Author: European Springs

As the best extension, torsion and flat spring manufacturers in Europe, we like to keep on top of the industry and all that it involves; robots included.

Self-aware Robots

In July we saw the first proof of robots becoming self-aware.  To eliminate any anomalies, three Nao bots were sat side by side. The robots were programmed to believe that two of them had taken a “dubbing pill” which prevented them from speaking while the third had been given a placebo.  

The robots had to find out which of them had been given the “dubbing pill”. When asked the question all three seem to be considering the question. The Nao bot who responds becomes self-aware at the point when it recognises its own voice claiming “Sorry, I know now! I can prove I was not given the dubbing pill.”

The scientists at The Rensselaer Al and Reasoning Lab in New York who carried out the experiment claim this display of logic shows basic self-awareness in robots.

The four young engineers from the UK have been shortlisted by the Royal Academy for its Launchpad Competition. This is a competition that looks to enable a promising engineering entrepreneur between the ages of 16-25, to start their own specialised business, based on their engineering innovation. They aim to help them maximise the chance of it succeeding.

The Talented Four

The four that have been backed by the academy, all have very different innovations. Amanda Campbell (23) has designed a biodegradable tent, George Edwards (19) has developed a system that can be attached to a gas bottle and can send data about the gas consumption, James Roberts (23) has designed an inflatable incubator, whilst Sorin Popa (25) has looked at a medical device to simplify kidney dialysis.

George Edwards has already received backing from Richard Branson for his gas monitoring system, as well as an order for 450,000 units from one of the biggest supermarkets. The medical device that Sorin Popa designed, has already won an award from Innovate UK, as well as a £1m grant to develop the technology with the Imperial College in London.

The Future of Engineering

They have been chosen for their obvious talent, their potential in the business world, and most importantly, the way they can impact society and the rest of the world. A Fellow of the Academy has said that they have seen “ground-breaking ideas from 16-25-year-olds with the potential to save lives, transform the leisure and tourism industry, aid the developing world and lower our carbon footprint.”

The aim is to use the world class mentors and amazing business networks that the Academy has, to help bring the inventions to the market. They want the winner to become a future UK success story!

These four entrepreneurs will now be given all the mentoring and support that they need from the Academy, as well as an opportunity to have access to a network of connections and investors in the business sector.

On the 29th September, all four of them will be asked to pitch their ideas to a panel of investors, as well as members of the Academy and other engineering entrepreneurs. The winner will be given an impressive £15,000 prize, as well as the LC Gammon Award.
We’re excited to hear who the winner is, and to follow these innovations over the next few years. We think that these are going to be some very important breakthroughs in technology!

As leading manufacturers for a whole host of springs, including torsion and disc springs , we love hearing all about advances in technology.

If you are interested in finding out more information about what we do here at European Springs & Pressings LTD, please don’t hesitate to contact us . You can give us a call on +44 208 663 1800 and a member of our team will be happy to help.

European Springs

A team of researchers from the University of Illinois, Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Tokyo have come together to create a new “zippered tube” which can make paper structures strong enough to hold weight, taking inspiration from the paper folding techniques used in Origami.

Miura-Ori
The technique which is used is known as Miura-ori- creating precise zig-zag shapes using strips of paper which are then stuck together to make a tube; two of which were then interlocked, which prompted the researchers to find out that the two tubes connected in this way provided a much stiffer structure which was harder to bend or twist.

This configuration of interlocking tubes has also been reported to work with tubes which incorporate different fold angles, mixing up the geometry and making the structure more adapatable.

Glaucio Paulino, a former professor of civil and environmental engineering who worked on the research state that “The geometry really plays a role,” “We are putting two tubes together in a strange way. What we want is a structure that is flexible and stiff at the same time. This is just paper, but it has tremendous stiffness.”

What's Next?
So, what are the researchers predicting this new technique could be used for?

There has been talk that the technique could be applied to other materials, allowing for even stronger, more flexible structures made from a more durable substance.

