A conversation with Joe Rando on how teams of creative engineers bring entertainment to life in stage, film, theme parks, and more WATCH: One-on-One with Joe Rando of Rando Productions A conversation with Joe Rando on how teams of creative engineers bring entertainment to life in stage, film, theme parks, and more EE Staff Stage Events Feb 16, 2026 Theme Parks Terry Persun sat down with Joe Rando, whose company, Rando Productions provides custom technology for major entertainment productions that include theme parks, television, and much more. Rando explains how, in an AI age, it remains essential to employ teams of creative engineers to create entertainment experiences that tell stories and connect with audiences on an emotional level. Persun and Rando dive deep into the nitty gritty behind-the-scenes of how Rando Prodictions works year round on custom technology to consistently deliver specially designed machines and technology in specific timeframes. Watch the full interview here: For more information: Rando Productions Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Engineers at the PowerSource Global Summit worked on developing parts that can survive the extreme environment of the moon using generative design techniques and lightweight, affordable material. Designing Parts for the Artemis IV Mission to the Moon Engineers at the PowerSource Global Summit worked on developing parts that can survive the extreme environment of the moon using generative design techniques and lightweight, affordable material. Edited by EE Staff Cool Stuff Sep 15, 2026 Aerospace NASA’s Artemis IV mission is not only aimed at putting humans back on the moon, it is exploring the possibilities of permanent settlements for the future there as well as, one day, on Mars. This is no easy task, of course, so for this to happen, NASA engineers had to scrutinize every part on a spacecraft to minimize real estate and weight. Plus, every part must survive the extreme temperatures of the Moon and beyond. An experiment conducted at a recent PowerSource Global Summit challenged engineers to develop a list of geometries and qualities a specific part would require in order to survive the take off and flight to the moon as well as tolerate the extreme conditions on the surface of the moon once it arrived. The summit brings together government, private industry, universities, and more to exchange information, ideas, and best practices. Summit attendees came together to identify constraints for the part—which acts as an apparatus for holding the equivalent of an upside-down 250mL Ehrlenmeyer flask to capture samples of volatile gases released when the moon warms. Afterward, the designs were input into a generative design framework that allowed artificial intelligence to develop a part that met those criteria. Image courtesy of Protolabs An advantage of generative design is the ability to operate with a detached sensibility and, therefore, to create what it considers the best solution to a set of parameters. This method can change your workflow. In fact, in less than 36 hours, the team was able to determine constraints, upload that information to Protolabs digital thread, and then machine part. Surviving Space Travel and Environments Objects on the moon in the area Artemis will inhabit must tolerate temperatures that can range from -315 o F to -55 o F (-193 o C to -48 o C). According to Vaerewyck, the conference engineers had to ask themselves, ‘What does this part need to do and what environment does it need to survive.’ From there, they developed parameters for generating the design, with an eye on optimizing weight and maximizing stiffness. The material used is a popular choice for aerospace, automotive, marine, and general manufacturing. It’s lightweight and affordable aluminum, which offers an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. In this case, the CNC-machined part was made with a form of aluminum 6061 that has undergone processes to enhance its strength and stress relief capabilities. 3D rendering of a potential future colony on the moon, courtesy of Depositphotos.com . Some of the other key design parameters were that the part had to be able to carry 68 pounds of mass and needed to be stackable. The latter enables multiple copies of the part to take up less space on the spacecraft. The part also required footings that allowed it to stand upright on the moon's uneven surface. Finally, the engineers wanted a part that was quickly machinable. While technologies like 3D printing would offer more design freedom, metal 3D printing would not be possible in the 36-hour window to deliver the part. The final design quickly moved through tool-pathing: 19 hours of milling and 4 hours of processing. Although the team used AI to help with the design, “You can’t underestimate the human element here, ensuring that there were no alarms or errors in the milling process,” said Greg Perz, Protolabs manufacturing engineer manager for CNC machining. Lead image courtesy of Protolabs. For information: Protolabs Protolabs CNC Machining NASA NASA Artemis III Read more about the moon and space travel technology >>> Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

