🚁 Transformer-like flying tank, sexual rejection in female mammals, China's record-breaking cable-laying beast

Plus: Princeton, MIT crack code to intercept underwater spy signals from the air                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 November 26, 2024 | [Read Online]( In Coordination with EINES VISION SYSTEMS [Optimizing Battery Pack Assembly: Artificial Vision in Quality Control & AR for Operator Support]( Join Eines Vision Systems on December 11th for a virtual event showcasing how artificial vision and augmented reality revolutionize EV battery assembly with enhanced quality control, safety, and efficiency. [Register now.]( A hobbyist has created a vehicle that morphs between tank and quadcopter modes at the press of a button. Michael Rechtin’s vehicle transitions from driving to flying via a four-bar linkage system. A retracting linear actuator rotates the wheels and prop guards to a vertical position for flight. The main structure is reinforced with carbon fiber plates, while critical load-bearing parts are made from lightweight carbon fiber nylon for strength and heat resistance. Dive deeper into this [Must-Read.]( 🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on [jobs.interestingengineering.com](: > [VP Access Engineering]( > [Integration Lead Engineer]( Reading Time: 4 mins Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe here.]( MUST-READ 🚁 [Flying tank? Inventor creates real-life Transformers robot with drone tech]( “It took hundreds of 3D-printed parts, countless design tweaks, broken hardware, faulty software, and some questionable choices—but in the end, I built something that actually works,” said [Rechtin](, in a video posted on YouTube. The inspiration for this project came from a desire to combine two earlier creations: an RC car and a [quadcopter](. A quick online search by Rechtin revealed that only a few universities had attempted similar designs, making this a unique challenge that required original thinking. The project began with computer-aided design (CAD) software called [Onshape](. This program allowed the designer to sketch ideas, test linkage systems, and ensure the transformation mechanism would work. 🌊 China’s cable-laying beast dives record 36,089 feet to conquer ocean’s deepest trenches China has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by developing the Haiwei GD11000, the “[world’s first machine]( capable of laying submarine cables at record depths.” The cutting-edge system can deploy cables more than 11,000 meters ([36,089 feet]() below sea level, making it suitable for the Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the ocean in the Mariana Trench, claimed Chinese media reports on Monday. “Haiwei GD11000 could conduct marine scientific research ‘at the [maximum depth]( of all the oceans in the world'” said the chief scientist on the project, Li Wenhua, a professor at the university’s marine engineering college. 🧠 [Neural guards: Markers of sexual rejection discovered in female mammals]( Researchers at the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) have identified a neural circuit in the brain that [governs sexual rejection]( in female mammals, providing key insights into the mechanisms shaping social and reproductive behaviors. The study reveals how a specific population of progesterone-sensitive neurons in the [ventromedial hypothalamus]( (VMH) acts as a switch between acceptance and rejection of mating attempts based on a female’s reproductive state. “Sexual rejection isn’t just the absence of receptivity, it’s an [active behaviour](”, explains Susana Lima, senior author and head of the Neuroethology Lab at CF. Love what you're reading, but too many emails? Sign up to IE+ to get Blueprint Weekly, our exclusive weekly premium newsletter that gives all the insights you love in a more digestible weekly format– plus, enjoy an Ad-Free experience on our website. Try IE+ today for just $1 in the first month. [Subscribe here]( A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR [Over 30% of car production has quality issues. And, that’s a]([grave]([problem.]( Whether driven by human intervention or time pressure, quality issues can cost car manufacturing companies a fortune. This increases the possibility of human errors. But thanks to the advent of Machine Vision and AI, there's a solution. EINES VISION SYSTEMS will hold a webinar on [December 11th]( for exploring the impact of artificial vision and augmented reality (AR) on EV battery pack assembly. Automatic PPE verification, pick-to-light systems, and poka-yoke mechanisms that boost quality assurance and safety will aslo be covered in this session. