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Articles by Karl Akerberg
What’s the Future of Medical Devices? Steve Wozniak Weighs In
What does the future hold for medical devices? According to a recent report on Design News sister media outlet Qmed, what’s next for medical electronics ranges from devices like electronic pancreases to using electronics to allow for targeted neuroplasticity training or to advance devices that restore both movement and the sense of touch to those with paralysis. Indeed, every device could be life changing.
6 Steps to a Successful Simulation Software Upgrade
Users of commercial FEA and CFD software are provided with a link to download the new release of their software once or twice a year. In more than two decades of supporting analysts, I am frequently asked, “When is the ideal time to upgrade to the latest version?” “Give it to me now!” – Those who download and install the latest version the day it comes out and are eager to use the latest features.
Manufacturers Gain from IoT But Slip on Security
According to the data from a recent study, manufacturers are seeing significant gains in productivity and profitability from using IoT technology. Yet the study also found manufacturers are overlooking two critical pieces that could derail their progress: cybersecurity and R&D tax credits.
The Big, Hidden Questions of Connected Cars
Last December, the Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed a rule that would make vehicle-to-vehicle V2V connectivity a requirement for all new cars. Data from the DOT states this widespread connectivity could reduce non-impaired crashes by up to 80 percent, underscoring the great promise of this automotive advancement.
World’s first 3D-printed car showcased at PLASTEC East
The world’s first 3D-printed electric car rolls onto the show floor this month. The Strati, developed by Local Motors (Chandler, AZ), took just 44 hours of additive manufacturing and 10 hours of subtractive milling to produce. Vehicle assembly required fewer than 50 parts. PLASTEC East attendees will have an opportunity to see the car up close from June 13 to 15 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.
Don’t Fear AI Progress, Steve Wozniak Says
We’ve been taught by movies since HAL refused to open the pod bay doors to be wary of artificial intelligence. Although the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey premiered in 1968, research house Gartner predicts that mainstream adoption of smart machines – those that utilize AI, cognitive computing, machine learning, or deep learning – will reach 30% by large companies in 2021.
ESC Silicon Valley 2017 Call for Speakers - Deadline Extended
Due to popular demand, the Call for Speakers for Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley has been extended to June 9! So you still have time to submit your proposal for a chance to speak at the industry’s most comprehensive technical conference for embedded systems professionals. ESC Silicon Valley, December 5-7, 2017, will showcase emerging trends and innovations that will set the tone for the embedded systems industry in 2018 and beyond.
Microsoft Says 'Mixed Reality' Is the Future, Not VR and AR
If Microsoft has its way reality won't be virtual or augmented, it'll be mixed. Whereas virtual reality (VR) creates entirely computer-generated environments and augmented reality (AR) overlays computer-generated imagery onto the real world, mixed reality (MR), a term coined-by Microsoft, seeks to blend the physical and digital worlds together.
Predictive Maintenance for People. Using AI to Prevent Suicide
Since rolling out its Facebook Live feature the social network has seen a disturbing trend of people live-streaming their suicides. The very month Facebook debuted the live service 14-year-old Nakia Venant live-streamed her suicide. Most recently this month 33-year-old Jared McLemore of Memphis set himself on fire before running into a crowded bar where his ex-girlfriend worked.
Gold Is Key to New Method for Developing Wearable Electronic Components
They say all that glitters is not gold. In the future, however, it may well be the reverse: even some things that don’t glitter—like a smartphone that can wrap around a person’s wrist--could very well be made from the precious metal, thanks to a new method devised by researchers to develop electronic materials from gold .
Lithium-Ion Battery Inventor Ups Ante With Advanced Solid-State Rechargeable
The engineer who co-invented the lithium-ion battery is set to revolutionize the field again. 94-year-old John Goodenough—professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin--has led a team of researchers that’s developed a solid-state battery cell that could be the answer to providing safe, fast-charging, and long-lasting rechargeable energy storage for a range of devices, including electric vehicles (EVs).
Next-gen wearable uses live cells to adjust to sweat, body temperature
Mention of E. coli in an article is almost always an ill omen. Not this time, though, especially if you’re a gym rat or athlete looking for the next great thing in workout attire that adjusts to body temperature and sweat. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a biofabric lined with a nonpathogenic strain of E. coli that swells and shrinks in response to changes in humidity.
