December 04, 2012
From electric, encased motorcycles to self-driving vehicles, there are plenty of reasons for automotive enthusiasts to get excited about the future. But one recent concept developed at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico City delivers on many of these fronts, unveiling a design that combines hybrid propulsion with automated driving systems in a compact, 3-wheel vehicle.
The innovative combination won the team of automotive design students recognition as Autodesks' November Inventor of the Month. The student team — comprised of Julio Valenzuela, Monserrat González, Pablo Ramírez and Carlos Vásquez — used Autodesk from the sketching stage (via SketchBook Pro) to their virtual modeling of the vehicle (via Maya) and even 3D motion animations with Autodesk Inventor.
The students were directed by their professor, Juan José Ramos to design a green car for a densely-populated megacity, where compact design and minimal pollution would be key. The team responded by proposing that the Aurora (their design) feature a magnetic propulsion system for power, complemented by a suspension that charges the battery as it absorbs shock.
As for self-driving elements, the Aurora includes virtual interactive controllers connected to smart traffic clearinghouses, automated driving systems, and computers stored within the driver's home and office. These features would not only give the 'driver' increased freedom when behind the wheel, but by linking to personal computers the user may be able to access key files before they even reach the office that morning. In the coming years, perhaps 'taking your work home with you' will become a more literal problem than it has been in the past, as meetings and transactions begin to take place within the vehicle.
But that's just one possible scenario from one concept car. The Aurora concept was picked up by General Motors Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE) in 2012 to participate in the “Innovative Mobility Solutions (IMS)” global contest, winning the Monterrey team “Best Creative Research” and “Best Concept Development” prizes.
As for now, despite or perhaps because of Aurora's ambition, the concept remains just that. Whether the future really does hold cars of its design, only time will tell.
Full story at In the Fold
Tuesday marked the opening day of the 2013 American Chemical Manufacturing Summit, bringing players from the agrochemical sector to pharmaceuticals to discuss the state of the industry. And while many of the keynotes, panels and workshops catered to unique challenges faced by chemical manufacturers, a number of key delegates voiced predictions that will affect the whole of the manufacturing industry...
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At 30,000 feet, equipment failure is simply not an option, which is part of why additive manufacturing has been a bit slow to catch on in the aerospace industry. But according to Michael Idelchik, vice president of GE’s advanced technologies research, GE Aviation is still looking for more ways that additive manufacturing can help to create a better airplane...
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Despite reassurances of automation professionals throughout the industry, some experts simply aren't convinced that technological advancements in robotics and automation aren't negatively impacting U.S. employment rates, which is what Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee of the MIT Sloan School of Management have been arguing over the past year and a half.
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Jun 18, 2013 |
When it comes to testing a new line of trucks, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that automakers such as Ford aren’t afraid to be tough on their latest models. But separating the pounding the trucks can take from the test driver can get a bit tricky, which is why Ford has recently handed the keys over to robots instead of flesh-and-blood drivers.
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Jun 14, 2013 |
Last month’s news of 3D printers entering brick-and-mortar Staples stores may have represented a major step in mainstream commercialization of additive manufacturing tools, but in what is perhaps an even bigger step, online retail giant Amazon recently added a dedicated section of its site to 3D printers and supplies.
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Jun 12, 2013 |
In the wake of the economic downturn, reshoring efforts and increased emphasis on STEM, there’s plenty of uncertainty about where global manufacturing is headed in the next several years. Helping to give us a better sense of this trajectory is a group of thought leaders who have come together to try and answer the most pertinent questions about the future.
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Jun 11, 2013 |
As the U.S. manufacturing sector fights to stay competitive on a global scale, the issue of improving STEM education has been key. But in a recent study measuring how workers in STEM fields are putting their educations to use it was found that half didn't need a bachelor's degree.
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Jun 10, 2013 |
Chevrolet has added digital manufacturing technology to its arsenal. Abandoning clay for their latest Malibu, the automaker has turned to two types of additive manufacturing to meet their rapid prototyping needs.
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03/20/2013 | SAS | This white paper examines how an enterprise-wide quality platform can turn existing data into substantial and sustainable revenue growth and cost savings for global manufacturers. The paper is based on the findings of the IW/SAS Enterprise Quality Survey completed by more than 400 manufacturing executives. The objectives of the survey were to determine concerns about quality among manufacturers; investigate the tools used to measure quality; and examine how using enterprise-wide analysis on quality data improves performance.
07/19/2011 | Univa | TATA Steel Automotive Engineering’s concern grew when open source Grid Engine support and development was discontinued by Oracle. Grid Engine is a business critical application in their environment. They recognized the likelihood that product enhancements and innovations would cease. Read how TATA Steel Automotive Engineering moved from a self-support solution to Univa Grid Engine. You can get more out of your environment and your budget with Univa Grid Engine.
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