It seems that the unifying characteristic that defines engineers across the board is: problem solving. No matter what particular field of focus or technical expertise, whether it is design, drawings, manufacturing, production or maintenance, an engineer will typically be the go-to problem solver.
So, when a panel of experts compiles a list of Engineering's Grand Challenges, it is a way for society as a whole to call on engineers to solve the greatest problems of our time. Although, in this sense, these engineers, or technological architects, will include inventors, researchers, high school students, hackers and just about anybody that is willing to learn, think up novel solutions and work ideas into real, usable products.
One of the popular categories of the Grand Challenges is solar energy. Recent discovery in this field addresses the issue of cleaning solar panels in hot, dusty climates where such technology is likely to be deployed in earnest. Originally developed for use on mars, self-cleaning solar panels uses an alternating electric current on the surface of panels to sweep charged dust particles across the surface. [TR] Ultimately, this sort of rethinking is directly in tune with the goals of the Grand Challenge: innovative solutions.
Sorry, but I could not prevent the video from starting automatically.
The categories for the Grand Challenges are:
Make solar energy economical
Manage the nitrogen cycle
Advance health informatics
Prevent nuclear terror
Advance personalized learning
Provide energy from fusion
Provide access to clean water
Engineer better medicines
Secure cyberspace
Engineer the tools of scientific discovery
Develop carbon sequestration methods
Restore and improve urban infrastructure
Reverse-engineer the brain
Enhance virtual reality
Each of these is discussed in greater detail on the Grand Challenges website. They feature interesting comments, media and links to additional resources. Although the site does not satisfy as a one-stop shop for finding out where the cutting edge research is happening for these fields or how to get involved, it is a great source of inspiration! Find out more at: http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/challenges.aspx.
There are many other avenues beyond the three covered in this series through which you can help engineer a better world. The worst thing to do is nothing. Do some research. Join or organize a team. Register for a project. Or, just spread the word. Thanks for reading!
I recently wrote about the excitement revolving around solar-powered vehicles and autonomous vehicles. Another recent mention of the future of vehicles in the news has been the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE race whose winners were announced on September 16, 2010. The essence of the X PRIZE is unrivaled innovation spurred by competition within small teams. This was indeed the case with the recent winner Very Light Car, a four-passenger vehicle by Edison2 which recorded an impressive 102.5 MPGe (Miles Per Gallon Gasoline equivalent) X Prize
The X PRIZE Foundation is a non-profit organization rooted in the belief that dedicated teams in pursuit of a prize can revolutionize the world and benefit humanity. The idea is that "an X PRIZE incites innovation by tapping into our competitive and entrepreneurial spirits." - http://www.xprize.org/x-prizes/overview . The original X PRIZE, renamed the Ansari X PRIZE, was awarded to Mojave Aerospace Ventures' SpaceShipOne on October 4, 2004 in the amount of US $10 million.
Winning this prize was no easy fit. As described on the website, the winner must launch a spacecraft capable of carrying three (3) passengers to 100km above the Earth's surface and repeat this, within two weeks. SpaceShipOne did just that! Also, by successfully completing this momentous spaceflight without significant government assistance, a new industry of private spaceflight was ignited, flames of which are just now being seen [LAT].
Now, don't be gloom if you missed your shot at the Ansari X PRIZE, there are two other active prizes. Here are all of them so far:
Ansari X PRIZE - $10,000,000 (Won by SpaceShipOne) - Carry 3 people to 100km above the Earth's surface twice within 2 weeks.
Progressive Automotive X PRIZE - $10,000,000 ($5m Won by Very Light Car) - 100MPGe production-capable car that is also safe, affordable and desirable for consumers.
Archon Genomics X PRIZE - $10,000,000 - Sequence 100 human genomes in 10 days for less than $10k per genome.
Google Lunar X PRIZE - $30,000,000 - Safely land a robot on the moon which subsequently travels 500m on the lunar surface while sending images and data back to Earth. Hurry, deadline for registration is December 31, 2010!
There are also several other X Prizes coming down the pipeline, so keep a look out and start getting your team ready today. Learn more about future X Prizes here: http://www.xprize.org/future-x-prizes.
