engineering

May 9, 2016

New Techniques Make RFID Tags 25 Percent Smaller

NC State researchers have developed a suite of techniques that allow them to create passive radio-frequency identification tags that are 25 percent smaller – and therefore less expensive. 

May 2, 2016

New Tech Uses Hardware, Software to Train Dogs More Efficiently

NC State researchers have developed and used a customized suite of technologies that allows a computer to train a dog autonomously, with the computer effectively responding to the dog based on the dog’s body language. 

Apr 20, 2016

Model Makes Designing New Antennas Orders of Magnitude Faster

Researchers have developed a model that allows antenna designers to identify efficient configurations for antenna designs in minutes, rather than days. The model is designed to expedite development of next generation “multi-input, multi-ouput” antennas, which allow devices to get more use out of the available bandwidth. 

Apr 20, 2016

In Gaming, Player Behavior Reflects Roles – Even When No Roles Are Given

New research from NC State finds that player behavior in narrative role-playing games (RPGs) reflects specific character roles – even if the game tells players nothing about the character’s role. 

Apr 12, 2016

College of Engineering Hosts 2 Events for North Carolina Science Festival

NC State's College of Engineering will open its doors to anyone with an interest in science and engineering during two events with a focus on nanotechnology, soft matter and microorganisms that thrive in extreme environments. 

Apr 5, 2016

Metal Foam Obliterates Bullets – and That’s Just the Beginning

Composite metal foams are tough enough to turn an armor-piercing bullet into dust on impact. But armor is just the beginning of its potential uses. 

Apr 4, 2016

How Forecasting Water Reclamation Use Can Save Money, Water Resources

A changing climate and recent droughts in the South and West highlight the need to make the most of our limited water resources. One of the tools that can help the U.S. make efficient use of its water supplies is water reclamation – but utilities and water managers have sometimes struggled to deal with public perceptions of reclaimed water. 

Mar 31, 2016

New Tools Allow Rapid ID of CRISPR-Cas System PAMs

CRISPR-Cas systems are widely heralded as a new generation of genetic tools. But development of these tools requires researchers to identify the protospacer-adjacent motifs (PAMs) that unlock each system’s functionality. A new set of techniques expedites PAM identification — and early testing finds that many CRISPR-Cas systems actually have multiple PAMs of varying strength. 

Mar 28, 2016

Metal Foam Protects From Fire and Heat Twice as Well as Plain Metal

Light-weight composite metal foams (CMFs) are significantly more effective at insulating against high heat than the conventional base metals and alloys that they’re made of, such as steel. The CMF is especially promising for use in storing and transporting nuclear material, hazardous materials, explosives and other heat-sensitive materials, as well as for space exploration. 

Mar 24, 2016

Microneedle Patch Delivers Localized Cancer Immunotherapy to Melanoma

Biomedical engineers have developed a technique that uses a patch embedded with microneedles to deliver cancer immunotherapy treatment directly to the site of melanoma skin cancer. 

Mar 24, 2016

Engineering a Better Necklace

Four engineering students have stopped looking for the perfect “statement” necklace, deciding to design their own – and to launch a company to make the jewelry available to everyone. 

Mar 18, 2016

Recreating the Web of Blood Vessels That Keep Human Tissue Alive

For years, one of the largest obstacles facing the field of regenerative medicine was the need to create a circulatory system to support new tissues and organs as they grew. Now two researchers are being recognized for creating technology to make the customized blood vessels necessary to support tissue generation. 

Mar 14, 2016

Engineering Researchers Help NASA Learn More From the Stars

Telescopes created in the Precision Engineering Consortium (PEC) in NC State’s College of Engineering will help NASA scientists gain a better understanding of the process by which dense regions within molecular clouds in interstellar space, referred to as stellar nurseries, collapse to form stars. The region of interest is stars that are 2,500 light years away from the earth – meaning the light reaching the telescope left the star 2,500 years ago. 

Mar 11, 2016

Gu Receives Funding for Glucose-Responsive Smart Insulin Patches

The funding will help Gu develop glucose responsive insulin patches in order to help those suffering from Type 1 diabetes. 

Mar 4, 2016

Study Sheds New Light on Post-Operative Bleeding in Newborns

A new study finds significant differences between the blood clot structure in adults and newborns, helping researchers better understand the challenges in addressing post-operative bleeding in neonatal patients. The researchers also found that the current standard of care for treating post-operative bleeding may pose an increased risk of thrombosis in newborns compared to adults, which researchers hadn’t suspected.