• Britain sends in military to solve fuel crisis as driver shortage persists

    Members of the armed forces arrived at the Buncefield oil depot in Hemel Hempstead as the military was drafted in to deliver fuel to petrol stations. Soldiers in uniform and wearing face masks were spotted walking near the gates to the Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal. Britain's supply chains for everything from pork, petrol and poultry to medicines and milk have been strained to breaking point by shortages of labour in the wake of a double-whammy of Brexit and Covid-19 crises. Panic buying of fuel amid the shortage of truckers triggered chaotic scenes across the UK last week, with long queues of drivers flooding areas around petrol stations. Some customers resorted to fist fights over the pumps and threatening queue jumpers with knives, while others hoarded as much fuel as they could…

  • ‘Leaves on the line’ excuse blown away by new rail-cleaning system

    Delays to train services caused by leaves on the line could finally become a thing of the past, thanks to new track-cleaning technology created by engineers at the University of Sheffield. The new rail-cleaning technique, developed by a team of researchers led by Professor Roger Lewis from Sheffield's Department of Mechanical Engineering, uses dry ice pellets in a stream of high-pressure air which first freeze the leaves. As the pellets turn back to gas they are blasted away from the railhead. The method was first developed by the group in 2015 and now after testing the technology on railhead treatment trains over the past two years and on passenger trains in early 2020, the technique has proven to be significantly more effective at removing leaves from the line, preventing delays and improving…

  • Sponsored: Designing the gold standard of immersive audio for virtual reality gaming

    Virtual reality is meant to immerse the user in the virtual world as much as possible by making it feel as real as can be. When virtual reality is done right, you could visit a historical site from your couch, experience a habitat from eons past at a museum, or explore Mars or the Moon from the comfort of your living room.   The gaming industry is making great strides in VR development, but one challenge that game developers have encountered is how to effectively obtain suspension of disbelief in the virtual world.   Whether you're using VR to study an asteroid approaching Earth or playing a game where you have to fire missiles at it, the more immersive the experience, the better. Other entertainment fields, like literature and film, face the same challenge of suspension of disbelief, but…

  • Greenpeace demonstrates against Shell in Rotterdam port, calls for advertising ban

    In the action in Rotterdam, the 33 metre-long Greenpeace vessel The Beluga anchored at the entrance of Shell’s section of the port, which houses the Pernis refinery, and activists scaled a large oil tank. Shell spokesman Marc Potma said in reaction that the company supports groups' right to demonstrate "provided this is done in a safe manner," before adding, "However, that is not the case now. The protesters are illegally on our property [in Rotterdam] where strict safety regulations apply". Rotterdam Port spokesman Tie Schellekens said there was "barely any" disruption to shipping traffic, but openings to some docks had been blocked, and that "Because of that, two barges are unable to load or unload". Image credit: Eva Plevier | Reuters The Rotterdam...

  • View from India: Garbage-free cities and clean rivers key to economic growth

    Prime minster Modi first unveiled 'Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0', an endeavour to make India's cities garbage free. The second mission is 'Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0', a move towards making cities water secure. Modi recalled that when the Swachh Bharat Mission began in 2014, countrymen pledged to make India 'open defecation free' (ODF) and they fulfilled this pledge with the construction of more than 10 crore toilets. Now the goal of 'Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0' is to make the cities garbage-free - i.e. completely free of garbage. The garbage will be processed and removed as part of the Swachta second phase. “With this second phase, we also aim sewage and safety management, making cities water-secure and ensuring that dirty nullahs…

  • Exhibition review: ‘Our Broken Planet’ at the Natural History Museum

    From its blunt name (which the usual suspects are certain to describe as “political”) to the colourful slogan stickers with which visitors adorn themselves, Our Broken Planet is steeped in the culture of Extinction Rebellion and similar grassroots climate movements. Paired with a handful of well-chosen artefacts from the museum unique collection, it makes for a striking bijou exhibition. The exhibition rests largely on the contributions of the NHM’s hundreds of resident scientists, who were asked: “What is breaking the world or fixing it?” Their answers span the gamut of environmental concerns: deep sea mining; carbon-intensive agriculture; zoonoses (infectious diseases jumping from animals to humans); wildlife smuggling; plastic waste, and fast fashion. Some of these challenges are represented…

