To make the European maritime industry more competitive globally, innovative materials are needed to improve ships’ performance and make them more environment friendly. In recent years, other industries have made a lot of progress in this area. However, the maritime sector is lagging behind in the adoption of advanced materials that have a smaller environmental…
High-Tech Stretchable Lightweight Tape Could Benefit Aerospace and Automobile Industries
PTFE – known widely by the popular brand Teflon – has been around for decades. Now an EU-funded project has developed a stretchable tape version, making a high-tech product fit for the space age. The Horizon 2020-funded ProPApp project improved and streamlined the production of an old and widely used polymer, bringing the technology into the…
Groundbreaking Device First to Define Location of Falling Space Debris in Real Time
With over 13,000 artificial objects and almost 1,700 operating satellites orbiting our planet every day, space debris poses a safety hazard to operational spacecraft, air traffic, people, and property on Earth. An EU initiative introduced technology to monitor space vehicles and satellites as they re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. Most objects and satellites are destined to re-enter…
COMAN+ Takes Human-Robot Interaction to Next Level
Playing a ball game and moving furniture may seem like two completely different tasks, but they have a couple of things in common. First, it’s easier to do it together. Then, these seemingly undemanding tasks actually require a subtle combination of strength, moderation and synchronisation. Try playing with a ball or moving a table with…
Sailing in Space with Graphene
In an ingenious set of experiments, European teams have tested graphene under microgravity conditions for the first time. The exciting results provide a valuable foundation for developing graphene devices for use in space. Graphene has unique mechanical, electrical and thermal properties, inspiring researchers to explore the usefulness of this two-dimensional lattice of pure carbon. Researchers…
Heat Treatment Promises Lighter and Stronger Aluminium Parts
The High Pressure Die Cast (HPDC) process of manufacturing works by forcing molten metal under high pressure into a mold cavity. Most die castings are made from non-ferrous metals, such as zinc, copper, or aluminium. While equipment costs often limit its application to high-volume production, it does offer higher-speed of production for complex shapes than…
Making Composite Electrical Aircraft a Reality
Researchers with the EU-funded EPICEA project are developing computer tools that will help aircraft manufacturers better understand electromagnetic coupling mechanisms on composite electrical aircraft. Today’s aircraft manufacturers, along with their supply chain, are focused on decreasing energy consumption, improving safety, and reducing emissions. “To optimize the performance of both existing and future generations of aircraft,…
Sailing Towards a Fully Electric Ferry
The Danish island of Aeroe, located in the Baltic Sea, is one of the few islands not connected to the mainland by a bridge. As a result, it is dependent on car ferries. Aeroe also has another distinction: it aims to become 100 percent carbon neutral by 2025. Although it has already made big strides towards…
Advanced Solution for Satellite Missions
Estonian start-up company Spaceit has unveiled next-generation service for control and monitoring of satellites. The company offers an alternative approach to satellite ground communications, enabling customers to use their resources more efficiently via a modern and secure software solution. Software is the key to developing the full potential of space via satellites providing efficient and…
Lead-Free Bearings for Greener Large-Bore Engines
Lead-free bearings are one of the missing pieces in the technological shift that will eventually allow large-bore engine manufacturers to reduce their emissions, while not compromising on reliability and lifespan. Research and development under the BeLEADFREE project could be the breakthrough they expected. Whilst lead disappeared from most engines a long time ago, some sectors…
New Nanosatellite Energy Solution Increases Reliability and Efficiency, at Reduced Cost
Between the late 1990s and 2012, around 10 small satellites were launched annually; the next six-year forecast is for over 3 000. The European space sector has a chance to gain a prime global position, helped by the right energy storage system. The small-satellite (nanosatellites) sector is growing, driven by increased miniaturisation, standardisation and reducing…
New Security Scanners Safely Detect Threats from People on the Move
With increased threats to soft targets, security personnel need tools to detect menaces in fast moving, crowded environments. The EU-funded SPIDERS project introduces ‘MM-Imager’, a safe approach working in real-time which can scan bodies at short distances for hidden objects. With increased and evolving threats against soft targets and critical infrastructures across Europe, comes a…
Speech Recognition Technology for Air Traffic Controllers
