Max Planck Institute

Promising Discovery Could Lead to a Better, Cheaper Solar Cell

Researchers have gained tantalizing new insights into the properties of perovskites, one of the world's most promising materials in the quest to produce a more efficient, robust and cheaper solar cell.

New method improves measurement of animal behavior using deep learning

A new toolkit goes beyond existing machine learning methods by measuring body posture in animals with high speed and accuracy.

Nylon as a building block for transparent electronic devices?

As the microelectronic industry is now shifting toward wearable electronic gadgets and electronic textiles, the comprising electronic materials, such as ferroelectrics, should be integrated with our clothes.

Researchers are developing an efficient OLED consisting of one layer

Organic light-emitting diodes are components that no longer consist of compounds containing the semiconducting material gallium, but of so-called organic compounds in which carbon is a main component. Compared to conventional light-emitting diodes, however, the luminosity and lifetime of OLEDs are currently lower, which is why they represent a current field of research.

Scissors get stuck -- another way bacteria use CRISPR/Cas9

In biotech these days, CRISPR/Cas9 is a hot topic, because of its utility as a precise gene editing tool. Before humans repurposed it, CRISPR/Cas9 was a sort of internal immune system bacteria use to defend themselves against phages, or viruses that infect bacteria, by slicing up the phages' DNA.

Special nanotubes could improve solar power and imaging technology

Physicists discovered a novel kind of nanotube that generates current in the presence of light. Devices such as optical sensors and infrared imaging chips are likely applications, which could be useful in fields such as automated transport and astronomy. In future, if the effect can be magnified and the technology scaled up, it could lead to high-efficiency solar power devices.

AI make editing video as easy as editing text

In television and film, actors often flub small bits of otherwise flawless performances. Other times they leave out a critical word. For editors, the only solution so far is to accept the flaws or fix them with expensive reshoots.

Flexible circuits for 3D printing

A research cooperation has developed a process suitable for 3D printing that can be used to produce transparent and mechanically flexible electronic circuits.

Artificial intelligence to boost Earth system science

A study by German scientists shows that artificial intelligence can substantially improve our understanding of the climate and the Earth system. Especially the potential of deep learning has only partially been exhausted so far. In particular, complex dynamic processes such as hurricanes, fire propagation, and vegetation dynamics can be better described with the help of AI.

Predicting leaky heart valves with 3D printing

Researchers have created a novel 3D printing workflow that allows cardiologists to evaluate how different valve sizes will interact with each patient's unique anatomy, before the medical procedure is actually performed.

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.

Successful second round of experiments with Wendelstein 7-X

The goal of fusion research is to develop a climate- and environment-friendly power station. Like the sun, it is to derive energy from the fusion of atomic nuclei. Since the fusion fire only ignites at temperatures of over 100 million degrees, the fuel - a low-density hydrogen plasma - must not come into contact with cold vessel walls. Held by magnetic fields, it floats in an almost contact-free manner in the interior of a vacuum chamber.

Facilitating diagnosis with a new type of biosensor

Scientists have developed a new type of biosensor able to precisely quantify metabolites using a single drop of blood. The accuracy and simplicity of the procedure could make it a tool of choice for diagnosing and monitoring several diseases.

Biosensor chip wirelessly detects disease

Researchers have developed a chip that can detect a type of genetic mutation known as a single nucleotide polymorphism and wirelessly send the results in real time to a smartphone, computer, or other electronic device. The chip is at least 1,000 times more sensitive at detecting an SNP than current technology.

AI predicts personality through eye tracking

It's often been said that the eyes are the window to the soul, revealing what we think and how we feel. Now, new research reveals that your eyes may also be an indicator of your personality type, simply by the way they move.

Targeting headaches and tumors with nano-submarines

Scientists have developed a new method to enable miniature drug-filled nanocarriers to dock on to immune cells, which in turn attack tumors. In the future, this may lead to targeted treatment that can largely eliminate damage to healthy tissue.

A simple new approach to plastic solar cells

Plastic solar cells, based on blends of conducting organic polymers, are of interest for making lightweight and cheap solar cells. The problem with these kinds of solar cells is that their solar power efficiencies are very closely related to the way the different types of materials mix and crystalize in thin films. This means complex and careful processing is usually needed to make efficient polymer solar cells.

Nature-inspired soft millirobot makes its way through enclosed spaces

Scientists invented a magnetically controlled soft robot only four millimeters in size, that can walk, crawl or roll through uneven terrain, carry cargo, climb onto the water surface, and even swim in it. The inspiration comes from soft-bodied beetle larvae and caterpillars, and even jellyfishes posed as biological models.