Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

Electrics and Electronics Becomes User-Dedicated Smart Material

An important new trend is buying electrics and electronics you customise to function not just shape. See the new IDTechEx report, "Complete Electronics as Smart Material, User-Customized 2020-2040". Builders, textile manufacturers, those doing home improvement and others are starting to buy electrically-smart materials direct from materials companies, bypassing the electronics industry.

Deep Learning for Mechanical Property Evaluation

A standard method for testing some of the mechanical properties of materials is to poke them with a sharp point. This "indentation technique" can provide detailed measurements of how the material responds to the point's force, as a function of its penetration depth.

Revolutionary reversible 4D Printing

Imagine having your curtains extended or retracted automatically without needing to lift a finger Reversible 4D printing technology could make these 'smart curtains' a reality without the use of any sensors or electrical devices, and instead rely on the changing levels of heat during the different times of the day to change its shape.

A Thermometer can be Stretched and Crumpled by Water

Recent outbreaks of the novel coronavirus have emphasized the importance of quarantine and prevention more than ever. When monitoring changes in our body, body temperature is first measured. So, it is very significant to measure the temperature accurately and promptly.

Scientists Convert Plastics into Useful Chemicals for Fuel Cells

Chemists have discovered a method that could turn plastic waste into valuable chemicals by using sunlight. In lab experiments, the research team mixed plastics with their catalyst in a solvent, which allows the solution to harness light energy and convert the dissolved plastics into formic acid - a chemical used in fuel cells to produce electricity.

Perovskite Solar Cells Can Capture More Electricity

Scientists have developed a method to analyse which pairs of materials in next-generation perovskite solar cells will harvest the most energy.

Alibaba unveils its own AI chip

Alibaba Group plans to launch its first self-developed AI inference chip, which has potential for use in autonomous driving, smart cities and smart logistics. In addition to this, the Academy will boost its R&D in AI chips for training on the cloud and for IOT applications.

Organ-on-chip technology to advance drug development

Researchers have developed an organ-on-an-electronic-chip platform, which uses bioelectrical sensors to measure the electrophysiology of the heart cells in three dimensions. These 3D, self-rolling biosensor arrays coil up over heart cell spheroid tissues to form an "organ-on-e-chip," thus enabling the researchers to study how cells communicate with each other in multicellular systems such as the heart.

3D-print a bathroom in a day

Researchers have developed the capability to 3D print an unfurnished bathroom in less than a day.

World's first full-size, autonomous electric bus

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and Volvo Buses have launched the world's first full size, autonomous electric bus. The single-deck Volvo Electric bus is 12 metres long and has a full capacity close to 80 passengers.

Game theory can bring humans and robots closer together

Researchers have for the first time used game theory to enable robots to assist humans in a safe and versatile manner.

Helping fuel cells beat the heat

A strategy for stabilizing silver films could make high-efficiency fuel cells usable in portable devices.

Bronxculture

Bronxculture are a company looking to commercialise cellulose aerogels. Dr Mahesh (CTO) spoke with senior technology analyst Dr Richard Collins.

Synchronised 3D printing of concrete

Scientists have developed a technology where two robots can work in unison to 3D-print a concrete structure.

3D printed membranes have faster water flow than conventional filters

A 3D-printing facility to manufacture a new type of water treatment membrane. Unlike conventional membrane-manufacturing processes that use acids to make polymers porous that function as filters, Nano Sun 3D-prints millions of nanofibers layered on top of each other, compressed into a thin membrane.

Brain stimulation decreases intent to commit assault

Research shows that using minimally invasive electrical currents on the prefrontal cortex can reduce the desire to carry out physical and sexual assault and increase the perception that such violence is morally wrong.

A robot autonomously assembles an IKEA chair

Scientists have developed a robot that can autonomously assemble an IKEA chair without interruption.

Double perovskites in environmentally friendly solar cells

A further step has been taken along the road to manufacturing solar cells from lead-free perovskites. High quality films based on double perovskites, which show promising photovoltaic properties, have been developed.

Fish scale-derived collagen effective for healing wounds

Scientists have established that collagen derived from fish scales could be effective for various biomedical applications such as wound healing.