• £4bn funding package for UK shipbuilders to deliver 150 new vessels

    The domestic shipbuilding sector has been struggling for some time due to strong competition from China and other Asian countries. But the government hopes its new multi-billion pound investment will help to stimulate the industry for the next 30 years with orders coming in for naval and civil vessels for the UK government as well as devolved administrations. The £4bn in funds for the new vessels was originally announced in both the 2020 Spending review and the 2021 Autumn Budget. The funding comes as the Ministry of Defence prepares to publish its refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSbS) today, which will outline how the government will support UK shipyards across the nation to upskill workers, create high-quality jobs and drive technology development. The strategy also builds…

  • Letters to the editor: volume 17, issue 3

    The Different Meanings of Productivity The reference to ‘productivity’ in the article ‘Zombie Nation’  (E&T, February 2022) illustrates the danger of assuming that one discipline’s understanding of a term is the same as another’s. For engineers, ‘productivity’ translates into the number of objects output per person, and an increase means making more in your shift. When politicians refer to ‘productivity’ they mean economic productivity, or contribution to GDP (gross domestic product), an increase in which means people spending more on goods and services. While there is some alignment, the optima do not coincide. Ultimately the economy depends on people spending their income, and the credit that their employment enables. Industry’s role is to create goods and services that people require…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Customers reject basic robot interactions in fine margins for automation

    The research from analytics leader SAS revealed that just 13 per cent of respondents would want to use digital-only options to interact with customer services. Automated tech which lacks intelligence can’t rival human interaction, respondents said, with three-quarters (74 per cent) expressing  frustration when they realise they are communicating with a robot. Almost nine in 10 (88 per cent) said that speaking to a human is an essential part of the customer service experience, with 64 per cent of these mentioning that this is because they feel better understood when speaking to a human. At the same time, customers also said that they would switch to another provider if they didn't get a satisfactory response in five minutes or less. Additionally, the research also found that 75 per cent…

  • Hands-on gadget review: Bissell Pet Stain Eraser

    This cordless cleaner is designed for removing small stains from carpets and soft furnishing. It’s also good for car seats. It boasts two tanks: one for water and detergent, one for the dirty water it lifts. You spray the stain then a power brush lifts it and a vacuum sucks it up into the second tank. Most rival handhelds just have a brush you scrub with, not a rotating power brush. And it’s Bissell’s first mini cleaner designed specifically for pet stains. At 2kg, it’s half the weight of Bissell’s previous cordless handhelds. The Pet Stain Eraser arrives ready to use and was quick to unpack. I noted that it uses a 10V charger, rather than a USB cable. The capacity of 200ml and 20-minute battery life aren’t huge, and there’s a long charge time of “less than 4.5 hours”, so it’s best used…

  • Want to benefit from automation? Start early, and think big

    The coming world of autonomous machines will transform how we live, travel, work and engage with the world. Industry – from agriculture and infrastructure to logistics – looks set to enjoy incredible commercial opportunities. Businesses will benefit from augmentation of human effort that could improve safety, productivity, efficiency, comfort and more. But there’s a big question here: how can we trust the intelligence behind it? Trust is a fascinating, multi-dimensional topic, with both objective (using high rigour disciplines) and subjective (human behaviour) perspectives. Assurances can be given on each dimension, giving us confidence in how a system should behave in any event, and in a way that is not only safe but in keeping with what humans reasonably expect of that machine at any given…

  • Shackleton’s Endurance ship found 107 years after sinking off Antarctica

    The three-mast wooden ship had not been seen since it sank in the Weddell Sea in 1915, having been gradually crushed by pack ice. In February this year, the Endurance22 Expedition set off from Cape Town, South Africa, one month after the 100th anniversary of Sir Ernest’s death on a mission to locate it. The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust said Endurance was found at a depth of 3,008 metres and approximately four miles south of the position originally recorded by the ship’s captain Frank Worsley. The ship was located using two battery-powered submersibles - undersea drones - which combed the seafloor in six-hour stretches twice a day, using sonar to scan the seabed and identify any objects standing proud. Once the wreck had been located, the equipment was swapped for high-resolution cameras…

