Magazine Articles - SAE Mobilus
Researchers discover texts, phone calls, military communication, internal corporate networks all easily eavesdropped on using off-the-shelf equipment. University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA With $800 of off-the-shelf equipment and months' worth of patience, a team of U.S. computer scientists set out to find out how well geostationary satellite communications are encrypted. And what they found was shocking. Close to half of the communications beamed from satellites to the ground that the researchers were able to listen in on were not encrypted. This included sensitive data including cellular text messages, voice calls, as well as sensitive military information, data from internal corporate and bank networks, and the in-flight online activity of airline passengers.
Researchers at Cornell University, working with collaborators, have created an extremely small neural implant that can sit on a grain of salt. Despite its size, the device can wirelessly transmit brain activity data from a living animal for more than a year.
Space vehicle and satellite development programs are driving demand for new small- and medium-sized satellites across commercial and defense imaging, data collection, and other space-based applications.
OEMs, integrators and suppliers must continuously process, assess and identify platform vulnerabilities to prioritize and implement updates that protect systems from cyberattacks and data breaches. Security researchers have demonstrated that the control systems in vehicles and machines are open to attack. In 2010, researchers from the University of Washington and the University of California, San Diego demonstrated that by gaining physical access to a vehicle, they could manipulate critical systems like brakes and engines. Just a few years later, security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek remotely compromised a vehicle over the internet, controlling steering, braking and acceleration, leading to a 1.4 million vehicle recall. In 2024, researchers at Colorado State University successfully demonstrated a wireless drive-by hack by exploiting vulnerabilities in common electronic logging devices (ELDs). In their proof-of-concept test, they achieved remote control over a truck by
The uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) market is advancing at extraordinary speed, reshaping both commercial and defense aviation. From small tactical systems operating at the edge of the battlefield to high-altitude uncrewed platforms conducting strategic surveillance, UAVs are now critical assets across a wide range of mission environments. Their capabilities continue to expand - carrying more sensors, flying longer missions, and navigating more contested environments. Yet this rapid innovation brings with it growing engineering pressure. UAVs are expected to be lighter, more autonomous, more modular, and more adaptable, all while maintaining near-flawless reliability. This is where heritage becomes decisive. In an era that rewards speed, heritage provides the hard-earned engineering wisdom that ensures systems do not just fly but perform predictably, repeatedly, and safely under real-world conditions.
There's a well-known video from San Francisco in 1906 that comes up repeatedly in mobility discussions here in the 21st Century. If you haven't seen A Trip Down Market Street, it depicts the absolute bonkers variety of transportation methods used on Market Street back then: cable cars, horsecars, streetcars, pedestrians, automobiles and more. Past is prologue in a world that is adding scooters, delivery robots and other last-minute delivery vehicles to our streets. At the 2026 New York International Auto Show in April, Honda displayed its latest option in the form of the Fastport eQuad Prototype. The eQuad was originally unveiled at Eurobike 2025 and technically comes from Fastport, a micromobility venture from the Honda New Business Innovation Lab that was established to work on projects with global logistics companies. Jamie Davies, chief of operations for Fastport, called the group a kind of startup within Honda. “Three years ago,” Davies told SAE Media in New York, “a small group
Aerospace and defense systems demand materials capable of maintaining performance under extreme environmental and operational stressors, including wide thermal cycling ranges, exposure to hydrocarbon fuels, vacuum conditions, and repeated mechanical strain. Silicone-based materials have become essential in these environments because they can retain elasticity, stability, and functionality where many traditional materials fail. Silicones are widely used as coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers in aircraft and spacecraft applications. Their chemical structure enables resistance to both high and low temperatures, while also providing durability against solvents and fuels such as jet fuel. In contrast, many conventional elastomers degrade under prolonged thermal exposure or become brittle at cryogenic temperatures.
Two of the biggest hurdles to adoption of hydrogen fuel cells are still the availability of hydrogen and its affordability. Now Bosch has taken what is a small step toward addressing availability at its Farmington Hills, Michigan, engineering center, where the company just unveiled its new electrolyzer, which uses electrical current to split water into oxygen and hydrogen to power fuel cells.