If the humanitarian aspect is more in tune with your aspirations, then the United Nations' Millenium Development Goals might be your niche. Otherwise, if you're looking to innovate on the very leading edge of engineering and technology in almost all aspects of society, take a look at the Grand Challenges for Engineering as compiled by the National Academy of Engineering. These Grand Challenges comprise the greatest impedances to social advancement at the time when the panel of experts was convened to compile the resource. They serve as a benchmark for the leading edge in technology and the trailing edge in social development producing an inspirational perspective of how far we've come, yet how much more we are facing right now. It is a call to action for engineers and all other members of society, sitting idly by while the world spins is no longer acceptable. It is vital that we contribute our time, talent, education and innovation in whatever ways we can - the Grand Challenges are a good way to start exploring. Click here to continue reading >>
. The General Assembly of the United Nations in New York wrapped up today [AP] with stern rhetoric regarding the need for novel, sustained action beyond rhetoric on the part of delegates. Ultimately though, failed talks on war, nuclear proliferation and the irreverent provocations of Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, are in stark contrast to the only significant take-away from the assembly: reaffirmation ofanti-poverty efforts through the Millennium Development Goals.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) The United Nations convened for the Millennium Summit in September 2000 and committed to a fifteen-year deadline for combating extreme poverty and the myriad preventable health issues facing women and children across the developing world. The Millennium Development Goals are eight (8) definite milestones toward the elimination of such poverty and disease by 2015 and improving the general welfare of the global human society:
End Poverty and Hunger
Universal Education
Gender Equality
Child Health
Maternal Health
Combat HIV/AIDS
Environmental Sustainability
Global Partnership
These are lofty goals indeed, but the UN is an organization steep in such radical idealism, without which, the gloom and hopelessness of reality can not be dispelled. Ultimately though, the MDG's are a challenge to policy-makers, non-profit organizations and citizens of both the developing and the developed world to seriously tackle such monolithic problems with innovation and determination.
Fast forward to this past week, the UN summit manages to secure US $40 billion over the next five years to specifically address the portions of the MDGs regarding Women's and Children's Health. Although the pledged amount alone is not sufficient to solve any of these problems entirely, it is an encouraging reminder of the dedication of the international community to fulfill it's promises to the developing world. To find out more, visit the gateway for the efforts at: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/.
Now, if you're looking for other big ideas on how to improve the state of our world, look no further than the X PRIZE! The X Prizes are a distinct and widely recognizable avenue of innovation and technological development. Click here to continue reading >>
As the much-anticipated Pikes Peak Challenge for the autonomous vehicle by Stanford University approaches, I decided to take a look back at Odin and some research I did on the Victor Tango team and the DARPA urban challenge.
The Challenge
The Defense Advance Research Projects Agency is an arm of USDOD which has been birthplace for some of the greatest developments in technology of the late 20th Century, including the internet! DARPA had the first Grand Challenge in 2004 which featured a 150-mile road race with the most successful competitor reaching 7.38 mi. The second competition, held in 2005 featured a 132-mile off-road race was finished by five competitors and paved way for the Urban Challenge which was held in 2007.
Awesome-O
Last year, for my Introduction to Robotics course, my partner and I were tasked to research an application of robotics of our choice. Being an autonomous vehicle fanatic, I essentially did all the research myself and let him take care of compiling the presentation. After selecting to study the third-place finalist, Odin, I shot an e-mail over to the professor in charge of the project who replied with two papers: one about navigation, the other about driving. I had previously learned a lot about path-following and simple algorithms from our very own autonomous vehicle:
Awesome-O - Our maze-solving robot
However, the two papers that I read exposed me to an impressively familiar combination of hardware and software tools used to produce an hierarchy of functionality that was much more reliable and drove full-scale vehicles.
Odin | Boss
The Victor Tango team of Virginia Tech utilized a slew of LabVIEW and NI software and interfaces to work with the many sensors, controllers and other instruments to achieve autonomy. The navigation paper describes a state machine architecture which identifies objects, sets goals and maneuvers around obstacles to reach a set destination. The following video from Wired provides an idea of what it takes for the competition champion, Boss (Tartan Racing), although I'm not sure what the flux capacitor is used for. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lULl63ERek0
How can you get a car to drive all by itself?
Basically, the vehicle first receives instructions about where it needs to go and possibly how it should get there. It is also supplied with information regarding where it can or cannot go including some areas where some behaviors are restricted i.e. passing. By utilizing various combinations of instruments (LIDAR, RADAR, Differential GPS, INS, and various Optical Cameras), they are able to create a very accurate model of where the vehicle is and what is in its immediate (and sometimes distant) environment. From there, the software is able to 'make decisions' about how to behave and what exactly to do. Once an action decision is made, it is then carried out usually through drive-by-wire interface to the throttle, steering, shifting, and braking systems. The end result is an autonomous, driverless vehicle which can robustly reach a set destination irregardless of obstacles and the behavior of other vehicles. The whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts:
Commercialization
The Urban Challenge was in 2007 and a lot really has happened since then. Most notable might be the commercial adoption of several autonomous features for parking and accident avoidance in luxury vehicles although this trend began way back in 1999 with the Japanese Nissan Cima. However, these commercial vehicles certainly have their limitations as well:
Shelley to Speed up Pikes Peak!
