Mechanical/​Mechatronics

Transportation

Stay updated on the innovations in transportation technologies. Explore the articles and technical briefs on electrification and autonomous driving that have impacted transportation design and engineering.

Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition
AI-Based Machine Vision & the Future of Automotive In-Cabin Technologies
Xilinx is now applying AI to the in-cabin environment.
Briefs: AR/AI
Machine Learning Method for Battery Development
The method slashes battery testing times — a key barrier to longer-lasting, faster-charging batteries for electric vehicles.
Briefs: Imaging
Analyzing Wear and Tear of Metal
A new method could enable vehicles and equipment to better withstand high temperatures, loads, and speeds.
Question of the Week: Energy
Will 'Metal-Air Scavengers' Power Vehicles and Robots?

Penn Engineering researchers have introduced a "metal-air scavenger" vehicle, which gets energy not from a battery, but from breaking chemical bonds in the aluminum surface it travels over. The technology, which works like both a battery and an energy harvester, has 13 times more energy...

Blog: Transportation
Super-Porous Material Gives Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles a Boost
A team at Northwestern University is developing a material so porous that if you were able to unfold a gram of it, you could go farther than a football field.
Briefs: Motion Control
Algorithm Helps Swarming Robots Avoid Collisions
This technology could help control driverless cars and automated warehouses.
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Relaxor Piezoelectric Single-Crystal Multilayer Stacks for Energy Harvesting Transducers (RPSEHT)
Applications include powering portable electronic devices and sensors, and harvesting waste mechanical energy for aircraft, automobile, and other transportation equipment.
Articles: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Seeing with Sound Next-Level Ultrasonic Sensors for Intelligent Cars

Even though ultrasound has been studied by scientists for many years, its capabilities in practical applications are yet to be fully harnessed.

Briefs: Transportation
Coating Extends Lithium Metal Battery Life
The coating could make lightweight lithium metal batteries safe and long-lasting for the next generation of electric vehicles.
Briefs: Automotive
Machine Learning Algorithm Identifies Objects Using Microwaves
Hardware and software tweak microwave patterns to discover the most efficient way to identify objects.
Briefs: Energy
Maximizing Safety in Advanced Battery Systems
Fuse devices enable circuit safety in high-power applications, such as motion control and alternative energy generation, in addition to electric vehicles.
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
High-Reliability Radio Frequency MEMS Switch
Applications include homeland security, vehicle anti-collision systems, telecommunications systems, and industrial instrumentation.
Blog: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Answering Your Questions: Who is Responsible for the Level 5 Autonomous Car (and Its Sensors)?
A reader asks our expert.
Blog: Transportation
Answering Your Questions: How Do A.I. Engineers Address Data Security Concerns with Self-Driving Cars?
As autonomous cars collect data on passing pedestrians, cyclists, and license plates, what privacy measures are in place? A reader asks.
Blog: Electronics & Computers
Answering Your Questions: What Will Drive Growth of Class 8 Electric Trucks?
A reader asks, "What market drivers need to occur for electric vehicles to be considered an acceptable replacement for vehicles with internal combustion engines?"
Application Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Challenges for Lidar Software
Anand Gopalan, CEO of Velodyne Lidar, Inc., discusses lidar software for ADAS and autonomous vehicles
Application Briefs: Electronics & Computers
IMU Contributions to Navigation and Safety for ADAS and Autonomous Vehicles
An interview with Mike Horton, CTO of ACEINNA, Inc. (Boston, MA).
Articles: Connectivity
Understanding the Implications of 5G Cellular
To clear up some of the confusion about what the industry means when it says 5G, here’s a guide to what it’s all about.
Articles: Connectivity
What’s Next in Mobility: WCX 2020 SAE World Congress Experience
Your preview of one of the largest technical mobility events of the year.
Blog: Photonics/Optics
SPIE Photonics West 2020 – Sights from Day 1
See what caught Bruce A. Bennett's eye during Day 1 of Photonics West 2020 in San Francisco.
Blog: Software
How to Design an Airless Car Tire? Start with Simulation
Researchers from the University of Illinois are looking at all the different ways to create a non-pneumatic automotive tire.
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
“Smart” Frequency-Sensing Charge Controller for Electric Vehicles
This controller minimizes the burden on the power grid.
Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Insect-Inspired Motion Sensing
This mechanical gyroscope can advance motion sensing capabilities in consumer-sized applications.
Briefs: Transportation
Soft, Skin-Like Structures for Robotic Locomotion and Transportation
These soft robots can be rolled up and carried in a pocket.
Question of the Week: Aerospace
Would You Ride in a Flying Car?

A flying car, also known as a rotable aircraft, is something that inventors have been dreaming about for a very long time. Stuck in traffic? Just take-off and get out of there.

Blog: Transportation
CES 2020: The Pegasus Flying Car Takes Off…Quietly
Stuck in traffic? The Pegasus flying car can get you out of there.
Special Reports: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
CONEXPO/IFPE - January 2020

Coming to Las Vegas in March, CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE are North America's largest events for the construction/commercial vehicle, fluid power, power transmission, and motion control industries. In this Special...

Special Reports: Design
Vehicle Electrification - January 2020

Demand for electric vehicles is accelerating, presenting new design, manufacturing, and infrastructure challenges. To help you keep pace with the rapid changes in vehicle electrification technology, we...

Briefs: Aerospace
Shape Sensing Innovations Dramatically Improve Structural Design Tools
These advances are useful for transportation, infrastructure, and aerospace.

Top Stories

NASA Spinoff: Photonics/Optics

Webb Telescope Mirror Tech Improves Eye Surgery on Earth

Briefs: Power

An Alternative to Lithium-Ion Batteries

INSIDER: Design

A New Kind of Transistor — A Conductive Polymer

Blog: Energy

Advancing Battery Technology: The 2022 Battery Show Preview

Briefs: Aerospace

Fixed-Wing Angle eVTOL

5 Ws: Materials

5 Ws of Gel Film for Water Harvesting

Webcasts

Upcoming Webinars: Aerospace

Integrated Modeling and Simulation of Airframe Structures in the...

Upcoming Webinars: AR/AI

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Making Medical...

Upcoming Webinars: Electronics & Computers

How to Increase Productivity in EV Design by Leveraging Thermal...

Upcoming Webinars: Electronics & Computers

Improve Speed and Accuracy of Electronic Component Inspection...

Webinars: Materials

Medical Device Biofilms: Slimy, Sticky, Stubborn, and Serious

Upcoming Webinars: AR/AI

Building the AI/ML Data Autobahn for ADAS/AV Development

Trending Stories

INSIDER: Wearables

A New Kind of Transistor — A Conductive Polymer

INSIDER: Wearables

3D Printing of Organic Electronics

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

GaN Schottky Diode-Based Frequency Multiplier

Briefs: Transportation

Carbon Fiber Structural Battery for “Mass-Less” Energy Storage in Vehicles

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

A Guide to Collaborative Robot Safety

Articles: Electronics & Computers

Applying Cognitive Memory to Pattern Recognition

Videos