Abstract Imagine making a credit card payment with just a selfie or having a virtually unhackable password without memorizing a single character. With the advancement of biometric security measures such as facial recognition, consumers will no longer have to imagine a world where this is possible. The technology that has been in development since the [...]
Abstract Have you ever forgotten your password on a website where you made an account months before? The process of retrieving that password begins with a trial and error process of running through your familiar passwords and usually ends with a frustrated click on the “Forgot password?” button nearby. After refreshing your inbox in search [...]
The internet is a ubiquitous part of everyday life with people using it for work, play, and everything in-between. But for every helpful use of modern computers' superior speed and performance, there is also a way for malicious hackers to counteract traditional security measures. This becomes a considerable issue as the internet expands in terms [...]
A rail gun uses magnetic and electric forces to accelerate a projectile. Parallel rails extend along the length of the firing chamber of the rail gun powered by capacitors. With the power generated by the magnetic fields contained in rail guns, objects can be launched at incredible speeds. The result is a destructive force. The [...]
Space-based solar power (SBSP) is an idea that has been alternatively promoted and ignored since its inception in 1968. A space-based solar power system is essentially a satellite comprised mainly of solar panels that beams electrical energy down to a collecting station on Earth, which then distributes that energy to the domestic power grid. The [...]
Explosives have been and continue to be a major threat to airports and military personnel across the globe. With the endless amount of information available on the Internet and with technology advancing at an incredibly rapid rate, dangerous weapons have never been so easy to manufacture. Not only are newly made explosives a concern to [...]
The F-22 Raptor was developed by Lockheed Martin in partnership with Boeing. Though initially developed to serve as an air superiority fighter, which meant that it would take control of enemy airspace and destroy any opposition, it has developed into more of a multi-role vehicle. The F-22 is an overwhelming vehicle with capabilities that enable [...]
The quadrotor is an emerging Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) that may have limitless applications. Departing from a century old design, modern quadrotors are evolving into small and agile vehicles. After already proving their usefulness as aerial imaging tools, new research is allowing quadrotors to communicate intelligently with other autonomous vehicles, to explore unknown environments, and [...]
The Olympic Games are the world’s largest international athletic competition. Every two years, viewers from around the globe tune in to the Olympics to cheer on their nations’ most celebrated athletes. The heroic athletic performances of the Olympics will always be remembered, but what is often forgotten is the incredible preparation effort completed by each [...]
The strength of famous superheroes may at last be within our grasp, as engineers develop powered exoskeletons to augment the abilities of the human body with mechanical force. Combining the principles of hydraulic pressure and computer simulation, these suits allow the wearer to complete feats of strength previously confined to comic books and the silver [...]
Counterfeiting involves the creation of fake money, and it is the government's job to stay one step ahead of these counterfeiters. While ingenuity and skill were the main factors leading to successful counterfeiting in the past, recent improvements in digital scanners and printers have made counterfeiting much easier. In order to battle these new technologies, [...]
Night vision devices (NVDs) have allowed humans to easily blend into and exploit an environment that was once only conquered through the use of flashlights and flood lamps. Whether in goggle or binocular form, these devices have given people a significant edge, first in military combat and more recently in surveillance, security, and rescue operations. [...]
The idea of robot-like vehicles has been around for quite some time. We have seen them in movies and read about them in science fiction books. But how close are we really? With financial backing from the government and private industry, the engineering field has made tremendous progress over the last few years. However, the [...]
Body armor, both soft and hard, has gone through extensive changes over the years, especially in the past century. Soft body armor, constructed out of materials such as Kevlar, uses layers of synthetic fibers to stop a bullet. Hard body armor, composed of hard ceramics like boron carbide, shatters a bullet at its surface. A [...]
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 aircraft carrier is the centerpiece of the United States Navy because of its ability to transport aircraft all over the world. The main component of these ships is their ability to launch and land jets in such a small space. But with so much chaos in such a small area, engineers have had to [...]
In the post-September 11 era, engineers have developed new technologies to meet growing safety and security concerns at the world's airports. The drawbacks of existing security measures - especially physical pat downs - have provided a foundation for "backscatter" X-ray technology. Information offered by the Transportation Security Administration and American Science and Engineering, Inc., demonstrate [...]
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are a fusion of many engineering disciplines. They are the premier platform for advanced communication, surveillance, and propulsion technologies. While they have recently garnered most of their press on the battlefield, an emerging commercial sector is attempting to make them part of everyday life. Introduction Anyone paying even the slightest attention [...]
The idea of using a polygraph for lie detection emerged at the end of the nineteenth century. Despite major technological advances in the twentieth century, the polygraph has evolved little since its invention. The polygraph works under the assumption that lies can be detected by certain measurable physiological changes, a theory proposed more than 100 [...]
When taking a look around a public place, one may observe an increase in the use of surveillance cameras. This is partially due to technological advances that have introduced new benefits for businesses and law enforcement agencies that implement video surveillance. Current technology allows an operator to view live surveillance footage from a remote location [...]