  • Bezos’ Blue Origin workplace is ‘sexist and toxic’, while company sues Nasa over Moon

    The open letter , signed by 21 current and former Blue Origin employees, claims the rocket company fosters a ‘toxic’ and sexist environment, leaving staffers feeling ‘dehumanised’ and causing some to have suicidal thoughts. The damning letter also accuses the spaceflight company, created by Amazon founder Bezos, of sacrificing safety to get ahead in his space race with rival fellow billionaires Sir Richard Branson, at Virgin Galactic, and Elon Musk, at SpaceX. "Competing with other billionaires – and ‘making progress for Jeff’ – seemed to take precedence over safety concerns that would have slowed down the schedule," wrote Alexandra Abrams, former head of employee communications at Blue Origin. Abrams, who was fired from Blue Origin in 2019 (for transgressions refuted by Abrams), signed her…

  • Net-zero CO2 plastic could be more affordable than expected

    The vast majority of plastics – one of the most ubiquitous human-made materials – use fossil fuels not only as feedstock but also to power their manufacture. The production of plastics currently accounts for 6 per cent of oil consumption. This is expected to rise to nearly 20 per cent by 2050. In order to meet climate targets in line with the Paris Agreement, the plastics industry must strive towards reducing its CO2 output to net zero. Proposed strategies to cut carbon and other greenhouse gases in plastics manufacturing include decarbonisation of the plastics supply chain (such as using EVs for transport) and implementing circular technologies to reuse fossil carbon feedstock (such as chemical recycling, mechanical recycling, biomass, and carbon capture and utilisation). While much research…

  • New IET president to champion technicians and enhance status of UK engineers

    Air Marshal Sir Julian Young, who retired recently from the Royal Air Force after 40 years of service as an engineer officer, became the 140th president of the IET today (1 October 2021) for 2021/22, succeeding Professor Danielle George MBE. With an increased government focus on vocational training and technical skills, such as the introduction of T-Levels, Sir Julian intends to lead the IET over the next year to increase the visibility and importance of technicians – both within the IET’s membership and more widely to enhance the overall status of engineers. Sir Julian is also aiming to continue to build on the success that past-president Professor George achieved over the last 12 months during the IET’s 150th anniversary. He hopes to encourage and inspire the next generation of talent…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Government proposes ‘non-nuclear’ regulation for fusion

    Nuclear fusion technology, which scientists often joke is “always 50 years away”, generates electricity from energy released as lighter nuclei fuse to form heavier nuclei. Vast temperatures and pressures are required to start nuclear fusion and maintain it for long enough to produce useful amounts of energy, meaning huge engineering challenges such as confinement must be overcome first. Nuclear fusion research is part of the UK government’s long-term decarbonisation plan, along with the expansion of new nuclear fission technologies, such as advanced modular reactors. Now, the government has announced plans to be the first to legislate for the safe and effective rollout of fusion energy, outlined in a Fusion Green Paper. Due to the expected low hazard of fusion power, it proposes the continuation…

  • Hands-on review: Tronsmart Studio 30W Bluetooth speaker

    Unless you have a particular predilection for tracking new Chinese technology companies (a hobby that undoubtedly would keep you very busy) or are a keen follower of professional footballer (and infamous neck nibbler) Luis Suarez, who became the brand's official ambassador in 2018, there isn't any significant reason why you might have previously heard of Tronsmart. Established in 2013, so already eight years old, Tronsmart was founded by electronic enthusiast Eric Cheng, who started out reverse engineering products he admired in order to understand how and why they worked as well as they did. Putting this knowledge to practical use, Cheng then began building his own interpretations of the devices that had inspired him, building up this practice until he was in a position to establish his…

