Newswise Feature Channel: Travel and Transportation

Tariffs Could Have Significant Impact on Packaging, Says Expert

Virginia Tech — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 09:55:40 EST

Walk into any store, and nearly everything -- except produce -- comes in some sort of package. Bottled water, cheese, electronics, even large appliances are wrapped in protective material to ensure that items are not damaged in transit. Changes, such as tariffs in the global marketplace, have a ripple effect on packaging, says Laszlo Horvath, an associate professor in the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech and director of the Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design in the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials.

Don't Leave All Your Airport Security to TSA, Cybersecurity Expert Says

Virginia Tech — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 09:40:21 EST

Whether they're planning to snorkel a barrier reef or just walks on the beach, all travelers face risks -- starting when they connect to the internet via airport Wi-Fi. Fraudsters troll free airport Wi-Fi signals and even impersonate those networks to get access to sensitive information such as credit card numbers and banking passwords transmitted through passengers' laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Teaching-Learning Algorithm Boosts Accuracy in EV Battery Monitoring

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 09:35:38 EST

Accurate estimation of the State of Charge (SoC) in lithium-ion batteries is a pivotal factor for optimizing the performance, safety, and longevity of electric vehicles (EVs). Traditional methods often fail to capture the dynamic, nonlinear nature of battery behavior, resulting in inaccuracies that undermine battery management systems (BMS). A new hybrid model that combines deep neural networks (DNNs) with a teaching-learning based optimization (TLBO) algorithm is set to revolutionize SoC estimation, offering a much-needed solution to enhance the efficiency and reliability of EVs.

BGSU Researcher Studying Ways to Improve Truck-Driver Safety Records

Bowling Green State University — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 07:30:00 EST

Trucking is considered to be one of the most dangerous and demanding jobs in the country, accounting for about 20% of all vehicle-related fatalities

UC Irvine Study Shines Headlights on Consumer Driverless Vehicle Safety Deficiencies

University of California, Irvine — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:05:40 EST

For the first time, researchers at the University of California, Irvine have demonstrated that multicolored stickers applied to stop or speed limit signs on the roadside can confuse self-driving vehicles, causing unpredictable and possibly hazardous operations.

Making Traffic Safer: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Team Uses Artificial Intelligence to Improve Intersection Safety

Florida State University — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 20:10:46 EST

A team of researchers from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering is exploring how existing technology and new algorithms can prevent potential crashes at intersections and pave the way for smarter, safer roads.

U-Michigan, UC Riverside Launch Alliance to Promote Hydrogen-Fueled Internal Combustion Engines

University of Michigan — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 19:50:49 EST

Hydrogen has the potential to power internal combustion engines, including on-road and off-road vehicles and equipment, and large marine engines. Despite its promise to reduce climate change emissions such as carbon dioxide and harmful pollutants, hydrogen has largely remained underutilized in the United States. Officials at the University of Michigan and University of California, Riverside, along with several industry partners, are working to change that with the launch of the Hydrogen Engine Alliance of North America, or H2EA-NA. The alliance will promote hydrogen as a viable alternative fuel that can complement internal combustion engine, or ICE, vehicles while supporting the transition to electric and other zero emission technologies.

Missouri S&T Researcher's Robotic Bridge Inspection System Wins ASCE's 2025 Pankow Award

Missouri University of Science and Technology — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 18:50:55 EST

A researcher at Missouri University of Science and Technology has developed a robotic system to make bridge inspections faster, more comprehensive and safer. Dr. Genda Chen's invention, called the Bridge Inspection Robot Deployment System, or BIRDS, has been selected for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2025 Charles Pankow Award for Innovation.

AI/ML's Bright Future at NSLS-II

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:30:21 EST

The National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) -- a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory -- is among the world's most advanced synchrotron light sources, enabling and supporting science across various disciplines. Advances in automation, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) are transforming how research is done at NSLS-II, streamlining workflows, enhancing productivity, and alleviating workloads for both users and staff.

Heavy Metals in EV Batteries Are Known Carcinogens, Pose Greater Cancer Risk for Firefighters, Owners and Communities

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 20:05:24 EST

Electric vehicles are becoming more popular and are a growing segment of the nation's automobile fleet. But public health researchers with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center are discovering elevated cancer risks for firefighters and community members alike from electric vehicle fires.

Roadway Safety Research, Automated Vehicle Testing Join Forces at U-M

University of Michigan — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 19:55:48 EST

In an effort to bolster its research on next-generation mobility technologies that save lives, the University of Michigan is fusing its longstanding leadership in transportation safety with its distinct expertise in testing connected and automated vehicle technologies.

Self-Driving Cars Learn to Share Road Knowledge Through Digital Word-of-Mouth

NYU Tandon School of Engineering — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 19:50:09 EST

An NYU Tandon School of Engineering-led research team has developed a way for self-driving vehicles to share their knowledge about road conditions indirectly, making it possible for each vehicle to learn from the experiences of others even when they rarely meet on the road.

Frontier Scientific Solutions Appoints Kevin Nash as President of European Operations

Frontier Scientific Solutions — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 02:10:22 EST

Frontier Scientific Solutions, a temperature-controlled storage and transportation company exclusively serving the life sciences industry, today announced the appointment of Kevin Nash as President of European Operations.

Flight Anxiety Soars to New Heights Amid Aircraft Incidents

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 19:50:25 EST

Expert Available: Delta Jet Flips on Snowy Toronto Runway, All 80 on Board Survive

George Washington University — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 17:10:07 EST

A Delta regional jet crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport, flipping upside down on the snowy runway. ...

FSU Researcher Join $50M Department of Energy Consortium to Create Powerful Sodium-Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles

Florida State University — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:30:44 EST

Assistant Professor of chemistry and biochemistry Yan Zeng has been funded as part of the DOE's $50 million Low-cost Earth-abundant Na-ion Storage Consortium, or LENS Consortium, which aims to discover, develop and demonstrate a new class of sodium-ion batteries for use in electric vehicles.

Getting Over a 13-Hour Jet Lag: How Do Canada's Speed-Skaters Do It?

Universite de Montreal — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 12:00:51 EST

Researchers analyzed how the country's short-track speed-skating team adapts to major time-zone differences when they fly to competitions in Asia.

Turning Car and Helicopter Exhaust Into Thermoelectric Energy

American Chemical Society (ACS) — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 20:25:27 EST

A study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces demonstrates how to convert exhaust heat into electricity. The researchers present a prototype thermoelectric generator system that could reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions -- an opportunity for improving sustainable energy initiatives in a rapidly changing world.

For Trucks Only

University of Iowa Tippie College of Business — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 16:05:07 EST

Designating a highway lane for semi-trucks only on rural highways during overnight hours can smooth both supply chains and the transition to semi-automated vehicles.

$3M Grant Targets Integrated Semiconductor for Smarter, Greener Electronics

Penn State Materials Research Institute — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 18:10:55 EST

The microelectronics industry is nearing a tipping point. The silicon chips at the heart of everyday electronic devices are running into performance limits, raising the need for new materials and technologies to continue making faster, more efficient devices.