TyroMotion GmbH (AT)

Lab-Made Cartilage Gel Outperforms the Real Thing

Researchers say they have created the first gel-based cartilage substitute that is even stronger and more durable than the real thing. Mechanical testing reveals that the team's hydrogel -- a material made of water-absorbing polymers -- can be pressed and pulled with more force than natural cartilage, and is three times more resistant to wear and tear.

Bioengineered Cornea Can Restore Sight to Blind and Visually Impaired

Researchers and entrepreneurs have developed an implant made of collagen protein from pig's skin, which resembles the human cornea. In a pilot study, the implant restored vision to 20 people with diseased corneas, most of whom were blind prior to receiving the implant.

Boundary Layer Technologies: Hydrofoiling Hydrogen Container Ships

Boundary Layer Technologies, a Californian start-up founded in 2018, is launching a highly efficient hydrofoiling electric ferry called Electra. IDTechEx also learned of the company's ambitious plans for a high-speed, zero-emission cargo ship powered by onboard liquid hydrogen, for launch circa 2025.

Hyundai Launches Boston Dynamics AI Institute to Advance AI, Robotics

Hyundai Motor Group announced the launch of Boston Dynamics AI Institute, with the goal of making fundamental advances in artificial intelligence robotics and intelligent machines. The Group and Boston Dynamics will make an initial investment of more than $400 million in the new Institute, which will be led by Marc Raibert, founder of Boston Dynamics.

EasyMile: Roboshuttle Leader

EasyMile is a French-based roboshuttle company that was founded in 2014. It has been one of the leaders in the roboshuttle space, but these vehicles still aren't catching on and trial deployments are not converting to fleet orders.

Partnership to Deploy Long-Duration Energy Storage in Australia

ESS Inc announced a strategic partnership with Energy Storage Industries Asia Pacific to distribute and manufacture iron flow batteries utilizing ESS technology in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania to meet rapidly growing demand for long-duration energy storage in the region.

Using Sound and Bubbles to Make Bandages Sticker and Last Longer

Researchers have discovered that they can control the stickiness of adhesive bandages using ultrasound waves and bubbles. This breakthrough could lead to new advances in medical adhesives, especially in cases where adhesives are difficult to apply such as on wet skin.

Bombora Completes Testing of Floating Hybrid Energy Platform

As part of the EuropeWave Programme, Bombora Wave Power has successfully completed tank testing of a floating foundation system suitable for the InSPIRE solution, where mWave technology is combined with a wind turbine onto a single floating offshore platform.

E-magy's Silicon for Next-Gen Batteries has Near-Zero Swelling

E-magy and ZSW demonstrated a less than 1% battery cell expansion for the first time in a silicon-dominant lithium-ion battery. With the company's unique nano-porous silicon, batteries are made with only silicon as the active anode material, boosting the energy that can be stored in a single battery.

Turn It Up: The Power of Music - Amazing Technology

The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester is opening a world-first immersive exhibition exploring the science of music's mysterious hold over us and how it drives us to create, perform, feel and share.

Funding to Research Clean Hydrogen Generation from Biomass

Funding for researchers at Cranfield University to look at new ways to generate hydrogen energy from biomass has been announced by the Government. The technology would allow biomass - organic products such as wood, grasses or used brewery hops - to be used to generate hydrogen while capturing CO2 emissions at the same time.

Molex (Printed Electronics)

At FLEX 2022 Molex outlined its work to qualify both copper conductive inks and magnetic field aligned anisotropic conductive adhesives (ACAs) for use in production of flexible hybrid electronic (FHE) circuits. This is a key step towards the adoption of these materials in mass production.

AI Pilot Can Navigate Crowded Airspace

A team of researchers have developed the first AI pilot that enables autonomous aircraft to navigate a crowded airspace. The artificial intelligence can safely avoid collisions, predict the intent of other aircraft, track aircraft and coordinate with their actions, and communicate over the radio with pilots and air traffic controllers. The researchers aim to develop the AI so the behaviors of their system will be indistinguishable from those of a human pilot.

Colourful Solar Panels Are More Attractive

Solar panels aren't just for rooftops anymore - some buildings even have these power-generating structures all over their facades. But as more buildings and public spaces incorporate photovoltaic technologies, their monotonous black color could leave onlookers underwhelmed. Now, researchers have created solar panels that take on colorful hues while producing energy nearly as efficiently as traditional ones.

Switch Mobility and Chalo to Deliver 5000 Electric Buses to India

Switch Mobility Ltd. ('Switch'), the next-generation carbon neutral electric bus and light commercial vehicle company and Chalo, India's leading transport technology company, today announce that they have entered into a strategic collaboration for the deployment of 5,000 state-of-the-art electric buses across India.

First High-Performance Nanostructured Alloy is Ultrastrong and Ductile

A team of researchers has 3D printed a dual-phase, nanostructured high-entropy alloy that exceeds the strength and ductility of other state-of-the-art additively manufactured materials, which could lead to higher-performance components for applications in aerospace, medicine, energy and transportation.

Microrobotics in Endodontic Treatment, Diagnostics

With its irregularities and anatomical complexities, the root canal system is one of the most clinically challenging spaces in the oral cavity. As a result, biofilm not fully cleared from the nooks and crannies of the canals remains a leading cause of treatment failure and persistent endodontic infections, and there are limited means to diagnose or assess the efficacy of disinfection. One day, clinicians may have a new tool to overcome these challenges in the form of microrobots.

Gene Editing via CRISPR/Cas9 Ends in Cell Toxicity, Genome Instability

CRISPR/Cas9 is a commonly used, very precise, gene editing technique. CRISPR allows the introduction of the desired DNA sequence into (virtually) any spot of the genome, thus modifying or inactivating a gene. This technique is widely used in biomedical research and some CRISPR-based therapies are in clinical trials for the treatment of human blood disorders, some types of cancer and HIV, among other conditions.

Another Step on the Path to Widespread MaaS

The automotive industry and many robotics start-ups have been promising that autonomous cars are just a couple of years away for many years now. It feels like this "just a couple of years" has been perpetually kicked down the road, with only incremental gains each time. However, Cruise, the robotaxi arm of General Motors, has recently been given approval to start charging passengers in San Francisco. So, is this an enormous leap forward for robotaxis, or just another incremental gain?

Plugless Power

Plugless Power Inc. is a privately held company based in Houston, Texas, that developed and manufactured low power wireless charging equipment for electric vehicles. It offered its products as a premium aftermarket accessory through 2016 to 2019 before stopping all sales. IDTechEx spoke to its CEO, Michael Rai Anderson, to understand the state of the company and future outlook.