Stories

Will Robots Ever Replace People in Day-to-Day Life? This week’s question concerns robots. Scientists are saying that humanoid robots like those seen in the new movie "Surrogates" are not that far from reality. In the movie, realistic robots take the place of...

As attendees and exhibitors get back to business following last week’s Design & Manufacturing Midwest event, there are still a lot of things to talk about in my post-show blog this week. After sifting through stacks of new product sheets and press kits, I’ve found that one week was not enough to cover all the...

It was a busy and invigorating week at Design & Manufacturing Midwest, with new product introductions, a surprising keynote address, and presentations highlighting innovative applications. And speaking of applications, the show featured an Innovation Briefs Theater, which showcased presentations from...

After yesterday’s inspirational keynote, I was determined to find more innovative new products on the show floor, and I found them. So, before Design & Manufacturing Midwest wraps up this afternoon, I wanted to let you know about a few of those new products. Horner Advanced Products Group introduced a new...

This morning, I began the second day of Design & Manufacturing Midwest by attending an early keynote session, which was free. I expected to get what I paid for. Instead, I heard an inspiring entrepreneur who is passionate about how businesses, both large and small, can save the planet and be profitable at...

Design & Manufacturing Midwest – and its five co-located shows – kicked off this morning with a number of exhibitors showing brand-new products for the first time. Attendees are crowding the aisles to see the latest in electronics, medical, design, materials, assembly, and automation products and...

This week’s question concerns electric vehicles. For decades, electric vehicles have been touted as the solution to zero emissions motoring. However, costly batteries and the lack of a supporting infrastructure have stunted electric vehicle development. U.S. and offshore automakers continue to step up...

Tomorrow at 10 am Central time, the Design & Manufacturing Midwest expo opens its doors, giving you the opportunity to see the products and services on display by more than 400 exhibitors. I’ll be at the show – and covering the week’s five other co-located shows – reporting live each day. So until...

As promised in my blog yesterday, I have a sneak peek at a couple of new products that will be on display next week at Design & Manufacturing Midwest, as well as a preview of some of the can’t-miss special features in the exhibit hall. Celesco Transducer Products (Booth 646) will be showing its SR1 series...

It’s mid-September, and that means it’s time for Design & Manufacturing Midwest (formerly National Manufacturing Week) and its five co-located shows, which kick off next Tuesday at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. A must-attend event for manufacturers, the show features the latest...

DOE has launched the H-Prize competition, offering a $1 million award to an individual or team that creates the most advanced materials for hydrogen storage in vehicles.

Today, September 11, 2009, marks the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Various events are being held in cities and towns all over the country to commemorate the event, many honoring the 3,000 people who died in the attacks. The day undoubtedly remains a difficult one for...

This week's question concerns swine flu. According to a recent report prepared by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the H1N1 flu virus, commonly called swine flu, could infect anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of the U.S. population during the fall and winter months. In a...

This week’s question concerns the rights of airline passengers. Several recent incidents of airline passengers being stranded on planes for up to six hours may have strengthened the case for a “passenger bill of rights” pending in Congress. The bill would require stranded planes to...

As the editor of an engineering magazine, I get to see all of the latest cutting-edge technology the moment it hits the streets. On average we get anywhere from 20 – 30 new product announcements a day, all of which must be evaluated on their merits. Most of the products are designed to satisfy some need, solve some problem, or generally...

Flight delays are nothing new to airline travelers. Congested runways, inclement weather, aircraft problems - all of these factors can trigger delays that could easily run into hours. But after several recent incidents where airline passengers were stranded for six hours, the call to legislate a "passenger bill of...