Some of them believe that the adaptability and flexibility of the tubes can be the turning point for many different engineered structures, such as:

• Easily assembled emergency shelters
• Bridges
• Rebuilding infrastructures which have been damaged by natural disaster
• Towers
• Furniture
• Microscopic Robots

We think that it's an incredible feat which takes a unique paper art form and turns it into a potentially powerful engineering tool which could revolutionise the way in which future engineering projects are designed.

Evgueni Filipov, an Illinois graduate researcher who worked on the project stated that “Origami became more of an objective for engineering and a science just in the last five years or so,”

“A lot of it was driven by space exploration, to be able to launch structures compactly and deploy them in space. But we're starting to see how it has potential for a lot of different fields of engineering. You could prefabricate something in a factory, ship it compactly and deploy it on site.”

We're excited to hear how this project progresses and where this new technique will be implemented first. As leading torsion spring manufacturers, we love hearing about these unique advances in technology. If you would like to find out more about our innovative spring solutions, don't hesitate to contact us online or by calling  0208 663 1800.

European Springs

So, when we heard about microscopic robot fish, we could hardly wait to share it with you. The big question being, of course, what exactly are these creatures – and why are scientists and engineers creating them?

Well, these tiny little swimmers are being touted as the next invention which could actually change the future of medicine, and they do it by swimming through the blood stream. They're being called fish because – you guessed it – like many things in the engineering world, they've been modelled after nature's fine creations. In fact, the scientists behind the idea tried out manta ray and shark designs before settling on the humble fish.

These medical miracles are incredibly small – in fact, you could fit 16 of them inside a single grain of sand! Being so tiny means that they can slip through the blood stream, delivering much needed medicines across the body. So how do they do it? Well, here's the technical bit: they're powered by magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in the head, with platinum nanoparticles in the tail. This gives control over their swimming speed and direction.

And here's the twist in the tail (pun intended): These fish are made using a 3D printer. This means that their production is both relatively cheap and incredibly fast, and it takes just seconds to create a large number. This means that it's more than just a great idea – it could also be a very practical one!

We're certainly excited, since these robo fish combine two of our favourite things: robotics, and engineering feats which have been inspired by Mother Nature. After all, robotics increasingly seem to represent the future of our world, while taking designs from nature shows the innovation of scientists who are constantly on the lookout for inspiration.

As high quality compression spring manufacturers, and suppliers of many other kinds of springs, we like to keep an eye on the wider world of engineering and bring all of the most interesting news straight to you. While you're waiting for the next great story, feel free to browse our site – we can provide a great variety of springs as well as many other products to help you with your own engineering projects. For more information just get in touch today, online or at 0208 663 1800.

European Springs

On Sunday 30th August, the world gathers together to celebrate the humble Slinky. To celebrate we felt it apt to dedicate a blog to the spring-based toy which has sold over 300 million units in its 70 years on the market, and brought smiles to the face of countless children through its synonymously rainbow hues.

The Birth of the Slinky

Its inventor, Richard Thompson James, left Pennsylvania State University with a degree in mechanical engineering and began work as a naval engineer. Due to America's involvement in World War II, he sought a desk job in a shipyard – where the Slinky was born… accidentally. After knocking over a tin of spare parts he watched a spring step its way down some coincidentally lain books and onto the floor. The Slinky was merely the correct type of steel and appropriate tension away from becoming the toy we know and love today.

Through incorporating a high carbon steel wire of 0.0575 inches in diameter, James was able to get the Slinky to comfortably 'stroll' down his staircase. The law of physics which makes this possible is Hooke's Law which specifies that the restoring force is proportional to that of the displacement – meaning that the potential energy from the spring's downward movement is converted into kinetic energy, thus 'stepping' over itself until it reaches a flat surface.

Further Science

Another fascinating observation which has since been made regarding the Slinky occurs when you hold it from a height and allow the bottom to hang down at full stretch. When you let go of the top, the bottom stays in the same place as opposed to also dropping with the top. Whilst this seems like an unusual phenomenon, it is related to the passing of information.