engineering

Dec 13, 2011

Microneedle Sensors May Allow Real-Time Monitoring Of Body Chemistry

Researchers from North Carolina State University, Sandia National Laboratories, and the University of California, San Diego have developed new technology that uses microneedles to allow doctors to detect real-time chemical changes in the body – and to continuously do so for an extended period of time. 

Dec 6, 2011

Researcher Explains How Santa Delivers Presents in One Night

Don’t believe in Santa Claus? Magic, you say? In fact, science and technology explain how Santa is able to deliver toys to good girls and boys around the world in one night, according to a North Carolina State University researcher. 

Dec 2, 2011

Sense & Sensibility: New Technology To Help Engineers Monitor Bridges

Editor’s Note: This post was guest-written by Nate DeGraff of NC State’s College of Engineering. Nearly four in 10 bridges in North Carolina are labeled “deficient” by the state’s Department of Transportation (NCDOT). That doesn’t mean they’re unsafe — NCDOT has said it would close any bridge that’s too dangerous to travel over – but it… 

Nov 28, 2011

NC State Designs New Handle To Make Lifting Infant Car Seats Safer, Easier

Engineers at North Carolina State University have developed a new handle for infant car seats (ICSs) that makes it easier for parents to lift the seat out of a car – while retaining a firmer grip on the handle – making it less likely that the seat will be dropped. 

Nov 28, 2011

Read This! Book Recommendations For Kids And Armchair Researchers

I think it is important to get the general public – and kids – interested in research. It’s never too late to get grown-ups excited about science. And maybe the child you encourage today will be a future Albert Schweitzer, Marie Curie or Steve Jobs. With the holidays approaching, now’s your chance to go buy… 

Nov 17, 2011

Study Details Links Between Climate, Groundwater Availability – Will Help Water Managers Prepare For Drought

Everyone knows that climate affects our water supply, but new research from North Carolina State University gives scientists and water-resource managers an unprecedented level of detail on how climate and precipitation influence groundwater and surface water levels in the Southeast. 

Nov 15, 2011

A New Solution To An Age-Old Problem: Human Waste

Conventional sewage treatment is not available in many parts of the world, and disposing of human waste can be both difficult  and hazardous in developing nations. So a team of researchers from NC State, with support from Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, are pursuing a new approach to an… 

Nov 15, 2011

NC State Team To Develop Energy Efficient 3-D CPU

Researchers from North Carolina State University are developing a three-dimensional (3D) central processing unit (CPU) – the brains of the computer – with the goal of boosting energy efficiency by 15 to 25 percent. The work is being done under a $1.5 million grant from the Intel Corporation. 

Nov 10, 2011

Self-Assembling Patterns, Powered By Light

Researchers from NC State have developed a simple way to convert two-dimensional patterns into three-dimensional objects using only light. This demonstration video is pretty cool. An overview of the work is available here. The related paper, published in Soft Matter, is available here. 

Nov 9, 2011

NC State, NSF Project To Boost Computer Science Knowledge Through Gaming

North Carolina State University researchers are launching a project to develop a video game that will help improve computer science knowledge in middle school students – and contribute to a better educated workforce in the future. The game, which is being developed under a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, could be used… 

Nov 4, 2011

Want To Study New Kinds Of Wireless Systems? Build Your Own

The idea of wireless mesh networks, which expand the reach of traditional Wi-Fi, is not new. But a lot of fundamental questions still need to be addressed (think design and security). To address those questions, one team of computer science researchers has decided to build their own mesh network – and to share that system… 

Oct 31, 2011

Water Flow: A Picture’s Worth More Than A Thousand Words

 Sometimes a picture can save time and money — and that’s worth more than a thousand words.   From mitigating flood damage to managing water resources during a drought, tracking water flow is important. But tough budget times make maintaining data collection systems more difficult than ever. Researchers may have found a way to ease… 

Oct 27, 2011

Researchers Use New Approach To Overcome Key Hurdle For Next-Generation Superconductors

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new computational approach to improve the utility of superconductive materials for specific design applications – and have used the approach to solve a key research obstacle for the next-generation superconductor material yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO). 

Oct 24, 2011

Research Finds Gallium Nitride is Non-Toxic, Biocompatible – Holds Promise For Biomedical Implants

Researchers from North Carolina State University and Purdue University have shown that the semiconductor material gallium nitride (GaN) is non-toxic and is compatible with human cells – opening the door to the material’s use in a variety of biomedical implant technologies. 

Oct 17, 2011

NC State in Asia

NC State's growing presence in Asia is opening professional, academic and personal opportunities to the university's students, faculty and alumni.