During the past year, electric cars and advanced battery technology have dominated the headlines and the airwaves. However, today General Motors Co. announced that it plans to invest $890 million in five North American plants to build a new generation of fuel-efficient small-block car and truck engines. What do you think of this? Will the internal combustion engine still dominate the marketplace in 2020?

Unmanned air vehicles represent the most dynamic growth sector of the aerospace industry. In fact, UAV spending will more than double over the next decade, from $4.9 billion to $11.5 billion annually. ASSEMBLY recently asked two UAV production managers to discuss the challenges they’re faced with on the plant floor.

Today's unmanned military vehicles trace their roots to a Serbian immigrant. In 1898, Tesla was granted a U.S. patent for a “Method of and Apparatus for Controlling Mechanism of Moving Vessels or Vehicles.” The patent covered “any type of vessel or vehicle which is capable of being propelled and directed, such as a boat, a balloon or a carriage.”

During a speech today at Cape Canaveral, FL, President Obama announced that his Administration is committed to the long-term future of the U.S. space program. In fact, he announced that he’s increasing NASA’s budget by $6 billion over the next five years. That money will be spent on "new designs, new materials, new technologies that will transform not just where we can go but what we can do when we get there."  Is this a bold step forward or a foolish step backward?

While A3 reports should follow a basic template, the exact format and wording are flexible,to meet unique requirements. The type of information contained in an A3 often depends upon the purpose of the report and the audience. Here are some tips on what you should include.

The sudden popularity of A3 reporting has led to numerous mistakes in the engineering community. As a result, the A3 process is often misunderstood and misused.

Engineers at North Carolina State University have created shape-shifting antennas that open the door to many new applications in fields ranging from public safety to military deployment. The antennas are made from an alloy that can be bent, stretched, cut and twisted, but will return to its original shape. The antennas can be deformed (twisted and bent), because the mechanical properties are dictated by the elastomer and not the metal.

Engineers have to address numerous challenges before smart materials go mainstream. For example, the use of shape-memory alloys is different than traditional actuation technologies used in mechanisms, due to their unique characteristics and behavior.

Boeing has begun to assemble an unmanned, liquid-hydrogen powered, high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) aircraft. The twin-engine Phantom Eye will have a 150-foot wingspan and be capable of flying for more than four days at altitudes up to 65,000 feet while carrying a payload of up to 450 pounds. In addition, the Boeing Phantom Works is working on Phantom Ray, a fighter-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that will serve as a flying test bed for advanced technologies.

Engineers have been experimenting with shape-memory alloys and polymers that are referred to as “smart materials.” They “remember” their original shape and can return to it, opening new possibilities for many movable features, such as replacing the electric motors traditionally used to activate car seats, windows and locks. There are numerous applications for the technology in the automotive, aerospace, appliance, medical and electronics industries.