Volvo Trucks' revised VNR brings updated safety tech, improved fuel economy and driver comfort features to the regional haul segment. Volvo Trucks has continued its rollout of new models for every sector of the commercial truck market. The redesigned VNR is the latest model to see the spotlight. The new VNR naturally carries all of Volvo's latest safety tech, but also prioritizes maneuverability, fuel efficiency and configurability for a wide variety of fleet uses. “The VNR is an incredibly versatile truck,” said Maddie Sullivan, product marketing manager. “There are so many different configurations to meet our customer's needs. We offer four different cab sizes, three different axle configurations and two different chassis configurations.”
In the two months since Microvision bought Luminar and acquired key tech and talent, the sensor company has been busy. In that time, they've merged key lidar units from each company and created a perception software stack to run it in a convincing demo of its ADAS and autonomous capabilities. The company is also pushing innovative lidar tech into the defense drone and antidrone markets, already working with a German defense supplier that works with NATO member countries.
Sustainability needs to be practical. That was a point Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, made clear at CONEXPO 2026 in Las Vegas. “We're running a business, so we are focusing a lot on efficiency and uptime,” he said, referencing the up-to-10% improvement in fuel efficiency with the new VNL. “That helps our customers to run their operations at a better pace and a lower cost, but at the same time we have a very positive impact on the climate.” Voorhoeve also teased the launch of a new vocational truck. “We are strong in long haul. We are a leading sleeper manufacturer, very strong in regional haul, and we now have renewed focus on vocational,” he said. “In August we will launch a new truck specifically for the vocational segment that's built on the same platform as the VNL and VNR.” (See page 22 for our feature story on the new VNR.)
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, and New York’s Columbia University have embedded transistors in a soft, conformable material to create a biocompatible sensor implant that monitors neurological functions through successive phases of a patient’s development.
How to ensure off-highway combustion systems operate with sufficient control to meet tightening emissions standards and evolving fuel landscapes without sacrificing reliability. Off-highway equipment is being asked to do more with less. Less margin for emissions, less tolerance for downtime and less room for inefficiency, while operating under some of the most demanding duty cycles in the transport sector. Tier 4 and Tier 5 emissions standards have reshaped engine calibration strategies. Renewable diesel and biodiesel blends are entering worksites and farms at scale. At the same time, construction, mining and agricultural machines are expected to run for 20-25 years, often at sustained high load and far from service infrastructure. In this environment, combustion systems are far from being phased out.
Researchers from CompPair and the European Space Agency have developed a new composite material for spacecraft with an embedded healing agent. European Space Agency, Paris, France Healable spacecraft structures could soon be possible thanks to cutting-edge composite technology. Swiss companies CompPair and CSEM, and Belgian company Com&Sens have partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to modify their self-healing carbon fiber product for use in space transportation. Project Cassandra - an abbreviation for Composite Autonomous Sensing and Repair - includes sensors and a heating element within a composite carbon-fiber material, allowing spacecraft to autonomously repair initial stages of damage.
Healable spacecraft structures could soon be possible thanks to cutting-edge composite technology. Swiss companies CompPair and CSEM, and Belgian company Com&Sens have partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to modify their self-healing carbon fiber product for use in space transportation.
Kubota introduced the new SVL110-3 compact track loader at CONEXPO 2026 in Las Vegas. The SVL110-3 delivers 112.7 gross horsepower (84.0 kW), an increased torque output of 279 lb-ft (378 Nm) compared to previous models and a rated operating capacity of 3,700 lb (1,678 kg). The SVL110-3 is capable of 45 GPM (170 L/min) of auxiliary flow while operating with the same traveling speed and compact footprint as its predecessor, the SVL97-3. Kubota states that this increase in auxiliary capacity enables contractors to operate high-demand attachments like trenchers, cold planers and skid cutters at full performance without compromise.
