Magazine Articles - SAE Mobilus
Aitech introduced its new artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled picosatellite constellation platform, IQSat, at the 40th annual Space Symposium in April. The platform is designed to bring ready to use commercial off the shelf (COTS) embedded computing to data heavy earth imaging and pattern recognition applications enabled by AI and machine learning (ML) processing and algorithms performed onboard a constellation of IQSats. Available as an individual platform or in constellations that could include thousands of picosatellites, IQSat will become available to customers in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The Department of Defense (DoD) is developing technology for satellites to communicate via lasers. Laser communications could transmit data faster and more securely than traditional radio frequency communications. DoD has made progress in developing this technology, but it has also faced delays and other issues-and hasn't fully demonstrated that it works in space. Despite these challenges, DoD plans to continue to develop and launch hundreds of satellites worth billions of dollars that require the use of laser communications.
An Army-funded research project has led to the development of more efficient materials for developing thermoelectric generators that convert waste heat to clean energy for a variety of applications. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA Thermoelectric generators that can convert waste heat to clean energy could soon be as efficient as other renewable energy sources, like solar, according to a team led by Penn State scientists. Using high-entropy materials, the researchers created more efficient thermoelectric materials than previously possible, an advancement that they said could even help make long-distance space exploration possible. In a study partially funded by the U.S. Army with results published in the journal Joule last year, the researchers demonstrated how thermoelectric devices - including the radioisotope thermoelectric generators that produce energy for NASA's space exploration vehicles - can convert differences in temperature to electricity. When they are
NearSpace Launch Inc. (NSL), a privately held and fully U.S.-owned aerospace company, is actively redefining the boundaries of responsive spaceflight through its development and deployment of the Train Rapid on Orbit Payload (TROOP) and ThinSat platforms. Over the past decade, NSL has launched more than 100 small satellites and over 900 flight systems and subsystems into orbit. NSL's satellites have been part of launches operated by Astra, Atlas, Delta, Firefly Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX among others. Headquartered in Upland, Indiana, NSL is currently the largest small satellite manufacturer in the midwestern region of the U.S., uniquely positioned to address urgent national needs for rapid space access and technology testing.
Physicists at the Naval Research Laboratory are collaborating with several universities throughout the U.S. to develop a small satellite that will detect the emission of short gamma-ray bursts. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington D.C. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), in partnership with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), has developed StarBurst, a small satellite (SmallSat) instrument for NASA's StarBurst Multimessenger Pioneer mission, which will detect the emission of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), a key electromagnetic (EM) signature that will contribute to the understanding of neutron star (NS) mergers. NRL transferred the instrument to NASA on March 4 for the next phase, environmental testing. From there, the instrument will be integrated onto the spacecraft bus, followed by launch into Low Earth Orbit in 2027. StarBurst will be installed as a secondary payload via the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter Grande interface with a
The global satellite communications (SATCOM) sector is undergoing profound transformation. Fueled by the rapid growth of low Earth-orbit (LEO) constellations, increased government investment, and heightened demand for secure, high-throughput connectivity, the market is projected to expand from $66.75 billion in 2025 to $103.78 billion by 20291, 2. This momentum reflects a broader realignment of priorities across commercial and defense markets: a shift from reliance on legacy geostationary systems toward agile, resilient networks capable of supporting next-generation missions and applications.
With 2D cameras and space robotics algorithms, astronautics engineers at Stanford have created a navigation system able to manage multiple satellites using visual data only. They recently tested it in space for the first time. Stanford University, Stanford, CA Someday, instead of large, expensive individual space satellites, teams of smaller satellites - known by scientists as a “swarm” - will work in collaboration, enabling greater accuracy, agility, and autonomy. Among the scientists working to make these teams a reality are researchers at Stanford University's Space Rendezvous Lab, who recently completed the first-ever in-orbit test of a prototype system able to navigate a swarm of satellites using only visual information shared through a wireless network. “It's a milestone paper and the culmination of 11 years of effort by my lab, which was founded with this goal of surpassing the current state of the art and practice in distributed autonomy in space,” said Simone D'Amico
In October 2024, Kongsberg NanoAvionics discovered damage to their MP42 satellite, and used the discovery as an opportunity to raise awareness on the need to reduce space debris generated by satellites. Kongsberg NanoAvionics, Vilnius, Lithuania Our MP42 satellite, which launched into low Earth orbit (LEO) two and a half years ago aboard the SpaceX Transporter-4 mission, recently took an unexpected hit from a small piece of space debris or micrometeoroid. The impact created a 6 mm hole, roughly the size of a chickpea, in one of its solar panels. Despite this damage, the satellite continued performing its mission without interruption, and we only discovered the impact thanks to an image taken by its onboard selfie camera in October of 2024. It is challenging to pinpoint exactly when the impact occurred because MP42's last selfie was taken a year and a half ago, in April of 2023.
The American truck market is huge. The trucks themselves are also quite large. Pickups went from workhorse machines to enormous luxury vehicles with equally large price tags. Even the Maverick, Ford's latest entry, has seen its price creep up since its debut. The antithesis of the current market is the newly unveiled Slate pickup. A small, two-door, two-seater, bare-bones electric truck that doesn't have power windows, leather interior, or even an entertainment system. It also doesn't boast an insane zero to 60 time, even though it's an EV. Instead, it flies in the face of everything that's happening in the truck market, and it might just be what many customers are looking for.
The predominant low-voltage battery maker Clarios announced that IdleLess, a sensor-and-AI-driven system for heavy-duty trucks that it says can save up to $3,300 per year per truck and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 8.6 metric tons per year, is commercially available in the United States and Canada. Long-haul Class 8 trucks spend an enormous amount of time idling. Much of this time occurs when a driver is on rest at a truck stop or during loading/unloading at warehouses. Operators keep the truck running to power the air-conditioning and other systems without draining the four or more 12V batteries too much, which would prevent them from being able to start their diesel engines. IdleLess addresses that and is not the type of automatic start-stop system that has drawn the ire of truck operators and passenger-vehicle drivers, who routinely disable such systems.
April saw two major tradeshows take place, playing host to numerous advanced vehicle and technology reveals from global OEMs and suppliers - some of which are detailed in these pages. Bauma in Munich, Germany, a leading trade fair for the construction and mining vehicle industries, saw around 600,000 visitors from more than 200 countries and regions, as well as over 3,600 exhibitors from 57 nations. Billed as the largest advanced CV technology show, ACT Expo engaged more than 12,000 stakeholders from at least 54 countries, including over 2,700 fleet operators. But just as present as the technology itself at these shows was the ongoing uncertainty stemming from the Trump administration's volatile trade policy announced on April 2 involving steep tariffs that have been adjusted frequently in the ensuing weeks.
There's a chaotic elephant in almost every room of the 2025 Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo: Tariffs and the Trump administration's seemingly hostile approach to environmentally friendly technology like EVs and alternative energy sources. The Trump administration's announcement on the second day of the ACT Expo that it would be lowering auto tariffs only underscored the uncertainty.
The switch to electrified off-highway vehicles can help reduce reliance on hydraulic components that decrease system efficiency via parasitic losses. The off-highway machine industry is embracing new technologies to optimize operations, specifically regarding electric and hybrid off-highway equipment. The electric off-highway equipment market is poised for growth, with an expected 12.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2025-2034, reaching over $17 billion, according to Market Research Future. These off-highway vehicles operate on tough terrain and require unprecedented amounts of power for long duty cycles. Diesel engines have always been the conventional application for this kind of work, but now hybrid and electric vehicles are starting to gain traction thanks to new innovations and more investment. While the implications of replacing traditional combustion engines with hybrid or electric counterparts can be intimidating, learning the challenges and opportunities each option
While new sustainability efforts aim to curb the carbon footprint of the commercial vehicle industry, old methods continue to be among the most effective. Sustainability has been among the hottest topics for the commercial vehicle industry over the past decade. OEMs, suppliers and various governmental agencies across the globe are touting new advances in clean powertrain tech that reduces the industry's dependence on fossil fuel while also considering the complete carbon footprint of the vehicle from cradle to grave. Though these initiatives have their merits, there are old-school methods of reducing the environmental impact of keeping the world moving. Remanufacturing is decidedly not the sexiest of methods for promoting the concept of sustainability. But recycling existing materials and components is a proven tactic for reducing waste and energy consumption.
