Say ‘Ahhhh’ – imagine your doctor monitoring a health condition from afar or emergency responders receiving real-time alerts that could save a life. A new smart sensor is taking the ouch out of wound monitoring. By using laser-induced graphene (LIG), a two-dimensional (2D) material, researchers are developing a sensor that could revolutionize the tracking of wound healing and recovery. Doctors could get a much clearer picture of the healing process, identifying issues like inflammation, physical strain or a spike in body temperature early on. "This unique sensor material we've developed has potentially important applications in health care monitoring,” said Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) at Penn State. LIG sensors are self-powered which means they could be especially useful for continuous monitoring in clinical settings or helping detect fires in remote locations.
Source: Materials Research Institute, Penn State
Under the Sea – Mechanical engineers at Carnegie Mellon’s Soft Machines Lab have created a soft robot inspired by the quick and agile brittle starfish, the first mobile and untethered underwater crawling robot. Named after Sponge Bob Square Pants’ sidekick, PATRICK is an AI powered robot which operates without motors so as not to disturb delicate sea life. To make the robot move, the researchers hit it with electric current, causing the wires to heat up past its transition temperature and allowing the limbs to contract and move in different directions. “We want to put the power and the electronics on-board with the robots,” said Ph.D. candidate and PATRICK creator, Zach Patterson. The soft robotic systems which are ideal for tracking the health and quality of water, are biodegradable to eliminate waste and protect the natural environment.
Source: Carnegie Mellon University, School of Engineering
The sky is NOT the limit with engineering – While Blue Origin made the news recently for sending an all women crew to the edge of space, the first Mexican born woman to travel into space is Katya Echazarreta, an electrical engineer originally from Guadalajara, Mexico. Echazarreta was selected for the trip from a pool of 7,000 applicants from more than 100 countries based on her outstanding achievements in the space industry, including five NASA missions. She traveled to space in 2022 aboard Blue Origin’s NS-21 flight as one of Space for Humanity’s citizen astronauts. Echazarreta comes from a family of engineers and works to make space exploration accessible to young kids, teens, women, and other scientists and engineers through Fundación Espacial, a foundation started in Mexico.
Source: Astronomy.com
Margaret Kindling is Senior Program Manager at the SEMI Foundation. She promotes inclusive workplaces via initiatives including Women in Semiconductors, Semiconductor PRIDE and workforce and career development programming at SEMICON West and SEMIEXPO Heartland.