German startup Blackwave is building carbon parts for rocket tanks. Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany Carbon fiber has become indispensable in high-performance industries such as automotive engineering and aerospace. It's lightweight, extremely durable, and can be shaped in almost any way. The start-up Blackwave, founded at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), specializes in this versatile composite material. What began with custom components for sports cars and aircraft has evolved into the development of high-pressure tanks for space applications. As is so often the case in engineering, a small detail determines technological progress. In the case of rockets, it is the high-pressure tanks that are specially designed for the fuel systems. As rockets are designed to be as light as possible, they lose structural stability when the fuel tanks, known as primary tanks, are emptied. A trick is used to counteract this: alongside fuel combustion, noble gases are released
We hear it often at industry events, in keynote speeches and during expert panel discussions: There is no silver bullet. Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, says as much in this issue's Q&A (page 44). “Electric is one solution, but biodiesel is another solution, and hydrogen is, too. So we have these different fuel solutions to get to better sustainability.”
ZF foresees hybrid powertrain technology becoming more popular for commercial transport in the coming years, and it's working earnestly to be a major player in that realm. The supplier unveiled the TraXon 2 Hybrid transmission to the North American commercial vehicle market at last year's ACT Expo and is now evaluating the technology in real-world conditions. The next-gen automated manual transmission (AMT) is optimized to improve fuel efficiency for plug-in and full hybrid heavy-duty trucks and coaches, as well as special applications such as medium- to heavy-duty mobile cranes.
Kenworth's new C580 vocational truck made its debut at CONEXPO 2026. The C580 is the replacement for the long-serving C500 and aims to build on that truck's legacy thanks to new tech, more muscle and improved interior amenities. According to Kenworth, the C580 rides on the C500 platform, but has been endowed with Kenworth's latest cab, which brings modern comfort and technology features. Truck & Off-Highway Engineering was in attendance for Kenworth's introductory press conference for the C580 in Las Vegas.
Moog Inc. introduced its new adaptive electrification management system (AEMS) at a press conference during CONEXPO 2026 in Las Vegas. Moog states that this system offers a path to electrify, automate and digitalize construction machinery more efficiently and cost-effectively. “End users in the off-highway market are demanding that their machines have higher productivity and a lower total cost of ownership,” said Dr. Nate Keller, Moog strategic business manager. “OEMs are working to solve this problem, and one of the particular ways is through electrification.”
Though the U.S. EPA has rolled back many emissions regulations surrounding the mobility industry, its HD rules remain intact, meaning manufacturers must hit the world's most stringent NOx requirement. It was clear at a panel of industry experts that the new rule was still causing confusion among operators and fleet owners. The EPA's new limits are set at 0.035 grams per horsepower-hour during normal operation, 0.050 grams at low load and 10.0 grams at idle. A panel immediately following revealed how companies have hit the tough target, which goes into effect in January of 2027.
Precision agriculture, also known as smart farming, was once reserved for early adopters or large-scale operations, but is now an expectation within the farming industry. Across various regions and farm sizes, smart farming techniques are changing the way crops are planted as well as how they are monitored and harvested. However, farmers today are under increasing pressure to reduce labor, decrease chemical inputs, conserve water and operate in tighter windows. Couple this with factors such as narrow seasonal windows, productivity demands and safety considerations, and the need for smarter decisions becomes imperative. Going one step further, global food demands and environmental pressures are further increasing demand for precise, accurate and intelligent farming solutions.
Harbinger revealed its HC Series Cab during Work Truck Week 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The HC Series is a new line of medium-duty, low cab forward vehicles available as both an electric and plug-in hybrid model. Harbinger states that the HC Series' hybrid powertrain uses a range-extended hybrid platform with a gasoline engine to recharge the truck's batteries, extending range up to 500 miles (805 km), depending on upfit configuration and drive cycle.
Neural Concept is an AI-first engineering platform that is being used at OEMs, including Subaru, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and General Motors. The company, which grew out of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne in 2018, is applying AI in real aerodynamic engineering workflows, visualized through NVIDIA Omniverse. Today, the company has 120 employees and works with companies in Europe, the U.S., India, South Korea and Japan. SAE Media met up with Thomas von Tschammer, managing director of Neural Concept USA, at WCX in Detroit in April. This has been lightly edited for clarity.
