IDTechEx

Walmart's robot floor cleaners

Walmart's BrainOS-powered floor scrubbers allow store associates to quickly map a route during an initial training ride and then activate autonomous floor cleaning with the press of a single button. The robot uses multiple sensors to scan its surroundings for people and obstacles, providing the industry's highest level of safety and performance.

Stanford University to go 100 percent solar by 2021

A new solar generating plant - Stanford's second - will enable the university to use 100 percent renewable electricity in three years, more than two decades ahead of California's goal of a carbon-free grid by 2045.

Stimulating the brain without major surgery

A team of researchers have been working on a replacement for open brain surgery since 2012, inventing a stimulation device that can be implanted in blood vessels next to the brain's motor cortex, in a minimally invasive procedure involving a small 'keyhole' incision in the neck.

Final phase of case against import e-bikes China

The case against imports of e-bikes from China is in its final phase. In November, the Commission has published their General Disclosure Documents, through which they propose up to 79.3% duties on electric bicycles.

Emerging applications for electronic skin patches

A recent, bestselling IDTechEx report found that the market for electronic skin patches will be worth $4.8bn in 2018. The report covers 26 different application areas, >85 companies and 95 different product case studies, with inclusion of historic market data by sector and subsequent market forecasts predicting that revenue from electronic skin patches will reach $10bn by 2023 and $15bn by 2028. This is the most comprehensive study on electronic skin patches, studying this emerging wearable technology product type that so many companies are investing heavily to develop and commercialize.

A plant-robot hybrid

Elowan is a cybernetic lifeform, a plant in direct dialogue with a machine. Using its own internal electrical signals, the plant is interfaced with a robotic extension that drives it toward light.

Structure of electrolyte controls battery performance

A research team has reported that adding water into electrolyte improves the function of vanadium oxide, which is one of positive electrode materials in calcium-ion batteries.

Out of the fog: honeycomb films

Research into porous films made via the condensation of humid air could lead to materials with applications ranging from medicine to photovoltaics.

World's first fully autonomous Ferry demonstrated

Rolls-Royce and Finnish state-owned ferry operator Finferries have successfully demonstrated the world's first fully autonomous ferry in the archipelago south of the city of Turku, Finland.

Recreate your favorite paintings using deep learning and 3-D printing

The empty frames hanging inside the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum serve as a tangible reminder of the world's biggest unsolved art heist. While the original masterpieces may never be recovered, a team from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) might be able to help, with a new system aimed at designing reproductions of paintings.

Piezoelectrics Key to IoT and Power from Roads?

California and Europe are pumping millions into development of electricity-generating roads using piezoelectrics. Piezos will also be useful in self-powered Internet of Things nodes because no one will change or even charge millions of batteries for those nodes let alone the envisaged billions. Without self-powered nodes, the IoT will be nothing more than a footnote in history. The new IDTechEx Research report, "Piezoelectric Harvesting and Sensing 2019-2039" is the first to pull it all together. Milliwatts or megawatts: where will piezoelectric success lie?

Mainland France's largest grid battery storage facility

When completed, it will be the largest power storage unit connected directly to the grid in mainland France. With a 6 MW / 6 MWh power rating, the unit will use its storage capacity to perform frequency regulation services for the grid, helping keep any frequency deviation in check.

Audi to invest in in electric mobility, autonomous driving

From 2019 until the end of 2023 alone, the company plans advance expenditure of approximately €14 billion in electric mobility, digitalization and autonomous driving.

Inexpensive biosensor provides instant and accurate results

Using a small and inexpensive biosensor, researchers have built a diagnostic tool that provides health care practitioners almost instant diagnosis of a bacterial infection.

AI system may accelerate search for cancer discoveries

Searching through the mountains of published cancer research could be made easier for scientists, thanks to a new AI system.

Aquatic animals that jump out of water inspire leaping robots

Ever watch aquatic animals jump out of the water and wonder how they manage to do it in such a streamlined and graceful way? A group of researchers who specialize in water entry and exit in nature had the same question and are exploring the specific physical conditions required for animals to successfully leap out of water.

Start-up company Pireta explain their truly wearable technology

Pireta has developed a unique free-form process to add durable, conductive, metallic patterns to textiles without changing the fabric feel or performance.

'Smart skin' simplifies spotting strain in structures

Invention can use fluorescing carbon nanotubes to reveal stress in aircraft, structures.

Microdisplay chip paves the way for high-performance smart glasses

EU-funded scientists have developed a high-resolution microdisplay chip for less bulky high-performance virtual reality and assisted-vision headsets.

Haydale discloses new anti-counterfeiting technology using graphene

Haydale's unique capacitive coding system will revolutionise the anti-counterfeit technology. Officially launched at the IDTechEx conference and with a security printer already using the technology.