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Manned Systems

Needed - a Step Beyond STEM

For more than a decade, education advocates have made the case for a greater effort in teaching kids about science, technology, engineering and math. As an engineer, I’m all for STEM. More of our population needs to understand these topics. However, as I get older and continue to observe the impact of technology on...

News

Defense

Firefly Aerospace Is the Latest Addition to Florida’s “Space Coast”

Cedar Park, Texas-based Firefly Aerospace, Inc. has reached an agreement with Space Florida – the state’s aerospace economic development agency – to establish a...

News

Energy

2020 Subaru Legacy Moving to New Global Platform

For 2020, the Subaru Legacy moves to the automaker’s Global Platform, introduced in 2017 via the C-segment Impreza. Compared to the prior architecture, the new unitized body construction...

Articles

Software

Computer-Generated Scenes Provide Virtual Testing for Autonomous Vehicles

The next million miles of autonomous-vehicle test roadways await in a start-up company’s virtual -orld toolbox that is targeting its next release for early 2019.

Articles

Motion Control

Deere Touts Software, AI Tech at CES

John Deere highlighted the growing role of digital controls, becoming the first off-highway equipment maker to bring ag equipment to the CES consumer electronics conference early in January. Deere’s...

News

Software

Industry Remains Unsettled on Vehicle Connectivity Standard

As autonomous vehicles inch closer to reality, a diverse range of companies and public entities are exploring ways to maximize their positive impact on traffic flows and...

Articles

Automotive

The Inside Story on Glass Lamination Film Technology for Tomorrow’s Vehicles

In an interview with SAE’s Automotive Engineering, Tom Niziolek, Commercial Director, Optical, explains the new, unique characteristics and benefits of ArgotecTM Interlayer Films in automotive glazing.

What We’re Driving

Manufacturing & Prototyping

2019 Subaru Ascent Premium

Loyal owners of smaller Subaru SUVs will telepathically step up to Ascent. Those cross-shopping other brands may be a harder sell.

Articles

RF & Microwave Electronics

New Automotive Radars Take Tech from a Blip to a Boom

Since it first appeared in automobiles in the 1980s, radar has become a reliable and increasingly cost-efficient tool for detecting objects on the road and along the roadside. The...

Articles

Software

Rethinking the HUD

Head-up displays (HUD) debuted in the late 1950s as a means of providing jet fighter pilots critical information while maintaining situational awareness outside the cockpit. Today these systems for projecting data onto the wind-screens of cars and trucks are becoming a vital conduit of information to drivers.

Articles

Unmanned Systems

Is the Future of Aerial Autonomy up in the Air?

At January’s CES ’19, more than 170 exhibitors showed aerial drones of various shapes and sizes. Potential use cases for these devices appear to be limitless, but technical, legal and...

Articles

Unmanned Systems

Harnessing the Power of Sim

Reliance on building and testing physical prototypes of systems and vehicles is giving way to more virtual testing using CAE simulations. It’s one of the most significant trends in the mobility industry.

News

Test & Measurement

Safety Testing for AVs Is Just Beginning

NHTSA’s plan to eventually update its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) with new crash-test protocols is good news for both consumers and the mobility safety-systems industry. A revised NCAP will...

Q&A

Propulsion

Mazda Pushes the Propulsion Frontier

It may be a small OEM, but Mazda has always punched far beyond its weight class in engineering and technology. That point is acknowledged by Masahiro Moro, president and CEO of North American Operations (MNAO), in this interview.

News

Green Design & Manufacturing

Solving the Propulsion Puzzle

Never has vehicle propulsion strategy been so dynamic—and hotly debated—as it is today. And nowhere will engineers working in this space find a better place to learn about future directions than at SAE’s...

Articles

Automotive

Autonomy for the Masses

Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC aims to do for AVs what the Model T did for just about everyone, CEO Sherif Marakby explains in an interview.

Articles

Transportation

Speeding Thermal Analysis for Autonomous EVs

Siemens PLM recently introduced a new Simcenter software solution for thermal simulation used in autonomous electric vehicle (AEV) development. The product is designed to help engineers quickly solve heat-related challenges related to the vehicles’ high-power electronics.

Articles

Automotive

The Swedish Word for AV Tech

The first automotive camera with built-in Deep Learning — considered to be a significant step forward in autonomous-vehicle sensor technology — is due to launch this year.

Articles

Test & Measurement

Road Tested

Now senior VP of the Transportation Systems Group at Econolite, a traffic-network engineering and integration company, Kirk Steudle spoke with SAE’s Autonomous Vehicle Engineering about transportation’s evolution and the challenges ahead.

Articles

Connectivity

New Mobility’s Mega-Mappers

A yellow sign on a mountain highway shows an S-shaped curve. This is a primitive map, and hardly a faithful representation of the road. Instead it delivers a simple signal to the driver: Get ready for turns.

Road Ready

Propulsion

NAIAS 2019: FCA Debuts New Ram Heavy Duty Pickups

FCA’s Ram truck division unveiled its new 2019 Heavy Duty (HD) pickup truck lineup at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). The new HD pickups feature the slick interiors...

