IDTechEx

Robotic Construction System for Better Buildings in Less Time

Emerging robotics technology may soon help construction companies and contractors create buildings in less time at higher quality and at lower costs. Researchers have developed and are testing a novel construction robotic system that uses an innovative mechanical design with advances in computer vision sensing technology to work in a construction setting.

A Magnetic Twist to Graphene

Structures made of rotated, ultra-thin materials provide a rich solid-state platform for designing novel devices. In particular, slightly twisted graphene layers have recently been shown to have exciting unconventional properties, that can ultimately lead to a new family of materials for quantum technologies.

Implant Improves Quality of Life for People with Inner Ear Disorder

Researchers have shown that they can facilitate walking, relieve dizziness and improve quality of life in patients with inner ear disorder by surgically implanting a stimulator that electrically bypasses malfunctioning areas of the inner ear and partially restores the sensation of balance.

Tesla's Innovative Power Electronics: The Silicon Carbide Inverter

Like the Beatles in the 60s, Tesla has arguably achieved the feat of being simultaneously the best and most popular at what they do. As the IDTechEx report "Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea & Air 2021-2041" discusses, Tesla enters a new market and quickly becomes the top-selling electric vehicle maker. In this article, we focus on Tesla's innovations in the field of power electronics and some of the new materials opportunities being created.

Solar Mini Grid Projects in 49 Villages Across Uganda and Sierra Leone

Winch Energy, has completed the funding for solar mini grid projects in 49 villages across Uganda and Sierra Leone through the creation of a new platform. The deal represents the largest mini grid financing portfolio to date, bringing together several major players in the off-grid space.

Neotech AMT: Scalable 3D Printed Electronics

Scalable 3D Printed Electronics - "Fully Additive" to High Volume Manufacture

3D Printed Ribeye Steak a World First

The proof-of-concept incorporates real muscle, fat, and vascular-like system similar to a ribeye from a slaughtered cow, in strategy to build a diverse portfolio of cultivated meat cuts of any dimension.

Electric Vehicle Charging Station Uses Second Life Batteries

Irizar e-mobility and Ibil signed a collaboration agreement to give a second life to electric bus batteries. Consequently, the batteries that Irizar produces and installs in its buses, and their power electronics, will be reused as energy storage elements in the charging facilities that Ibil is developing and deploying.

New Technology Makes Foldable Solar Cells a Reality

With the recent development of foldable mobile phone screens, research on foldable electronics has never been so intensive. One particularly useful application of the foldable technology is in solar panels.

Jaguar Cars All-Electric by 2025 as JLR Announce Zero-Emission Plans

Jaguar are set to to become an all-electric brand by 2025 as part of a new global strategy announced by Jaguar Land Rover this week. This strategy will also see all Jaguar and Land Rover nameplates to be available as pure-electric by 2030 with the aim of achieving net zero carbon emissions across their entire supply chain, products and operations by 2039.

Switching to Electric Vehicles Made Easier by NatWest and Octopus

NatWest Group has today launched a joint offering with green energy tech company Octopus Energy to help people and businesses go green, demonstrating the bank's commitment to playing an active role in tackling climate change as part of its purpose-led strategy.

New Skin Patch Brings Us Closer to Wearable, All-In-One Health Monitor

Engineers have developed a soft, stretchy skin patch that can be worn on the neck to continuously track blood pressure and heart rate while measuring the wearer's levels of glucose as well as lactate, alcohol or caffeine. It is the first wearable device that monitors cardiovascular signals and multiple biochemical levels in the human body at the same time.

Graphene "Nano-Origami" Creates Tiniest Microchips Yet

The tiniest microchips yet can be made from graphene and other 2D-materials, using a form of 'nano-origami', physicists at the University of Sussex have found.

CVD Graphene for Electronic Applications: 2021 Status and Outlook

Given the exciting properties, graphene has always been linked as a revolutionary material for the electronics industry. CVD graphene is cited as the ideal solution in providing a perfect single layer produced in a low cost continuous R2R process, but the manufacturing and commercial reality have proved very different. After a long period of research, and with players regularly exiting and entering the field, we are only now starting to see this technology mature and the dawn of the commercial reality.

G6 Materials

G6 Materials is a company, focused on the commercialisation of graphene based products, in particular with applications for air purification, functional materials electrically conductive adhesives. Thomas Lynch, Technology analyst at IDTechEx, spoke to the founder, Elena Polyakova about their work with conductive adhesives.

AI Controlled Hydrogen Storage Technology

With the HyAI project demonstration underway and live until summer 2021, initial results have indicated that the AI-enabled approach can produce hydrogen in a more cost-effective way, while also helping to alleviate stresses on the national grid.

New Modifier Increases Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells

Scientists have modified perovskite-based solar cells using MXenes -- thin two-dimensional titanium carbides with high electrical conductivity. The MXenes-based modified cells showed superior performance, with power conversion efficiency exceeding 19% (the reference demonstrated 17%) and improved stabilized power output with respect to reference devices.

Insightness

Insightness has developed event-based vision sensors and associated software that are targeted primarily at collision avoidance systems for drones.

Black Semiconductor

Black Semiconductor is a spin-out company from the research institute AMO commercializing graphene-enabled optoelectronics. IDTechEx spoke with Dr Daniel Schall (CEO).

Trends in Materials for EV Batteries: More Nickel, Less Pack

Exploring trends in the change of the cathode chemistry; EV cell energy density; reduction of battery pack materials weight; and strategies of EV auto makers.