Hatz Americas (Waukesha, Wisconsin) expanded its power generation product portfolio to include AC and DC mobile diesel generators for the recreational vehicle and industrial markets. The new offerings provide prepackaged, sound-attenuated solutions for power generation and hybrid battery charging. Manufacturing and testing of the 1B30VE engines used in the generators will continue to take place at the primary engine plant in Ruhstorf, Germany. Final assembly of the generator sets will occur at Hatz's new production facility in Italy. The first model released will be the GD3200-120 Silent Pack with RV package, which is available to order. This will be followed by the BD3000-56 Silent Pack for use in either 28V or 56V hybrid battery charging systems. https://www.hatzamericas.com
Volvo Trucks North America launches the all-new VNR with standard D13 VGT engine and announces an upcoming CARB- 24 Omnibus compliant engine variant. When Volvo Trucks revealed its all-new VNR regional haul truck in March 2025, it also marked the launch of something new under the hood: the Volvo D13 VGT (variable geometry turbo) engine. The new D13 VGT engine will be standard in the VNR and optional for the VNL day cab. The D13 VGT engine builds on improvements launched with the D13 Turbo Compound engine, which is standard on the new VNL (www.sae.org/news/2024/02/volvo-vnl-launch) that commenced commercial production at the New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, Virginia, in October 2024.
It's not hard to find automakers and battery companies that are trying to develop viable solid-state batteries. The technology will open up quicker charging, increased energy density and, more importantly, lower costs. At Nissan's Opamma plant in Japan, the automaker's Shunichi Inamijima, vice president of powertrain and EV engineering, shared Nissan's plans to bring a solid-state battery-powered EV to market by the end of 2028.
The sustainability trend continues to grow in the off-highway sector. Wherever possible, manufacturers rely on electric vehicles to contribute to climate protection goals. Therefore, heating and cooling solutions need to fit these given circumstances. Eliminating the traditional waste heat from the combustion engine requires new strategies for temperature regulation, for the cabin as well as for the battery. The aim is to efficiently control all thermally relevant areas in the vehicle.
The American Petroleum Institute's (API) Proposed Category 12 (PC-12) is currently under development. A target first license date has been set for January 2027, and industry stakeholders are currently at work on PC-12's testing requirements, limits and other criteria that will make up the final performance category. That means change is coming to the heavy-duty diesel lubricants space. The introduction of a new category provides opportunities for enhanced lubricant performance in areas such as improved drain intervals, fuel economy and engine deposit protection. However, one major area of focus for next-generation lubricants will be greater protection and enablement of aftertreatment devices, helping heavy-duty OEMs comply with stringent new emissions standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2022.
Last summer, SAE Media was invited to Eaton's proving grounds in Marshall, Michigan, to test drive an electric truck the company had built in collaboration with BAE Systems. The truck was a showcase not only of BAE's powertrain control technology, but also of Eaton's new multi-speed heavy-duty EV transmission. That truck was on display at the 2025 ACT Expo, as was Eaton's transmission. SAE Media spoke with Scott Adams, SVP of technology and global products for Eaton, in Anaheim, California, about the company's portfolio of multi- and single-speed medium- and heavy-duty transmissions as well as other upcoming driveline offerings.
