Covering Scientific & Technical AI | Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Iowa State Cuts Ribbon for Critical Materials Institute
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/rareearthmaterials.jpg" alt="" width="95" height="62" border="0" />After a nine-month wait, the U.S. Department of Energy’s new Critical Materials Institute (CMI) has opened its doors at Iowa State following a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Over the coming years the new research center is expected to help develop solutions to address domestic shortages of rare earth metals ... Full article
GE Co-Pilots Brazil’s Mission for Clear Skies
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/734px-Corcovado_statue01_2005-03-14.jpg" alt="" width="95" height="78" border="0" />With around 200 million people currently residing in Brazil, it’s no surprise that the airports are crowded. Not only are many of Brazil’s cities popular tourist destinations, but with the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic games being held there as well, the airports are going ... Full article
Inside Berkeley Lab’s Search for Better Batteries
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/EV.jpg" alt="" width="95" height="55" border="0" />As we look to develop the car of the future, it’s clear that electric vehicles are the automobiles to beat, but the one thing that’s holding us back on the quest to go electric is batteries - too often they store too little power, and pack too ... Full article
Intern Creates Slick 3D Printer Concept
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/xeos-08-660x440.jpg" alt="" width="95" height="63" border="0" />Many interns are known as “gophers” because their job description requires them to do little more than “go for” items. But while some were scurrying around offices fetching papers or coffee for the higher-ups, one intern took a leap outside of the norm to contribute not just ... Full article
Buckle Up, Mercedes and Nokia Ally for Autonomous Vehicles
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/images-9.jpeg" alt="" width="95" height="71" border="0" />Unless you’re a fan of sitting in traffic or colliding with other vehicles, then the city streets of the future will be a breath of fresh air. With computers guiding self-driving vehicles, congestion, fender benders, and even the threatening risk of high-speed collisions could be a foggy ... Full article
Changes Big and Small Come in SolidWorks 2014
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/1-_Style_Spline_NEW.png" alt="" width="95" height="53" border="0" />When a PLM provider touts some 2.1 million users worldwide, the motto that naturally follows is, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So as Dassault Systèmes releases the 2014 version of SolidWorks, the question of how dramatic the changes will be is on the minds of ... Full article
Robots to Flex New-found Muscles
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/490px-Arm_muscles_front_superficial.png" alt="" width="78" height="95" border="0" />The thought of robots interacting with humans is no longer a blurry vision of the future. While the lighthearted portrayal of R2D2 or Wall-E are still a far cry from what we see with industrial robots, the trend shows an important shift in public perception. Still, small, ... Full article
Elon Musk Models Rocket with Hand Gestures
Elon Musk, the man behind Tesla and SpaceX, is at it once again. He has just recently released a video about a new system that is sure to leave Star Wars fans and technology junkies alike in awe. Like a Jedi using “the force,” a user of the system will be able to move 3D ... Full article
A Glimpse into Aircraft Assembly Lines
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/a400m.png" alt="" width="95" height="60" border="0" />The design and the industrialization of aircraft is a complex process. To give an idea the number of parts (excluding standard elements) used in an aircraft like the Airbus A400M exceeds the 500,000. The parts are assembled into aerostructures and major components, which are designed and manufactured ... Full article
Could Simulations Have Kept Mars’ Spirit Rover Rolling?
In May 2009, the Mars rover Spirit fell through the crusty shelf of Martian topsoil to a soft bed of sand that would become its permanent resting place, despite months of desperate maneuvering by NASA engineers. But according to MIT’s Karl Iagnemma, the mission mishap could have been avoided had NASA sought the help of ... Full article
State Department Seeks Aid of the Internet of Things Community
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/photo01.jpeg" alt="" width="95" height="71" border="0" />In the Washington D.C. area, a new community has emerged for entrepreneurs, developers, manufacturers, service providers, and investors. Known as the “Internet of Things DC,” this community encourages people from all of these diverse, yet interconnected areas to come together as one. Full article
Fuel Cells Propel Airbus to Prestigious Award
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/7ac0b79772.gif" alt="" width="95" height="43" border="0" />In 2012, Airbus began testing a new system that they believed could reduce fuel consumption in aircraft. This testing involved using fuel cells as an auxiliary source of energy to power nonpropulsion systems like lights and environmental controls as well as avionics and the hydraulics of the ... Full article
DoE Resuscitates Tesla-Backing Loan Program
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/tesla.jpg" alt="" width="95" height="52" border="0" />The Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan program — the same one that helped Tesla make a name for itself — is returning after a hiatus that has been ongoing since 2011. But after two Democratic senators introduced a bill to expand eligibility, questions remain ... Full article
Graphene Gains on Silicon’s Heels
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/800px-Graphen2.jpg" alt="" width="95" height="63" border="0" />Silicon, the single element most associated with electronics, may have some new competition. Known as graphene, the one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms has some not-insignificant physical properties that make it suitable for electronic purposes. However, unlike silicon, the electrons in graphene flow continuously, meaning that it can't ... Full article
The Next Revolution
Digital Manufacturing Revolution is a two-day celebration of the most important and visible milestone yet for the Grid Initiative, a bold multi-year agenda by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) to promote digital manufacturing adoption in American industry... Full article
Collaborative Robot Clocks in for Volkswagen
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/ur5.jpg" alt="" width="95" height="63" border="0" />Amid Volkswagen’s 2.8 million square meter chrome-filled engine production plant in Salzgitter, Germany, one piece of metallic equipment stands out: the automaker’s first collaborative robot. The industrial robotic arm from Denmark’s Universal Robots sports six axes, as well as an integrated safety mode that lets it work ... Full article
NASA Ramps Up Efforts to Bring Manufacturing to Outer Space
<img style="float: left;" src="http://media2.hpcwire.com/dmr/800px-The_Centre_of_the_Milky_Way.jpg" alt="" width="95" height="71" border="0" />The thought of building structures out in space brings to mind futuristic sci-fi films like Star Wars or Star Trek. However, this idea is not just for fantasy movies anymore. NASA has plans of building their own structures that could revolutionize the way manufacturing is conducted in ... Full article
The Environmental and Economic Benefits of Knowing Your IT Carbon Footprint
Whether because of rising energy costs, an increase in media coverage on global warming and climate change, or a host of other possible reasons, green IT has been gaining attention. For any organization, knowing their IT carbon footprint has multiple benefits.  Full article
Prefab Datacenter Employs Battery-Backed Servers
Yahoo Japan, a joint venture between Yahoo and SoftBank, <span>has installed 200 PRIMERGY RX200 S7 servers with on-board batteries as part of a prefab datacenter approach. </span> Full article
Google Limits Carbon Footprint, Funds Climate Change Deniers
A commitment to green datacenters, renewable energy projects and the purchasing of carbon offsets have enabled Google to reduce its revenue-adjusted carbon footprint for the fourth year in a row. Which raises the question, if Google is a friend to the environment, why is it giving money to climate change deniers?  Full article