The entire fleet of San Francisco Cable Cars now have better illumination while reducing the need for battery changes. Historic SF Cable Cars Upgrade to LED Lights The entire fleet of San Francisco Cable Cars now have better illumination while reducing the need for battery changes. Cool Stuff Aug 7, 2025 Opportunity Since 1873, the best lighting the historic San Francisco Municipal Cable Cars had was dim incandescent headlights that did not do anything for illumination. They were merely bright enough to serve as an indicator that a cable car was coming. Plus, the old incandescent lights would quickly burn out or break from the constant vibrations. “The biggest issue was the light on cold, wet, dark nights,” said Arne Hansen, Supervisor of Maintenance at the San Francisco Municipal Cable Car Barn. “We would change the batteries in the cars maybe 10 or 12 road calls in a night. We have better batteries that last much longer now, but still, with the GPS system and cameras, the equipment was draining the batteries pretty fast.” All Cable Car photos Courtesy of San Francisco Cable Cars. After over 140 years, the Cable Cars solved their lighting problems by simply upgrading to LED light bulbs from LEDtronics. Hansen said they ordered LED lights for the entire fleet and are very happy with their choice. Other operators have commented that the LED headlights have increased visibility tremendously. Photo Courtesy: LEDtronics. A19 style LED light bulbs were also installed inside the passenger cabins. Those lights, along with the PAR46 LED headlights, are saving the city money on energy as well as maintenance—especially in the winter when the lights are left on much longer. Between those advantages and the increased visibility, Hansen acknowledged that, “All the operators give it a thumbs-up. They all approved the change, and they all loved it. The project was a complete success.” For more information: LEDtronics San Francisco Cable Car Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Rogue State turns to LightWave 11.5 3D software to conquer CG dragons for Dracano. LightWave 11.5 3D Software Used in Video Games Rogue State turns to LightWave 11.5 3D software to conquer CG dragons for Dracano. EE Staff Film and TV Jun 4, 2025 In Dracano, a volcanic eruption in the Pacific Northwest spews lava, steam and fire—along with eggs that hatch ancient, menacing, winged dragons that prey on man. Since similar volcanic eruptions in Russia, Japan, and other “Ring of Fire” regions are also releasing these menacing creatures into the world, scientists fear they are witnessing the start of a global dragon apocalypse. Set in contemporary times, this ambitious plotline depends upon the credibility of the dragon creatures and their appearance, movement, and interaction with people from a nearby U.S. military base who fight back. Three visual effects animators completed the movie’s 220 visual effects shots using LightWave 11.5, which advances the features, capabilities, and efficiency of the popular LightWave 3D modeling and animation system. “There is no other 3D animation software out there with the breadth of features and ease of use to allow us to handle all of these visual effects shots for Dracano, given the tight time and budget constraints,” said Scott Wheeler, visual effects supervisor for Dracano and president of Rogue State, a visual effects and post production boutique in Burbank, CA. In the fall of 2012, Rogue State worked closely with Los Angeles-based Remember Dreaming Productions to realize this fantasy/action adventure movie for Odyssey Entertainment in Australia. LightWave 11.5 was used to create all of the CG dragons, military vehicles, helicopters, and jets, as well as volcanic smoke, steam, and lava. It was also the primary tool for creating the 220 live action visual effects composites. LightWave 11.5 features like Genoma for character rigging, Soft Body Bullet Dynamics, and Motion Blur added to the Viewport Preview Renderer (VPR) system, and sped up the process and streamlined the workflow on complex effects shots by a factor of ten. Credit: LightWave Dragon The Genoma Potential Genoma is an intuitive character rigging system that jump-starts the 3D modeling process by providing instant rigging of legs, arms, fingers, wings, spines, and other body parts for biped, quadrupeds, and even exotic creatures, like dragons. While Genoma provides a head start in creating 3D rigs, animators can modify the rigs, such as making a tail longer, or any other creative changes they need. “You’re basically just putting pre-programmed pieces together almost like an erector set to build your character. There isn’t a lot of trial and error because once you set-up your creature in Modeler and export it to Layout, it just works exactly the way you’d expect it to,” Wheeler said. “With Genoma, an animator can rig a creature without having to understand the underpinnings of the process.” The Flesh of Dragons Most of the CG dragons in Dracano are six to eight feet tall with a massive wingspan and sharp teeth. The dragons have soft flesh covering their bodies and wings that move in relation to the rigid skeletal structure underneath. Soft hanging flesh can even jiggle as the creature moves for greater realism. In LightWave 11.5, Genoma works in conjunction with another new feature, Soft Body Bullet Dynamics to produce this effect. LightWave 11.5 extends LightWave 11’s Bullet dynamics for rigid models to encompass flesh, cloth, rubber, and other soft materials that deform. A dress can blow in the breeze even if the underlying model remains rigid because Genoma and Soft Body Bullet Dynamics understand the distinction between the two materials. “Bullet knows which surfaces to deform based on the weight maps and other parameters you set. These values are not the weight of the creature, they are values you set that define the degree of deformation you want to achieve,” Wheeler said. “It’s like mapping an object by making different areas different colors. One color denotes a rigid structure while another color means that area needs to deform and move in relation to the rigid framework underneath. Genoma works with Bullet’s hard and soft body dynamics to figure out how much each object or surface should bend, collide, flop, wiggle, wave, stretch, or any movement based on how you set it up.” Motion Blur for a Better View The Viewport Preview Renderer (VPR) that was introduced in LightWave 10 has also been extended in LightWave 11.5, making the rendering process much more efficient. Instead of seeing the animation as frame to frame to frame, like a stop motion animation, motion blur gives a better, clearer sense of the animated motion and depth of field without having to go through the full rendering process. Motion blur on the VPR is not a