Future of Engineering

Industrial Designers Develop Harness to Provide Spine Support During Water Rescues

From small beginnings come great things. That's exactly what has happened at the University of Virginia Tech. A simple assignment has led to the creation of a life saving product.

Everyday the swift water rescue team is up against a mission that looks as difficult as Mission Impossible. Rough waters and an unconcious vitim means just one thing - disaster is just around the corner. Putting their life on the line they struggle to save lives.

Rescue doesn't stop with pulling out a victim. It's important to pull out the person without causing further physical injuries. That isn't a easy task. To minimise injury during rescue, the Hydrospine has been designed.

The Hydrospine is a rigid frame designed for use in water rescue situations, especially in fast-moving rivers. It is made from structural foam, a neoprene liner, nylon strops, buoyant buckles, and buoyant foam. It is intended to replace the metal framed harnesses currently used by rescue workers to stabilize accident victims with possible spinal injuries. The metal-free frame allows doctors to perform MRI and other scans at the hospital without removing the patient from the protection of the brace. The brace is designed to right itself if tipped upside down in the water, protecting the victim from drowning.

"The biggest thing we did was provide flotation, so if the unconscious person should become face down in the water, it will flip them over and keep them in the correct position in the water," said Varnerin.

Source - Virginia Tech

Labels: Engineering-Education, Safety

War and bloodshed has been here since the days of Cain and Abel. Till the 19th century warriors met on the field to prove their might. But the creation of bombs has redefined war. No place on earth is safe anymore. Explosives can be here, there or anywhere. And if you can't spot it, you can't control it.

To tackle terrorism, scientists have created a sensor chip that detects hydrogen peroxide vapor, which is often used in homemade explosives. It does this by monitoring the electrical conductivity of a thin metal film. The chip is made of two different thin films - one made of a cobalt compound and another made of a copper compound. When the chip was exposed to various fumes had responded in a similar manner. But when it was exposed to hydrogen peroxide vapor the films showed a difference in electrical conductivity.

When the sensor reveals this difference, you can easily spot the masked bomb. This is sure to fulfill the requirements of the bomb squad. Usually they have resorted to X-ray examination of luggages which wouldn't detect plastic or non-metallic devices. Sniffer dogs have helped out in various places, but come with a high price tag.

Source - DBIS

Labels: Metallurgical-Engineering, Safety

Undetected damage, like tiny cracks, flaws or weak points, is a big problem on airplanes. Now, chemists are testing a new paint that changes color to instantly reveal damage on planes.

Everyday an airplane is carefully inspected for flaws before it sets out on its daily mission. Yet visual inspection isn't hundred per cent fool proof. It's easy to miss out hidden damages on them. A cheap and simple solution has been found to keep an aircraft safe and sound.

"Microcapsules containing a colored dye are mixed together with aircraft paint. If the paint is scratched, dented, or struck the capsules break, releasing the dye. The change in color pinpoints damage. Visual inspections are easier and more accurate."

Initially this technology will be used in military aircrafts. Later on it will be used in commercial and private planes. The invention doesn't stop here. This color changing paint will soon find its way to the packaging industry to create tamper resistant packaging.

Source - DBIS

Labels: Aerospace-Engineering, Safety

You can't stop babies from pulling your necklace and putting it in their mouth. But it's unsafe to let them carry on. So you take the road most travelled by moms - quit wearing jewels till the kids grow up. That's a tough decision for a fashion consious mom.

Dentist Helen Bloom Smith decided to take the road less travelled when she spotted the teething problems of her twin nephews. Her decision has led to the creation of Dr. Bloom Inc., a company that manufactures original teething and nursing jewelry known today as Dr. Bloom’s Chewable Jewels ™.

"This teething jewelry is made of food-safe silicone, the same material used to make baby bottles and teething toys. It is designed to look like sleek resin or stone, but gently give way on baby's gums and are dishwasher-safe.

All of the parts, even the cording that holds the pendants, are made of products approved by the Food and Drug Administration and are free of latex and phthalates, controversial chemicals used in plastics that some say are linked to hormone disruptions and other health problems."

Individual necklaces cost $16, sets of three bracelets cost $18, a bracelet-necklace combo costs $19 and a bracelet-keychain pairing costs $20. Check out her site to get info about the various product options, colors and packages.

Smith runs the company Dr.Bloom Inc., along with sister Joy Bloom Wright and friend Mary Wheeler Settlemier. Having tasted success in her first venture, she hopes to expand this feature into other safe baby products.

Smith's venture proves yet again that 'the road not taken has made all the difference'.

Source - Nola.com

Labels: Design-Engineering, Manufacturing-Production-Engineering

System allows them to operate powered wheelchairs and computers

The novel system developed by engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology allows individuals with disabilities to operate a computer, control a powered wheelchair and interact with their environments simply by moving their tongues.

Maysam Ghovanloo, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering along with graduate student Xueliang Huo has developed the tongue-operated assistive technology, called the Tongue Drive system.

A rice grain sized magnet is attached into an individual's tongue by implantation. Once this is done the user can control the movement of a cursor across a computer screen or a powered wheelchair around a room.


Magnetic field sensors are mounted on a headset outside the mouth or on an orthodontic brace inside the mouth. This detects the movement of the tongue. The output signals are then wirelessly transmitted to a portable computer, which can be carried on the user’s clothing or wheelchair.

Hands and feet are connected to the brain through the spinal cord. Whereas the tongue is directly controlled by the brain through the cranial nerve. The movements of the tongue are also fast and accurate making it the most preferred choice by the researchers.

Results indicate a 100 percent accuracy for six individual commands. Based on the results one can definitely say that the future looks promising for this system.

Most people with severe disabilities have the will power to take on the world just like everybody else. What really dampens their spirit is the dependency factor. Sometimes they have to depend on friends and loved ones to carry out their everyday tasks. This system will make life easy for the individual and the caregiver.

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

They sure do.

Source - Gatech.edu
Watch a video of Ghovanloo describing the Tongue Drive system and its applications here.
Watch a video of Huo operating a powered wheelchair with the Tongue Drive system here.

Labels: Automation, Electrical-Engineering