  • UK gives itself until end of 2022 to phase out Russian oil as cost of living soars

    The move is designed to increase the pressure on Russia’s economy by choking off one of its most valuable sources of income. With the UK still going through a fuel crisis that started months before the war in Ukraine, the phasing out of imports will not be immediate, with time given for supply chains to adjust and support for industry and consumers. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said it would also work with the US, the EU and other partners in a coordinated effort to end dependence on Russian-extracted fossil fuels. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “In another economic blow to the Putin regime following their illegal invasion of Ukraine, the UK will move away from dependence on Russian oil throughout this year, building on our severe package of international…

  • Sponsored: How 5G will influence autonomous driving systems

    5G autonomous driving will dramatically strengthen the capabilities of self-driving vehicles. Wireless communication technologies promise to enable safer driving for autonomous vehicles, enabled by new automotive innovations. Although 802.11p DSRC is ready to be deployed now, it requires huge investments to install numerous access points along miles of roads. On the other hand, major wireless companies are diligently working to bring 5G autonomous driving technologies into real-world application with LTE technologies bridging the transition to mainstream 5G cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) adoption. Key learning outcomes:  Understand the benefits and lim­itations of vehicle-to-X technologies. Learn how the ecosystem of a variety of sensing methods are connected. Understand why…

  • Shock-absorbent material could lead to stronger yet safer applications

    According to its creators at John Hopkins University, the new foam-like material could be a game-changer for helmets, body armour, and automobile and aerospace parts. “We are excited about our findings on the extreme energy-absorption capability of the new material,” said senior author Sung Hoon Kang, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering. “The material offers more protection from a wide range of impacts, but being lighter could reduce fuel consumption and the environmental impact of vehicles while being more comfortable for protective gear wearers.” Johns Hopkins graduate student Beijun Shen places liquid crystal elastomer structure in drop tester machine. Image credit: John Hopkins University Kang wanted to create a material even more energy-absorbing…

  • Social media firms and search engines to face new penalties for scam adverts

    The latest draft of the Online Safety Bill will give regulators greater powers to tackle harmful, offensive and misleading adverts. It could also see tougher penalties places on influencers who fail to declare payment for promoting products on their social media channels. The latest changes to the bill follow calls from a coalition of 17 consumer and business groups last year for the government to include scams within the scope of the much-delayed bill. In December, the Joint Committee responsible for reviewing the bill concluded that serious changes are needed to “call time on the Wild West online”. Peers and MPs said the draft bill, which was published last May, must be clearer about what content is illegal. The latest additions are designed to improve protections for internet users…

  • Antimicrobial air filters could drastically cut Covid spread on trains

    The technology can kill an array of bacteria, fungi and viruses in seconds including providing a potential solution to prevent the spread of airborne infections. The air filters, which are coated with a chemical biocide called chlorhexidine digluconate (CHDG), were rigorously tested and compared to commonly used standard ‘control’ filters in the laboratory, in industrial air condensing units, and in a trial onboard trains operating on the UK’s railways. In the laboratory, Covid-19 cells were added to the surface of both the treated and control filters and measured at intervals over a period of more than an hour.  The results showed that, while much of the virus remained on the surface of the control filter for an hour, all the Covid cells were killed within 60 seconds on the treated filter…

  • Hands-on review: Intelli ScoutPro multi-device powerbank

    We've all been there. We're away from home, or even just away from wall sockets, and our devices are dying on us. Maybe it's because of an unplanned overnight stay or simply because you forgot to charge everything last night, being caught short electrically is a common modern-day malaise. Many of us already have a portable recharging powerbank or two lying around, good for a phone boost. The problem is that these powerbanks are usually a one-hit wonder, good enough to get us home, but only for one device and only for one time. If you're away from wall power for any greater stretch of time, you'll probably wind up carrying around two dead devices. Perhaps what you need is a heavy-duty charging brick, such as this ScoutPro chonk, positively bristling with enough sockets and wireless charging…