visual effect, it’s a way to preview how the animation will actually look and integrate within the scene. With motion blur inside the VPR, the user can get a feel for the speed of something that’s moving very fast, such as a dragon swooping by, which offers a quick, accurate view of incremental creative enhancements without rendering and saves a lot of time previously devoted to trial and error interspersed with rendering. “LightWave has had motion blur available at the wireframe stage, but now its addition in the VPR makes this valuable tool even more indispensable,” said Wheeler. In the same way that Genoma and Bullet dynamics work together throughout the modeling, layout, and animation process, the VPR is also readily available at every stage of the process. Swarms and Flocks Prior to Dracano, Rogue State produced visual effects scenes for Dragon Wasps, including swarms of dragon wasps flying in the sky. Since hundreds of wasps had to move as an organized group, Wheeler’s visual effects team used the LightWave Flocking feature. In Dracano, many dragon creatures also take to the air and fly around or congregate in caves. But in this instance, Wheeler said they used Instancing to clone one dragon and create a group of 20 to 30 creatures. “Flocking is best to move large numbers of creatures like a thousand wasps to form a deadly swarm. But for a relatively small number of dragons, we used Instancing to create a group. LightWave lets you vary their attributes, like size or colors, and animate them independently of each other,” said Wheeler. “Having a wide array of tools ensures that we have the right one for the unique challenges of every task.” “In our segment of the market, creating visual effects for ultra-low or low-budget features, our visual effects team needs powerful, cost-effective 3D animation tools that get the job done quickly,” said Wheeler. “LightWave 3D helps us meet the production demands of budget-conscious producers without sacrificing the visual impact, credibility, or realism of creatures or visual effects.” For more information: LightWave 3D Home LightWave on YouTube Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Sometimes the simplest component change can make a huge difference—especially when maintenance is just as important as operational specifications. Upgrading a Broadhead Arrow for Bow Hunting Sometimes the simplest component change can make a huge difference—especially when maintenance is just as important as operational specifications. Edited by EE Staff Sports Sep 15, 2026 Cool Stuff Archery has been around for over 60,000 years. For much of that time bows and arrows were used for hunting. Today, archery is still used in hunting, but also in competition. Archery tournaments feature both individuals or teams and are often split into different rankings. The types of bows used can be barebow, compound, or recurve. Bow designs have come a long way, but so has the arrow. Image courtesy of SPIROL. In a redesign of a serious hunting arrowhead designed and manufactured by a well-known sporting goods company originally incorporated the use of a Slotted Spring Pin as a pivot for two folding blades in the center of the arrow assembly. It was found that the Slotted Pins bent upon impact, which resulted in a dysfunctional head. This also made the removal of the pin during servicing extremely difficult. What the manufacturer needed was a pin that didn’t bend under impact, while simultaneously allowing the blades to pivot freely around it. In addition, they wanted the hunter to be able to service the assembly while in the field. Therefore, the pin had to be able to be easily removed and reinstalled multiple times and still maintain the necessary retention. Image courtesy of SPIROL. After careful analysis and a comprehensive evaluation of the design and serviceability requirements of the company, SPIROL Engineering came up with a solution. They recommended a full-length Helical Knurled Solid Pin, manufactured from stainless steel, be incorporated in the design as a replacement pin. By the nature of its design, this Solid Knurled Pin does not require tight tolerances on the ferrule’s holes for retention. The knurls of the pin remain securely engaged in the host material to ensure that the assembly stays intact during use. The Solid Pin also provides the necessary strength to eliminate bending upon impact. Image courtesy of SPIROL. Knurled Solid Pins are available with straight knurls and helical knurls. Although the straight Knurled Pins have lower insertion forces, they provide limited retention when axially loaded. The helical knurl allows the pin to rotate as it enters the hole, creating more surface contact with the host. This results in higher frictional forces, greater engagement, and improved resistance to back out. The SPIROL Helical Knurled Pin can be removed and reinstalled simply by using needle nose pliers and a small hammer or striking tool. An additional benefit of using this pin is that the clearance between the hole in the blades and outer diameter of the Knurl Pin is minimal, which provides a very robust feel to the assembly. Furthermore, the Helical Knurled Pin was the most cost-effective solution, providing the required retention, resistance to bending, and the ability for the hunter to remove and replace the pin using basic hand tools. Inside the mechanical aspects of compound bows: *Lead image from DepositePhotos.com . For information: SPIROL Knurled Solid Pin Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

