Saturday, 27 August 2011

Power-generating device could be embedded in footwear

An energy-harvesting system that could supplement batteries in electronic devices has been developed in the US.

In a paper appearing today in the journal Nature Communications, Tom Krupenkin and J Ashley Taylor describe a new energy-harvesting technology that captures the energy of human motion to power portable electronics.

‘Humans, generally speaking, are very powerful energy-producing machines,’ said Krupenkin, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of mechanical engineering. ‘While sprinting, a person can produce as much as a kilowatt of power.’



Exploiting a small fraction of that energy, Krupenkin said, is enough to power a host of mobile electronic devices, including laptop computers, cell phones and flashlights.
‘What has been lacking is a mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion technology that would work well for this type of application,’ he said.

According to the university, current energy-harvesting technologies are aimed at either high-power applications, such as wind or solar power, or very low-power applications, such as calculators, watches or sensors. ‘What’s been missing is the power in the watts range,’ said Taylor, an engineering researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ‘That’s the power range needed for portable electronics.’

Solar power, the researchers said, can also be used to power portable electronics, but, unlike human motion, direct sunlight is usually not a readily available source of energy for mobile electronics users.
In their report, Krupenkin and Taylor described a novel energy-harvesting technology known as ‘reverse electrowetting’. The mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy by using a micro-fluidic device consisting of thousands of liquid micro-droplets interacting with a novel nano-structured substrate.

It is claimed that this technology could enable a novel footwear-embedded energy harvester that captures energy produced by humans during walking, which is normally lost as heat, and converts it into up to 20W of electrical power. Unlike a traditional battery, the energy harvester doesn’t need to be recharged, as the new energy is constantly generated during the normal walking process.
The energy generated by the footwear-embedded harvester can be used in one of two ways. First, it can be used directly to power a broad range of devices, from smartphones and laptops to radios, GPS units, night-vision goggles and flashlights.

Alternatively, the energy harvester can be integrated with a Wi-Fi hot spot that acts as a ‘middle man’ between mobile devices and a wireless network. This allows users to utilise the energy generated by the harvester without having to physically connect their mobile devices to the footwear. Such a configuration reduces power consumption of wireless mobile devices and allows them to operate for much longer without battery recharge, the Wisconsin researchers said.

Krupenkin and Taylor have established InStep NanoPower in order to commercialise the technology.

Australian researchers explore benefits of thermopower waves

Australian researchers are exploring how thermopower waves could be used to convert heat from the environment into electrical energy to create truly autonomous micro and nano machines.
The team at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) has created thermoelectric semiconducting structures that could be used as micro-power sources.

The researchers claim it could help to realise concepts such as ‘smartdust’, which describes micro-electromechanical systems that are networked wirelessly for sensing and receiving data — for example, in testing the pH of soil in large agricultural fields or the quality of water reserves.

In addition, electronic devices powered by thermopower waves could apply large energies to targeted cancer cells inside the human body, enabling a high level of precision.

Project lead Sumeet Walia of the Microplatforms Research Group at RMIT said the size of power sources had not kept pace with the ever-reducing size of electronics.

‘We focus on thermopower waves — which generate intense waves of electrical current by sweeping electrical carriers from one end of materials to another — because of their potential for creating small-scale power sources that can release energy at very high rates,’ she said.

Walia said the team’s work demonstrates a new class of micro-power sources and shows it is possible to obtain alternating output signals with opposite polarities, which is crucial for developing alternating signal sources.

‘This is an important milestone towards making efficient thermopower wave systems for future industrial applications,’ she added.

The work was conducted in collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and New South Wales University.

Engineering needs to invest in work experience

Engineering graduates don’t have enough practical skills. There’s an argument that we’ve heard so often it’s become a cliché. ‘University courses teach you the theory but you need real work experience before you’re ready for the job,’ argue not only outright critics of our academic system but also employers who say they are struggling to recruit young people with the right skills.

In the current depressed economic times, it’s never been more important for engineering graduates to have a work experience placement on their CVs. The Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HESCU) says 10 per cent of recent engineering graduates are out of work – higher than for graduates of social sciences such as psychology and geography. So job applicants are facing stiffer competition than probably ever before.

Students are well aware that work experience is key. ‘There has been a significant rise in the number looking for internships,’ says HESCU’s deputy director of research, Charlie Ball. The number of students and graduates viewing engineering internship opportunities on the Prospects careers website has increased by 27 per cent between 2009 and 2011.

