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Aerospace

Vanadium: A Green Metal Critical to Aerospace and Clean Energy

From jet engine components to high-speed airframes, vanadium alloys are deployed in virtually every jet aircraft flying today,

Articles

RF & Microwave Electronics

Detection with Quantum Radar

A new radar prototype utilizes quantum entanglement as a method of object detection.

Briefs

Data Acquisition

Preliminary Development of an Integrated Mobility, Lethality, and Survivability Soldier Performance Testing Platform

Develop a methodology that incorporates objective measures of performance and is sensitive to changes in soldier-system equipment.

Application Briefs

Photonics/Optics

Electro-Optical Missile System

The Slovak army is the 6th armed force to choose the modern 5th generation SPIKE LR2 missile.

Articles

Aerospace

Thrust in Space - The Nuances of Thruster Valve Design

More and more companies are designing rockets, satellites, and reusable space vehicles that require thruster valves to position, maintain, or change vehicle orbit in space.

Articles

Manufacturing & Prototyping

3D Printing Aerodynamic Improvements

Learn about microvanes, one of the only types of 3D-printed parts that are FAA-approved for use on the exterior of an aircraft.

Briefs

Aerospace

Bore Elevation and Azimuth Measurement System (Beams)

A newly developed laser apparatus verifies that the pointing accuracy requirement of a weapon’s fire control system is met.

Original Equipment

Energy

Nikola Looks to Accelerate Production, Hydrogen Infrastructure

Nikola Corp.’s recent merger with VectoIQ Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded special-purpose acquisition company, is expected to help accelerate the company’s technology...

Articles

Connectivity

Big Data’s Benefits Keep A-Comin’

Electronic systems generate gigabytes of data that are increasingly being used to improve efficiency at many levels, from field operations to maintenance and even vehicle design. A range of equipment...

News

Energy

Regulatory Landscape Challenges Commercial-Vehicle Engine Development

Regulations like California’s recent Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which calls for every new truck sold in the state to be zero-emission by 2045, will drive increasing...

Original Equipment

Power

Mecalac Designs Unique-Pivoting Swing Loader

Mecalac markets itself as an urban-equipment manufacturer, and the company’s focus on designing machines for constricted-space jobsites so prevalent in cities is manifested in the AS1600 swing...

News

Data Acquisition

Innovation Still Industry's 'Lifeblood' During Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has forced people and organizations alike to adapt to a world of social distancing and economic disruption. For SAE International, that’s included shifting...

Editorial

Energy

Zeroing in on Zero Emissions

Electrification is inevitable for commercial vehicles. That is the takeaway from a quick succession of zero-emission commercial vehicle (ZECV) initiatives announced by various groups since the summer solstice....

News

Nanotechnology

Paving the Way to Improved Truck Fuel Efficiency

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving fuel efficiency are much-sought-after goals in the commercial-vehicle industry. Various methods have been proposed to achieve these...

Articles

Electronics & Computers

Active Battery Cell Balancing

Active cell balancing redistributes charge between battery cells during the charge and discharge cycle

Articles

Materials

Ultrasonic Metal Welding Enables Advances in Battery Technology

A number of battery-related innovations have been assisted by a joining technology: ultrasonic metal welding.

Articles

Test & Measurement

Venting for EV Battery Packs

Cell chemistries, thermal dynamics, vehicle packaging, and even weather present challenges for optimizing electric vehicle battery functional safety.

Articles

Electronics & Computers

Using Multiphysics to Predict and Prevent EV Battery Fire

To achieve vehicle manufacturers’ ambitious goals for electric vehicles, Li-ion batteries need to be improved.

Products

Test & Measurement

New Products

Power switches, battery pack adhesives, supercapacitor modules, and more...

Briefs

Photonics/Optics

sUAS-Based Payload Development and Testing for Quantifying Optical Turbulence

Understanding how atmospheric effects can impact operational conditions is important to the development of High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon systems.

Briefs

Sensors/Data Acquisition

Development and Verification of Body Armor Target Geometry Created Using Computed Tomography Scans

Previous methods of target geometry can be replaced by more accurate computer scanning technology.