To place the viewer at the center of the action, the French media company CANAL+ deployed multiple cameras to catch the raw speed of the French Grand Prix. High-Tech Camera and Software Capture the Speed of the French Grand Prix To place the viewer at the center of the action, the French media company CANAL+ deployed multiple cameras to catch the raw speed of the French Grand Prix. Blackmagic Sports Jul 22, 2025 MotoGP™, the motorcycle road racing world championship, has always tested the limits of what audiences can see and hear on screen. For its latest project, CANAL+ set out to capture not just the speed but also the quieter moments that define a race weekend. The documentary was filmed entirely with the new Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera and finished in DaVinci Resolve Studio. The sports documentary is part of a new generation of immersive workflows for capture, postproduction, and viewing on Apple Vision Pro. Produced in collaboration with MotoGP and Apple, the documentary follows world champion Johann Zarco and his team during their dramatic home victory at the French Grand Prix in Le Mans. The event was captured using the URSA Cine Immersive camera with dual 8160 x 7200 (58.7 Megapixel) sensors at 90fps, delivering 3D immersive cinema content to a single file mixed with Apple Spatial Audio. The MotoGP sports experience places viewers in the heart of the action, from the pit lane and paddock to the podium. All photos courtesy of Blackmagic Design “MotoGP is made for this format,” said journalist Etienne Pidoux at CANAL+. “You feel the raw speed, and you see details you’d otherwise miss on a flat screen. It puts you closer to the machines and the team than ever before.” To place the viewer at the center of the action, CANAL+ deployed multiple URSA Cine Immersive cameras. “Two cameras were on pedestals and one on a Steadicam,” explained Pierre Maillat of CANAL+. “We needed to swap quickly between Steadicam and fixed setups depending on what was occurring at the moment. The Steadicam setup was extremely valuable,” noted Pidoux. “It made us more reactive in a fast-changing environment, giving us more agility while filming.” All photos courtesy of Blackmagic Design “Immersive video changes how you shoot,” added Pidoux. “You plan more, shoot less, and you rethink composition because of the 180 degree view, especially in tight or crowded spaces like the pit lane.” Lighting was also a consideration inside the team garages. “We added some extra light to compensate for the 90 frames per second stereoscopic capture.” Each camera was paired with an ambisonic microphone to capture first order spatial audio. The mics were then supplemented by discrete microphones for interviews and other critical sound sources. The documentary was recorded in ambisonics Format A for the immersive mix and channel based for other sources. Everything was timecoded wirelessly and synced on both the cameras and the external recorders. Post Production A portable production cart with Mac Studio running DaVinci Resolve Studio, alongside an Apple Vision Pro, was set up trackside to monitor and test shots in context. “This approach allowed us to check the content right after shooting and helped us verify framing while still on location,” said Maillat. Canal+ had a second Mac Studio running DaVinci Resolve Studio and an Apple Vision Pro set up at the hotel in Le Mans to handle media offload and backups. With 8TB of internal storage, recording directly to the Media Module, the crew could film more than two hours of 8K stereoscopic 3D immersive footage on the track without needing to change cards. Postproduction took place in Paris, where Canal+ used a Mac Studio running DaVinci Resolve Studio for editing, color grading, and audio mixing. They were even able to preview the stereoscopic timeline directly in Apple Vision Pro, which was crucial for immersive grading. Spatial Audio was mixed using DaVinci Resolve Studio’s Fairlight. “Initially, we planned to use a different digital audio workstation (DAW), but DaVinci Resolve Studio and Fairlight was the platform that gave us both creative flexibility and the high-quality deliverables for Apple Vision Pro,” explained Maillat. “Filming with the URSA Cine Immersive camera and viewing it in Apple Vision Pro, we found incredible moments we’d normally treat as background,” Pidoux concluded. “Cleaning the track, helmet close ups, the crowd, they all become part of the experience.” NOTE: The MotoGP™ Apple Immersive sports experience will be available exclusively on the CANAL+ app on Apple Vision Pro starting September 2025. For more information: Blackmagic Design MotoGP CANAL+ Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Quantum acoustics devices may have applications in quantum computers and biophysics, using single phonons to precisely detect extremely small changes in materials. Creating Quantum Sensing Devices to Tune into the Sounds of the Quantum World Quantum acoustics devices may have applications in quantum computers and biophysics, using single phonons to precisely detect extremely small changes in materials. Whitney Clavin Cool Stuff Jul 20, 2026 When a singer belts out a tune while a guitar player strums along, sound waves travel through the air, driving collective oscillations of the molecules within. Something similar goes on at the quantum level. Atoms inside materials, from our bodies to metals and more, naturally jiggle around, creating tiny vibrational waves that ripple across the material. These vibrations are known as phonons: the quantum version of sound waves. Physicists at Caltech and Stanford University have developed devices called nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) that allow phonons to exhibit their quantum behavior purely through the intrinsic properties of the material that makes up the device. Previously, it was not possible to observe such behavior without the help of an external quantum device, such as a superconducting qubit. Through this newly discovered mechanism—a solitary NEMS device—can serve as a greatly simplified and very compact quantum sensor or qubit. The goal of the work is to make the vibrations of the NEMS nonlinear. A scanning electron micrograph showing an array of gigahertz nanomechanical resonators fabricated from piezoelectric thin-film lithium niobate (blue) and actuated with aluminum electrodes (grey). Intrinsic material defects within the resonator volume are all that