Reducing the size and weight of batteries with the necessary charge capacity has been a long-running challenge for developers of electric cars. A new type of air-fuelled battery developed in Scotland could solve the problem. It provides up to 10 times the energy storage of designs currently available.

Engineers at the University of Leeds are developing a way to capture the kinetic energy produced when soldiers march and use it to power their equipment. The new energy harvesting system is designed to convert foot-power into battery power.

Traditionally, automotive batteries have been bulky and heavy. But, some day in the future, batteries may be printed rather than assembled. A new battery developed by engineers at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems is less than 1 millimeter thick. It weighs less than 1 gram and can be economically mass-produced by using conventional printing processes.

In the future, lithium-ion batteries may be produced in a test tube. Engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have manipulated viruses to build both the positively and negatively charged ends of a lithium-ion battery. The new virus-produced batteries have the same energy capacity and power performance as state-of-the-art rechargeable devices being considered for automotive applications.

Advanced battery technology is one of the hottest topics in the auto industry these days. Because of all that activity, this is a great time to be a battery engineer in Detroit. The industry is hungry for chemical engineers, electrical engineers and manufacturing engineers who can help address challenges such as finding new ways to make batteries lighter, stronger and more powerful. It also helps if you have some good ideas on how batteries can be mass-produced quicker, safer and more cost-effectively.

A plain-looking warehouse near Detroit is being transformed into a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery assembly plant. General Motors Co. (GM) is investing $43 million in the facility to mass-produce battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt and other extended-range electric vehicles. When the 160,000-square-foot facility opens next year, it will be the first lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant in the U.S. operated by a major automaker.

Recent advances in robot reliability and deployment cost, coupled with changing labor demographics, have sparked a new interest in automated agricultural equipment. Engineers around the world are busy developing a wide variety of robotic devices for seeding, tilling, weeding, spraying and harvesting applications.

Lithium-ion batteries are today's hot technology in the auto industry. However, the devices have traditionally been expensive to produce. To capture a piece of the lithium-ion battery business, American manufacturers need to invest heavily in automated assembly lines.

Lifting heavy or bulky objects, such as parts bins and subassemblies, is one of the most hazardous tasks facing assemblers on the plant floor. Fortunately, a wide variety of scissor lifts, tilt tables and other ergonomic devices can improve productivity and minimize the risk of back injury.

The human eye is a delicate organism that’s difficult to copy. But, a team of engineers at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois hope to mimic the eye in a new type of camera lens they are developing. They have created an array of silicon detectors and electronics that can be conformed to a curved surface.