• Faster digitalisation helps firms improve operations and diversify revenues

    Engineering, procurement and construction firms are doing all they can to rebound rapidly amid the uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic. But while many EPCs view cost savings as an effective short-term response, longer-term adverse trends demand a more strategic view and the acceleration of digitalisation. Even before Covid-19 emerged, companies faced the commoditisation of their services, regular cost and schedule overruns, risk-laden lump-sum projects and net margins of less than two per cent on average. Digitalisation can not only help EPCs overcome these long-term challenges, but can also lay the groundwork for improved profitability and new sources of revenue. Fortunately, there are already signs that digitalisation will pick up speed. Two-thirds of construction industry respondents…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Money & Markets: The latest technology to invest in – gene editing

    Most people are aware that the dotcom boom was technology-based, but few realise that since the very start of stock markets in the 1700s, the whole shooting match has been driven by technological advancement. The history of the stock market is the history of funding and the speculation in technology: sail, navigation, canals, railways, radio, automobiles, electronic, computing, the internet and finally the internet applications like Facebook, Google and Amazon. So the way to invest is to catch new technology at a stage where it is exciting enough to be incorporated into listed enterprises, but not so late as to be a later entrant buying at increasingly lofty valuations. Some people call this investing, but it is in the end speculation, a less respectful way of typifying someone putting…

  • Database aims to help prevent mine-waste disasters

    The study forms the first global picture of the occurrence rates, behaviours and physical impacts of mine-waste disasters known as tailings flow. Tailings flows are rapid downstream movements of mine waste, following tailing dam failures. Catastrophic tailings flows have occurred approximately one every two to three years since 1965, causing death, long-term environmental contamination and severe infrastructure damage over distances that can span tens of kilometres. In the past few decades, hazardous weather and inadequate drainage have been the most frequent triggers for these events. “Despite the strict engineering requirements, tailings dams can fail, sometimes catastrophically, so our research raises awareness of the potential downstream effects for public safety purposes,” said PhD…

  • Virgin Galactic space flight investigated for deviation

    Billionaire businessman Sir Richard became the first owner-astronaut to take part in a mission when he took off on board the spaceship in July this year - beating fellow billionaire space rivals Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk to the space punch - ultimately reaching the edge of space, which he hailed as the “experience of a lifetime”. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates all aspects of US civil aviation, has now revealed that an “investigation is ongoing” into the Unity 22 mission. According to an FAA spokesperson: “During its July 11, 2021 flight, the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo vehicle deviated from its Air Traffic Control clearance as it returned to Spaceport America”. Virgin Galactic has acknowledged that the flight’s “ultimate trajectory deviated from our…

  • Drivers of autonomous vehicles tracked using AI camera tech

    While vehicles with limited autonomous functionality are already hitting roads in the US, the technology is not mature enough to completely do away with human drivers. Current rules mandate that a driver must be ready to take control of an semi-autonomous vehicle within a moment’s notice. While driver monitoring systems already exist, modern examples are typically limited to detecting driver fatigue and make minimal use of camera image data. “Our technology not only enables us to identify facial features but also the current poses of the driver and the passengers,” said Fraunhofer researcher Michael Voit. “We can then determine from these poses what the driver and passengers are currently doing.” The team developed machine-learning algorithms that can analyse the camera data in real time…

  • Green skills training programme for unemployed youth announced

    The initiative, created by non-profit Generation: You Employed, UK , in partnership with London-based finance group Macquarie, is the first of its kind to offer profession-specific training for unemployed young people to enter the green sector. The new 10-week programme, the first in a series, will equip learners with the technical and behavioural skills they need to thrive in jobs in retrofitting homes to improve their energy efficiency in the UK’s transition to net zero. According to the organisation, the training will be delivered by expert instructors and includes one-on-one mentorship for learners and active matchmaking and placement with employer partners upon completion. Michael Houlihan, CEO at Generation UK, said: “In tackling the climate crisis we have the potential to create…