is required to introduce the non-linearities investigated in this work. Credit: Oliver Hitchcock/Stanford University According to Caltech postdoctoral scholar and co-lead author of the study, Mert Yuksel (PhD ’26), “When all the step changes that a system can make look the same, you can’t tell what state it’s in. So, having nonlinearity is the goal, and now we can achieve this in the NEMS intrinsically.” This new work is part of an emerging field called quantum acoustics and marks a next step toward creating quantum-sensing devices that use single phonons to precisely detect extremely small changes in materials. Applications include quantum computing and quantum communications, as well as biological measurements. “Our goal is to basically listen to molecules,” Yuksel says. "The phonons live in our device, and what we sense is whatever couples to those phonons, such as a molecule landing on the device. We want to learn about molecules' unique properties: internal structure, how they function, how they bind to drugs, how they switch between active and passive states, and so on.” Overview of the packaged device chip, wire bonded to a printed circuit board in preparation for cryogenic experiments in a dilution refrigerator. Credit: Oliver Hitchcock/Stanford University Matthew Maksymowych, a Stanford graduate student and co-lead author of the study, said, “For this effort, it is critical that our devices are extremely sensitive to environmental changes, yet stable enough to avoid spurious signals and noise.” By working at the quantum level, the sensors have the potential to unlock deeper information about molecules and their dynamics. While the field of quantum optics focuses on single photons, which are discrete packets of light, quantum acoustics investigates discrete packets of vibrational energy, known as phonons. Teams at the University of Chicago and at Yale University have been developing small mechanical devices to work at the single-phonon level, but they must be coupled to another device, such as a superconducting qubit, to function. In the new study, the researchers tuned a NEMS device to operate at the single-phonon level intrinsically, without the need for an additional external device. This new NEMS design scheme takes advantage of a phenomenon in materials known as two-level systems. In these systems, atoms flip between two spatial configurations within a material that are both energetically favorable—for a human, this would be like going back and forth between two comfortable positions in a lounge chair, normally considered defects. However, the new work takes advantage of these defects, which naturally occur in the materials from which NEMS devices are patterned. By lowering the temperature of a device and applying electromagnetic or mechanical forces, the researchers were able to tune the device to be in resonance with the defects in such a way that nonlinear effects are produced. “It's like a radio station, and you can tune it around to listen to the different defects,” Yuksel says. The researchers say a next step is to engineer their own defects into the NEMS devices rather than rely on naturally occurring ones. The hope is that this will open up a new era of quantum measurements that allow researchers to tune into the sounds of the quantum world. Images courtesy of Caltech. For information: Caltech Stanford University Nature Physics Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Along with comparative analysis tools, Trek Bicycle was able to fine-tune prototypes, investigate potential issues, and adjust their manufacturing process. How Industrial CT Scanning Allows Engineers to Examine Parts Non-Destructively Along with comparative analysis tools, Trek Bicycle was able to fine-tune prototypes, investigate potential issues, and adjust their manufacturing process. Edited by EE Staff Sports Feb 24, 2026 Trek Bicycle is on a mission to make the world a better place to live and ride. Despite humble beginnings in a Wisconsin barn, Trek has been on the cutting edge from day one. Starting with its visionary early entry into carbon fiber bike frames, Trek’s engineering teams continue to embrace new technologies that will benefit their riders. According to Chad Manuell, Global Director of Engineering, Trek, “Our goal is to make only products we love. To do that, we need to have access to the best tools. Over the years, our products have become more complicated, and the tools we use have gotten more sophisticated.” CT scanning had been on Trek’s wish list for a long time, but the complexity and cost of legacy systems kept this vital inspection tool out of reach. Easy to use and significantly less expensive than competitors, the Lumafield Neptune scanner and Voyager analysis software made it possible for Trek to add CT to its core engineering toolkit. “When we got the opportunity to bring a Neptune in-house, we jumped on it,” Manuell said. The Neptune scanner and Voyager analysis software have delivered actionable insights to help Trek create products that both they and their customers love. Examining parts non-destructively with industrial CT allows Trek to understand the implementation of their designs. Larry Lardieri, Product Design Engineer, notes that “The Neptune scanner has given us the ability to look at our prototypes even more closely. It helps us investigate potential issues like adhesion, porosity, and plastic part design shrinkage.” Using Voyager’s suite of comparative analysis tools, including CAD Comparisons, Trek can tune design and production parameters to adapt to a manufacturing process. By overlaying a CAD file on a scan of a finished physical product, Voyager computes deviation from the design and visualizes it using color maps. Images courtesy of Lumafield and Trek. Legacy CT systems process and store data locally, usually requiring a dedicated operator and hardware system. Interacting with this invaluable data has traditionally been restricted to technicians. Lumafield's cloud-based