John Deere's newest combustion engines are designed to accommodate alternative fuels and evolving technologies as requirements demand. Approaching the John Deere Power Systems (JDPS) exhibit at the Bauma 2025 tradeshow in Munich, Germany, a lineup of next-generation internal combustion engines served as sentinels of sorts, greeting any visitors before they could view the other technologies on display, including new, more compact Kreisel Electric high-voltage batteries. This prominent location underscores the prominence that diesel and alternative-fueled combustion engines will maintain in the off-highway vehicle sector for years to come.
The desert landscapes of the western United States have changed since Mr. Duke and Dr. Gonzo blazed a trail across them in a drug-infused haze. But their advice to buy the ticket and take the ride is still a wise mantra - especially in the serene comfort of a modern full-size pickup. As inhospitable as southern Nevada can be outside Sin City, the amenities within the climate-controlled and leather-lined cabin of the latest Ram pickups insulate you from those realities. SAE Media was invited to sample the latest heavy haulers in Ram's portfolio, including the new 2500 and 3500 models with the high-output version of the Cummins B6.7 diesel.
Tarek Abdel-Baset, Forvia's chief engineer for hydrogen storage systems, has two decades of experience in alt-fuel transporation development, with all the ups and downs that entails. So he was a good person for SAE Media to ask about the industry vibe at the 2025 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Anaheim.
Ford has engineered the 2025 Expedition with an eye to putting it at the top of the large SUV class in which it has usually been a contender. With loads of tech that works well and is controlled easily, friendly features and a highly capable new Tremor off-road edition, it offers plenty of justifications for its pricing. SAE Media was hosted by Ford in Louisville, Kentucky, for a drive of various Expedition trim levels, including a first-hand view of the Tremor's off-road prowess. Among the useful features is the new Split Gate, of which the top 75% lifts like a traditional SUV liftgate. The utility comes in with the lower 25%, which drops like a truck tailgate and can support up to 500 pounds for your football tailgating or other purposes. And avoiding a potential user annoyance is available Open-on-Approach, which opens both gate portions by merely standing near the back of the Expedition. The design of the upper part of the Split Gate, by the way, evokes the apocryphal quote from
Much has been written about the challenging operating environment within the North American automotive ecosystem. Suppliers and OEMs alike were never trained in business school or past experiences for the erratic trade and legislative environment that they face today. Since late 2019 and a multi-week strike by the UAW against GM, there has been calamity after calamity impacting our industry. These include the impact of COVID on supply and demand, chip availability, labor shortages, inflation impacts and erratic trade actions that have all suppressed revenue and profits. There is one obvious dynamic impacting the industry: the lack of a stable, expected trade environment is critical to our long-term viability.
While working with deaf students for more than a decade and a half, Bader Alsharif, Ph.D. candidate in the Florida Atlantic University Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, saw firsthand the communication struggles that his student faced daily.
In the early days of computers, interfaces were paper printouts or blinking lights, but as the technology matured, the graphical user interface (GUI) quickly became the standard.
The Science and Technology Directorate's (S&T) National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) recently brought together emergency responders from across the nation to test unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) from the Blue UAS Cleared List. By providing an aerial vantage point, and creating standoff distance between responders and potential threats, UAS can significantly mitigate safety risks to responders by allowing them to assess and monitor incidents remotely. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C. In November 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) teamed up with Mississippi State University's (MSU) Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, and DAGER Technology LLC, to conduct an assessment on selected models of cybersecure “Blue UAS.” The drones, including models from Ascent AeroSystems, Freefly Systems, Parrot Drones, Skydio, and Teal Drones, are cybersecure and commercially available to assist
Additive manufacturing has been a game-changer in helping to create parts and equipment for the Department of Defense's (DoD's) industrial base. A naval facility in Washington state has become a leader in implementing additive manufacturing and repair technologies using various processes and materials to quickly create much-needed parts for submarines and ships. One of the many industrial buildings at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport, in Washington, is the Manufacturing, Automation, Repair and Integration Networking Area Center, a large development center housing various additive manufacturing systems.
As artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads continue to surge, traditional semiconductor technology is reaching its limits. In addition to needing more pure computing power, AI requires more electricity than the world can provide. AI data centers alone are expected to consume up to 17 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030(1) more than triple the amount used in 2023, much due to generative AI. A query to ChatGPT requires nearly 10 times as much electricity as a regular Google search.(2) This raises urgent concerns about sustainability, especially as Goldman Sachs has forecasted a 160 percent increase in data center electricity usage by 2030.(2)
Southwest Research Institute is working to expand software normally used to model electrolytes and predict corrosion and turn it into a tool that can help determine whether ice-covered worlds have the right conditions for microbial life. The project is supported by NASA’s Habitable Worlds program, which seeks to use knowledge of the history of the Earth and the life upon it as a guide for determining the processes and conditions that create and maintain habitable environments.
The mass production of conventional silicon chips relies on a successful business model with large “semiconductor fabrication plants” or “foundries.” New research by KU Leuven and imec shows that this “foundry” model can also be applied to the field of flexible, thin-film electronics. Adopting this approach would give innovation in the field a huge boost.
Using an array of tiny needles that are almost too small to see, researchers have developed a minimally invasive technique for sampling a largely unexplored human bodily fluid that could potentially provide a new source of information for routine clinical monitoring and diagnostic testing.
Machining metal has its challenges as many shops will attest, but machining glass is another matter – one that Dan Bukaty Jr., President of Precision Glass & Optics (PG&O) is well schooled in. Mr. Bukaty and his 35-person shop manufacture high-end precision glass optics for customers such as IMAX, Intuitive Surgical, Boeing and NASA, to name a few. The products PG&O make can range from the ordinary to the extraterrestrial, such as mirrors that it fabricated for the Hobby–Eberly Telescope to measure dark energy in outer space.
Metabolic imaging is a noninvasive method that enables clinicians and scientists to study living cells using laser light, which can help them assess disease progression and treatment responses. But light scatters when it shines into biological tissue, limiting how deeply it can penetrate and hampering the resolution of captured images.
With the exponential rise in drone activity, safely managing low-flying airspace has become challenging — especially in highly populated areas. Just last month an unauthorized drone collided with a ‘Super Scooper’ aircraft above the Los Angeles wildfires, grounding the aircraft for several days and hampering the firefighting efforts.
In February, the Joint Interagency Field Experimentation (JIFX) team at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) executed another highly collaborative week of rapid prototyping and defense demonstrations with dozens of emerging technology companies. Conducted alongside NPS’ operationally experienced warfighter-students, the event is a win-win providing insight to accelerate potential dual-use applications.
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems promise transformative advancements, yet their growth has been limited by energy inefficiencies and bottlenecks in data transfer. Researchers at Columbia Engineering have unveiled a groundbreaking solution: a 3D photonic-electronic platform that achieves unprecedented energy efficiency and bandwidth density, paving the way for next-generation AI hardware.
Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a handheld digital microscope to fill the critical microscopy needs of human space exploration by providing flight crews in situ hematological diagnostic and tracking ability to assess and monitor crew health in the absence of gravity. Although currently in use aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to work in conjunction with NASA’s handheld slide staining system, the microscope may have numerous applications here on Earth.
A major challenge in self-powered wearable sensors for health care monitoring is distinguishing different signals when they occur at the same time. Researchers from Penn State and China’s Hebei University of Technology addressed this issue by uncovering a new property of a sensor material, enabling the team to develop a new type of flexible sensor that can accurately measure both temperature and physical strain simultaneously but separately to more precisely pinpoint various signals.
In November 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) teamed up with Mississippi State University’s (MSU) Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, and DAGER Technology LLC, to conduct an assessment on selected models of cybersecure “Blue UAS.” The drones, including models from Ascent AeroSystems, Freefly Systems, Parrot Drones, Skydio, and Teal Drones, are cybersecure and commercially available to assist emergency responders with their public safety operations.
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