Engineering eye - November 2016

News, rumours and gossip from the world of engineering

Researchers from the University of Tokyo have built a robot that can sweat. Why? Well, its ability to recreate the way in which humans keep cool has meant it can do intense tasks – push-ups, in this case – that would previously have risked burning out its motors. The robot, called Kengoro, was created out of a 3D-printed aluminium frame. Grooves in the frame make it less dense, so water can pass through. The water fills the porous material, where it evaporates to cool the robot’s parts. Let’s hope the next invention is robot deodorant.

Shell has employed ‘celebrity’ songsters in a music video to promote its commitment to green energy. The pop-tactic cast – including Pixie Lott, Jennifer Hudson and Luan Santana – strut around animations of Shell’s green technologies while singing an annoyingly catchy tune about it being the best day of their lives. While this may seem a cringe-worthy attempt to appeal to the younger generation, comments under the YouTube video suggest the tune is so good that viewers don’t care what the advert is for – a result that could well be seen as a success for the PR campaign.

BMW Motorrad has made bold claims for its latest concept motorbike, calling it “crash-proof”.  The Vision Next 100 features “self-balancing” technology and a triangular Flexframe that holds the bike together. It is so safe, says BMW, that the rider wouldn’t even need a helmet. Sadly, for any daredevil readers looking to test these claims, the bike is not set to become a reality for many years.

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