software, however, gives engineers direct access to their scan data, and lets them share it with colleagues. Lumafield’s Voyager analysis software allows Trek engineers to easily access and share scan data, collaborate on analysis workflows, and visualize both external and internal features — all within their own web browser. Anyone using Voyager can author bookmarks, leave comments, and collaborate on analysis in real-time using Voyager’s user-friendly interface. Trek engineers also use Voyager’s high-resolution images of both 2D slice planes and 3D volumetric reconstructions for internal presentations, enabling them to solicit feedback from across teams and chart the progress of product development. Advancing e-Bike Battery Technology The electronics of the future are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which must be carefully integrated into products. This is especially true of products that push the limits of size, weight, and ergonomics. Trek has emerged as an industry leader in electric bikes, and its engineers are constantly innovating on battery integration. For Trek’s eSystems team, CT scanning has emerged as a safe and effective way to inspect the details of these critical components. For batteries, destructive testing not only deprives engineers of insight but can also be dangerous. With industrial CT, Trek engineers gain deep insights into battery enclosure design, latching mechanisms, and overall performance. Voyager’s advanced dimensioning tools allow for automated measurements that can help elucidate the integrity and performance of lithium-ion batteries. Enhancing Safety by Quantifying Impact Rider safety is a top priority at Trek, and CT scanning provides important insights for both bike frame and helmet design by illuminating how they respond to impacts. With Neptune and Voyager, Trek engineers can comprehensively study the way impacts affect a wide variety of materials used in bike parts and helmets. Images courtesy of Lumafield and Trek. To understand which materials and frame designs are less susceptible to everyday impacts from rock strikes and collisions, Trek engineers intentionally impact sections of bike frames and then analyze them with Lumafield’s CT scanning platform. Voyager enables engineers “to be able to do some real exact measurements of the impact site after the first hit, second hit, third hit, which allows us much more information than was previously available,”Manuell said. Megan Bland-Rothgeb, a Helmet Research Engineer at Trek, is able to use CT to quantify helmet impacts. This allows Trek to analyze designs to create high-performance helmets. Lumafield’s Expanded Scan Volume feature broadens the field of view on the Neptune scanner, enabling the inspection of parts that are up to 80% larger than before. Many bike helmets fall into this range and can now be fully scanned at high resolution. Trek’s meticulous, data-driven approach to understanding bike frame and helmet impact dynamics fuels the development of longer-lasting and more reliable products. Trek harnesses the power of Lumafield’s Neptune CT scanner and Voyager analysis software to fortify their product development process. From non-destructive testing of bike frames and parts to advancing e-bike battery integration and enhancing safety through quantifying impact, Trek is poised to advance its mission of getting more people on bikes by guiding the next phase of cycling innovation. For more information: Lumafield CAD Comparison Expanded Scan Volume Trek Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Software provides creatives with innovative, time-saving solutions. AI Workflows Boost Efficiency for Artists and Producers Software provides creatives with innovative, time-saving solutions. Edited by EE Staff Film and TV Oct 13, 2025 Games Mid-2024, Autodesk unveiled its latest advances in generative AI and cloud-enabled workflows designed to help artists focus on creativity and empower teams to be more efficient. Delivering on a longstanding commitment to provide creatives with innovative, time-saving solutions, Autodesk released its Flow Generative Scheduling ability along with a host of new AI capabilities in Maya and Flame. Flow Generative Scheduling accelerates the creation of production schedules with constantly shifting project variables like deadlines, budgets, and team availability. Powered by Autodesk AI, Flow Generative Scheduling was designed to help keep projects running smoothly. In a fraction of the time previously required, teams are able to compare multiple schedule scenarios, evaluate tradeoffs, and create resource-optimized and balanced schedules for even the most complex projects. Whether planning for an upcoming show or responding to changes in real time, Flow Generative Scheduling enables teams to make critical decisions faster and gives creatives the freedom and insights to deliver their best work on time and on budget. Flow Generative Scheduling can be accessed via Flow Production Tracking (formerly ShotGrid) for a tightly integrated collaborative workflow. Being able to evaluate different scenarios without impacting a live project, and then publishing a revised schedule directly into Flow Production Tracking was a game changer for creative teams. Boosting creative workflows for artists To help creatives address the challenges presented by today’s dynamic production environment—from growing complexity to ever-shifting deadlines and audience expectations—Autodesk explored the power of AI to accelerate and augment artist workflows. These features, available to Maya and Flame, have arrived on the heels of Autodesk’s recent acquisition of Wonder Dynamics (Wonder Dynamics, an Autodesk company), the company behind Autodesk Flow Studio (formerly Wonder Studio). Flow Studio is a solution which combines AI with established tools to help artists more easily animate, light, and compose 3D characters within live-action scenes. An artist’s time has always been their most valuable resource, so