Understanding the way we interact with engineering in our lives starts with how we perceive it– through our senses. In this issue, dive deep into the human senses with five impressive articles surrounding the use of touch, sound, and sight.
Our first article, The Powers of Melanin, showcases the unique chemical structure of melanin– a crucial compound involved in the pigment of our skin– and how it gives rise to unique properties. Alternatively, to learn about the intentional redaction of color to improve vision, check out how specialized engineering of e-readers has made reading much easier on the eyes in E-Ink Technology: the Secret Behind Kindle. Wait – was that you? Something smells… of innovation! It must be Scent Technologies: The Good, the Bad, and the Stinky , which discusses the way the olfactory system works and the technologies that are making this domain even more advanced. As you distance yourself from the smell, take your time – if possible – with Crushing the Sound Barrier, which discusses how fighter jets are able to take-off with supersonic speed. After reading about how loud those jets can be, you’ll be reaching for your noise canceling headphones, but how do those devices actually work? The article Engineering Healthy Silence: Using Noise-Canceling Headphones to Block Harmful Sound discusses the intricacies of noise cancellation that many popular headphones have today and the technology’s various applications. And as you walk or drive home thinking about all these sense-based technologies, you might get caught at the stoplight and wonder about what Red Light, Green Light has already described: the various traffic controlling technologies that help you get from point A to point B.
We hope that you enjoy learning about how engineering interfaces with your senses through this issue as we aim to highlight innovations in sensory based technology.
Managing Editors Antonina Mintcheva and Ralph Jeanty
Illumin Team
