General Motors and NASA through Space Act Agreement are developing the next generation robonaut, the Robonaut2 or R2. The robonaut, short for robot astronaut, is different from any other robots for it is the most dexterous robot in the planet. It is created in human-like shape because it is designed to work side by side with humans. The hands of this robot can handle skillfully many tools designed for human hands. Its ability to efficiently maneuver hand tools for human is one of the greatest leap in the design of R2. No other robot achieves such competency.

Before the end of 2009, the James Cameron's Avatar rock not only the movie goers but also the TV industry. The 3D technology is now in the wish list of home entertainment.

Sony, IMAX and Discovery Channel are working together for 24-hour 3D network. Philips and LG are doing research so that we can watch 3D videos without the use of the annoying movie glasses that looks like 1980s fashion rather than a viewing gadget. Both of these will be available by 2011. Big names in broadcast industry namely ESPN, MTV, CBS, and NBC in partnership with DirecTV and Panasonic, are planning to launch 3D channel by June 2010.

There is no doubt that Blu-ray is more superior to HD DVD. In February 2008, Toshiba officially stop the development of HD DVD. This makes Blu-ray the dominant format for high definition videos. But the question is, how long will Blu-ray totally replace DVD? To make it more simple, how long will Blu-ray dominates the market?

The trend in automobile technology and transportation industry as a whole is centered on emission standards and fuel economy. It in turn demands a vehicle that is more advance, more lightweight, high in strength, yet cost effective. New powertrain technologies are being cultivated and it calls for high-strength steel intensive solutions. The new technology will reduce the weight of future vehicles, making it cost efficient, more lighter, more fuel, and will reduce carbon footprints associated in growing automobile market.

The Barcode

There are two types of barcodes that are widely used; one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D). 1D barcode is common in most household products while 2D barcode is common in industrial products where more information is needed to be stored in the label. In terms of usefulness, there is no supreme between the two, each is appropriate according to how many characters you need to embed to the label.

Barcode, either 1D or 2D, has been proven to effectively optimize business processes and reduce operational cost. Although appropriate in many instances, there are cases where barcodes cannot meet a need.

A research supported by Shell International Exploration and Production Inc., engineers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed a mathematical model of gas production that could ensure a reliable supply of natural fuel. Prof. Paul I. Barton together with chemical engineering graduate student Ajay Selot worked with this model for 2 years to help energy companies refine natural gas more efficiently and flexibly. According to Prof. Barton, if there were just one or two decisions to make, an engineer could do it, but when you've got 20 valves to set and 50 different constraints to satisfy, it's impossible for a person to see. "Computer procedures can take all of that into account", he said.

Efficiency and flexibility of natural gas production is the target of gas companies, but their engineers are overwhelmed with so many variables surrounding obligations, objectives, and constraints. The challenge is to define the optimum specific operation that will satisfy all variables. Standard optimization techniques cannot handle such a large and complex model. Selot is the one who refine and extend standard techniques to handle the problem.

In 1942 Isaac Asimov, a prolific science fiction writer, outlined the Three Laws of Robotics. Although written to entertain, his work becomes the "ideal" foundation of how today's scientists should design a robot. The laws are outlined as follows,

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Asimov's ideal robot is equipped with positronic brain, its primary purpose is for robots to detect and identify humans. Unfortunately, no scientific field are developing such type of fictional technological device.

Offered for free by Associated Business Publications International, NASA Tech Briefs is one of the hottest magazine available for free to engineers and other industry professionals.

The magazine was written by engineers and scientists who did the work, in a wide array of fields; electronics, physical sciences, materials, computer software, mechanics, machinery/automation, manufacturing/fabrication, mathematics/information sciences, and life sciences. It also feature articles on successful NASA spinoffs, profiles of NASA tech transfer resources, news briefs, and application stories. Regular columns describe new patents, industry products, software, and literature.

The word biogas and biofuel reminds me of the movie “Back to the Future” where two of the main characters are Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Emmett Brown and Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly. At the end of the movie, Dr. Brown visited McFly with his biogas powered time-machine car. The slightly mad scientist traveled from the future and upon arrival to the time of McFly, he scavenges some organic garbage from the trashcan and loads it to his biogas generator that looks more as house blender than a power generator. It’s a great sci-fi movie in 1985, but this science fiction will be into large scale implementation.

In response of today’s economic crisis, experts are searching for more economical yet more durable means of construction materials and methods. Funded by National Science Foundation under the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Program, a research was conducted by professors of University of Michigan to test their new technique for constructing high-rise reinforced concrete buildings. A team led by Professor James K. Wight and Associate Professor Gustavo Parra-Montesinos, developed a new way of bracing high rise building to withstand a drift of up to 3 percent during earthquake. The study will allow skyscrapers to withstand lateral deformation than an earthquake would demand.

   
James K. Wight, Ph.D., PE (left) and Gustavo J. Parra-Montesinos, Ph.D. (right)