  • Book review: ‘Rule of the Robots’ by Martin Ford

    For those of us yet to grasp the scale of the potential for artificial intelligence to permeate every aspect of our lives, futurologist Martin Ford offers the analogy of electricity. It’s a big claim, because here at the dawn of the digital revolution electricity is a ubiquitous general purpose technology that has matured to support the basic needs of virtually everyone on the planet. But the comparison has merit, says Ford in ‘Rule of the Robots: How Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Everything’ (Hachette, £20, ISBN 9781529346015), if only because it offers insight into how much it’s going to change our lives. It’s also a flawed idea, he admits, because while electricity is universally seen as an agent for good, the same cannot be said of the algorithms that inevitably have the power…

  • How AI is helping make offshore wind power more sustainable

    The global offshore wind market grew by nearly 30 per cent each year between 2010 and 2018, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Countries such as Denmark, China and the UK are leading the way in offshore wind power, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson even stating that he wants Britain to be the “Saudi Arabia of wind power”. The industry promises to keep growing with investment in renewable energy hitting record highs in the first half of 2021, according to BloombergNEF. However, while wind farms harness a sustainable source of energy, the energy transition itself needs to be appropriately managed to reduce both carbon dioxide emissions and the impact on the environment from the businesses that make up this burgeoning industry. The cables and foundations that support turbines…

  • View from India: Cheetahs help ecological balance

    Various state governments have lined up events to mark Wildlife Week. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department will conduct short film competitions for school-college students on themes like marine wildlife, mammal ecology and water birds, among others; the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Visakhapatnam will organise events for wildlife lovers; Delhi is preparing to get its first wildlife rescue centre, and many other ecology-wildlife-based activities and events have been lined up across the country. Among all the wildlife activities that have already happened this year, what comes to mind is the announcement about cheetahs being reintroduced in the country. Looking back, India was home to the Asiatic Cheetah until around the early 19th century – the country's last spotted cheetah died in 1947…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Tackling loneliness using ‘mixed reality’ technology

    Scientists are exploring whether off-the-shelf technology that brings together the virtual and physical world can be used to tackle the growing problem of loneliness in the UK. The team are assessing the suitability and feasibility of devices that could, for example, display live hologram-like images of friends and family in a living room to recreate the social interactions that many people hold dear. Whilst located hundreds of miles away from each other, friends and relatives could experience a feeling of being connected in ways much closer to real-life interactions, the team say, whether it be in their own home or a care setting. The project is an attempt at tackling chronic loneliness, with around 1.5 million peopled aged 50 and over in the UK reported to be suffering from the condition…

  • Europe faces the Airbus vs air miles decision for chips

    It’s hard to think of a more globalised industry than chipmaking. The devices themselves probably do more air miles than any other product. Worth more than their weight in gold, air-freighting even half-finished chips from country to country makes sense. Wafers can start off on one continent, get despatched to a fab in Taiwan and then move on to a packaging plant on the other side of the South China Sea. Now that multichip modules have become mainstream in phones and a growing portfolio of other products, a packaged memory could wind up being flown to a second packaging plant in a different country before it starts to make its way through the distribution chain and into a shipping container once final assembly has taken place. At the end of 2019, it was hard to see that trend reversing…

  • Major economies must deliver in run-up to COP26, says summit president

    With one month to go until the crucial UN climate conference in Glasgow, which aims to solidify agreement between the delegation on curbing dangerous global temperature rises, Sharma warned countries have not delivered all the needed commitments on emissions cuts or finance. The COP26 president said the “ball is in the court” of countries such as China to unveil stronger action to cut pollution for this decade. Sharma also said he is continuing to press developed nations to deliver a long-promised $100bn (£74bn) a year to help poorer countries tackle climate change. Sharma's comments come after a UN report on the national action plans put forward by countries to meet the goals of the global Paris Agreement to curb temperature rises to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit them to 1…

  • Rare metals recovered with whisky-fuelled filtration system

    The consortium of organisations – comprising of Aberdeen-based environmental tech company SEM, waste services provider WEEE Scotland, the University of Edinburgh and the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) – has proven the feasibility of a more sustainable method for recovering reusable scrap metal from products such as TVs and laptops. Current physical and chemical extraction techniques are energy intensive or use solvents that are difficult to recycle to dissolve valuable metals from electronic circuit boards. The latter process generates large volumes of acidic liquid waste containing traces of metals, which can be damaging to the environment. The new method developed by the group uses recyclable solvents to extract valuable gold and copper from printed circuit boards…

