Electrical Engineering

Two driverless and solar power vans have departed from Italy on their way to China via the silk road. During the 13,000 kM trip the vans will drive themselves on standard roads. The hope is that this will help to prove the viability of using current technology to enable autonomous vehicles on public roads.

I've noticed that sometimes there is confusion between LSF and LSZH cable sheaths and what the differences are. In essence the difference is that both give lower smoke and fumes compared to PVC and in addition LSZH emits no halogens. I have started a Wiki page going into a little more detail at:

Before the technical, some general information. E-ink display are found in a lot of e-readers, some mobile phones and similar devices and the intent is to provide a reading experience closer to that of ink on paper than conventional LCD displays deliver. E-ink screens are not backlit and require light falling on them in the same was as reading a book does; reducing eye strain during long reading sessions. An e-ink page is also persistent (does not need power to maintain the text) and power is only required for changing text on the page. The persistent nature of the pages leads to longer times between charging.

The IET site has a video of a visit showing of a high tech meeting room developed at Napier University in Edinburgh. It a good demonstration of innovative use of technology, genuinely interesting to watch.

Manual Motor Starter (MMS) are used to start and then protect motors during operation. The latest ABB Consultants newsletter looks at these types of starters. Some of the advantages given by ABB for their starters over more convention manual and/or fused starters included ...

These lifts were first built in 1884 by J. E. Hall and called a paternoster ("Our Father", the first two words of the Lord's Prayer in Latin) due to its resemblance of a loop of rosary beads. The are not built anymore, apparently due to safety concerns (have to say I was always slightly worried about somehow becoming squashed).

One of the features of our forums is the ability to search for 'Unanswered Posts'. I use this every now and again if I have some free time and want to add a bit to the forums. For any technical experts, gurus or electrical boffins out there who don't need to ask questions - answering them can be rewarding.

Battery powered cars are a hot topic and widely debated. The pros, cons, issues and time frames can be talked about endlessly. An article by the Telegraph looks at some of the issues in an A to Z format: