Adaptation, Innovation, & Machine-Building

Recent research from Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Fire Protection Engineering department was highlighted by ABC News.

The study shows that modern furnishings of houses with more and cheaper materials can cause homes to burn faster and makes fighting fires more dangerous. Read the article for more on what is fueling these faster fires and the hazards created for today’s firefighters.

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Ying “Jean” Zheng, MA B ’06, is a doctoral student at Yale University, and for her thesis project she has developed a chair that can alert you when your posture is slouching.

The chair is equipped with “six specialized force-sensitive resistors and one distance sensor that know when the sitter isn’t using good posture.” The chair will gently vibrate or buzz the occupant to remind them to sit back and upright. Click here for the article

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CNET has profiled the new Autodesk TinkerBox, a physics puzzle game “to spark interest in mechanical engineering that offers machine-building fun for all ages.”
Read the review

The game is now available for free on the iPad. To learn more visit the TinkerBox website

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