The successful launch of the final GPS-III satellite into orbit makes 32 total satellites in the GPS-III constellation, and paves the way for production and launch of GPS-IIIF satellites. Space Systems Command, El Segundo, CA With the successful launch of the 10th Global Positioning System III satellite on April 21 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, Space Systems Command is celebrating the start of a new era for the world's premier GPS constellation. “This milestone satellite launch completes GPS Block III,” said Erin Carper, Acting Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Satellite Communications and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) at SSC. “Providing critical military and civil signal accuracy 24/7, GPS continues to underpin global military operations for our warfighters.”
Sealing systems in space applications must perform reliably under demanding conditions in engineering: cryogenic temperatures, vibration, leakage control, ultra-high vacuum, ionizing radiation, abrasive particulates, and repeated thermal cycling. Each factor strains conventional sealing technologies. In combination, they can rapidly cause failure in systems where margins are unforgiving and maintenance is impossible. As spacecraft architectures evolve toward longer operational lifetimes and broader mission profiles, sealing requirements continue to tighten. Launch vehicles, satellites, and exploration platforms now operate across wider temperature ranges and in contact with more aggressive propellants and media. As a result, both metal seals and engineered polymer alternatives are evaluated-and selected-against increasingly specific, measurable performance criteria.
Using an inexpensive electrode coated with DNA, MIT researchers have designed disposable diagnostics that could be adapted to detect a variety of diseases, including cancer or infectious diseases such as influenza and HIV.
Why ADAS validation can't be solved with more miles alone. Modern advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are expected to operate reliably across an almost limitless range of real-world conditions, including changing weather, low lighting, unpredictable traffic behavior, and sensor noise. Validating performance across that level of variability has become one of the most demanding parts of ADAS development. Physical road testing, or even large-scale simulation, alone cannot provide sufficient coverage to meet these demands. This challenge is driven by increasing system complexity. Modern ADAS platforms rely on machine-learning-based perception, multi-sensor fusion, and tightly integrated software architectures that must interpret complex sensor data in real time. Each additional sensing modality, software update, or feature expansion drives a significant validation effort and, in many cases, increases the number of scenarios that must be evaluated.
As satellites take on more onboard processing - from Earth imaging to autonomy - spacecraft computing designers are pushing for higher performance under tight thermal and radiation constraints. Here's how suppliers are approaching heat removal, radiation mitigation and production-scale space-grade computing for LEO and beyond.
Some months, the diversity that makes up the automotive industry - and the broader transportation space - is more in-my-face than others. A series of recent conferences put this at the top of mind for me. The most recent was the International Transport Forum Summit in Leipzig, Germany, with the theme of “Funding Resilient Transport.” The name hints at the actionable kinds of discussions I heard in sessions like “Hydrogen as an Enabler of a Resilient Transport System” and a representative of a well-known Swedish packaged-furniture brand telling the room, “We do not need any more testing of pilots. We are ready to scale.”
High-temperature hydraulic control in a Formula 1 drivetrain requires dimensional stability, controlled sealing force, and resistance to wear under sustained pressure cycling. Inside the limited-slip differential, the sealing architecture plays a defined mechanical role in maintaining consistent torque management under race conditions. In Formula 1, drivetrain reliability and performance are closely linked. The limited-slip differential (LSD) governs torque distribution between the rear wheels, allowing controlled transfer of power to the wheel with greater available grip. By limiting speed difference across the rear axle, the differential contributes directly to traction and cornering behavior, particularly where grip levels vary across the vehicle. At the center of this assembly is a hydraulic actuator that clamps a friction clutch inside the differential. The actuator modulates clutch engagement to redirect torque as grip levels change through corner entry, mid-corner load transfer
A demonstration ride shows the glare-free, game-changing power of adaptive driving beams, already available in Europe. An approval test from NHTSA is proving difficult for OEMs to pass. I'm riding in the second row of a Lincoln Navigator fitted with Forvia Hella's adaptive driving beam (ADB) headlight system. The low- and high-beams are on, blasting everything in front of us for between 350 and 500 feet (122 and 152 m) with a bright, daylight-temperature LED light. Even traffic and street signs at the edges of the road, which normally aren't as well illuminated, are bathed in brightness. A car pulls out in front of us, and the system instantly adjusts, creating a tunnel of unlit space on and just next to the vehicle ahead. So even though we still have high beams on the rest of the road, that driver isn't facing the harsh glare that is the No. 1 complaint about today's high-intensity headlight systems.
