Content by University of Michigan
Some See Work As a Calling Others say it’s just a job
Thu, 11/14/2013 - 15:00
Why does one person see work primarily as a means to a paycheck, while another sitting in the next cubicle expects work to provide genuine fulfillment? In exploring the origins of adults’ work orientations, University of Michigan researchers found…
Ghost Talk and Phantom Saboteurs Security risks found in sensors for heart devices, electronics
Thu, 05/23/2013 - 12:33
The type of sensors that pick up the rhythm of a beating heart in implanted cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers are vulnerable to tampering, according to a new study conducted in controlled laboratory conditions. Implantable defibrillators…
Light May Recast Copper as Chemical Industry ‘Holy Grail’ A potentially cheap and environmentally friendly way of making propylene oxide
Tue, 04/02/2013 - 16:34
Wouldn’t it be convenient if you could reverse the rusting of your car by shining a bright light on it? It turns out that this concept works for undoing oxidation on copper nanoparticles, and it could lead to an environmentally friendly production…
A Coating Material That Most Liquids Won’t Wet ‘Superomniphobic surface’ repels just about anything thrown at it
Thu, 01/24/2013 - 09:46
A nanoscale coating that’s at least 95-percent air repels the broadest range of liquids of any material in its class, causing them to bounce off the treated surface, according to the University of Michigan (UM) engineering researchers who developed…
Saving Lives Could Start at Shift Change A simple way to improve hospital handoff conversations
Tue, 11/27/2012 - 13:26
At hospital shift changes, doctors and nurses exchange crucial information about the patients they’re handing over—or at least they strive to. In reality, they might not spend enough time talking about the toughest cases, according to a study led by…
Meet MABEL, the Jogging Robot Bipedal robotics has applications for rescue operations and assisting the disabled
Mon, 10/08/2012 - 12:09
T he Breakthrough Award by Popular Mechanics magazine was presented to University of Michigan (U-M) professor Jessy Grizzle for creating MABEL, a robot that walks with the agility of a human and runs at a 9-minute mile pace. Grizzle, U-M’s Jerry W…
Improvement Kata Handbook Beta version and related materials available for free download
Mon, 08/13/2012 - 12:08
(University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, MI) -- The beta version of Improvement Kata Handbook by Mike Rother, author of Toyota Kata (McGraw-Hill, 2009), is available online to read, download, and use in applying, practicing, and teaching the improvement…
Toyota Kata Training Course Building competitive advantage with lean
Fri, 08/10/2012 - 12:29
(University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, MI) -- This course, based on the book, Toyota Kata, by Mike Rother (McGraw-Hill, 2010) presents the next level of thinking in lean and operations management. It’s been difficult to maintain lean improvements.…
The New Global Challengers How emerging multinational companies threaten established brands
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 11:47
Emerging nations, long seen as a source of low-cost services such as manufacturing and IT support, now are home to a new breed of multinational company. These new players, stepping forward from the background and building global brands, pose a new…
A Turning Point for U.S. Manufacturing Decisions facing manufacturers could increase productivity or send it into a permanent tailspin
Tue, 05/29/2012 - 10:58
In the United States, factories produce about 75 percent of what the country consumes, but the right decisions by both business and political leaders could push that to 95 percent, say University of Michigan (U-M) researchers. However, a huge…