IDTechEx

New Way Found to Turn Plastic into Valuable Products

A method to convert a commonly thrown-away plastic to a resin used in 3D-printing could allow for making better use of plastic waste. A team of researchers developed a simple and efficient way to convert polylactic acid (PLA), a bio-based plastic used in products such as filament, plastic silverware and food packaging to a high-quality resin.

Sustainable Battery has Biodegradable Electrolyte Made From Crab Shell

Accelerating demand for renewable energy and electric vehicles is sparking a high demand for the batteries that store generated energy and power engines. But the batteries behind these sustainability solutions aren't always sustainable themselves. Scientists have now created a zinc battery with a biodegradable electrolyte from an unexpected source—crab shells.

Spraying Robot Detects and Sprays Weeds in Crops

The new Solix Sprayer robot will provide autonomous and sustainable spot-spray applications on grower's fields. The spray robot is powered by four solar panels that control the drive system and the spray system while providing reports on crop populations, weed identification and densities, disease identification and thresholds, insect identification and thresholds, nutrient deficiency identification and densities, NDVI among other layers of maps for data analysis, and much more useful data to the grower virtually 24/7.

Amazon and iRobot Sign an Agreement for Amazon to Acquire iRobot

Amazon and iRobot have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire iRobot. iRobot has a history of making customers' lives easier with innovative cleaning products for the home. iRobot has continued to innovate with every product generation, solving hard problems to help give customers valuable time back in their day.

8 Rivers

8 Rivers is a United States-based company developing sustainable infrastructure-scale solutions in carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) to help organizations decarbonize. In May 2022, IDTechEx Technology Analyst Dr Hydra Rodrigues spoke to Adam Goff, Senior Vice-President of Strategy at 8 Rivers.

Webinar: Evolving Automotive Lidar Technologies and Business Landscape

Thursday 8 September 2022 - 3D lidar market segment; Lidar for autonomous driving and ADAS; Technology analysis between TOF and FMCW; Technology analysis of different beam steering technologies such as mechanical lidar, MEMS, OPA, Flash and other solid-state lidars; Technology analysis of laser and receiver choices; Major players; Market outlook

First Sign of Consolidation Seen Among Graphene Manufacturers

The past decade has seen an ever-increasing number of companies within the graphene market, with a seemingly constant stream of new material suppliers appearing. As is the case for any well-established industry, market stability and profitability are expected to go hand in hand with the emergence of a handful of dominant players within the material supply chain.

Robotic Charging Consortium to Find Mobility Solutions

Rocsys joins ROCIN-ECO, a consortium with IONITY, Audi, TÜV SÜD, Porsche, BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, AVL, and Huber+Suhner. The consortium aims to find the optimal concept for enabling carefree e-mobility across Europe. The aim is to create a concept eventually accessible to all car manufacturers worldwide and create a true Robotic Charging Infrastructure Ecosystem.

Wearable Lets Owners Know Exactly Where Their Dog Is

The pandemic gave people a lot more time with their dogs and cats, but return to the office has disrupted that connection. Pet cameras can help but are needed in every room and don't really tell owners what their furry friend has been up to without reviewing all footage. Now, researchers at the have created a new device that can put pet owners at ease.

Deep Brain Stimulation Shows Promise Against Binge Eating Disorder

A small device that detects food craving-related brain activity in a key brain region, and responds by electrically stimulating that region, has shown promise in a pilot clinical trial.

3D Artificial Pneumatic Muslces

The creation of artificial muscles is a very ambitious goal in the field of robotics, because in nature, muscle tissue has complex characteristics that permit highly versatile movements, from rapid, powerful contractions to small and precise changes in body shape, such as those of human facial expressions. Although individual muscle fibres can only contract, it is their specific arrangement in complex muscle architectures that enables articulate deformations such as bending, twisting and antagonistic movements.

Battery Swapping Beginning to Show Unique Capabilities

IDTechEx believes that Europe will remain a charging dominant region with a focus on DC fast charging deployment, and the number of swapping stations will remain small.

Toshiba: LTO Batteries

In this profile, IDTechEx covers Toshiba's LTO battery chemistry, products, and applications.

Torc: An Autonomous Technology Company in Roboshuttles and Trucks

Torc has a history in robotics and autonomous technology development. It has worked on autonomous roboshuttles and autonomous trucks.

First Bus Places One of UK's Largest Ever EV Bus Orders With Wrightbus

First Bus has placed one of UK's largest Electric Vehicle bus orders with UK manufacturer Wrightbus, following successful bids with Local Authorities as part of the Department for Transport's Zero Emission Bus Regional Area funding scheme. The £81m order, totalling 193 buses, is the largest EV bus purchase outside of London and will see new zero emission buses being rolled out across England from March 2023.

Hornsea 2, The World's Largest Windfarm, Enters Full Operation

The 1.3GW project comprises 165 wind turbines, located 89km off the Yorkshire Coast, which will help power over 1.4 million UK homes with low-cost, clean and secure renewable energy. It is situated alongside its sister project Hornsea 1, which together can power 2.5 million homes and make a significant contribution to the UK Government's ambition of having 50 GW offshore wind in operation by 2030.

Beyond Silicon's Limitations: The Rise of Thin Film Photovoltaics

In the shadows of a silicon-dominated field, other photovoltaic (PV) technologies have been edging closer to the spotlight.

Webinar - The Graphene Market: What Will the Killer Application(s) Be?

Thursday 15 September 2022 - Overview of the broad graphene material family and different manufacturing processes; Graphene market status and outlook; Comparison to incumbent conductive carbon additives; A deep dive into 8 significant application areas with examples, pain points, and market outlook; and much more!

UP Catalyst

UP Catalyst is an Estonian manufacturer and provider of carbon nanomaterials made from waste carbon dioxide and biomass. In July 2022, IDTechEx Technology Analyst Dr Hydra Rodrigues spoke with Dr Gary Urb, CEO and Co-founder, Daren Clare, Account Manager, and Jila Svicevic, Media Communication Specialist at UP Catalyst.

License Extension Granted to Bourne Tidal Test Site

The Marine Renewable Energy Collaborative of New England announced that the US Army Corps of Engineers has renewed its license for the Bourne Tidal Test Site, allowing them to conduct an extended test, starting in October, of a new tidal energy technology developed by Littoral Power Systems.