The popularity of air transport continues to grow, placing an even greater workload on air traffic controllers (ATCOs). Their predicament can be improved through an automatic speech recognition system closely integrated with an arrival manager developed by EU and SESAR funded researchers. One of the greatest hurdles to introducing higher levels of automation in air…
Meshed Offshore Transmission Grids Key to a Sustainable Energy Future
Coordinated development of electricity infrastructure connecting offshore wind farms to land will bring financial and environmental benefits. Offshore wind plays an increasingly important role in Europe’s renewable power generation. According to a report by WindEurope, formerly the European Wind Energy Association, offshore represented 20 % of the annual EU wind power installations, with 3 154…
Low Cost Navigation System for Unmanned Aerial Systems
An EU-funded initiative has developed a low-cost positioning and navigation system for unmanned aerial systems (UASs). Utilizing multiple-antenna, the device is based on off-the-shelf components and advanced data fusion algorithms. UASs have attracted growing interest for use in agriculture, public safety, smart cities, sustainable resource management, and many other areas. There is now a significant…
Airplane Distress Signals Go High-Tech
Next-generation satellite technology is proving instrumental in advancing search and rescue operations in the sky and at sea. New equipment to speed up adoption of the technology has successfully been developed and is now in operation. Rapid search and recovery in plane and ship disasters is crucial for saving lives. From the ill-fated Air France…
New In-Situ Monitoring System Reduces Risk of Engine Failure
Researchers involved in the i-Bearing project have successfully developed indicators for engine starter bearings that help predict when these small, but fundamental, pieces of aircraft engines will become less effective. Small parts make the big difference The aviation industry has made a commitment to revolutionize energy systems in aircraft. All novel on-board functions that are…
Understanding The Full-Potential Of Metallic Foam
Although metal and foam may seem like polar opposite materials, when a solid metal’s cellular structure is comprised of gas-filled pores, you get what is called metallic foam. Although metallic foam is ultra-light, it is also strong, thus making it a material of choice for a range of applications used in the automotive, aerospace and…
Lightweight, Porous Materials Set To Benefit Numerous Applications
From providing better treatment and outcomes in healthcare to promoting sustainability by lowering carbon footprints and limiting the consumption of raw materials, the EU-funded NanoGrow project is helping advanced materials realise their full potential. Although advanced materials are widely recognised as being a key enabling technology, they first need to be more fully developed. Here,…
Safer Airport Approaches With 3-D Satellite-Based Navigation
As air traffic grows in Europe’s skies, so does the challenge to ensure that its airports are safely accessible at all times. BLUEGNSS, a project supported by the EU, has been developing global satellite navigation applications in selected European airports to increase safety and airport accessibility. BLUEGNSS’s focus has been on advancing the adoption of…
Space IoT Takes Off
We know that current networks are not equipped to deal with the Internet of Things and the exponential growth in connected devices it entails. Whilst Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) technologies will be crucial to cope with future needs, experts increasingly look towards satellites as a complementary solution, especially for scarcely populated areas. The IoTEE…
A new digitized era for European manufacturing
Manufacturing in the EU is heading to another level that will make it more competitive than ever, thanks to better service models and to innovations such as digitisation, Big Data and the Internet of Things. In the face of Asian competition and cheaper labour abroad, Europe’s manufacturing industry must stay ahead of the game and remain competitive…
Satellite Data Helps Cut City Heat
Our cities are becoming hotter due to heat released by human activities. This is exacerbated by heat waves occurring more often due to climate change, altering the energy balance of urban areas and thus affecting the local environment and health of residents. Cities are much warmer than their surroundings as urban structures absorb and trap…
Drones Will Help Investigators Tackle Chemical, Biological And Nuclear Attacks
Researchers are making use of unarmed vehicles and robots to gather information and samples from crime or disaster scenes. Their initiative will help save lives. Risks that involve chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNe) materials are among major safety concerns. Accidental or targeted, events caused by such agents could be hazardous to humans. They…
Sharing The Workplace With Robots? New Tool Helps Designers Create Safer Machines
A research team is helping robot developers design machines less likely to injure the humans they work with. How? With their novel ‘safety map.” At one time only encountered in science fiction, interaction between humans and robots has attracted quite a bit of attention over the past few years. As technology advances, people are becoming…