engineering

Dec 12, 2014

NC State Innovation Lights Amsterdam’s Rainbow Station

NC State technology helps an artist create a vibrant image in Amsterdam's Central train station. Discover the science behind the magical Rainbow Station. 

Dec 11, 2014

Stacking Two-Dimensional Materials May Lower Cost of Semiconductor Devices

Researchers have found that stacking materials that are only one atom thick can create semiconductor junctions that transfer charge efficiently, regardless of whether the crystalline structure of the materials is mismatched – lowering the manufacturing cost for a wide variety of semiconductor devices such as solar cells, lasers and LEDs. 

Dec 10, 2014

New ‘High-Entropy’ Alloy Is As Light As Aluminum, As Strong as Titanium Alloys

Researchers from North Carolina State University and Qatar University have developed a new “high-entropy” metal alloy that has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than any other existing metal material. 

Dec 9, 2014

Moving Toward a Cheaper, Better Catalyst for Hydrogen Production

Hydrogen could be an important source of clean energy, and the cleanest way to produce hydrogen gas is to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. But the catalyst currently used to facilitate this water-splitting reaction is platinum. And that’s a problem. 

Dec 8, 2014

Nanoparticle Allows Low-Cost Creation of 3-D Nanostructures

Researchers have developed a new lithography technique that uses nanoscale spheres to create 3-D structures with biomedical, electronic and photonic applications. 

Dec 1, 2014

Q&A on Review and Revision of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Ozone

Here are answers to some questions about the recent announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding a proposed revision to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone from Dr. H. Christopher Frey, Distinguished University Professor at North Carolina State University and chair of the EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee. 

Nov 24, 2014

First-Year Class Boasts Highest Percentage of Female Engineers

NC State’s 2014 first-year engineering class includes the highest percentage of female students in university history. A change in focus and a series of programs help draw those students and support their studies. 

Nov 21, 2014

Researchers Study Impact of Power Prosthetic Failures on Amputees

Powered lower limb prosthetics hold promise for improving the mobility of amputees, but errors in the technology may also cause some users to stumble or fall. New research examines exactly what happens when these technologies fail, with the goal of developing a new generation of more robust powered prostheses. 

Nov 20, 2014

New Technique Allows Ultrasound To Penetrate Bone, Metal

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a technique that allows ultrasound to penetrate bone or metal, using customized structures that offset the distortion usually caused by these so-called “aberrating layers.” 

Nov 13, 2014

Researchers Find New Way to Move Atomically Thin Semiconductors for Use in Extremely Flexible Devices

Researchers have developed a new way to transfer thin semiconductor films, which are only one atom thick, onto arbitrary substrates, paving the way for flexible computing or photonic devices. 

Nov 10, 2014

Cancer-Killing Nanodaisies

NC State research has yielded a potential new weapon in the fight against cancer: a daisy-shaped drug carrier that’s many thousands of times smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. 

Nov 6, 2014

Cockroach Cyborgs Use Microphones to Detect, Trace Sounds

NC State researchers have developed technology that allows cyborg cockroaches, or biobots, to pick up sounds with small microphones and seek out the source of the sound. The technology is designed to help emergency personnel find and rescue survivors in the aftermath of a disaster. 

Nov 5, 2014

Coins in Space

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Robert Lasson, director of creative services in NC State’s Fitts Industrial and Systems Engineering Department. Using 3D printers, NC State engineers created the official NC State University coin that will be aboard the new Orion spacecraft. An unmanned test flight of the Orion will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force… 

Oct 30, 2014

New Tech Aims to Improve Communication Between Dogs and Humans

NC State researchers have developed a suite of technologies that can be used to enhance communication between dogs and humans, which has applications in everything from search and rescue to service dogs to training our pets. 

Oct 28, 2014

New Technique Uses Bacteria’s Own CRISPR-Cas System to Turn Off Genes

NC State researchers have developed a technique that co-opts an immune system already present in bacteria and archaea to turn off specific genes or sets of genes – creating a powerful tool for future research on genetics and related fields.