being able to bring them AI tools to augment their creative process unlocked a host of new possibilities, such as spending more time iterating on their creative ideas, and less time on repetitive, noncreative tasks. Maya’s ML Deformer enables artists to work with complex characters for animation, VFX, and games projects. The tool processes complex deformation systems and represents them with a fast, machine-learned approximation. For example, if you have a character with a complex deformation system that runs slowly, Maya can be trained to represent that deformation system using ML Deformer. Artists can then use this fast representation to work more interactively and switch back to the original for final polish or render. New Maya ML Deformer enables artists to work more interactively with complex characters. Flame’s AI toolset continued to grow with ML Timewarp, a mode that generates an intermediate frame between two frames in a shot for retiming of clips. Users benefit not only from high-quality renders, but also from a fully integrated tool that maximizes their workstation’s hardware, eliminating costly file transfer workflows across multiple tools. For the most demanding workloads, this mode can also be queued to render with remote systems via Autodesk Burn. In addition to these features, the latest versions of Autodesk Maya and 3ds Max, offers increased support for open standards and improved modeling, animation, simulation, look development, and enhanced rendering capabilities. Header photo courtesy of Shangyu Wang. All other photos courtesy of Autodesk. For more information: Autodesk Read more about AI use in entertainment Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Innovative components allowed Harley-Davidson® to reduce the weight of its souped-up Road Glide® motorcycles. High-Speed Parts for High-Speed Racing Innovative components allowed Harley-Davidson® to reduce the weight of its souped-up Road Glide® motorcycles. Sports Aug 5, 2025 Cool Stuff Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing competes in the King of the Baggers series, a one-of-a-kind motorcycle competition bringing together the best riders in the world to race souped-up Harley-Davidson Road Glide® motorcycles. To better compete in the race, the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing team needed to identify ways to reduce weight, increase speed, and decrease the lean angle of the large bike during turns. These adjustments would be complex due to the bike’s touring body design—especially when compared to Superbikes built for racing at breakneck speeds. To start off, the production Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycle weighs up to 960 lbs. Harley-Davidson Factory Racing engineers constantly iterate designs. Their year-round need for quick-turn parts across a variety of manufacturing processes brought them to Protolabs and their digital manufacturing expertise in search of a partner that can provide both prototype and race-ready parts. The partnership has allowed the engineering team to apply key learnings from a Sunday race and translate that knowledge into a new part design. The team can prototype, test, iterate, and order the final part using a race-ready lightweight material—all before the green flag drops the following weekend. According to Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Team Principal, Jason Kehl, “For us to be successful, we need to respond rapidly to what we are learning on the racetrack. To do that, we require a partner that is able to bring these ideas to life. As a digital manufacturer, Protolabs allows us to make those weekly incremental improvements that lead to season-long success.” Tight turns on the track are pivotal to the team's success. Just one-half degree of extra lean angle during turns can reduce track time by about 1/10 of a second. With some racetracks sporting as many as 14 turns in a single lap, the benefits of increased lean angle are clear. Harley-Davidson Factory Racing engineers constantly evaluate how they can modify parts on the bike to add extra lean angle, which can help maintain performance and comfort for the rider. The exhaust components on the right side of the motorcycle offered the best potential for improving lean angle, so the team turned to the design freedom of metal 3D printing at Protolabs. The result was an organically designed exhaust that tucks in closer to the bike, ultimately allowing Wyman and Rispoli to ride closer to the ground on right-hand turns. The DMLS-printed (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) exhaust utilized titanium for a lightweight, organic design. All photos courtesy of Protolabs. King of the Baggers riders race rain or shine. As you might expect, bad weather creates several on-track challenges. With riders handling the 620 lb. bike at high speeds in tight turns, hydroplaning and crashes are common. Finishing the race in even the worst conditions is paramount for the season-long points race, as failing to cross the finish line—even in last place—results in a steep slide down the leaderboard. When a bike does go down, protecting critical parts from damage allows riders to continue competing. The shift assembly tops that list as it is especially susceptible to damage due to its position on the bike’s left side. The part, built to protect the shift assembly, is intended to take the brunt of any damage. Harley-Davidson Factory Racing engineers designed the shift skid that Protolabs machined and delivered in two days. Requiring mandatory tight tolerances, the part was manufactured using 3+2 CNC machining. In the end, this part allows riders to continue competing for precious points throughout the season. All photos courtesy of Protolabs. Collecting first-hand feedback from the racers as they return from the track and combining that with quantitative data analyzing performance in every straightaway and turn fuels the bike’s evolution. Protolabs is able to manufacture quick-turn, high