After winning the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge with Stanley and placing second in the 2007 Urban Challenge with Junior, the Stanford Racing Team is betting against all the odds and limitations to brave the arduous Pikes Peak race next month (September 2010) with Shelley, an Audi TTS, named after "Michèle Mouton, the first female driver to win the uphill climb." - http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/february1/shelley-pikes-peak-020310.html
"Unlike Stanley and Junior, who sense the road with radars and cameras, Shelley will follow a GPS trail from start to finish. The trick will be to stay on the road at race speeds while sliding around the corners."
Although the vehicle is not quite as autonomous as its predecessor, it is facing a daunting challenge and intends on doing so at ridiculous speeds. "If anything goes wrong on the summit, someone on the team can flip the "kill switch," Shelley's only remote control feature."
Excitement and Anticipation I can't wait to see this car in action! Nerves are already on edge, media is starting to get excited and it's going to be a true spectacle to behold! If I can, I will try to go see it live. However, I still can't find a source which states the exact date in September that the timed race will be held. Now, if you're like me and can't wait, check out Shelley as she makes final preparations for the race:
Further reading:
Check out the August 12 Scientific American article -
If you would like a copy of the technical Virginia Tech publications, send me a message @fadeyifemi and I will connect you to my source.
Thanks for reading, hope this contributed a little to your Engineering Genius. Interested in more tech news, check out the T3CH H3LP blog I came across a little while back.
Not a well-refined exploration this week but a series of fascinating YouTube videos of psychology experiments including the famous Milgram and Zimbardo experiments.
Selective attention test:
Elevators and conformity - funny:
The Asch Experiment - conformity and social psychology:
Highly controversial Milgram Experiment:
Famous Stanford Prison Experiment:
My brother and I had a lengthy discussion about all sorts of experiments that we'd heard about then we looked a few up on YouTube. I see these as reminders of the importance of strong ethical values and the need to uphold these values. It is sobering to think of how working within strictly defined boundaries can have such a powerful effect on all of us.
On a separate note, here's a short poem I wrote for a friend of mine:
Like a greedy angel, I fall from the heavens,
down, down to the ground.
I am never afraid,
I never even make a sound.
But if you try to save me,
if even for a moment you hold,
I will fall apart and lose my lonely beauty,
because my heart is cold.
So, as promised last week, this is also a riddle: What am I?
After completely laying waste to the grip gear-shift and both tires on my brother's bike, I made repeated promises that I would fix it, if I just had the right Allen wrench [hex key] to open the gear-shift. And if I couldn't fix it, I would run down to a bike shop and have it repaired.
So, the real kick-in-the-pants motivation to get this done came when my mom asked me to fix the kitchen garbage disposal. After emptying the disposal and resetting the power supply, I realized the allen wrench set is exactly what I was waiting for to fix the bike. So off I was, on a mission with a tool, to take the main gear-shift apart - I felt at one with the universe, and everything would work out. No kidding, this moment really was zen-like.
I pull the gear-shift off the handle bar, tension the gear-shift cable and poke around the pieces of plastic inside the case. After some fiddling, I find the plastic shift-ratchet piece has been popped loose (by my gnarly handling while riding).
Long story short, I move the shift-ratchet back, return the gear-shift and the handle-bar grip to their rightful places then replace both tire inner tubes (after a quick trip to Wal-Mart). The bike is FIXED! So I take my brother's renewed Schwinn out for a test run towards DIA, but on my way back: POP! The rear tire is flat again. Now sad, annoyed and defeated, I walk the bike home and fix up the rear tire with another inner tube. My earlier enthusiasm and inner peace are displaced by disappointment and extremely sore knees. What a blow!
When I have the right tools, solving a problem becomes a joyous, exciting undertaking. But when I don't have the right tool, and the problem continually repeats itself, I get overwhelmed, disappointed and annoyed.
Lesson learned: before getting annoyed with a problem, take a good look at the tools you have access to. Now I'm looking for a more permanent prevention for flat tires - slime is mostly ineffective, so I need another tool. Any suggestions?
Have some free time? Probably not. But anyway, below is an interesting cipher puzzle I found at the library. I'll post my answer later (Not sure if it's the right answer).