But new research suggests that engineering companies just aren’t offering the placements that employers themselves say are so important. In a survey of engineering graduates from predominantly top-ranking universities, the number one complaint against potential employers was the lack of opportunity to experience the world of work.

‘It was the most passionate part of their response,’ says Chris Philips, chair of the TARGETjobs Engineering Forum, which carried out the survey of 1000 graduates through its careers website. ‘Students are broadly content that their degrees taught them technical skills and employability skills, but there aren’t enough relevant work placements over the whole spread of engineering companies. They also felt they were competing with European students who have placement opportunities built into the degree courses. UK students are feeling double crossed.’

Of course many companies do offer work experience schemes to young people of different ages. According to the IET’s latest skills survey, 60 per cent of firms have taken on interns in the past 12 months. But the issue is how many placements there are compared with the number of graduates and jobs. As an example, energy firm Centrica is hiring 17 graduate engineers from a variety of disciplines this year but only offers 10 summer work experience placements. And competition is fierce. In total the company has 140 places for its graduate and summer placement schemes but receives around 5,500 applications.

If the problem is as widespread as students seem to feel it is, then the industry really needs to take note because it could be damaging what is already a struggling skills market. Depending on whom you talk to, either there aren’t enough engineering graduates, or their skills don’t meet the requirements of employers, or too many of them are going into other industries. Employers who tell students they can’t have a job without work experience but then don’t offer any placements could be exacerbating all these problems.

If students are turned away from engineering jobs they could be more likely to look to other sectors, not least those that offer more money for their problem solving skills. Universities can only do so much: industry needs to play its part in training the engineers of tomorrow, especially if such a premium is put on practical job experience. And if young people are assessing the employability of different subjects – increasingly likely now that the cost of a degree has tripled – they’ll be less likely to choose engineering if they feel their three years of study won’t lead to a job.

So why aren’t more placements available to young people? Although health and safety bureaucracy can cause a serious headache for those setting placements for under-18s, they shouldn’t have the same trouble accepting university students. ‘Once they become adults, young people have a lot more common sense,’ says John Nollett, managing director of steering system manufacturer Pailton Engineering, which employs 150 people and places both under- and over-18s in work experience and apprenticeships. ‘We have a robust health and safety regime in place already for our employees so we’re not worried about older people doing work experience.’

A problem for some firms, particular smaller more specialised ones, is that students don’t have enough knowledge to be able to drop in for a few weeks and gain meaningful experience. ‘Our work is so specialist that we can’t just take anyone – they need proper training,’ says Michelle Rix, operations manager at green energy firm Ecotricity, which doesn’t offer work experience to engineering students.

‘Companies do appreciate that if you can’t do work placements properly you may as well not do them at all,’ says Philips. And this is the biggest problem for engineering firms: work placements cost time and money, which many companies can ill afford especially in the current economic climate. ‘Senior executives say they get the need for more work experience but it’s a resource issue,’ says Philips, who adds that many companies he has spoken to are planning to put more money into work experience schemes.

Increased commitment from employers does seem like the key way this situation can be improved. Another could be closer cooperation between industry and academia to ensure universities are turning out graduates with the skills needed to make them employable. Perhaps more courses should look at incorporating placements into their curricula.

‘The sector needs to ask if it is properly articulating what it needs to universities and if it is being realistic,’ says Ball. ‘What are the skills deficiencies and can employers address this problem themselves? But we have to be nuanced about our approach. We need to make the case that being an engineer is an excellent career option. Engineering employers and universities need to have a good thoughtful dialogue and not blame each other.’

What is clear is that we need a long-term solution and investment in young people. Refusing students work experience placements might save some cash in the short-term but is only storing up problems for later on.

Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/1009651.article?cmpid=TE01&cmptype=newsletter&cmpdate=050811&email=true#ixzz1WF4e4QJ8

IET reveals difficulties in recruiting high-level staff

Almost half of engineering companies are struggling to recruit senior-level engineers owing to competition for experienced staff, new research suggests.

The latest skills survey from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) found that UK engineering and IT companies still find it difficult to employ suitably skilled staff, with 34 per cent reporting that new recruits do not meet requirements.

But there is also a more specific problem in hiring high-level staff, with 48 per cent of respondents saying they continue to experience difficulties in finding suitable senior engineers.

Companies that have struggled with a skills gap among school leavers are focusing on those with more experience, the IET’s head of policy, Paul Davies, told The Engineer.

‘The reason why organisations are finding it difficult to recruit at a senior level is due to high levels of competition to hire experienced staff,’ he said.