quality parts, speeding iteration of injection-molded, CNC-machined, 3D-printed, and sheet metal fabricated parts. For more information: Protolabs American Motorcycle Association Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Baseball speed and spin rates will be integrated into app and live broadcasts and used for recruiting. Capturing Ball Speed and Spin Rates with Radar for Live Broadcasts Baseball speed and spin rates will be integrated into app and live broadcasts and used for recruiting. Joe Gillard Sports Jul 7, 2025 Stalker Sport, manufacturer of sports radar technology, has partnered with AWRE Sports, who specializes in multi-angle video, data analytics, and live streaming products for baseball and softball. The partnership will integrate Stalker’s speed and spin rate data into AWRE’s app and live broadcasts. Also from EE: Electric Race Car Uses 3D-Printed Components While speed is a well-known pitch measurement, spin rate is the measure the amount of spin, in revolutions per minute, of a baseball or softball, which can affect the trajectory of a given pitch. Stalker Sport’s Pro S line is a handheld sports radar capable of capturing this measurement in addition to speed. With the AWRE partnership, baseball teams using the Pro 3s, Pro 3, or Sport 3 Connect can connect their radar with AWRE’s system, allowing pitch data to be displayed during broadcasts and logged in AWRE’s charting system. AWRE has developed a number of sports apps for athletes, schools, sports facilities, and other users. “At Stalker Sport, we’re always looking for meaningful ways to enhance the value of our technology for players, coaches, and scouts,” said Greyson Jenista, Product Manager for Sports Tech at Stalker Sport. “Partnering with AWRE Sports allows us to bring our trusted data directly into dynamic video and live streaming environments, making performance insights more accessible and impactful than ever before.” How do sports radar guns work? Radar guns for measuring pitch speed rely on Doppler Radar. Microwaves are directed at the ball (or any moving object) and the change in frequency is measured after it bounces off. As explained by OSU professor Todd Thompson, a radar gun, such as a police radar, “bounces a pulse of microwaves (or infrared laser light) of a known wavelength off a car or truck,” and then it measures the wavelength that is reflected back towards the gun. “The Doppler shift gives the vehicle's speed.” Measuring spin rate is more difficult, and Stalker boasts having the only sports radar gun that can do it. According to the company, “measuring ball rotation requires longer tracking of the ball’s flight, followed by a complex calculation determining ball spin.” A tool for recruiting The data will also include automated highlight reels that can be shared with college recruiters and coaches, the company says. “We are constantly seeking opportunities to integrate verified data our clients desire with video. Integrating the Stalker Gun, already a very valuable tool, directly into the AWRE Charting app was a no-brainer,” said Chris Clark, CEO of AWRE. “Stalker plus AWRE now allows coaches and scouts to automatically gather, tag and organize video and verified data. This integration presents a significant advantage for coaches, scouts, players, and prospects alike.” “This integration is just the beginning,” continued Jenista. “We’re excited about the opportunities ahead to innovate alongside AWRE and continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in athlete development, recruiting, and fan engagement.” Source: Stalker Sport Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next

Stage lighting rigging uses spring cable drums to solve a complex challenge. Creative Rigging Solution for Moveable Nightclub Ceiling Stage lighting rigging uses spring cable drums to solve a complex challenge. Stage Events Jul 28, 2025 Cool Stuff Winner of the bronze vector award in 2024, French company Mecaoctet has created a movable ceiling for a nightclub in the Accor Arena in Paris. For the power supply, the designers rely on slip-ring-free spring cable drums from the igus e-spool series. The vector award jury was highly impressed by the unique technical solution used for the breathtaking light show. All photos courtesy of igus The movable nightclub ceiling consists of a fragmented mirror measuring 16x15 meters, which is divided into 32 triangular elements, 16 of which are movable. Each of these triangles has two mirror surfaces, one at the top and one at the bottom, with the edge consisting of an SRU LED strip. In combination with spotlights, a breathtaking light show with monumental shapes in motion is created above the heads of the guests. The design challenge was to set the triangles in motion and supply the LED strips with power. To solve this complex challenge, the engineering team involved chose to rely on three motorized winches, one at each corner of the triangles. For the power supply, the experts chose slip-ring-free spring cable drums from the igus e-spool series, which are fitted with hybrid cables and connected to the centers of gravity of the triangles. All photos courtesy of igus The stroke for the application is six meters. The speed is 0.5 meters per second. According to Mecaoctet, thanks to the igus solution they were able to avoid using complex coils with rotating collectors—which would have been very expensive and unreliable. Compared to a slider system with cable loops, the solution is also more fail-safe and aesthetically pleasing. The igus e-spool series are able to confine many different cables within a confined space and uniquely combines two different energy supply systems, puts no tensile load on the cables, can supply energy in all directions (horizontal, vertical, and diagonal), and is available for indoor and outdoor applications. Overall, the final design provided accuracy, reliability, and aesthetics. For more information, visit igus and Mecaoctet . Previous Facebook LinkedIn Copy link Next