The Electric Car’s Same Old Problem
One unwritten rule of product design says that if you’ve given your customer a popular feature, don’t dare take it away. Therein lies the problem with the mainstream electric car. Today’s cay buyers have been spoiled. They assume that they should be able to take their cars on vacations, on weekend trips, or on treks to drop the kids off at college. Thanks, gasoline. Electric car enthusiasts don’t like that argument. And to some degree, they’re right.
Siemens ST10 Revamps Solid Edge, Enhancing Modeling Capabilities
Siemen PLM introduced its newest version of Solid Edge – ST10 – at PLM World last week, revealing a handful of improvements, including the introduction of convergent modeling (the ability to mash up mesh and b-rep). The release also offers the ability to scale parts models and provides correct modeling of holes across bends in sheet metal. ST10 lets users clone part models in an assembly – for example placing the same dowel in many different locations and orientations in the assembly.
Rambus Brings Ease of Use to IoT Security
Days after a massive cyberattack crippled computer hardware around the world, is rolling out a service designed to bring a simple but powerful form of security to Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Known as IoT Device Management, the service is said to provide a secure channel between IoT devices and their cloud servers, and do so in a way that requires little or no security expertise on the part of the equipment designer.
8 Things You Don’t Know About Apple’s Steve Wozniak
With Silicon Valley icon and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak set to speak at Atlantic Design & Manufacturing, a conference and expo event this June hosted in New York by Design News’ parent company UBM, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to Woz a few times in recent weeks as we ready for his fireside chat keynote. Woz says he’s an open book. Given that he answered every question thrown at him on our calls with truth and humor, I’d tend to agree.
Creating AI That Understands Emotion
How would you feel if you knew your device could tell how you felt? While other companies are busy trying to give machines intellectual intelligence, Boston-based startup Affectiva is trying to give them emotional intelligence.
Software Designers: Build Your Own
As a leading, full-service product development consultancy, our firm is always in competition for talent. Often, much larger (and richer) firms compete with us for the same limited pool of top-tier candidates. Several years ago, we faced severe challenges in finding and landing software designers with the UI/UX development skills necessary to meet our clients’ needs.
Engineers, Thank Your Mothers
In truth, the headline on this blog could have read: Engineers, Thank Your Fathers. But it’s not Father’s Day this coming weekend; it’s Mother’s Day. And, in full disclosure, as you might have deduced by my photo and byline, I’m not a dad, but a mom. We have two young boys in our family, a toddler and a kindergarten. The kindergartner did basic addition and subtraction before he could talk. The toddler’s idea of playing with toy trucks is to take them apart and reassemble them.
An Act of Congress to Bolster Cybersecurity
The time may have come for a Consumer Reports style rating system that can identify the security level of connected devices and services. Industry experts and federal agencies such as NSA, NASA ,and NIST have repeatedly pushed for standardization on the bare essentials of cybersecurity. A new bill heading to Congress may address the problem. Senator Edward J.
Protect Your Smarts, Build a Smart Motorcycle Helmet
Wearing a motorcycle helmet is a great idea. But a helmet could be so much more. Matt Kopper, Karl Akerberg, and Valerie Cochrane, three students at Colorado State have improved on the typical motorcycle helmet design with a handful of 'smart' features. To allow better airflow to the wearer the helmet incorporates an LED touchscreen, mounted in the chin, that is connected to two servomotors that allow the wear to control the visor. The screen can also be used to display road maps.
IBM Watson Helps Create Sculpture Inspired by Gaudi
Watson is already very good at recognizing images . Drop in an image of a building and it will tell you the type of building and even what materials it's likely made of. But New York City-based design studio SOFTlab wanted to know if Watson could do more than just recognize art. Could Watson help create it? It turns out it can. IBM is calling it the first “thinking sculpture” – an art piece that helped pick its own materials, shapes, and colors.
Innovation Challenge Winners Announced at ARM TechCon 2016
The Innovation Challenge Awards had one run-away winner this year at ARM TechCon . Of the six awards presented in Santa Clara, Calif. today, one company’s products impressed the judges and our readers enough that they walked away with – or more accurately, will be mailed – four of the awards. The Innovation Challenge seeks to highlight the most innovative ARM embedded system products developed between Oct. 1, 2015 and Oct. 1, 2016.
Smart Technology Is Replacing the Knowledgeable Baby Boomer
Intelligent plant equipment is becoming easier to deploy and run. Much of these new manufacturing tools require little programming or lengthy integration. Much of it is plug-and-play equipment with open communication standards and configurable tools. These smart systems are stepping in to replace the retiring knowledgeable Baby Boomer plant engineer. This topic and other advances in plant technology will be explored at the Design and Manufacturing conference in Minneapolis next week.
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