UK companies need to improve the way they manage their talent, added Davies. ‘Engineers have made a big investment in choosing to enter this profession and need to work with their employers to enable them to excel and move up.

‘Furthermore, by up-skilling your current workforce and investing in programmes that acknowledge the skills they have, companies will fare better in filling those vacancies at higher levels.’

Companies are still looking to hire graduates and school leavers over the next 12 months, however, as only 49 per cent of roles are expected to go to experienced staff.

The 2011 skills survey also highlighted the belief among employers that something needs to be done about skill levels in engineering.

Thirty per cent of respondents said that the profile and image of engineering needed to improve and 21 per cent stressed the need to make it cheaper for organisations to offer training.

‘We are seeing more companies investing in professional registration programmes to ensure they are continually engaging their workforce and equipping them with the necessary skills to progress in their career and increase their earning potential,’ said Davies.

Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/1009622.article?cmpid=TE01&cmptype=newsletter&cmpdate=050811&email=true#ixzz1WF0sJcAB

LCD screen harvests energy from indoor and outdoor light

Researchers have developed an LCD screen that harvests electrical energy from ambient light, sunlight and its own backlight using a built-in photovoltaic polariser.



 
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) work by using two polarised sheets that let only a certain amount of a device’s backlight pass through. Tiny liquid crystal molecules are sandwiched between the two polarisers and these crystals can be switched by tiny transistors to act as light valves. Manipulating each light valve, or pixel, lets a certain amount of the backlight escape; millions of pixels are combined to create images on LCDs.

From the perspective of energy use, current LCD polarisers are inefficient. A device’s backlight can consume 80 to 90 per cent of the device’s power. But as much as 75 per cent of the light generated is lost through the polarisers. A polarising organic photovoltaic LCD could recover much of that unused energy.

A team at the University of California Los Angles (UCLA) has created and tested a screen that it claims is the first such device to be able to simultaneously act as a polariser, a photovoltaic device and an ambient light or sunlight photovoltaic panel.

The polarising organic photovoltaic cell demonstrated by the research group can harvest up to 75 per cent of the wasted photons from LCD backlight and turn them back into electricity, the team claims.

‘In addition, these polarisers can also be used as regular solar cells to harvest indoor or outdoor light. So next time you are on the beach, you could charge your iPhone via sunlight,’ said project lead Prof Yang Yang of UCLA.

‘In the near future, we would like to increase the efficiency of the polarising organic photovoltaics and eventually we hope to work with electronic manufacturers to integrate our technology into real products,’ he added.

Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/1009619.article?cmpid=TE01&cmptype=newsletter&cmpdate=050811&email=true#ixzz1WExULiIs

6 People that made a career out of what they love online

Love it or hate it, Youtube is a massive part of our lives now and their new Partnership scheme which allows people to get paid for their videos if they’re popular enough brings massive opportunity for people to become successful for doing what they would normally do for free.

Here are a few examples I’ve found.

Freddie Wong loves action movies.
Freddie used to work in Hollywood in special effects doing things like removing safety wires or power cables that accidently made it into a shot (and also being a national Guitar Hero champion… seriously), but last year he started making little fight scenes and putting them up on Youtube. His great sense of humour and unbelievable talent for action has pretty much made him a star through a couple of Youtube accounts.

Michelle Phan loves makeup.
You dudes out there may have never realised just how much work goes into makeup. But that stuff can be hard!

Michelle Phan has made a name for herself filming tutorials on certain kinds of makeup, to the point that cosmetics companies started sending her products to review and paying her to feature them.

Epic Mealtime love extreme cooking.
I dare you to watch an episode of Epic Mealtime and not feel hungry and a little nauseous. They have recently been picked up by companies like Netflix and Gamefly who offer them sponsorship money to make ridiculous food.

Darren Rowse loves blogging.
Darren Rowse’s blogs Online Photography School and Problogger have made him a very rich man. He knows how to succeed online, and he shares his experience and wisdom with people that want to succeed as well.

Rooster Teeth love making videos with Halo.
Red Vs Blue originally started when a couple of guys found a way to make the space marines in the video game Halo put their guns down and look like they were talking casually. The really well written dialogue and hilarious delivery built up a cult following and everything turned around for them when Microsoft found what they were doing, and instead of shutting them down, started paying them to do more of it.

Rooster Teeth currently run several other shows like ‘Immersion’ where they examine the practicalities of various video game clichés. Check them out on their website here,
Toby Turner loves putting literal lyrics to trailers and commenting on videos he’s found on Youtube.
His trailers have become few and far between, but every time he releases something new, it’s quite special. My favourite is the Tron Legacy one.

