Abstract Touchscreens change the way we interact with computers and machines. They remove physical buttons, make computers and machines easier and more fun to interact with, and integrate more technology into our everyday lives. Touchscreens also allow us to humanize or anthropomorphize devices because it reduces the barrier between the user and the device. While [...]
Modern wearable sensors utilize global positioning system (GPS) technology to track basic movement data that has both statistical and medical implications in the sports world. This article highlights the ingenuity of such sensors, which weigh only one ounce yet contain an accelerometer (measures starts and stops), gyroscope (measures bending and twisting of the body), magnetometer [...]
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 [...]
Arrhythmia—a cardiac disease in which the heart beats irregularly or at an abnormal pace—is caused by faulty electrical signal generation within the heart at the SA node. Recognizing the electrical properties of the heart, engineers created a treatment device, the artificial pacemaker, by applying principles of electrical engineering. The device controls the rate and rhythm [...]
Electronic cigarettes deliver the same nicotine as traditional cigarettes but with fewer additives. They offer themselves as an alternative to traditional cigarettes and possibly as an effective nicotine replacement therapy. Being that they are less harmful to our environment, electronic cigarettes are a strong example of how engineers are seeking to reshape our world for [...]
The cross-cultural desire for a male birth control "pill" has led the drive for a drug that creates reversible infertility in a safe and reliable manner, while securing sexual freedom and allowing men to partake in the responsibility of family planning. Potential drugs being explored are either hormonally-based and impede the production of sperm, or [...]
In man's quest to capture time, no innovation has come closer to measuring time with precision than the atomic clock. Using Cesium-133 atoms, scientists and engineers have implemented atomic clocks in a variety of experiments and systems. Since the 1960s, atomic clocks proved to be more precise than other timekeeping methods and being so, the [...]
The medieval battlefield was dominated by large artillery weapons, and among these the trebuchet was king. This massive weapon was eventually capable of throwing massive boulders over 250 meters, but it did not start that way. It took over 1000 years of innovation, experimentation, and modification to transform a moderately effective projectile-throwing machine into an [...]
The first record of man keeping time was approximated to have occurred in 700 B.C. with the use of the sundial. The next true advancement in accurate time keeping was the engineering feat of pendulum clock technology. Long case pendulum clocks have been used since 1657, and remain popular today. The Grandfather Clock was created [...]
