, high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) aircraft. The twin-engine Phantom Eye will have a 150-foot wingspan and be capable of flying for more than four days at altitudes up to 65,000 feet while carrying a payload of up to 450 pounds. In addition, the Boeing Phantom Works is working on Phantom Ray, a fighter-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that will serve as a flying test bed for advanced technologies.
Engineers have been experimenting with shape-memory alloys and polymers that are referred to as “smart materials.” They “remember” their original shape and can return to it, opening new possibilities for many movable features, such as replacing the electric motors traditionally used to activate car seats, windows and locks. There are numerous applications for the technology in the automotive, aerospace, appliance, medical and electronics industries.
The mechanical linkages and hydraulic actuators that traditionally control automotive braking and steering systems will eventually go the way of kerosene lanterns, rumble seats, running boards and hood ornaments. They will be replaced with drive-by-wire systems, such as brake-by-wire, suspension-by-wire and steer-by-wire. As a result, automakers will be putting new demands on the wire harness industry.
The Pentagon plans to spend billions of dollars over the next decade to create a new generation of unmanned vehicles for various land, sea and air applications. Those devices will require a wide variety of state-of-the-art robotics, sensors, electronics, vision systems, grippers, controls, batteries and other components
Nanotechnology has been touted in recent years for its many remarkable qualities. Now, the miracle material is about to take on a new role-fighting pirates who plunder cargo ships on the high seas. A new unmanned surface vessel called the Piranha uses nanotechnology-enhanced carbon fiber to be super lightweight and nimble.
Artificial joints can be complex devices to mass produce. Traditionally, orthopedic device manufacturers rely on titanium because it’s a strong, lightweight material that is biocompatible with the human body. But, engineers at North Carolina State University think the future lies in foam.
The U.S. Air Force is examining how wing warping technology can be applied to improve the efficiency of future fighter jets. Ironically, Wilbur and Orville Wright developed the concept more than 100 years ago while they were tinkering in the back of their little bicycle shop in Dayton, OH. In fact, wing warping is what allowed them to achieve their historic flight on Dec. 17, 1903.
Potholes are an unavoidable headache that all motorists in the Midwest and the Northeast must endure every Spring. Unfortunately, fixing potholes is labor intensive and expensive. It seems like a great opportunity for some type of automation.
Traditionally, composite wind turbine rotors are manually assembled. But, manufacturers are eager to automate the process to cut costs, boost productivity and improve quality. Robotics will play an increasingly important role in wind turbine blade manufacturing in the future.
A technology originally developed to increase lift in aircraft wings and simplify helicopter rotors can reduce the cost of manufacturing and operating wind turbines. Circulation control aerodynamic technology would allow wind turbines to produce significantly more power than current devices at the same wind speed.