From material selection to system-level performance Transportation's shift toward electric power - whether cars, planes, or big trucks - has made battery engineering a pretty wild, multidisciplinary puzzle. It's not just about coming up with a prototype anymore. To hit the right mix of energy density, power, safety, cost, and longevity, teams need to rethink how they design these systems. Enter simulation and modeling tools. Engineers now use these digital tools to blend electrochemistry, thermal management, materials science, and whole-system design. Instead of jumping straight to building, they try out battery ideas in the virtual world first, speeding up how long it takes to figure out what works and what doesn't and boosting the reliability of those batteries in the real world. Today, battery simulation spans multiple scales from the behavior of active materials within electrodes to the thermal dynamics of the entire battery pack as integrated into a vehicle.
Two of the biggest hurdles to the adoption of hydrogen fuel cells are still the availability of hydrogen and its affordability. Bosch recently took a small step toward addressing availability at its Farmington Hills, Michigan, engineering center, where the company unveiled a new electrolyzer that uses electrical current to split water into oxygen and hydrogen to power fuel cells.
Building a trusted digital twin and decision-centric simulation ecosystem The automotive industry has been experiencing significant change and transformation. Electrification, software-defined vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems, and increasing electrical system integration are fundamentally reshaping how vehicles are designed and validated. As integration complexity continues to increase, the expectations for design cycle times are being compressed. Programs that once relied on extended validation timelines are now expected to deliver the same level of confidence in a fraction of the time. Traditional engineering workflows were built around sequential design phases, iterative simulations, and heavy reliance on physical validation. Design concepts were documented, prototypes were constructed, tests were performed, and results were compiled in reports and specifications that informed the next iteration. That approach worked well when systems were less complex and product life
Software is driving major changes in automotive design. The rise of the software-defined vehicle, combined with increasing automation, is dramatically increasing software complexity. Automotive teams must deliver larger volumes of safety-critical code on tighter schedules while maintaining strict compliance with functional safety standards. In this environment, effective testing and verification are more important than ever. Development teams are increasingly adopting shift-left testing strategies, where defects are identified early at the unit level before software progresses down the development pipeline. Detecting issues earlier reduces risk, lowers remediation costs, and improves development velocity.
On a clear afternoon over a contested airspace, a drone suddenly appears on radar. Within seconds, more follow, and they're small, fast, and unpredictable. For the U.S. Army's air and missile defense operators, every moment counts. The difference between mission success and mission failure is measured in milliseconds. During that brief window, sensors must connect instantly, embedded systems must process floods of data at the edge, and command links must hold steady even under electronic interference.
USC Viterbi researcher received Office of Naval Research's Young Investigator Program award with Study on dexterous robotics. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA In dynamic, unstructured environments like ship decks and even home kitchens, robots today still struggle to perform precision tasks such as tightening bolts or handling wires. This makes critical ship maintenance tasks difficult. USC researcher, Erdem Bıyık, aims to advance robots' finger manipulation and integrate human feedback to enable real-time learning for robots in an upcoming three-year, $750,000 project funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).
Today's defense operations are defined by mobility, speed and data. Whether coordinating ship-to-shore logistics, maneuvering ground forces, or enabling autonomous and semi-autonomous systems at the tactical edge, reliable communications are no longer a support function - they are mission-critical. Defense forces must operate across fixed and mobile environments while maintaining secure, high-bandwidth connectivity amid interference, jamming, and limited spectrum availability. Legacy approaches, typically optimized for either static infrastructure or limited mobility, struggle to meet these combined requirements.
