VOL 293 NO 7758
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NEWS
5 COMMENT: YouGov survey into UK engineering
reveals high job satisfaction
6 Germanium nanowire technology could revolutionise
transistors
8 Consortium aims to develop brushless magnetic drives
for construction and commercial vehicles
10 Hand-held device to help check animals for signs of
foot and mouth infection
12 Robotic camera holder hopes to make keyhole
surgery safer and easier
14 Ultra-thin foils containing optical links may help monitor
patients’ heart rates and check aircraft for stress
16 Microbubble treatment is claimed to deliver anti-cancer
drugs only where they are needed
18 Biosensor uses technology that could detect tumours
and MS more efficiently
FEATURES
24 DUTCH CONNECTION: As the threat of blackouts
looms, a project to link the UK and Dutch national grids
could point the way to greater energy security
28 FRONTLINE VIEWS: A survey of engineers
commissioned by The Engineer reveals how the UK
profession judges its readiness to face the future
36 INTERVIEW: Diamond synchrotron boss Prof Trevor
Rayment on ‘Big Physics’ and the real world
FOR THE LATEST NEWS GO TO www.theengineer.co.uk
NEWS 6
NEWS 10
The world’s largest online resource for engineering product news www.engineeringtalk.com
the EnGIneeR 13–26 OCTOBER 2008 3
DESIGN ENGINEERING
39 COAST GUARD: UK collaboration develops system
designed to gather and wirelessly transmit coastal
erosion data from beneath the sea
40 THIRST IN SPACE: As the UK provides ISS crew
with clean-water tank linings, NASA develops a liquid
waste recovery system
41 REAL ROAD TEST: Volvo invests in a
wind-generating chamber that simulates on-road
airflow around and under a car’s body
42 MANAGING TECHNOLOGY: Sourcing parts for old
systems can be a headache, but don’t be tempted by
inexpensive replacements, warns Robin Kyte
54 TWO-PAGE SPECIAL: TCT 2008 preview
REGULARS
20 VIEWPOINT: Formula One’s hi-tech future will
call for a new generation of engineering drivers,
says Tony Purnell
22 LETTERS
34 INSIGHT: Automatic braking technology fitted to
Volvo SUV promises to avoid low-speed collisions.
Berenice Baker reports
74 BACKPAGE: This week in history and
Prize Crossword
CAREERS
FEATURE 24
62 JOBS: 12 pages of new opportunities
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