Engineering eye - July 2016

News, rumours and gossip from the world of engineering

While the use of virtual-reality headsets is beginning to take hold in engineering, the idea is also taking root in courtrooms for a much more gruesome application. In a project being tested by Staffordshire University, jurors will be “transported to crime scenes” using screens and the latest headsets. The university is also experimenting with laser scanning and drones to record crime scenes in greater detail. Jury duty may never be the same again.

What do Formula One and salmon fishing have in common? No, it’s not the start of a dodgy joke but the result of work carried out by engineer Gary Savage and champion angler Scott Mackenzie to create what they claim is the world’s first graphene fishing rod. Savage took his design knowledge from working on Nasa space shuttles and racing cars to create what he says is “the best fly rod ever made”. Said to be “casting a shadow” over the industry, the £1,000 graphene rod is able to flex deeply at the beginning of a cast but straightens quickly and powerfully to give users a greater distance, while still retaining the feel and control of a traditional rod.

Robots could have many positive uses – from cleaning the oceans to caring for the elderly. But what about improving your badminton serve? Thanks to students in China, this vital service to humanity can be provided by their Robomintoner – a robot that can play competitive badminton. But Eye does wonder whether its use of two rackets doesn’t give it a slight competitive advantage…

•If you have any rumours or gossip, email pe@caspianmedia.com