Products

Sensors/Data Acquisition

New Products

Miniature sensors, 3D printing platforms, lightning test systems, and more.

Application Briefs

Data Acquisition

WMD Detection Technology

The first-of-its-kind system will leverage multiple data sources and machine learning to detect and identify indications of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) threat.

Application Briefs

Data Acquisition

Telemetry Processing Systems

Acroamatics Telemetry Systems (Acroamatics), was recently selected by Northrop Grumman to deliver telemetry tech for the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) program.

Application Briefs

Unmanned Systems

Loitering Precision Strike Missile

The Switchblade missile system is back-packable and rapidly deployable from ground platforms.

Articles

RF & Microwave Electronics

Cryogenic-Capable Isolators Improve the Performance of Millimeter-Wave Systems by Lowering Noise Levels

Find isolators that operate optimally under cryogenic conditions.

Articles

Software

Reverse Engineering the Boeing E-3 Sentry's Secondary Flight Controls

Learn about the challenges that arise when you try to reverse-engineer the console configuration for a NATO E-3 AWACS.

Briefs

Test & Measurement

Use of Mass-Flux Measurement and Vapor-Phase Tomography to Quantify Vadose-Zone Source Strength and Distribution

New tech can improve evaluation of vadose zone source impacts on groundwater, leading to improved remediation decisions.

Briefs

Data Acquisition

Correlational Analysis of Speech Intelligibility Tests and Metrics for Speech Transmission

Evaluating the quality and limitations of speech could serve as a valuable resource.

Podcasts

Motion Control

A Jumping 'SpaceBok' Robot Makes Giant Leaps Toward the Moon and Mars

Hendrik Kolvenbach sees the best way to get around on the moon as less of a step and more of a giant leap. Learn how Hendrik created a jumping space robot called Spacebok.

INSIDER

Power

Battery Breakthrough Gives Boost to Electric Flight

To produce a rechargeable battery that power electric aircraft, scientists have endeavored to replace the graphite anodes currently used in batteries with lithium metal anodes. A new class...

INSIDER

Defense

New Ways to Test Swarming Drones

The U.S. Army has implemented an outdoor system to test swarming drones that has a capacity of more than 1,500 times the volume of a typical testing facility. The system tracks motion, creating brightly...

INSIDER

Aerospace

CubeSat to Help Guide Moon-Bound Spacecraft

A microwave oven-sized CubeSat weighing just 55 pounds will serve as the first spacecraft to test a unique, elliptical lunar orbit as part of NASA’s Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System...

Road Ready

Lighting

Cadillac Reveals Lyriq Electric Vehicle

Cadillac this week revealed its Lyriq crossover, the first of a coming stable of electric vehicles (EVs) from Cadillac and GM’s other brands. And although Cadillac already trails many other...

Technology Report

Unmanned Systems

BMW Details New Motorcycle Adaptive Cruise Control

BMW has released details about its new Motorcycle Active Cruise Control (ACC), bringing a popular automotive convenience feature to the two-wheeled realm. The new system, developed in...

News

Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Altair Honors Lightweight Advances

Fitting for an industry that collectively is accelerating electric-vehicle launches, Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire electric motorcycle won the Full Vehicle category of the 8th annual Altair Enlighten...

News

RF & Microwave Electronics

The ISO Standard for Electric-Vehicle “Plug-And-Charge” Faces Security Concerns

In 2010, a joint working group of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) started...

INSIDER

Photonics/Optics

New Enhanced Visual Acuity System Will Help Pilots Fly More Safely

Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of Raytheon Technologies Corp., is helping the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps transition from analog to digital night vision systems with their...

INSIDER

Defense

U.S. Army Orders Next-Generation Missile Warning Systems

BAE Systems received $179 million in total awards from the U.S. Army as part of the Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) program. This award...

INSIDER

Data Acquisition

Short-Range Air Defense System Will Counter Small Unmanned Aerial System Threats

Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) system has been selected by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) as the...