  • View from Brussels: Unbound and untethered

    EU countries import 90 per cent of their fossil gas needs and more than 40 per cent of that is from Russia. As Vladimir Putin continues his internationally-denounced invasion of Ukraine, those imports have become an extremely contentious issue. The situation has already prompted the German government to nix the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would have connected Russian gas to northeast Germany via the Baltic Sea. Berlin is also preparing for the likelihood that Moscow cuts deliveries via the parallel Nord Stream 1 pipe. According to best estimates and current gas prices, EU countries send Russia more than €600 million every day to cover gas purchases. It does not take a geopolitical expert to see that other economic sanctions on the Kremlin are undermined by this status quo. On Tuesday…

  • Motorway fast-charger operator scraps exclusivity rights over competition concerns

    Gridserve has signed a legally binding commitment that competitors will be able to join it in providing infrastructure from November 2026. The agreement will see it reducing the length of the exclusive rights in the current contracts with motorway service providers MOTO and Roadchef by around 2 and 4 years respectively, while the contract with the third operator, Extra, is due to end in 2026. Ann Pope, the CMA’s senior director of antitrust, said: “We need a combination of investment now and healthy competition going forward to make sure chargepoints are installed at scale where people need them, for a fair price. “Today’s commitments strike the right balance. Gridserve will continue to invest in the much needed roll-out of chargepoints across the country but the exclusivity linked to…

  • GP video calls only offer ‘minimal’ benefits, study finds

    In 2017, private firm Babylon Health launched an app that allowed patients to launch video calls with a GP at any time of the day. But current figures show that just 0.5 per cent of GP appointments in England are actually being made via video or online. Academics from the University of Oxford interviewed 121 people, including patients and 55 GPs, to look at the possible benefits of the technology. Some patients were quite positive about the technology, with those living in remote areas in particular praising its convenience. But doctors found that it was “unsuited” to some of their patients, especially those with mental impairments or the elderly. Many doctors also said that telephone calls were “familiar and dependable” technology that almost everyone knows how to use. “The relative…

  • Electric vehicles dominate Car Of The Year 2022 awards

    The overall best car award went to Hyundai's latest electric vehicle, the Ioniq 5, which was also the winner in the Best Family Car category. Second place for Car Of The Year went to another EV: Skoda’s Enyaq. Two more EVs tied for third place: BMW’s iX and Porsche's Taycan. The judges - motoring journalists and industry experts - noted the Ioniq 5's design and interior space in their praise, but crucially also highlighted the car's electric driving range. 'Range anxiety' has dogged EVs in recent years, potentially hampering broader take-up amongst consumers. As battery technology improves, bringing with it the reassurance of EVs reliably covering greater distances, these fears are dissipating. The 29-strong judging panel were fulsome in their praise of the Ioniq 5. Top Gear’s Tom Ford…

  • Sponsored: Bosch powers the automotive sector towards an electrified future

    Just as tourists in Paris are drawn to the Louvre, visitors to Stuttgart, Germany, also flock to museums displaying the great works of the city. Stuttgart may not boast of Degas or Monet, but its prominent names are perhaps even more famous than Paris’ painters: Mercedes–Benz and Porsche. Each of these iconic automakers maintains a museum in the southwestern German city they call home. Their gleaming galleries feature many historic and influential cars, almost all of them powered by petroleum-fueled internal combustion (IC) engines. Looking ahead, Stuttgart will likely continue to be the heart of the German auto industry, but how long will the IC engine remain the heart of the automobile? Even the most successful manufacturers must adapt to changing conditions. The German automotive sector…

  • Cyber-security training offered gratis for minority-owned Midlands businesses

    Businesses will be able to attend the sessions during March and April 2022 at locations across the Midlands: Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Coventry, Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. The region previously hosted the launch, in Birmingham, of the UK Government’s National Cyber Strategy ' in December 2021. Attendees of the National Cyber-Security Council (NCSC) certified training course in Cybersecurity & Privacy Essentials (CSPE) will have the opportunity to learn: how to protect their business from cyber criminals and ransomware attacks what are 'Cyber Essentials' and why it's important and relevant for every business in the UK how to ensure they don’t get fined by the privacy regulator. Each training session will be followed by a Q&A exchange with the cyber-security expert, with…

