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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.

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.

Engineers can learn how piezoelectric valves can be used to dispense lubricants during a free, hour-long webinar April 7.

Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have built the world’s most precise clock.

Today, a Silicon Valley startup company called Bloom Energy Corp. unveiled a much-anticipated device called the Bloom Energy Server. The company hopes to install its “little power plant in a box” in millions of homes and neighborhoods around the world, replacing the traditional electric power grid. The concept looks promising, but assembly technology will determine the company's ultimate success . . . or failure.

A Maryland company has developed a way to turn discarded paper and cardboard from offices into fuel for vehicles.

Engineers from NASA, GM and Oceaneering Space Systems have introduced a new humanoid robot that could help the automaker build safer cars and plants.

A great lean thinker has a lens for value.

General Motors Co. started assembling lithium-ion battery packs today at its new $43 million plant in Brownstown Township, MI. The 160,000-square-foot facility is the only one of its kind in the United States operated by a major automaker. Assemblers are building battery packs for the much-anticipated Chevrolet Volt, which will hit the market later this year.