The convergence of highly capable edge AI models and advanced commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) edge AI accelerators is reshaping how computation is deployed across defense, aerospace, and commercial platforms. Mission-critical decisions increasingly must be made at the edge, onboard vehicles, satellites, and infrastructure nodes, where latency, connectivity, and power availability are constrained.
MyDefence has officially opened its U.S. counter uncrewed aircraft systems (C UAS) manufacturing and innovation facility in Oklahoma City, marking a major step in the company's expansion of its North American production footprint. The latest MyDefence facility, which became operational in February, strengthens the company's ability to support U.S. and allied defense customers with domestically produced counter drone technologies while reinforcing supply chain resilience, regulatory compliance, and lifecycle support. The opening comes amid rapid growth in the scale, diversity, and technical sophistication of uncrewed aerial system threats. Advances in autonomy, range, payload integration, and - critically -radio frequency (RF) employment have increased demand for counter UAS solutions that can evolve as quickly as the threat itself.
Machina Labs recently closed its latest round of financing with $124 million, enough to develop a facility featuring up to 50 of its RoboCraftsman cells capable of producing thousands of complex structural assemblies for aerospace and defense customers - a list that already includes Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force, among others. Founded in 2019, Machina Labs is a California-based company that seeks to reinvent metal manufacturing with a robot that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to rapidly form and assemble complex military grade structures directly from digital design files. RoboCraftsman is the company's manufacturing robot that leverages its proprietary “RoboForming” process to integrate multiple manufacturing processes - including metal forming, trimming, scanning, and heat treating - into a single containerized machine.
Researchers recently helped Skydio, the leading U.S. drone manufacturer, demonstrate compliance to the Federal Aviation Administration's rules for safe flights over people and vehicles. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA Operators using a drone from the leading manufacturer in the U.S. can now conduct missions over people and vehicles much easier and with even greater confidence in their safety. In January, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accepted a declaration of compliance for such flights for the parachute-equipped Skydio X10 drone from Skydio, a San Mateo, California-based company that supplies its drones to customers in public safety, utilities, and national security. The acceptance came as the result of working with Virginia Tech's Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) and Center for Injury Biomechanics to complete their FAA-approved means of compliance testing.
Army researchers recently developed a 3D-printable, easy-to-assemble drone designed to enhance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD Researchers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, or DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory (ARL) harnessed bottom-up Soldier innovation to develop an experimental 3D-printed small unmanned aerial system, or drone, that was demonstrated at the inaugural U.S. Army Best Drone Warfighter Competition in Huntsville, Alabama. Known as the Soldier Portable Autonomous Reconnaissance Transitioning Aircraft, or SPARTA, the drone was developed at DEVCOM ARL in collaboration with Soldiers. By incorporating Soldier feedback early in the design process and leveraging ARL's world-class research facilities, researchers developed a 3D-printable, easy-to-assemble drone designed to enhance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. ARL is actively working to partner the technology
Funding from Google and the U.S. Department of Energy helped a team of researchers develop an assortment of agentic AI-enabled tools to help optimize traditional aerospace design processes. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY A Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) engineering professor, Shaowu Pan, Ph.D. and his team of students have integrated agentic AI into computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to optimize the aerospace design process and alleviate bottlenecks. Pan's advances address priorities outlined in Winning the Race: America's AI Action Plan, which emphasizes that “high-quality data has become a national strategic asset” and calls for “the world's largest and highest quality AI-ready scientific datasets.”
A lot can happen in 17 months — especially in the automotive industry. Just ask Ganaio.
Using waste to purify water may sound counterintuitive. But at TU Wien, this is exactly what has now been achieved: a special nanostructure has been developed to filter a widespread class of harmful dyes from water. A crucial component is a material that is considered waste: used cellulose, for example, in the form of cleaning cloths or paper cups. The cellulose is utilized to coat a fine nanofabric to create an efficient filter for polluted water.
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