Machines | Engineering Newswire 71: GM is Reverse-Engineering Rival Cars

Today on Engineering Newswire, we're folding helmets, installing artificial hearts, reverse engineering our rivals, and designing a bicycle ... to ride to the South Pole. This episode features: - One Cold Bike Ride: British adventurer Maria Leijerstam became the first person to cycle to the South Pole from the edge of the Antarctic continent. Maria's White Ice Cycle team spent two years designing the PolarCycle which was manufactured specifically for the challenge by Inspired Cycle Engineering. The custom-made trike was chosen due to its stability and aerodynamics. - Accordion Helmets: Inspired by an old snow helmet that a designer picked up at a garage sale, Carrera's new Snow Foldable Helmet features a patented flexible frame, an elastic fitting system, and a passive ventilation system. The flexible polycarbonate frame is designed to increase comfort for the user, however Carrera's design department was also able to make it 20 percent smaller as a result of its collapsible design. - Scanning the Competition: A GM team focuses on all-new or industry-first systems, as the scanner projects a red, white or blue light pattern onto the vehicle surface while an advanced camera or sensor captures its contours. The system is used for everything from mapping vehicle interiors and exterior surfaces to locating under-the-hood or under-the-body components. - That's No Pacemaker: Carmat, a French company, is about to start testing a full-scale artificial heart with a Norwegian pressure sensor as its key component. The Norwegian company, MEMSCAP, assembles and packages the system in a way that makes the elements completely stable, while SINTEF provides the sensor innards. Do you have story ideas? Comment below or email pdd_web@advantagemedia.com.