#academic technology

When it comes to fuel efficiency, the number one guaranteed method is reducing those resistant forces preventing your forward momentum. In the case of most motorists, this force is commonly known as wind resistance. Despite our inclination towards streamlined vehicle designs over the last several decades, there are still several pockets of drag force that are simply unavoidable if we are to keep the current mass and shape of our large trucks.

Plasma Stream Offers A Frictionless Ride

In response to this problem, The University of Notre Dame has developed Plasma Stream, an air flow control system that utilizes plasma actuators in order to maximize fuel efficiency. This new system is capable of controlling airflow around the vehicle and provides a separation between the body mass of the truck and the surrounding air, minimizing the drag force significantly. Independent of the truck’s actual body shape, Plasma Stream has the very real potential to reduce fuel costs drastically by improving efficiency and lessening horsepower requirements.

The Titan Brick is a revolutionary eco-friendly building material. Developed in partnership with the University of Florida: School of Design, Construction, & Planning (Est. 1925), the Titan Brick technology brings our advanced understanding of molecular compounds to the build site. Thanks to our brilliant engineers, we have developed a way to manufacture the common brick using less energy and implementing common, cost-efficient raw materials.

Fewer Materials, Stronger Results

What is so extraordinary about this design is that even though it is comprised of 90% dirt, it is 2 1/2 times stronger than traditional concrete blocks. Tested and confirmed by LEED Home Provider and the U.S. Department of Energy, the Titan Brick has shown itself to be a more durable option against natural disasters, pests, house fires, mold, and noisy neighbors. Not to mention that the Titan Brick does the work of framing a house as well, making the number of construction supplies needed as well as the time to construct a house with the Titan Brick faster and more affordable.

When it comes to insects, it seems as though they like to eat everything that we do (and some things that we don’t). So often times, when trying to exterminate them from our residence, we have to resort to putting harmful toxic chemicals around all of our food and lower entryways. Although it seems rather obvious not to mix the two, having these pesticides so close to our food and in areas where family members who spend time closer to the areas where insects like to congregate such as small children and pets, it becomes more likely that these harmful chemicals will end up hurting them as well as the insects.

Introducing BioLogic Insecticide

This is where BioLogic Insecticide comes into play. BioLogic uses an FDA approved, all natural, low-cost edible substance and weaponizes it against insects. The best part about it is that because it is an edible substance, it does not harm humans or animals, making it the perfect bug-only toxin to place around the interior of your house.

The Internet as we know it is merely a giant conglomeration of servers communicating to one another through strands and strands of fiber optic cables. While we don’t often think about them unless they are down, the energy that servers use plus the cost of their upkeep can be quite substantial. 

Server Dome has designed an unmanned, virtually maintenance-free, self-sustained data center with little to no energy footprint to meet the demands of today’s growing data collection and analysis needs. The geodesic dome provides structural integrity to the outside, while the interior layout eliminates most mechanical requirements. Overall, these two features combine to reduce the cost of systems management by an astounding eighty percent.

Today’s occupancy sensors rely on motion or sound to detect whether or not a person or object is in the room. This method, however, is prone to providing false positives and negatives and is not a reliable way of sensing a number of people in an enclosed space. 

Recently, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory have introduced a way of using computer imaging software to analyze actual visual evidence taken of the surrounding area in order to determine occupancy. Unlike previous attempts at improving this sensor technology, the visual analyzation software doesn’t add excess strain on the sensor’s battery, nor does it have a have an unreasonably limited range.

Delays from weather problems and unexpected maintenance issues are so common these days, that we consider it a stroke of good luck when our plane actually taxis out of the terminal on time. In fact, travel guides will often suggest that you leave a bit of wiggle room between your connections for just such an eventuality. But what if delays were no longer the norm?

Better Software For Faster Maintenance Analysis

Currently in development, the Predictive Aviation Analytics intelligent software is designed to help airlines avoid catastrophic crashes and imminent breakdowns. Featuring next generation disruptive technology, it immediately collects all in-flight sensor data plus Flight Data Recorder (FDR) information and analyzes all data “post-flight.” By tracking the plane’s condition this software not only saves passenger lives, it improves airplane performance and helps maintain on-time schedules while avoiding aircraft electronic failures that cause flight delays, diverts, and flight cancellations.  

Intelligent Software Learns With Experience

Students and instructors share the complex challenge of managing the elements of multiple courses simultaneously.

Solutions to that daunting task just became more reliable and perhaps easier with the Learn@OregonState ecosystem and website—http://learn.oregonstate.edu.

The power of this concept flows from the unification of OSU’s teaching and learning technologies to provide seamless access and…

Nice overview of Webmaker tools (and related assignments) on Academic Technology blog from the College of William & Mary.