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PRV Engineering > New technology
12 May 2017

Military Technology beyond 2017

Military Technology: Applications of Autonomous Systems

Whether it’s conspiracy theories, Hollywood or reality; there’s certainly no shortage of newsworthy mentions of new military technology being developed. Autonomous systems, for example, is vital to solve many of the most difficult problems we currently face. These include exploring uncharted oceans, deep space, providing aid in emergency situations and probably more applications in the defense industry.

Already we have Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft with Cortana. These systems all operate on autonomous technology and the demand

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6 Feb 2017

Hyperloop pods take to the test track in SpaceX competition

After a year of various design stages the SpaceX Hyperloop competition weekend took place at the end of January.

Hyperloop, the project to revolutionise the future of travel is some way off but the involvement of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk continues to fuel the excitement around the project, keeping it very clearly on the agenda of engineers worldwide. Pods gliding through low pressure tubes delivering people and cargo from A to B at speed and with no turbulence, may seem like something from a sci-fi movie, but with some systems tested last year and more scheduled for this year, that future could become a reality in the next 5 years.

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21 Jan 2017

US Military test UK developed Hoverbike

Vehicles from those old sci fi films are increasingly becoming a reality. Driverless cars, autonomous boats and all sorts of drones are regularly in the news. The latest to hit the headlines is the Hoverbike.

The Hoverbike (which is in fact a quad copter) started life way back in 2014 and was funded by a Kickstarter campaign. Development on the Hoverbike, continued into 2015 and following a test flight of their prototype at the Paris air show, UK company Malloy Aeronautics paired up with American engineering company SURVICE to deliver a Hoverbike for the US Department of Defence.

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23 Dec 2016

Engineering highlights of 2016

As we approach the year end we thought we’d take a look back at some of the new and innovative engineering stories and reports that came out this year.

There were some astounding breakthroughs in the medical and healthcare sectors as well as enhancements in the more run of the mill procedures.

Osseo integration (the practice of using pins to implant directly into the bone) has been in the news throughout the year. Despite many successful surgeries overseas, growth in the use of the procedure has been relatively slow. A UK pilot of the procedure for military personnel who have lost limbs launched in September this year. If successful it is hoped the use of the procedure can be adopted more widely.

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26 Nov 2016

Innovations in the Defence Sector

Innovative engineering developments make for good news and when those developments include medical improvements it makes for even happier headlines. In the defence sector, however, the headlines are sometimes more muted, yet there are massive innovations and developments taking place.

Whatever your personal opinion about budgets and spending in the defence sector, the simple fact is that we need military vehicles and equipment on land, in the sea and in the air and they need to be equipped with up to date, modern technology and materials if they are to do their job. And it’s not just vehicles and equipment that matter. Developments in fabrics and communication methods also help personnel to do their jobs as safely as possible. Some of those innovations, while being piloted for military use, may also have huge benefits in other sectors.

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1 Jul 2016

The advantages of waterjet cutting

There are many advantages of waterjet cutting compared to other methods, but if we had to try and summarise them neatly into a few words we’d say;

The ability to cold cut almost any material in any direction with less waste and a superior finish.

But really that’s not enough of an explanation, so let’s expand a little on that statement and address some of the areas of improvement over more traditional cutting methods.

Omni-directional cutting
Waterjet cutting allows omni-directional cutting – the ability to cut in any direction which gives much greater cutting flexibility. In most cases starting holes are not required as the water jet is able to perforate the material. It is now much easier to cut more complex shapes and designs into all sorts of materials.

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24 Jun 2016

Solar Impulse 2 crossed the Atlantic non stop

Solar Impulse 2 left New York on Monday 20th June and landed in Seville, Spain on 23rd June at 7.30 am. The total flight time was 71 hours and 8 minutes and now means that the aircraft has crossed both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Solar Impulse 2 is attempting the first renewably powered circumnavigation of the globe and is now nearing the end of its 35,000km journey. The trip started in July 2015 and will finish back at the starting point in Abu Dhabi. The immediate next steps are to negotiate a route back to Abu Dhabi via Egypt or Greece.

Solar Impulse 2 has a wingspan of 72m and weighs more than 2 tons. It is powered by more than 17000 solar cells and achieves an average speed of 75 km/h.

Just like the Bloodhound project, the Solar Impulse 2 team are providing an educational platform around their project, giving resources to schools and universities as well as providing opportunities for live hangouts with members of the team.

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3 Jun 2016

Bloodhound inspiring scientists and engineers of the future

At the end of April the Bloodhound Education team, combined with the BBC micro:bit project launched a huge competition for secondary school children; The Model Rocket Car Challenge.

Supported by the army and Microsoft among others, and forming part of the Guinness World record rocket car challenge, school teams are challenged to make foam rocket cars and race them through approved tracks; the aim of course, to be the fastest!

The races are being organised through the network of Bloodhound hubs and will see a series of regional heats that will lead up to a final at the end of June at the Santa Pod Raceway in Northamptonshire. The winners will spend a day watching Bloodhound test runs as well as securing a financial prize for their school.

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27 May 2016

New machinery is an investment not a cost

Developments in engineering and manufacturing are moving on at a pace. Continuing research into materials and their capabilities results in demand for more complex work requirements and those requirements mean more advanced machinery.

Whether you provide one service or many, older outdated machinery may eventually lead to less efficient production and an increase in costs. There probably are some areas of manufacturing that have remained unchanged for years and so the older machinery may well still be able to work effectively, but can it compete with more modern machinery that is more efficient and technically capable? A regular review of the machinery and equipment you use should identify if your business can be improved by investing in new machinery – and it should be seen as an investment, not a cost. Newer more advanced machines may open up markets and opportunities that you previously hadn’t been able to consider, ensuring your businesses longevity.

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16 Apr 2016

Prosthesis connects directly to bone, nerves and muscles

Back in February we were talking about the developments in pharmaceutical engineering which allowed the production of the A-Gear robotic arm. The device was the work of a team of people from 4 universities and was the first prototype of a device that allowed independent operation of the arms for Duchenne muscular dystrophy sufferers. Better mechanics and thinner, more flexible materials allow the wearer to use the supports discreetly underneath clothes and without stigma.

Last month news of further research in the area of pharmaceuticals and prosthesis development hit the headlines with a report on a new prosthesis. One that has been connected directly to bone, nerves and muscles, allowing the patient to have free mobility of the limb.

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