Shock, Vibration & Noise News

Army and Marine Corp brass are searching for a better solution to the battlefield helmet. They've started a competition between armor manufacturers to generate the most effective design. Their hope is for a lighter, stronger solution. In-field sensor data will provide data to engineers in developing a safer, more comfortable cover.

For durability, engineers look to the extraordinary strength of this land mine clearing contraption. It is like a cross between a dragon and an army tank, with superman-like capabilities. It can absorb a huge amount of energy as it intentionally detonates land mines with its front claws while sustaining minimal and easily repairable damage.

Or is the trouble is in the ground? Airport noise resolution is still up in the air with one U.S. city .The debate is a downright dilemma between homeowners and airport authorities. While the airport provides needed city funds, the beneficiaries complain about the constant circling traffic of flight school planes. Read the details, then judge.

The air carries a cacophony of neighborhood and city sounds. While there is little that can be done individually, one organization wants to reduce noise all around town. Their target includes noise produced by everyday activities (lawn care) and essential services (police and fire sirens). While the effort is appreciated, it may go a bit too far.

If you've had the bone jarring pleasure of operating a hammer drill or demolition hammer, you know the importance of using a shock absorbing system in the tool design. One manufacturer skipped the elaborate shock absorbing technique in favor of a simpler solution. It cut vibration by 20% and improved overall tool performance.

We are on the verge of using wireless devices and control networks capable of communicating with everything from cars to home appliances. The question is: how will we power these electronics without burying ourselves in a mountain of batteries? Harvesting waste energy from vibration has its promise, but is it the best answer?

Need a powerhouse PC in a small footprint that doesn't sound like a hair dryer on steroids? This stealthy ruggedized mobile PC works with industrial and mission critical apps where limited space is a factor and where fan noise is undesirable. Other models are available for high shock, vibration, and temperature resistance.

Quiet computing is a trend that may usher in the eventual elimination of noisy rotating fans. Enter the next generation of PC bubble pump cooling system technology that removes heat from your CPU silently. The process is fully immune to external shock or vibration and uses environmentally-friendly recyclable components.

Working with power tools always gets the job done faster. However, having to work with vibrating hand tools on a daily basis can create some serious health problems. Discover how conditions with names like White Finger Syndrome or vibration-induced peripheral vascular dysfunction can be a good incentive to don your protective anti-vibration gloves. You may also want to choose power tools with lower frequency vibration characteristics.

In what amounts to the biggest demolition derby ever observed in our universe, earth-bound scientists are using data from three separate observatories to create a 3D map of collisions between several galactic clusters. This is the first time such an event has been witnessed. While the galaxies are located a mere 5.4 billion light years from earth and are pretty much meaningless to us, the technology of combining data from multiple telescopes may lead to important future discoveries.

Don't Tell Me to Be Quiet!

Although we expect a certain amount of noise in our daily lives, some organizations take the position that any civilization related noise ruins our quality of life. What's your take on noisy neighborhoods?