Articles
Useful apps
When you’re out and about and need to do some quick engineering calculations, throw away your pen, paper and calculator and arm yourself with Autodesk ForceEffect instead. This slick and intuitive tech tool can simulate design concepts on your phone or tablet, whether you’re in the field or the office.
Ideal for static system analysis using free body diagrams, it carries out simulation and engineering calculations in real time, to determine the viability of a design. To begin, all you have to do is capture an image with your phone and upload it to the app. You can also save and upload files from Autodesk 360. The app will then automatically generate feedback on the simulation performance, laying the data over the image you uploaded. It also generates a detailed results report, which can be saved or exported via email in industry-standard formats such as DXF files.
The app enables freehand sketching of elements and construction lines with snaps, constraints and inferencing. All you need to do is click objects to select and then move, rotate and scale. This function also allows you to create joints, loads and fixed, grounded and sliding supports as well as toggle forces to show force vector components.
ForceEffect is a nifty app that will be a great addition to your virtual toolbelt. Download for free at the GooglePlay store.
Perfect podcasts
LASER is a science and engineering podcast with a “materials science perspective” from a group of mostly materials science and physics graduates who meet to discuss popular science and engineering news articles, recently published peer-reviewed literature and key topics affecting the fields. Presented in a casual, unscripted fashion, the LASER podcast crew describe their approach as a “journal club” style, in which a group meet to critically evaluate recent articles in academic literature. While meandering at times, and perhaps aimed slightly more at a student audience, it is an interesting listen, and will make you want to join in the free-ranging discussion yourself. Recent topics have included “Better coffee through chemistry” and “3D-printed liquid metal microstructures”. Episodes are released fortnightly, and can be found on RSS and Apple iTunes.
Watch and learn
Amid the hundreds of “funniest cats ever” video compilations, there are some truly interesting and inspiring YouTube channels out there that deserve your time and attention. A great offering is science and engineering video channel Veritasium, presented by Derek Muller. He aims to reveal the amazing answers to some of life’s simplest questions, ranging from “what is a candle flame really made of?” to “where do trees get their mass from?” Don’t be fooled by the seemingly basic questions – the science that is explored is complex and utterly fascinating. Muller delivers a new video each week, complete with experiments, expert interviews, demos and discussions with the public.