Written by: Patrick Hennessey With every improvement to transportation, the world feels a little smaller, and people become more connected. Some of the world’s greatest inventions have been in the field of transportation, but we haven’t had a major innovation in over a century- a new system is long overdue. This article will explore the [...]
Written by: Riley Walch Riley Walch is a junior studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California. He has interests in the intersection of the human body and engineering and hopes to turn this curiosity into a career, upon graduation. Abstract Greg LeMond’s 1989 Tour de France victory, aided by research-driven cycling advancements, marked [...]
A store’s layout is carefully constructed to optimize for ease of shopping and increase sales. The placement of products, the arrangement of aisles, and the use of promotional signs are a scrutinized by engineers to increase the productivity of the business. When was the last time you walked into a store? Did you notice anything [...]
Automotive active safety systems have saved many thousands of lives since their introduction. From simple headlights to automated emergency braking, active safety systems use advances in engineering to make driving safer. By making a vehicle more visible to other drivers, better informing a driver of road hazards, and even taking total control of an automobile [...]
Technology has advanced the functions of clothing to a new level through the creation of power-generating textiles. These materials are made of solar cell or piezoelectric fabric that will allow enough electricity to be generated to recharge a small, portable electronic device. With additional engineering and research, clothing that can recharge any portable electronic device [...]
Current research and experimentation with metamaterials have led to advancements in the development of invisibility. Metamaterials can be used to make objects appear invisible by bending light around those objects through refraction instead of away from those objects by reflection. Though no natural material exhibits this behavior, engineers are working to design cloaking devices with [...]
Beneath even the biggest soccer stars is a pair of shoes designed and tested by engineers to push the limits of the game. The soccer boot (the traditional name for a soccer shoe) has evolved a great deal in form and function, particularly in the past few decades. To keep up with the sport's growing [...]
Ergonomics and human factors are major fields within industrial engineering. By studying the human body and its measurements and variations, it's possible to create an ideal tool for any function. In recent years, as people utilize high technology more in their everyday lives, the focus has moved strongly toward ergonomically-sound computer workstations. Though ergonomics may [...]