  • Cable laying expected this year for UK-German power link

    Prysmian, a leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, has been awarded a contract worth around €1.2bn (£990m) for the turnkey design, manufacturing, installation, testing and commissioning of the 725km submarine interconnector, which will directly link the German and UK electricity grids for the first time. This 1400MW submarine and land cable system will connect two of Europe’s largest energy markets, promoting the efficient use and integration of renewable energy generation resources in both Germany and the UK. The cable will run through UK, Dutch and German waters between converter stations on the Isle of Grain in Kent and Wilhelmshaven in Lower Saxony. Contracts for the converter station works are expected to be signed in the coming weeks. Prysmian will provide the…

  • Bacteria converting sunlight into electricity via 3D-printed ‘skyscrapers’

    The University of Cambridge team said the structures help the sun-loving bacteria to grow quickly, whereupon their waste electrons left over from photosynthesis can be harvested to power small electronics. While similar projects have been trialled by other researchers, the Cambridge team believe that providing them with the right kind of home increases the amount of energy they can extract by an order of magnitude. The approach is competitive with traditional methods of renewable bioenergy generation and has already reached solar conversion efficiencies that can outcompete many current methods of biofuel generation. The project also suggests that ‘biohybrid’ sources of solar energy could be an important component in the zero-carbon energy mix while having a lower carbon and environmental…

  • Solid-state batteries could reach commercialisation with liquid electrolyte

    SSBs are typically made with technology that uses solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte, instead of the liquid or polymer gel electrolytes found in lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries. While the batteries can already be produced, their low energy density has so far dissuaded manufacturers from embracing the technology. But a new study led by Sandia National Laboratories in the US is tackling the long-held assumption that adding some liquid electrolyte to improve performance would make solid-state batteries unsafe. Instead, the research team found that in many cases SSBs with a little liquid electrolyte were safer than their lithium-ion counterparts (pictured). They also found that if the battery were to short-circuit, releasing all its stored energy, the theoretically super-safe…

  • Is battery swapping a viable solution for e-mobility?

    Venture-backed international company Better Place was famous for attempting to pioneer battery-swapping technology in electric vehicles (EVs). The company went bankrupt in 2013 and its fate might cast a dim verdict on the viability of battery swapping. However, nearly a decade later and the technology has made significant progress. Could battery swapping be back on the agenda after all? Better Place may have failed in its attempt to make battery-swapping technology commercially viable, but this experience didn’t put others off entirely. The idea has always worked well in theory and now there are many projects around the world where it is being put into action. From a sustainability perspective, battery swapping has considerable appeal. Fast charging degrades the battery at a much faster…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Covid deaths surpass six million (at least)

    The latest stats for the global death underscores that the pandemic, now in its third year, is far from finished. The milestone is the latest reminder of the unrelenting nature of the pandemic even as people are shedding masks, travel is resuming and businesses are reopening around the globe. The most recent million deaths were recorded over the last four months, according to the tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, US. This rise was slightly slower than the previous million, but highlights that many countries are still struggling with the virus. Remote Pacific islands, long protected from the pandemic due to their isolation, are only now grappling with their first outbreaks and deaths, fuelled by the highly contagious Omicron variant. Hong Kong, which is seeing…

  • TikTok blocks new content uploads in Russia after launch of ‘fake news’ law

    In a series of tweets, TikTok confirmed that while users in the country would be able to access older content, new uploads would be unavailable for the time being. Older content made by users outside Russia would also be unavailable to stream. Russia has already blocked Facebook and Twitter after they restricted the country’s state-backed media on their platforms for spreading propaganda related to the war in Ukraine. The country recently passed new legislation - quickly rubber-stamped by both houses of the Kremlin-controlled parliament - that imposes prison sentences of up to 15 years for those spreading information that goes against the Russian government’s preferred narrative on the war in Ukraine. “TikTok is an outlet for creativity and entertainment that can provide a source of relief…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

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