Mechanical Engineering Magazine Presents its First-Ever Emerging Technology Awards

Dec. 8, 2017

Five cutting-edge innovators and their breakthrough technologies were recently selected as the winners of Mechanical Engineering magazine’s new Emerging Technology Awards. Each of the five innovators are featured in the December issue of Mechanical Engineering, as well as on ASME.org.

An innovator was recognized in each of five categories — manufacturing, robotics, bioengineering, clean energy, and pressure technology — that reflect the five core technology areas that the ASME Board of Governors has identified as key fields for the Society to focus on as it develops new products and programs going forward.

The Emerging Technology Award in the Manufacturing category went to Siemens for developing a prototype 3-D printed turbine blade that can tolerate the heat and stress found inside a gas turbine. The award in the area of Robotics was given to Mobileye for its vehicle vision system, EyeQ, a version of its Advanced Driving Assist System for autonomous automobiles that fits on a silicon chip. The Emerging Technology Award in the Bioengineering category was presented to the MIT Media Lab and its group leader, Hugh Herr, for developing powered foot and ankle prostheses that incorporate tendon-like actuators controlled by onboard computers. Tesla Motors was named the winner of the award in the clean energy category for its efforts in optimizing the chemistry and manufacturing process of lithium-ion battery packs, a development that should help accelerate the production of more affordable electric vehicles. The fifth Emerging Technology Award, in the Pressure Technology category, went to Babcock & Wilcox for developing the technology necessary to enable the ultra-supercritical boiler at the John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant in Arkansas to operate at very high pressure and temperatures — and at a net efficiency of better than 39 percent.

“We are proud to celebrate the accomplishments of those we recognize this year,” said John G. Falcioni, Editorial Director and Publisher of Mechanical Engineering magazine. “The current and future impact of this transformative work in the five key technology areas cannot be understated.”

In addition to being featured in the December issue of Mechanical Engineering magazine, the articles focusing on the inaugural awards recipients are also available on ASME.org along with five new videos that highlight the award winners and their innovative work. Visit www.asme.org/about-asme/mechanical-engineering-magazine/me-magazine-awards to watch the videos now.