  • 77-atom molecule key to brain-like computing architecture

    The discovery unlocked the creation of a new type of computing architecture, which the researchers hope will have major implications in sectors ranging from bioinformatics to fintech. The findings have been reported in Nature . In biological brains, the interconnections between neurons embed intricate logic structures which enables sophisticated decision-making far beyond anything that has been produced using electronics. Significantly, the network of neurons in a brain is constantly reconfiguring, providing flexibility and adaptability to different environments, unlike hard-wired logic circuits. The researchers created an improved electronic analogue using a new molecule with just 77 atoms. The molecule was discovered by experts in predictive materials design from the University of Limerick…

  • IET launches competition for young sustainable minds

    In celebration of the IET’s 150th anniversary this year, the new ‘ My Sustainable Community ’ aims to help young people discover how engineering and technology can be key in providing solutions to some of the planet’s biggest challenges, all while having fun. For the competition, the task is for young people, between the ages of 7-14, to take on the role of an engineer and design a sustainable neighbourhood of 150 homes using their local area as inspiration. The challenge outlines: “You need your community to be sustainable; that means considering the environment and everything that lives in it. From providing shelter and water to heating, food sources and your economy, the challenge is yours.” Launching the competition, IET president Danielle George said: “Our communities have evolved…

  • BMW to use recycled materials in its cars as part of carbon-cutting drive

    The automaker said it was committed to supporting the 1.5°C target limit for global warming as laid out in the Paris Agreement and that by 2030 the CO2 emissions per vehicle and kilometre driven will be “at least halved” from 2019 levels. “The decisive factor in the fight against global warming is how strongly we can improve the carbon footprint of vehicles over their entire life span. This is why we are setting ourselves transparent and ambitious goals for the substantial reduction of CO2 emissions. These are validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative and will deliver an effective and measurable contribution,” said Oliver Zipse, BMW board chairman. BMW said it was the first German carmaker to pledge to meet carbon targets that limit global warming to 1.5°C and that it is committed…

  • Age Appropriate Design Code comes into force in UK

    The Age Appropriate Design Code requires data protection to be made a primary consideration when designing online services, from the point of inception. It sets out 15 standards that companies are expected to incorporate into services used by children, including apps, connected toys, games, and even educational websites. The code was drafted by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and published in a “clarified and simplified” form last year , following initial publication of a draft in 2019. The ICO will also be responsible for enforcing the rules. The measures cover transparency, default setting and data minimisation. The code states that privacy settings should be set to high by default and nudges (indirect suggestions) should not be used to encourage children to weaken their settings…

  • Weather, climate disasters ‘stronger and more frequent than in the 1970s’

    The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) of the United Nations said its 'Atlas' is the most comprehensive review of mortality and economic losses from weather, water and climate extremes ever produced. It surveyed some 11,000 disasters occurring between 1979-2019, including major catastrophes such as Ethiopia’s 1983 drought, which was the single most fatal event with 300,000 deaths, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 that was the most costly, with losses of $163.6bn (£118.9bn). The report showed an accelerating trend, with the number of disasters increasing nearly fivefold from the 1970s to the most recent decade, adding to signs that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent because of global warming. The WMO attributed the growing frequency to both climate change and improved disaster…

  • Deepfake exploitation promps reconsideration of performers’ rights

    AI technologies are increasingly being used to generate realistic videos or sound recordings that imitate the likeness of a person’s face, voice or performance , based on authentic footage. Current intellectual property laws were created long before deepfake technology existed and therefore do not take its possibilities into account. Performers are legally entitled to control the records made of their work, but this doesn’t apply to digital impersonation. A study by Dr Mathilde Pavis, from the University of Exeter Law School, suggests that performers should be given copyright over their work to prevent abuse of their personal likeness. “The regime of performers’ rights could be replaced with a regime of performers’ copyright,” Pavis said. “This small, yet important, change in legal regimes…