If there’s anything we’ve learned today, it’s that I shouldn’t be left to the blog unattended, and that audiences online are full of so many unique people that if you get really good at something, there will be enough people out there interested in what you have to say that they will give to money to say it more!

Wednesday, 17 August 2011

Anti-social media?

The UK’s recent disturbances have prompted a number of urgent debates, not least what, if any, role the government and police can play in identifying and addressing the underlying causes.

Mounted riot police in Manchester city centre

Mounted riot police in Manchester city centre

In the teeth of the riots, the police came close to using baton rounds (plastic bullets) to quell the violence. Mercifully, this wasn’t the case, but with the government apparently giving police the go-ahead to use greater force, it seems probable to expect a less restrained response in future. But are plastic bullets - with their highly charged symbolism, and questionable “non-lethal” status, really the best available option? As The Engineer has reported before, the field of non-lethal weapons research is awash with ideas for dispersing violence - from dazzling lasers, to acoustic canons, and even incapacitating sticky foam. Perhaps the time is right to revisit these technologies.

More pressingly however, last week’s events have also prompted a debate over the technology that is increasingly at the heart of the way we communicate with each other: social media.

Reports that last week’s violence was partly orchestrated by users of Twitter, Facebook and the Blackberry Messaging (BBM) Service has prompted many to call for police powers to switch off social messaging services.  Indeed, Downing Street is already said to be considering the technical questions of how to grant new powers blocking Twitter and Blackberry.

But the armies of broom-wielding residents - also mobilised via social media - who took to the streets the morning after some of the worst rioting tell a different story. What’s more, it’s now emerged that social messaging sites were also a useful intelligence asset, and that by breaking into the encrypted BBM service, police were able to prevent attacks on the Olympic site and Oxford Street in London.

Last week’s events brought into stark focus the positive and negative applications of social media, and putting the technical and legal issues to one side, the likely impact of shutting down social media services is impossible to predict. What seems likely to have more value is an increased focus on the techniques required to crack encrypted messaging services, and, should the need arise, monitor communications in real-time. Police could, perhaps, learn some valuable lessons from the UK’s defence industry, which, as we’ve also reported, is increasingly focussed on the world of cyber-security.

Embarking on a career in Graphic Design

Stuart Littlewood
Following on from my recent post, ‘Tips for students considering a career in graphic design’ it seemed like the next logical step to offer advice once you’ve decided to take the plunge and launch your career as a graphic designer.


Personally, I found it a rollercoaster of emotions after graduating. The excitement of preparing portfolios, making contact with – and in some cases working alongside – the very designers who’s work had inspired me throughout my studies. On the flip side, there was the reality of having to work in an unpaid placement for 6 months; an unfortunate but common predicament and one any serious graduate should be prepared to face.

The actual experience a work placement can offer is often just as valuable as the reward of a job – exposing you to many different ways of working and different cultures – so even if the latter is not on the cards, take everything you can from it.

The following is a combination of the advice I received along the way, and some of the techniques I employed in order to stand out from the crowd:

1. Perfect your portfolio.
It’s true that great work will often sell itself, but how you present it will help to determine whether people really engage with it. One technique I recommend is to ask: what does your portfolio say about you? Does it reflect your personality, your strengths, your creativity and individuality, and is it appropriate for the audience you are trying to engage? Treat your portfolio as a branding project – not just a collection of bits of work you’ve done.
Also, make sure you keep your portfolio to a good size; 6–10 great projects is ideal. BUT remember …it’ll only be as good as your weakest project, so if in doubt, leave it out!
Finally, consider the presentation of your portfolio. Forget the cumbersome cases they often insist on at college with the stippled sleeves and zips. Go for compact A3 with transparent sleeves that show the work off to its best. Photographers archive boxes are also a popular alternative currently.

2. Do your research.
Make sure any agency you contact works within sectors that are relevant to the work you will be presenting.
Find out who the right person is to contact – call and ask, making sure they are happy to receive your pdf folio (keep this under 3mb showing two or three great projects). Also, consider posting a nicely designed letter (in your brand style) which leaves more of a lasting impression over an email. Within it identify why you like the agency and a piece of their work that interested you. Follow up with a call if you haven’t heard back after a few days – just don’t be pushy.

3. Get all the advice going
Show your work to as many designers as possible. The more you present your work, the better at it and more confident you will become. Even if a company doesn’t offer placements, ask if you can come in and show them your work. Listen to their advice and develop your portfolio and presentation style accordingly.