  • Sponsored: Leveraging marginal gains to improve manufacturing performance

    “It simply means focusing on small changes to everything in the business one per cent at a time,” Dave Hughes, pre-sales director UK at PTC, says. “There is still a time and place for broad sweeping transformation change, but it is risky. By concentrating on making multiple incremental, one per cent improvements, the compound effect will be significant while avoiding the risk of considerable upheaval.” The principle came to public attention through, Sir David Brailsford, the performance director of British cycling. The whole principle came from the idea that if you broke down everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, and then improved it by one per cent you will get a significant increase when you put them all together. It certainly worked with the UK cycling team topping…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Helmet-style scanner lets kids roam free during MEG imaging

    MEG is a non-invasive form of imaging which measures the tiny magnetic fields produced by electrical activity in the brain. It can be used to analyse brain function with millisecond and millimetre precision, allowing clinicians to identify the exact location of the source of epileptic seizures, for instance. Until now, MEG scanning - which is not as mature as other forms of imaging, such as MRI - has required the patient to stay completely still during the scan, sometimes requiring sedation. Traditional MEG scanners are also optimised for adults and are of limited use in children due to their size. The development of the first wearable MEG helmet will make the process far easier for children, especially those with complex needs, by allowing them to move freely during the scan. The helmet…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Matching loads in LV assemblies with the electrical installation

    BE EN IEC 61439-2 Edition 3: 2021 is the reference for industrial and commercial low-voltage assemblies. Compared with the previous edition it includes one very significant change, the introduction of a new characteristic, ‘group rated current of a main circuit of an assembly’. This paper suggests ways in which the new characteristic enables the installation designer and assembly manufacturer to work together in a partnership to achieve a cost-effective assembly without compromising the needs of the installation. Key Learning Points: The importance of correctly specifying the design current ratings within an installation The assembly manufacturer’s responsibilities for thermal performance when designing and manufacturing a low-voltage assembly How to optimise a low-voltage assembly…

  • Money & Markets: Supply chain problems are caused by money supply

    Hysteresis was a word bandied about by the Fed chairman at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. It’s a word engineers will immediately grasp but not one generally understood. To me that was an especially scary word to use in the circumstances. A situation so dramatic that might throw a systemic switch in global society is tantamount to suggesting that a revolution might take place, and those things generally end up very badly and take generations to sort out. Happily, the overwhelming of barriers seems to have been limited to economics. As we find ourselves at the exit of the pandemic (at least we hope this is where we are), hysteresis is back with a vengeance, this time as the lag and resistance needed to be overcome to get the world economy running smoothly again rather than as a barrier…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Are autonomous trucks a long-term solution to driver shortages?

    There’s nothing new about a shortage of truck drivers. In the US, the American Trucking Association has predicted there will be a shortage of 160,000 drivers by 2028. Similar shortages are present in Europe. In the UK, the impact of Brexit and changing regulations has compounded the problem further, leaving the country facing probably the worst crisis. Why is the UK hardest hit? The Road Haulage Association has estimated the UK is short of 100,000 drivers, out of a pre-pandemic total of 600,000. In recent weeks we have seen reports of major supply chain issues attributed to the shortage. Wetherspoon’s has been running out of beer, McDonald’s has had to stop selling milkshakes and Nando’s has had to close 50 of its sites. Furthermore, there has been some indication that the worst may be yet…

  • Amazon’s domestic bot disparaged as bumbling privacy nightmare

    Astro is a 'domestic assistant' that works with Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa, to respond to voice commands. It can also be integrated with Amazon-owned Ring home security products, such as connected doorbells. Astro has been designed with consumer appeal in mind. It resembles a small, squat vacuum cleaner with large wheels, a face-like display screen with large, expressive eyes, and a periscope camera that extends on a rod to the approximate height of a person. It moves using Amazon’s 'Intellect Motion' technology, which incorporates simultaneous location and mapping, capturing live footage of the home which can be streamed anywhere. It can be set to provide alerts, such as when the smoke alarm is triggered or broken glass detected. Amazon, which is a specialist in facial-recognition…

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