Faculty of Engineering & Technology

Do Self-Driving Cars Have A Future In South Africa?

The pessimists among us will likely say no, followed by a mumbling “taxi drivers would have a thing or two to say about that”. But many amongst us are hopeful, positive even! Could you imagine self-driving cars zooming about Andries Potgieter Boulevard?

According to the Automotive Future Now Report, a document outlining the study fielded by Innovation Group South Africa, self-driving cars most definitely have a place in the South African society. Here’s a couple of reasons why:

1. Africa is the globe’s ‘last market’. It’s where small businesses can grow, and with such unlimited expansion, there is more than enough room for facilitative policy and business that will allow driverless […]
   

Flying Without Fuel: Solar Impulse

On the 2nd of August, 2016, a plane touched down at an airport in Abu Dhabi. The same plane last took off from this particular airport in March 2015. Since then it has been flying around the world, one stretch at a time. It doesn’t sound too remarkable apart from the fact that this plane, the Solar Impulse Mk 2, made the trip without a drop of fuel.

The Solar Impulse 2 is powered by lithium polymer batteries which, in turn, are powered by over 17,000 solar panels mounted on the plane’s magnificent wingspan. The wingspan measures just over 70 meters, making the plane pretty imposing. However, it can only transport two people at a […]

2027: The Year Of Sustainable Energy

2027 is the year in which fossil fuels become more expensive to harness as a source of energy and power, and wind power, as well as solar energy, will become the most economical choice for both public and private enterprises. This news is a welcoming death knell for the fossil fuel industry, which is the main cause of the tragic global warming phenomenon.

Renewable Investment 

According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s New Energy Outlook report, more than $11-billion investment will go towards generating new sources of power revenue, and that the vast majority of those funds will find their way toward fledgeling solar and wind power developments. The continuing investment in sustainable energy solutions has fast-tracked […]

Lengau: The Fastest Computer In Africa

There’s no animal on the planet faster than the cheetah. The cheetah can reach speeds of 120km an hour, the national speed limit on main roads in South Africa. Lengau means ‘cheetah’ in Setswana, a perfect reflection of speed and now the name of the fastest super-computer on the continent. Lengau doesn’t just reflect the computer’s speed but is also an embodiment of African  (and South African) pride.

What is the Lengau Super Computer 

Lengau was built by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at its Centre for High-Performance Computing in Cape Town. Running at speeds of 1000 teraflops means that the computer leaves all other high-performance […]

Global Additive Manufacturing Technologies Showcased

Preparations are underway as VUT’s Science and Technology Park gears up to host the 17th Annual International RAPDASA conference will be hosted at the VUT Science & Technology Park in Sebokeng from 2 to 4 November 2016, on behalf of the Rapid Product and Development Association of South Africa (RAPDASA).

The RAPDASA 17th International Conference aims to summarise the achievements made in the field of 3D printing and focus on the impact made in business and the industry by Additive Manufacturing under the theme “Building on the Foundations – Consolidating impact into products to enhance the quality of life for all South Africans”. The theme is aimed at supporting and encouraging the development of […]

Space Travel In The Next Decade

Space travel has been predicted to really kick off in the coming years as governments and important role players start to visualise the importance of settling on other planets and mining on distant asteroids. The belief is that in the next decade we will start seeing private commercial interests move toward the vastness of space because of the presence of rare and important minerals on asteroids that circle the earth and the solar system.

The next ten years are made even more important because of promises that NASA and many other privately funded space programs have made regarding their intent to land on the red planet; Mars. A renewed interest in the ‘Space […]

How IT Can Ease Traffic Congestion

Birmingham University IT researchers have designed a novel system to predict traffic congestion, and the results are impressive, but not surprising. The United Kingdom, much like South Africa, suffers from extreme traffic congestion in inner city areas during rush hours, costing those in transit huge sums of money in both time and fuel.

IT researchers at Birmingham University took it upon themselves to collect large volumes of data regarding inner city traffic. The data was collected in a few first-world metropolitan centres such as Boston, Rio de Janeiro, and Porto. How was the data collected? Through the access to mobile phone data, pinpointing commuters’ locations and the directions in which they travel. The […]