Seventy Years Ago, the RCA CT-100 Opened Our Eyes to a New Visual Experience (Source: Early Television Museum) Earlier this year, over 120 million people tuned in to watch the Super Bowl, and many made a big purchase in the weeks prior to capture the spectacle in all its grandeur and glory. The newest smart TVs, with their amazing picture quality and immersive sound experience, afford viewers the ability to feel like they’re at the game without paying an astronomical amount for a ticket. Today, an array of advanced light-emitting diode (LED) technologies lights up our home screens with magnif ..read more

New Tech Tuesdays Join Rudy Ramos for a weekly look at all things interesting, new, and noteworthy for design engineers. “A picture is worth a thousand words” highlights the power of visual communication for conveying complex concepts. At the same time, “Use the right tool for the job” underscores the importance of selecting the most suitable tool for any given task. Today's drones perfectly embody the principles encapsulated by each of these two adages, demonstrating drones’ profound relevance and applicability in modern times. With their ability to capture high-quality images and video, dro ..read more

Bridging Star Wars Robots with Modern Robotics (Jiraphiphat / stock.adobe.com) In the Star Wars Universe, droids of all kinds roam about, assisting with tasks such as diplomatic missions and starship repairs. Fictional robots like C-3PO, R2-D2, and BB-8 do more than just serve their humans; they have personalities, are autonomous, and bring some tech savvy to their scenes. With such novel and beloved characters like these, it's no surprise that each year, on May 4th, fans exclaim, "May the Force be with you," celebrating the films themselves and the iconic tech they showcase. Engineers can ap ..read more

(Source: Toshiba) Electronic components are usually designed to function optimally within a given set of parameters, with voltage range, form factor, and board space all representing vital factors developers must consider when creating their designs. One of the biggest design problems to address is operational temperature limits and overheating, especially in applications that include small motors or devices where it would be more cost-effective to replace rather than spend repair time in cases of overheating-related failure. Overheating can also be a design issue in laptop computers and othe ..read more

Gallium Nitride HEMTs: Next-Generation Semiconductors for Power Electronics (Source: Edelweiss / stock.adobe.com) Silicon-based metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) have been the standard in power electronics applications since the 1960s. Still, the evolution of various technologies—particularly in the automotive and consumer electronics sectors—have created new challenges for developers seeking to provide higher efficiency and greater power density in increasingly smaller form factors. Power supplies for everything from large data centers and wall outlet AC adapters t ..read more

New Tech Tuesdays Join Rudy Ramos for a weekly look at all things interesting, new, and noteworthy for design engineers. In this week's New Tech Tuesday, we take a quick retrospective journey through the evolution of the internet. Initiated by J.C.R. Licklider's visionary concept in the early 1960s, the internet has become the de-facto form of global communications, entertainment, and a vital part of the global economy. The Internet's Evolution and Impact The internet swiftly transitioned from J.C.R. Licklider's early vision to disparate networks like NPL, ARPANET, Merit Network, CYCLADES, X ..read more

Next Wave in Surgical Robotics (Source: whyframeshot / stock.adobe.com) Traditional operating rooms are evolving into precision hubs filled with innovation where augmented intelligence and real-time imaging technology are essential components in surgical care. This move toward robotics in healthcare is critical to the pursuit of surgical excellence that will enhance a surgeon’s skills as well as improve patient outcomes. Using advanced technologies, surgeons are successfully overcoming the limitations of the human hand and eye. Augmented intelligence is building on a layer of decision-making ..read more

New Tech Tuesdays Join Rudy Ramos for a weekly look at all things interesting, new, and noteworthy for design engineers. According to a 2023 report from the National Retail Federation (NRF), organized retail crime (ORC) is growing in both scope and complexity. The report defines ORC as "the systematic large-scale theft of retail goods from manufacturers, logistics and transportation providers, distributors, or retailers and the subsequent resale of stolen goods for financial gain to wholesalers, retailers, or individual consumers, typically for a fraction of the retail cost.” NRF says that tw ..read more

(Source: Alfazet Chronicles / stock.adobe.com) Microfactories have been in incubation since their conception in the 1990s at Japan's Mechanical Engineer Laboratory (MEL). The concept of a microfactory prioritizes efficiency and reduces the overall proportions of a factory relative to the size of the parts they produce. In this blog, we will explore how microfactories prioritize efficiency and agility in manufacturing by minimizing the size and footprint of equipment to match the scale of modern parts, offering substantial savings and operational flexibility. Furthermore, we will discuss how m ..read more

Micromobility Blog Series: Part 4 of 4 (Source: Катерина Євтехова/stock.adobe.com) In the final blog of this four-part series, we will look to the future, exploring the role that micromobility might play and how solutions will develop as new technology emerges. Introduction Urban Infrastructure and Micro-Mobility Personal Solutions and Consumer Challenges How Micromobility Solutions Will Shape the Future Bigger Solutions While most current micromobility products used for personal transportation, including e-bikes and e-scooters, are smaller single-person solutions controlled by the operator ..read more