National University of Singapore

Record Conversion for Perovskite Solar Cells

A team of researchers has created a perovskite solar mini module that has recorded the highest power conversion efficiency of any perovskite-based device larger than 10 cm2.

Using the Shadow Effect to Generate Electricity

Shadows are often associated with darkness and uncertainty. Now, researchers are giving shadows a positive spin by demonstrating a way to harness this common but often overlooked optical effect to generate electricity. This novel concept opens up new approaches in generating green energy under indoor lighting conditions to power electronics.

New Electronic Material for Wearables and Soft Robots

Imagine a flexible digital screen that heals itself when it cracks, or a light-emitting robot that locates survivors in dark, dangerous environments or carries out farming and space exploration tasks. A novel material developed could turn these ideas into reality.

Add-On Wearable Monitors Sweat

Sweat, which contains a wide range of biochemical markers, can tell us a lot about our health. Variations in sweat pH can tell us whether our body is dehydrated and can aid the diagnosis of skin conditions such as dermatitis, acne and other skin infections. In diabetic patients, sweat pH may serve as a good indicator of other life-threatening conditions.

Microsensor Implants for 24/7 Health Monitoring

Tiny subcutaneous implants that can continuously measure a person's blood glucose, heart rate and other physiological conditions are a Holy Grail of modern medicine. A team of NUS researchers has recently made a quantum leap into turning this dream closer to reality. They developed a new wireless reader that is so sensitive to minute changes in a sensor's readings that it enables the creation of sub-millimetre microsensors, tiny enough to be injected under the skin.

Roceso Technologies

IDTechEx analyst Nadia Tsao spoke with Roceso Technologies Co-founder & CEO Jane Wang. Roceso have developed the EsoGLOVE soft robotic glove for hand rehabilitation. Roceso was spun out from the National University of Singapore 3.5 years ago.

New Metallic Material for Flexible Soft Robots

'Origami robots' are state-of-the-art soft and flexible robots that are being tested for use in various applications including drug delivery in human bodies, search and rescue missions in disaster environments and humanoid robotic arms.

Solar and Wind Energy Preserve Groundwater For Drought and Agriculture

Solar and wind farms are popping up around the country to lower carbon emissions, and these renewables also have another important effect: keeping more water in the ground.

Sensor Could be Used for Microrobotics, Augmented Reality, Wearables

For all our technological advances, nothing beats evolution when it comes to research and development. Take jumping spiders. These small arachnids have impressive depth perception despite their tiny brains, allowing them to accurately pounce on unsuspecting targets from several body lengths away.

Graphene Market Research Tipping Point: Part 2

A Discussion With The IDTechEx Research Director. This is the final part of a two-part article written by Dr Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, a leading industry expert and Research Director at IDTechEx, discussing the global graphene market, more information on the topic can be found in his report "Graphene, 2D Materials and Carbon Nanotubes: Markets, Technologies and Opportunities 2019-2029".

DPN Aerogel

DPN Aerogel are a Singapore company that has spun-out from NUS. The company upcycle plastic waste to make polymer aerogels IDTechEx interviewed Nhan Phan-Thian (co-founder) and Kim Thoa Duong.

Smart textiles boost connectivity between wearable sensors

Over the past decade, a major trend in electronics has been the development of sensors, displays and smart devices which are seamlessly integrated onto the human body. Most of these wearable devices are singularly connected to a user's smart phone and transmit all data via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi signals. But as consumers wear increasing numbers of wearable devices, and as the data they transmit increases in sophistication, more innovative connection methods are being sought after.

Exceptional sense of touch for robots, prosthetics

Robots and prosthetic devices may soon have a sense of touch equivalent to, or better than, the human skin with the Asynchronous Coded Electronic Skin, an artificial nervous system developed by a team of researchers.

Toy transformers and real-life whales inspire biohybrid robot

Drawing inspiration from biology and the toy shelf, researchers have developed a swimming robot with a light-controlled cellular engine that can perform highly-targeted drug delivery.

Water resistant and self-healing electronic skin

Inspired by underwater invertebrates such as the jelly fish, researchers have created an electronic skin with similar functionality.

Could upcycled aerogel solve a burning issue?

Scientists have developed the world's first aerogel made from recycled plastics. Constructed from old soft-drink bottles, the aerogel could find useful applications in everything from sound proofing to oil spills, and could also be a novel way to combat the global plastic waste epidemic.

Asia's first fully solar-powered quadcopter drone

Aircraft that can take off and land directly without the need for a runway - such as helicopters and quadcopters - are attractive for personal, commercial and military applications as they require less physical space and infrastructure compared to traditional fixed wing planes. A team from the National University of Singapore has achieved a major step forward in stretching the capabilities of quadcopter drones by powering the flight solely by natural sunlight.

Creating displays with richer colours

Researchers have developed a colour-enhancement film that could bring richer and more natural colours to next-generation flat-panel electronic displays.

Solid state electrolyte for batteries

Solid state electrolytes have attracted tremendous attentions in recent years due largely to their commercial applications for highly safe energy storage and large energy storage devices.