Recent Inventions in the Electrical Engineering Industry

Electrical engineers are at the forefront of some of today's most important innovations. Whether working for the private sector, government, or major research institutes, electrical engineers are always pushing the boundaries of the possible. Recently, they've contributed to huge strides in energy efficiency, mobile technology, accessibility, transportation, telecommunication, and much more. Let's take a look at some of the most exciting new ideas in the field.

High Efficiency Photovoltaic Cells:
One of the enduring challenges of modern electrical engineering is to find an implementation of photovoltaic technology that is efficient, effective under varying operating conditions and highly resistant to damage - while not being cost prohibitive. Different engineering approaches have been used to raise collection and distribution efficiency, through perovskite-based cells, which have recently captured the most attention at major research facilities.

Green Energy Electrical Power Converter:
Once you collect energy, converting it for use in the electrical system is an essential next step. A new power converter developer in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Arkansas will now make it easier for users of renewable energy to shunt excess energy into the power grid. This has the potential to make rooftop solar initiatives much easier and to further incentivize homeowners to pursue energy efficient technology.

Smart Electrical Grids:
As energy systems become more complex and energy sources become more diverse, smart grids are growing in importance worldwide. Smart grids integrate innovative electrical technology at multiple levels to improve flow control, detect malfunctions, and automate service delivery. With end-to-end communication between power plants, distribution sites, and the end user's electrical point-of-presence, it becomes possible to raise efficiency and reduce costs.

Virtual Reality:
Virtual reality draws on multiple disciplines, but in terms of providing a sensory experience that maps effectively to 'real-life,' electrical engineering is crucial. The earliest VR technologies consisted of a headset with gloves as an input device, rendering the user mostly stationary. Positional tracking is now making VR more interactive, but the market has yet to develop a solution using a complete array of sensors.

Eye Tracking Technology:
As many consumers develop an adversarial relationship to conventional digital advertising, eye tracking becomes more essential not only to deliver commercial messages, but to better understand what information is of greatest interest. As it has matured, eye tracking technology has grown into an important frontier in accessibility for the disabled, allowing technology access through eye movement. Sensitive electronic sensors are the basis of virtually all eye tracking.

Wireless Wearable Tech:
The idea of the 'Personal Area Network' has been around in computing science for a long time, but it's only now becoming a practical reality. Devices now can operate on a smaller scale than ever and interface seamlessly with the wider environment. Wearable devices have been developed to authenticate access to vehicles and machinery, improve reading comprehension while engaged in exercise, and provide communications information without the use of a phone.