Technology Report

Energy

NAIAS 2019: Nissan Debuts IMs EV Sport-Sedan Concept

Nissan looks to pump up the fun factor with the IMs, an all-electric sports sedan concept with autonomous driving capability. The car made its global debut at the 2019 North American...

Technology Report

Power

Continental’s New CTO to Lead Retooled R&D Pillar

At a recent media roundtable with its executives, Continental introduced its new CTO, Dirk Abendroth, who took on that role on January 1, 2019. Abendroth, 43 (left), will serve as chief...

INSIDER

Aerospace

Fuel Cell Boosts Electric-Powered Drones and Aircraft

Engineers developed a direct borohydride fuel cell that operates at double the voltage of today’s commercial fuel cells. Using a pH-gradient-enabled microscale bipolar interface...

INSIDER

Materials

Ultra-lightweight Ceramic Withstands Extreme Temperatures

An extremely light, highly durable ceramic aerogel was developed that could ultimately be an upgrade for spacecraft insulation. The new material is made of thin layers of boron...

News

Weapons Systems

When It Comes to Fifth-Generation Assets, Air Force Values Virtual Training over Live Flying

Newer, more capable fifth-generation aircraft platforms and systems are outgrowing even the largest U.S. Air Force training ranges – and the...

News

Power

Do AWD EVs Need Two Motors? GKN Does the Math.

One electric motor for AWD EVs is better than two. That’s the conclusion reached by GKN Automotive after carrying out extensive research into facts, figures and costs of both. “The...

News

Energy

SAE International Releases New Process for Measuring Aerosols in Aircraft Exhaust

SAE International, based in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, has published a new recommended practice for assessing the amount of nonvolatile particulate matter (nvPM)...

News

Propulsion

Northrop Grumman Launches Rocket Motor Production at Modernized Tactical Motor Manufacturing Facility

Northrop Grumman Corp. has started producing rocket motors at its new, modernized tactical motor manufacturing facility at the Allegany...

News

RF & Microwave Electronics

Astronautics to Upgrade Cockpit Displays on U.S. Customs and Border Protection P-3 Orions

Milwaukee-based Astronautics Corporation of America will update the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency’s Air and Marine Operations...

News

Unmanned Systems

Citroën Wants Its EV Urban Concept to Be Everybody’s Ami

The Geneva Motor Show is an event for airing concept vehicles spanning the spectrum from “actual” (close to production) to the zany (will never see the light of media camera...

News

Defense

Raytheon Looks to Upgrade Carrier Landing System for Ground Use

The Raytheon Company (Raytheon), based out of Waltham, Massachusetts, is currently paying for a Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS) software upgrade with...

What We’re Driving

Power

Suzuki Vitara 1.4 Turbo SZ5 Allgrip

For North American readers of this column, its title could be, in the case of Suzuki’s latest turbocharged and all-wheel-drive (AWD) Vitara compact SUV, “What you are missing.”

News

Materials

Aerospace Manufacturers Turn to Non-Hazardous PVD Coatings as Regulations Tighten on Toxic Hard Chrome Plating

The search for a suitable replacement to hard chrome plating on aerospace components has been a key supply chain priority for...

Articles

Energy

Horsepower and Kilowatts Compete at 2019 Geneva Motor Show

There still was plenty of old-school horsepower making news at this year’s Geneva motor show in early March, but there was no question it’s fast becoming a kilowatt kinda world....

INSIDER

Defense

Fort Hood Soldiers Put Army's Latest Robot to the Test

Chemical, engineer, and explosive ordnance disposal unit soldiers are joining a National Guard Civil Support Team to put the Army's latest robotic system to the test.

INSIDER

Design

Snipers Field Test a More Accurate, Ergonomic Rifle

Eight Ivy Division snipers with the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team field tested an upgrade to the Army's sniper rifle in the shadows of the fabled Rocky Mountains.

INSIDER

RF & Microwave Electronics

Northrop Grumman Receives Contract for Next-Generation Navigation System

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a $59 million contract for the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the Embedded Global...

What We’re Driving

Mechanical & Fluid Systems

2019 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

Toyota pickups fitted with gonzo oversize tires, long-travel suspensions and M1 Abrams-quality skid plates have been part of the U.S. off-roading scene since before “Ironman Ivan” Stewart won the Baja 1000 in...

News

Electronics & Computers

Air Force Tests Fully Autonomous UAS Control System

The United States Air Force’s 412th Test Wing’s Emerging Technologies (ET) Combined Test Force (CTF) completed the first flight test of Johns Hopkins University’s Testing of Autonomy...

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Energy

Ford Brings “No Compromise” Hybrid Tech to 2020 Explorer

Ford debuted three versions of the all-new 2020 Explorer during NAIAS, including it’s first-ever hybrid version. The Explorer Hybrid will use a 3.3-L V6, an e-motor and a 1.5...