4. Tell a good story
Explain the context, the brief, the creative process, the challenges, the final outcome and what you learnt. The order of your projects may affect how you present. I recommend starting with a strong project you enjoy talking about (helps the nerves) and end on a great one too.

5. Leave a lasting impression
Present yourself in the best possible way, have a hand full of good questions to ask and leave something behind so you stay in the front of their mind, such as a business card, cv, work sample booklet etc.

Remember that with commitment and persistence, talent is always rewarded. Best of luck!
Stuart Littlewood is a Designer at BergHind Joseph, and has first-hand experience of the trials and tribulations of searching for ‘that’ first job to become a designer.

Stuart is now one of the senior designers for BergHind Joseph, boasting experience in branding, corporate communications and employee engagement projects.

'World's fastest' bipedal robot maintains human-like gait

Engineers have unveiled what they claim is the world’s fastest bipedal robot with knees.
The prototype can reach a peak speed of 6.8mph (10.9km/h) and negotiate rough terrain at lower speeds — all while maintaining a human-like gait.

"Gait:  A particular way or manner of moving on foot"

The research group at Michigan University said it envisages a range of potential applications for the robot, which is called MABEL.

‘The robotics community has been trying to come up with machines that can go places where humans can go, so a human morphology is important,’ said Prof Jessy Grizzle of Michigan. ‘If you would like to send in robots to search for people when a house is on fire, it probably needs to be able to go up and down stairs, step over the baby’s toys on the floor and manoeuvre in an environment where wheels and tracks may not be appropriate.’

MABEL was built in 2008 in collaboration with the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and the team has spent the years since improving the feedback algorithms that enable the robot to keep its balance while reacting to its environment in real time.



MABEL started off walking smoothly and quickly over flat surfaces. Then it moved on to uneven ground at slower speeds. It took its first real jog in late July, according to the team.

To achieve a human-like gait, the engineers distributed MABEL’s weight like a person’s — it has a heavier torso and light, flexible legs with springs that act like tendons. While running, MABEL is in the air for 40 per cent of each stride for the so-called flight phase; this compares with less than 10 per cent of each step for previous bipedal robots, according to the team.

Grizzle said that the technology used to build MABEL could also be used for exoskeletons that enable wheelchair-bound people to walk again or for powered prosthetic limbs that behave like their biological counterparts.

MABEL is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

5 minutes with... David Freer - O Street


Steven Walls    David Freer

    Founding Partner

    O Street

   Website: www.ostreet.co.uk

Vimeo: vimeo.com/user1854623

"We are a multi-disciplinary (only bit of jargon, promise!) design company with a head office in Glasgow. We pride ourselves in offering a wealth of big company experience with small company overheads. Our sleek approach also allows us to work with our clients in a much more direct and fun way."

What do you actually do?
I sit at a big desk in an open plan office with the rest of the company. We are a creative led company, so each of us does account management as well as design. Its hard not to just spend all the time designing, but speaking directly to clients and chasing work has helped give me a much broader understanding of clients needs, and also allows me to have much more control over the kind of jobs I want to work on.

What would you be doing if you weren't doing that?
Probably a failed musician (aren't all designers) or a frustrated art school tutor.


How did you get started in the industry?
I studied design at Glasgow School of Art and Rhode Island School of Design. When I graduated I got my first big break with a placement then full time job at Saatchi & Saatchi in London.

What's your current favourite piece of creative work at the moment?
We are just about to launch an iPhone game for a client and I can't stop playing it on my phone (its still top secret, but in a couple of weeks if you search for ‘Glasgow' & ‘Cone' you will be able to download it for free)

What do you love about your job?
Listening to music while I work and hanging out with creative and inspirational people.


If you could give one piece of advice for someone starting out, what would it be?
Don't get stuck in a dead end job, learn what you can from it and move on as soon as you can.

If you have one Super power what would it be?
Flight.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A musician.


What was your worst job and what did you learn from it?
Packing frozen turkeys into bags at a supermarket. I quickly learned that I don't want to work in a supermarket, or with frozen goods of any kind.

You have already worked with some amazing brands, who would you like to work with next?
Nike

Iphone or Blackberry?
iPhone.

Your favourite app?
The aforementioned secret app mentioned above, followed by Scrabble.


Too Cool for School or too School for Cool?
Too cool.

Facebook or Twitter?
Twitter.

Eat In or eat out?
Eat in.