  • View from India: Building digital platforms for scale and success

    Already many citizen-centric services have gone digital. To date, India has around 20 digital service platforms. The government services are available on platforms that help in mass outreach. People with location challenges may opt for services from these platforms. “Bus terminals, railway platforms, international airports and sea ports have a national appeal. Their digital presence has unified siloed operations. Consequently, people can avail transport services through the click of a button regardless of location,” said Ajay Prakash Sawhney, secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India (GoI), addressing an online audience at the Nasscom Cloud Summit 2021. The value derived from these platforms is phenomenal. “Looking back, when Aadhaar was…

  • Tesla called on to explain Autopilot function

    Tesla Autopilot provides a range of features that the company says helps prevent accidents caused by driver negligence and fatigue. It includes cruise control, lane centring and changes, and parking. Media reports of fatal accidents associated with drivers handing full control over to Tesla Autopilot has prompted the company to emphasise that the driver must remain in control of the car while it is operating in Autopilot mode. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has carried out a number of investigations into crashes on Autopilot since 2018. Last month, a Tesla driving on Autopilot collided with a parked Florida Highway Patrol vehicle in Orlando. Now, the NHTSA has requested details of how the system works, via an 11-page letter sent to the automaker. Specifically…

  • Nanogenerators enable wooden floors to produce electricity

    Swiss researchers used a combination of a silicone coating and embedded nanocrystals to create a device that could power LED lightbulbs and small electronics. The team began by transforming wood into a nanogenerator by sandwiching two pieces of functionalised wood between electrodes. The wood pieces become electrically charged through periodic contacts and separations when stepped on, a phenomenon called the triboelectric effect. These electrons can then transfer from one object to another, generating an electrical current. Typically, wood is a poor material for transporting electrons which limits its ability to generate electricity. “The challenge is making wood that is able to attract and lose electrons,” explained senior author Guido Panzarasa at ETH Zürich. To achieve this, the…

  • Cocoa ‘fingerprint’ could trace chocolate back to farm

    The £61bn chocolate industry continues to grapple with shocking and unethical farming practices. Some 60 per cent of the world’s cocoa supply comes from West Africa, particularly Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, where efforts to put an end to the exploitation of the millions of children involved in cocoa farming have been largely fruitless. A significant fraction of these child labourers are thought to be victims of trafficking or slavery. The volatile price of cocoa in recent years has led to a surge in suppliers seeking to buy cheaper beans. These often come from deforested regions with lower-quality plants and evidence of human rights abuses, affecting the prices and practices of legitimate farmers and compromising sustainability gains. Researchers from the University of Surrey and their colleagues…

  • Rising sea levels pose uncertain challenges for Venetian flood defences

    The assessment was published in a special issue of Natural Hazards and Earth Systems Sciences exploring why the flood risk in Venice has recently increased. Risk is expected to continue growing, perhaps even accelerating, through the 21st century. Among the key factors when considering flood risk in coastal cities such as Venice is projected relative sea level rise; the change in sea level relative to the local solid surface of Earth. This accounts for ground sinking and mean sea level rises. Long-term future projections indicate significant uncertainty in the relative sea level of Venice: between 17 and 120cm by 2100. Study author Professor Davide Zanchettin attributes this to the challenges of projections based on a wide range of possible emissions scenarios and to uncertainty about the…

  • AI technique poised to improve heart imaging

    The team behind the technology, from UVA Health in Virginia, US, compared its AI approach, known as Virtual Native Enhancement (VNE), with contrast-enhanced CMR scans now used to monitor hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the most common genetic heart condition. As part of their study, the researchers found VNE produced higher-quality images and better-captured evidence of scar in the heart, all without injecting the standard contrast agent required for CMR. “This is a potentially important advance, especially if it can be expanded to other patient groups,” said researcher Christopher Kramer, the chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at UVA Health. He added: “Being able to identify scar in the heart, an important contributor to progression to heart failure and sudden cardiac death…

