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The GE Brief - January 17, 2019

January 17, 2019
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January 17, 2019




GIVE THE DOG A BONE IMPLANT


Meet Lucca, a 1-year-old Shih Tzu born with a condition that caused two bones in his front right leg to develop at different rates — when one stopped growing prematurely, the other began to twist and bend. It was a medical problem begging for a solution, but Lucca and his owner weren’t just going to roll over and take it: They sought an appointment with Dr. Kevin Parsons, a British veterinarian who employs 3D-printed implants and surgical guides to treat deformities. This fetching new technology gives him the ability to fix the tiny bones faster and with more precision than previously possible.

Small dogs, new tricks: Bone problems are often found in diminutive dogs like Shih Tzus and dachshunds. Parsons applies his cutting-edge methods in partnership with the advanced-manufacturing facility CBM Wales, where medical engineer Dr. Ffion O’Malley specializes in the development of 3D-printed parts that can act as implants or surgical guides. Using Lucca’s CT scans, for instance, O’Malley used an Arcam EBM machine from GE Additive to 3D-print a cutting guide — so that Parsons could operate on the bone as precisely as possible — as well as a bespoke implant to hold the bone in place.

Find out more here about how 3D printing can bring canine bone deformities to heel.

SPEED RACER


Airplanes can fly long distances at great speeds, but they require a lot of infrastructure to fill them with people and get them to their destination. Helicopters take off and land in the blink of an eye, but can’t cruise very fast or far. Flight engineers have long sought a cost-effective aviation “unicorn” that combines chopper agility with the speed and distance capabilities of a fixed-wing plane. Enter the RACER, under development by Airbus with help from GE Aviation Integrated Systems and Avio Aero. A hybrid, futuristic-looking craft that matches low-drag “wings” with a sophisticated propeller system, the RACER will be able to take off and land vertically, hover in the air, and achieve cruising speeds topping 400 kilometers per hour, less than half the cruising speed of a commercial jetliner but still one of the world’s fastest helicopters.

High-flying craft: “The RACER is 50 percent faster than a traditional helicopter, but has lower costs, and brings together several new technologies,” says Airbus Helicopters’ Tomasz Krysinski. It’s the flagship concept aircraft for Clean Sky 2, a European Union project seeking ways to reduce aviation’s impact on the environment. Among other innovative tech, the craft’s designers are using 3D-printed casting molds to reduce weight, part count and cost. Airbus plans to start assembling the first RACER prototype this year, and the maiden flight should take place in 2020.

Find photos of the future of hybrid, as well are more info on the RACER’s unique specs, here.

HUMANS 1, ROBOTS 0: SOFT SKILLS IN DEMAND  


Sure, you’re a whiz with spreadsheets. But how are your soft skills? In a recent article, LinkedIn crunched some internal numbers to determine the most in-demand job skills in 2019. The company reports that 57 percent of senior leaders today say soft skills are “more important than hard skills” — in other words, creativity, persuasion and collaboration are right up there with assets like digital savvy and sales leadership. This is especially good news for those who have them. “Strengthening a soft skill is one of the best investments you can make in your career, as they never go out of style,” LinkedIn says. “Plus, the rise of AI is only making soft skills increasingly important, as they are precisely the type of skills robots can’t automate.”

What it takes: According to LinkedIn data, there are “at least 50,000 professional skills in the world.” In addition to emphasizing soft skills, the company’s data reflect the demands for hard skills inherent in the high-tech modern workplace: Employers increasingly seek know-how on cloud computing, AI, mobile-app development, social media marketing and more. The company is offering its LinkedIn Learning courses for free in January.

Learn more about the skills sought in the modern workplace — and then work on your own — here.

— VIDEO OF THE WEEK —




— QUOTE OF THE DAY —


“We’re trying to make complex problems simpler for these surgeons.”


— Dr. Ffion O’Malley, advanced-manufacturing medical engineer at CBM Wales







Quote: GE Reports. Image: CBM Wales, Boston Dynamics.

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