Articles

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Static Testing of EV Components

The market for electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow. To offset the immense weight of their batteries, a heightened focus has been put on lightweighting, which has brought many new materials and...

What We’re Driving

Power

What We’re Driving: 2020 BMW X1 XDrive28i

The overwhelming first impression of BMW’s restyled-for-2020 X1 compact crossover: “Wow this thing feels a little, ah, ‘plumper’ than I recall.” For this second-generation X1 launched...

News

Imaging

Lightweighting Tour-De-Force: 2021 Ducati Superleggera V4

According to Ducati, the 2021 Superleggera V4 is its most powerful, fastest and most advanced production bike, ever. This is no mean claim from the Bologna-based manufacturer known...

News

Materials

Carbon Fiber Research Eyes Roof Frames, Doors

It’s not just for exotic “supercars” and motorcycles anymore. The performance-enhancing attributes of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics continue to be explored by global automakers as they seek...

Articles

Software

Virtual and Physical Testing of Third-Generation High Strength Steel

Developing lightweight, stiff and crash-resistant vehicle body structures requires a balance between part geometry and material properties. High-strength materials...

INSIDER

Manned Systems

Commercial UAS Observes Earth for Days or Weeks at a Time

NASA and Swift Engineering of San Clemente, CA, completed a flight test of the Swift High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial system. The 72-foot solar-powered HALE weighs...

INSIDER

Aerospace

Unleashing the Potential of Tethered Drones

Wire-connected drones are a powerful new tool for improving cellular phone and Internet networks. Fitted with cellular transceivers, tethered drones could quickly be deployed to replace inoperable...

What We’re Driving

Propulsion

What We’re Driving: 2020 Genesis G90 Ultimate

“That car’s got stature!” exclaimed a neighbor of mine, as I was parking the G90. “Nice to see somebody still making big sedans. So, Genesis – that’s Hyundai, right?” Yes. The...

Articles

Sensors/Data Acquisition

New Roles for Lidar in Autonomy’s Lower Levels

Laser-based light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors were only recently thought to be applicable within the realm of fully automated vehicles (AVs). The spinning lidar “flowerpots”...

News

Energy

Marelli’s COVID-Killing Cabin Purifier

Marelli North America is offering a solution to the problem of interior air quality in shared-use/autonomous vehicles. The upgraded HVAC setup purifies passenger car cabin air, including the...

News

Power

The IC Future Points to More Downsizing, Lean Mixtures

Three engineers from the front lines of advanced internal-combustion (IC) engine development affirmed that despite the industry’s public promotion of a battery electric future for...

What We’re Driving

Test & Measurement

2021 Chevrolet Suburban High Country

GM engineers tell me that their latest full-size light truck program, which most recently spawned the 2021 Chevy Suburban and GMC Yukon, encompassed nearly 10,000 engineering and technical staff during...

News

Software

Simulation’s Next Generation

When in recent years it became apparent to developers of autonomous vehicles (AVs) that they could never cumulatively acquire the equivalent of billions of miles of on-road validation necessary to create...

News

Connectivity

Autonomy Is Coming to Commercial Vehicles

Despite a pandemic that continues to punish global economic markets, not to mention vehicle manufacturers’ and suppliers’ product plans, many heavy-duty truck makers are not relaxing on efforts...

News

Unmanned Systems

Ford, Bosch Demo Automated-Parking Project in Detroit

Ford, Bosch and real estate firm Bedrock are preparing North America’s first demonstration of automated parking in a public garage outfitted with the technology to enable a fleet of...

News

Regulations/Standards

Strategy Reset

Entering a post-COVID phase may seem easy compared to the required actions and commitments the industry faced just a couple of months ago. Collectively, the ecosystem of OEMs, suppliers, dealers and even consumers adjusted...

News

Power

Architecting GM’s New EV Batteries

By 2023 General Motors promises to have 20 new electric vehicles of all shapes, sizes and market segments on sale. They’re underpinned by the company’s BEV3 flexible dedicated EV architecture,...