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how these technologies are revolutionizing EV battery production with smarter, error-free workflows! [Register now]( for the webinar today! HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY SCIENCE > Earth’s celestial companion is leaving. Well, not its natural satellite, but a temporary mini-moon captured by Earth’s gravity is escaping its orbit. ([More]() > Heart-shaped marine mollusks have evolved a unique adaptation to harness sunlight. Compared to its clam cousins, the heart cockle doesn’t need to open wide to bask in the sun. It has a clever trick up its shell: tiny, “transparent windows.” ([More]() > An international team of researchers has discovered a new fossil worm lizard species in Tunisia. Terastiodontosaurus marcelosanchezi is the largest known species of the Amphisbaenia group, with a skull length of over five centimeters. ([More]() ENERGY > Rum and Sargassum, a startup in Barbados in the Caribbean islands, is turning rum waste from distilleries and seaweed washed off onto the shores to produce bio-compressed natural gas to fuel cars. ([More]() > At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, engineers have found a novel way to store energy using an additive-based tech. ([More]() > The planned reopening of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant is praised as a boon for Pennsylvania and a boost for AI, but it is loathed by residents still haunted by a near-catastrophic meltdown there in 1979. ([More]() INNOVATION > Researchers from Princeton and MIT have found a way to intercept underwater messages from the air, overturning long-held assumptions about the security of underwater transmissions. ([More]() > Collaborative Robotics (Cobot), founded by the team behind the scaling of Amazon Robotics to over 500,000 units, has unveiled Proxie, a new, versatile mobile robot. Cobot’s Proxie, with its high adaptability and sleek, functional design, is designed to tackle complex material handling challenges. ([More]() > University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have found a way to simultaneously mitigate three types of defects in parts produced using a prominent additive manufacturing technique called laser powder bed fusion. ([More]() VIDEO > Cheryl Mehrkar was the recipient of the world's first fully robotic double lung transplant on 22 October at NYU Langone Health Center in Manhattan. ([More]() > How an Arctic archipelago is moving towards clean energy ([More]() FROM THE WEB > Isaac Newton’s wealth ‘intimately connected’ with slavery, author [says]( > New parents in Paris could be offered anti-pollution baby '[gift bags](' > Ancient clay cylinders reveal what may be world's oldest alphabetic [writing]( > Scientists decode when and how kissing evolved in humans – and it’s [gross]( > 'She turns her siphon into a gun': Watch coconut octopus firing stones at fish in world-1st [footage]( > Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient [Maya]( Additional Reads --------------------------------------------------------------- [⚙️ Mechanical:](Explore the wonders of mechanical engineering. [🛩️ Aerospace:]( The latest on propulsion, satellites, aeronautics, and more. [🧑🏻‍🔧 Engineer Pros:]( The latest in engineering news, career updates, and insider knowledge. [🧠AI Logs:]( Insights into the intricacies and developments within the realm of artificial intelligence. [🎬 IE Originals:](Weekly round-up of our best science, tech & engineering videos. [🟩 Sustainability:]( Uncover green innovations and the latest trends shaping a sustainable future for the tech industry. [⚡Electrical:]( From AI to smart grids, our newsletter energizes you on emerging tech. [🎓 IE Academy:]( Master your field and take your career to the next level with IE Academy --------------------------------------------------------------- Want to share your feedback? [contact@interestingengineering.com](mailto:contact@interestingengineering.com?subject=User%20feedback%20for%20the%20Blueprint) --------------------------------------------------------------- //link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/u001.K6ndGU8d_KOkj4UfGsJPEcktYIaxSR7SdCQbODD_GYGnsx9za6C1sEpqYvc81lIl4tfEpOmm8xUuBEuIh5zJrlfb1rsr5ND63XCkm8kVGSM8t1uZRVycYZUIEwgtjnu7Nnj-cx5JwttVGvCCDyvISTcMFpp64URT7I1oXLjx4LR6_kEP2btJz_msY9kdJ3mvnuCZeuaguiPg37Jt5M-hEJ-bd0fw-WRdOkUk-6v2ZArUe5H_iaHuHOQ5jRkwzTw8W9tRUJ9onxYxk50IkrjJFDd6Z4sXgPvWN8T3BerJDUMCI-p65wktr4R43NDjHDuAsPize-TixnJEQgLNVJ9jROSRMbosErpzm7ZltH68L4b3cxI40eEOQaOvJXDzhV9o/4bs/1tJn9iNzRiGWB27KAAYscg/h54/h001.WCBPfwlGu450OPwebV-fEOqaEkYXfKVT_hqgmcvel-s//link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/u001.O7cX42TEUwaVzaXjvY3lIBaVSA5HCDbqRL0r1mrSAZjXlQfx3AeIAMCqNceFzEl_q_WARK627ZB44CnqOlm3oTZ0yZKe8JXrMhFD-jMzqqvjp4J32PN1uuhmS8YPt7FAcRddKkfA6zrJyQ_MwUm_CqOGzEkHKMYvXHm84i52ZFyWAZ0Gxtx6nPhbbGE958XYlPSwqWjZOdDF1r_u83rClVlDf3_Tq045N3U4q6JaKnZbl-IdVVxlrOwAKmass47zqr5x5U_r-3csfMqsznA4jJ4OTdIVM81m4yBvKx2eOc9QIniH1DTTLkbvHGmTVhBXwQSvdRjL-8kLLyarmwwPtfa5nOYYeonX3sVa_QpvF6msY_k6VNOJO2gqEohVWwSz/4bs/1tJn9iNzRiGWB27KAAYscg/h56/h001.wpW6qwaXvo71IZY6DT08cDcKftXaR42DOCRLyRUtJko//link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/u001.lXP8MAk3H8kfS_nzsfeb6jWgiQY_x4ZXj58uyQyAyaI0CN1hGvPpnFTKRJASHsrgFRI6zYgMz7Ggye5P1topNMUNMsuuY4b3iLyuTPdFF6tfIApB3BuuNjln4raz9DTCy24HAAf2yxwlbJcZRxeP2bQGI8xrXbjZe2TzbREzGLSFWsRYMjg2IThLAJ_Fjw0MQeGSRjoYxW6j9s44Nux3OARfE30t7c2iJy9QL0sSRB9LlhYJ5Pi243uec1Fz_YP3xnJdPLmwnBLhVapkIQNhg2w0wJO3HSrsYxyNgdxFAmVmAY9b4iFTbRN-Yv1lZYiBggWgo2D6vTv7eYN27mDqcpAn0AalCZk1czXD8_83V_O3DWCYXM7TQ_3K0cnI4KIk/4bs/1tJn9iNzRiGWB27KAAYscg/h58/h001.0f3rzkQmT0Ti46rmLPBwYXv4H9_veaMsYCnZMnG09kk Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here]( © 2024 The Blueprint 530 5th Ave New York, New York 10036, United States of America [Terms of Service](