  • Oil and Gas UK calls for more oil fields ahead of 2050 net zero carbon goal

    Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) said that UK had to import 56 per cent of its gas to meet record demand in winter 2021. With many staying in their homes more than usual due to the Covid-19 lockdowns, gas demand from consumers rose in order to heat their homes. But OGUK warned that with gas output from the North Sea in long-term decline, the UK faces increasing pressure to import more gas unless efforts are made to boost domestic production. While gas is less carbon-intensive than some fossil fuels like coal, the UK will struggle to meet its 2050 carbon neutral goals if it continues to rely on it. The UK is now among Europe’s largest consumers of gas. According to OGUK’s latest report, approximately 23 million homes (85 per cent) rely on it for central heating and hot water, as well as providing…

  • Earthshot Prize finalists will be supported by global firms

    Hitachi, Microsoft and the Ingka Group, which owns and operates most Ikea stores, are among the businesses supporting the inaugural 15 finalists of the environmental competition, who will be revealed later this month. William launched the Nobel-inspired £50m Earthshot Prize project in October 2020 through his Royal Foundation. It aims to recognise solutions, ideas and technologies that “repair the planet”. The Prize name draws inspiration from the Apollo Moon landings, nicknamed 'Moonshot', which helped advance mankind’s technological achievements, and features five categories, or 'Earthshots', which organisers say if achieved by 2030 would improve life for all. The five Earthshot categories are: Protect and restore nature. Clean our air. Revive our oceans. Build a waste-free…

  • National Grid gets approval for £7.8bn takeover of electricity distributor

    WPD is the UK’s largest electricity distribution business and is currently owned by US firm PPL Corporation. National Grid, which manages the UK’s power infrastructure, announced the acquisition in March as part of a shift towards electricity and greener energy. WPD currently distributes electricity to around 7.9 million Britons in the Midlands, South West and Wales, covering an area over 55,500 square kilometres and employing over 6,500 staff. It does not directly sell electricity to end users. While the firm is estimated to be worth around £14.4bn, it has around £6.6bn in debt that National Grid will also take on. The deal also includes the sale of Rhode Island utility the Narragansett Electric Company (NECO) to PPL for £2.7bn. According to National Grid, the purchase of WPD will…

    IET EngX
    IET EngX

  • Hands-on review: Xplora XMOVE Bluetooth activity tracker

    We previously reviewed Xplora's XGO2 activity-tracking smartwatch , which is designed specifically for children to wear and parents to control. Noticeably chonky, the XGO2 was clearly designed to withstand the inevitable rough and tumble of our mini-mes' lives. With the XMOVE, Xplora now offers a sleeker, more stylish option for both the adults and the style-conscious teenager in the family. Impressively, the XMOVE offers much of the basic appeal of a class-leading smartwatch, such as Apple's Watch, but comes in at under £50. What you don't get is a SIM-card slot; voice calls; GPS; ECG or other cutting-edge healthcare sensors; an app store ecosystem and the inevitable world of delightful accessories, such as fashion-first straps. What you do get is a Bluetooth (Low energy 4.0) activity…

  • Automated ‘cloud lab’ will handle all aspects of daily lab work

    According to the partners, the remote-controlled Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Cloud Lab will provide a universal platform for AI-driven experimentation, and “revolutionise how academic laboratory research and education are done”. Emerald’s 'cloud lab', which will be used as the basis for the new lab, allows scientists to conduct wet laboratory research without being in a physical laboratory. Instead, they can send their samples to a facility, design their experiments using ECL’s command-based software (with the assistance of AI-based design tools), and then execute the experiment remotely. A combination of robotic instrumentation and technicians perform the experiments as specified and the data is sent to cloud servers for access. CMU researchers have used ECL facilities for research…

  • Mozart conducts AI to keep the bytes flowing

    At 'Hot Chips' last week (the annual technological symposium held in Silicon Valley), researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and startup SimpleMachines described what they see as a necessary change to the way computing hardware is put together. Like many things in computing at the higher end, the apparent driver for this change is familiar: artificial intelligence. Saru Sankaralingam, computer-sciences professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, argued in his talk on the Mozart architecture that AI models are getting bloated. If you look at things like language models, models are now outpacing Moore’s Law by a factor of ten. In that environment, it’s no surprise to find waferscale processors like those from Cerebras turning up at the same conference. There is one reason…

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