Maintenance

While there are some mechanical problems that can easily be detected by a car's onboard sensors, there are others which are a bit trickier. The V2M system is designed to catch those other ones, by listening for them using onboard modules.

Following the successful Kickstarter for a 14-in-1 multitool last year, China's Talos is now aiming to keep cyclists on the road with the BikePal, which packs 23 tools into one pocket-friendly everyday carry package.

​The engines of an airplane are complicated machines that require careful maintenance. The future of this task, as Rolls-Royce sees it, could involve deploying different kinds of of robots that patrol these aircraft parts and quickly nip any problems in the bud. ​​

Imagine if your car could feel pain and alert you when it takes damage. The US Army is funding research to make that a reality, with vehicles outfitted with a smart material that senses damage the way nerves sense pain, relaying a damage report to help with maintenance and repairs.

​Servicing the bathrooms in a large building can be a daunting task, and not just because of the cleaning. Custodians also have to check the levels of things like toilet paper and soap. It was with this in mind that the Fraunhofer Institute created the automated CWS Washroom Information Service.

So you’ve had your Mac for a while and things don’t feel as fresh and clean as they used to. Here are the steps you can take to declutter your Mac, possibly get it running faster and make it feel like new again.

​​Moving motorcycles around just got a whole lot easier. These nifty bike stands use omnidirectional wheels, so you can pop your bike up off the ground, then spin it around and push it easily around the garage in any direction. A great idea from Australian company Dynamoto.​

The US Army Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC) is developing a Durable Solid Lubricant (DSL) for rifles that replaces the more conventional wet lubricants and cuts down on required weapon maintenance.​

​A lot of effort goes into keeping our our cities in working order. But a new project could soon see many labor-intensive tasks taken care of by an army of drones that keep a watchful eye over our streets, tending to cracks in our urban environment the moment they begin to appear.

Grundorf's portable GMT-004 folds out to accommodate acoustic or electric guitars, includes compartments for stowing away tools, strings and supplies, and features a pop-up support for the instrument's neck.

For most people, the "check engine" light in their car is pretty useless, providing no info about what the problem is or its severity. A new app wants to provide US drivers with exactly that information. Fixd provides notifications if a problem arises, along with the potential consequences and cost.

How many gears are too many for the average commuter vehicle? If you’re pulling a load of cattle across Saskatchewan, then a semi-tractor unit with nine gears should suffice. But if you’re Volkswagen, then the magic number for your upcoming models is in fact 10.