University of California, Los Angeles

Westwood Aerogel

Westwood Aerogel is a spin-out from UCLA. It is using its patent-pending ambient pressure drying process to scale aerogel manufacturing.

Equatic

Equatic is a US-based company using direct ocean capture technology to produce green hydrogen and carbon credits. In January 2024, IDTechEx Technology Analyst Eve Pope interviewed COO Edward Sanders.

Sensor Could Help Patients Stay on Top of Their Meds

Lithium can alleviate the symptoms of bipolar disorder and depression — if taken in just the right amount. Too little won't work, while too much can bring on dangerous side effects. To precisely monitor the amount of this medication in the body, patients must undergo invasive blood tests. But now, scientists report the invention of a tiny sensor that detects lithium levels from sweat on the surface of a fingertip in as little as 30 seconds, without a trip to the clinic.

Human-Machine Interfaces Work Underwater, Generate Their Own Power

Wearable human-machine interface devices can be used to control machines, computers, music players, and other systems. A challenge for conventional human-machine interfaces is the presence of sweat on human skin. Scientists now describe their development of a type of human-machine interface that is stretchable, inexpensive, and waterproof. The device is based on a soft magnetoelastic sensor array that converts mechanical pressure from the press of a finger into an electrical signal.

CarbonBuilt

CarbonBuilt is a US-based company developing a modular solution to permanently embed carbon dioxide from flue gas into precast concrete blocks.

Smartwatch Measures Key Stress Hormone

The human body responds to stress, from the everyday to the extreme, by producing a hormone called cortisol. To date, it has been impractical to measure cortisol as a way to potentially identify conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress, in which levels of the hormone are elevated. Cortisol levels traditionally have been evaluated through blood samples by professional labs, and while those measurements can be useful for diagnosing certain diseases, they fail to capture changes in cortisol levels over time.

Big Batteries on Wheels Can Deliver Zero-Emissions Rail, Secure Grid

Trains have been on the sidelines of electrification efforts for a long time in theUS because they account for only 2% of transportation sector emissions, but diesel freight trains emit 35 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually and produce air pollution that leads to $6.5 billion in health costs, resulting in an estimated 1,000 premature deaths each year.