News

Power

J.D. Power Launches New Vehicle-Engineering Award at SAE’s WCX 2019

Long known for its groundbreaking surveys measuring automotive customer satisfaction, quality and dependability—and presenting corresponding awards to top-achieving...

Technology Report

Energy

Honda E Prototype Makes It Simple, Again

In 2017, Honda’s Urban EV concept pointed the way for the brand to escape its current busy and contrived design language in favor of clean, modern forms and at the recent Geneva International Motor...

News

Manned Systems

JAXA and Toyota Partner, Focus on Future Lunar Mobility

Officials at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota Motor Corp. in Tokyo have taken a first step toward collaborating on international space exploration, having...

News

Electronics & Computers

Filtering out Common Mode Noise with Monolithic EMI Filters

Strong electromagnetic waves can create unwanted electrical currents in electronic devices. Sources of electromagnetic interference (EMI), also known as radio-frequency...

News

Automotive

Toyota Takes up Challenge of Space, Brings Electrified, Automated Vehicle Technologies

Technology transfer and collaboration continue to grow globally among mobility engineering professionals focused on aerospace and automotive applications....

Technology Report

Robotics, Automation & Control

AB Dynamics Provides New Drive-By-CAN Testing System

Test-system specialist AB Dynamics has developed new drive-by-wire technology that enables test vehicles – including autonomous vehicles (AV) – to be driven entirely via a CAN or...

News

Energy

2019 S60 and V60 Volvo’s Newest Chips in the Transformation Game

They’re not the crossovers buyers in almost all major world market currently crave, but Volvo’s 2019 S60 midsize sedan—and to a lesser extent, its V60 station wagon...

News

Aerospace

AIA Predicts Flying Air Taxis, Supersonic Air Travel, and Space Industry for 2050

Arlington, Virginia-based Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) has collected input from leaders in the aerospace and defense industries and built a...

Road Ready

Unmanned Systems

Honda Fills a Gap with 2019 Passport

You may think that by now, just about all full-line automakers have every crossover/SUV segment covered. Small, medium and large, just like it used to be with sedan.

INSIDER

Aerospace

Making Flight Safer With the “Internet of Airplanes”

The Virtual Sky platform was developed to fuse and analyze flight sensor data correctly, reliably, and quickly. Virtual Sky would serve as a model extension of the FAA’s Next...

What We’re Driving

Propulsion

2019 Hyundai Veloster R-Spec

I don’t deliver much critique about vehicle styling because everybody’s entitled to their own tastes, but it’s important to say up front that I’ll never think the Veloster—even in its faintly...

News

RF & Microwave Electronics

New R&D Boss Details RoboSense’s LiDAR Strategy

LiDAR technology is one of the busiest areas of engineering for self-driving cars, and some people have been working on the technology for over a decade. Dr. Leilei Shinohara (below), for...

News

Aerospace

FAA Certifies AeroVonics' Economical Avionics Upgrade for Light General Aviation Aircraft

AeroVonics LLC, an aerospace startup based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification for its...

News

Manned Systems

The Air Force’s New Unmanned Wingmate Completes Inaugural Flight

The XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aircraft system (UAS) or “drone” demonstrator – a collaborative project between the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Kratos...

News

Electronics & Computers

OneWeb Ramps up Satellite Production with New Round of Funding

OneWeb has secured $1.25 billion in its latest funding round. The company, which seeks to deploy a satellite communication network by 2021 that will enable global high-speed,...

News

Electronics & Computers

Sikorsky-Boeing’s FVL Contender Takes Flight

The Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant (stylized as “SB>1 DEFIANT”) compound helicopter flew for the first time at Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach, Florida facility. Unlike current rotorcraft,...

Road Ready

Photonics/Optics

2019 Nissan Leaf plus Nets Extended EV Range

The 2019 Leaf Plus has a longer driving range and provides quicker acceleration than its platform-sharing counterpart, the second-generation Leaf, thanks to a higher-output motor and additional...

News

Automotive

GoFly Announces Phase II Winning Teams at AeroTech Americas

Early today at AeroTech Americas – SAE International’s North America-based international aerospace congress – GoFly announced the five Phase II winners of the GoFly Prize for...

News

Defense

Supersonic Aircraft: Setting the Record Straight at AeroTech Americas

Supersonic aircraft technology experts – including engineers, scientists, and executives – set the record straight on supersonic commercial transport, addressing...

News

Test & Measurement

Battery Technology Is Still the Key Barrier to Better Urban Air Mobility

During a panel session titled “Flying Cars – Will You Have One In Your Garage?” Mark Moore, former NASA engineer and current engineering director of aviation at...

News

Power

Powering Back to the Future

Credit Leonardo DaVinci for creating what many historians believe was the first depiction of a self-powered vehicle. It was powered by springs. And in the centuries since then, engineers have found increasingly...

News

Transportation

Gasoline Fuels Growing Number of Commercial Vehicles

Biodiesel may be the top alternative fuel for work truck fleets, according to the 2019 Fleet Purchasing Outlook Survey conducted by the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA), but...