Electronics

Conductive plastic for a better (lighter) battery “While you can’t change the basics of how batteries work, you can change the materials that are used to create them,” asserted Bill Robinson, the CEO of Integral Technologies Inc. And that is precisely what the Bellingham, WA-based company did; it has developed a moldable conductive plastic called ElectriPlast, a polymer blend that can be used to conduct electricity. Read full story

Industry needs a system-wide view of vehicle design More powerful design tools, faster microprocessors, and software standards are a few of the tools that will help make possible a system-wide approach toward vehicle design. Read full story

Executive Viewpoints: Electric actuators—not just for heavy lifting anymore Electric linear actuators have moved beyond applications where they merely apply force to perform work and are making substantial progress in electronically controlled systems while eliminating hydraulic lines and improving safety by performing what used to be manual tasks. Read full story

Autonomous vehicles go off-highway Advances in sensors, CPUs, and software help in the drive to eliminate drivers. Read full story