Royal Dutch Shell

How the snail's shell got its coil

Successfully applying CRISPR gene editing technology to molluscs for the first time, researchers have now made snails with mutations in a gene called Lsdia1, which had previously been suggested - but not conclusively proven - to be involved in snail shell coiling; snails without a functional copy of Lsdia1 produce offspring with shells that coil to the left, showing that this single gene is responsible for rightwardcoiling.

Zero-emission trucking takes another leap forward

Toyota, Kenworth, the Port of Los Angeles and the California Air Resources Board took the next great leap towards the future of zero-emission trucking, unveiling the first of Toyota and Kenworth's jointly developed fuel cell electric heavy-duty trucks.

Snake-inspired robot slithers even better

Bad news for ophiophobes: Researchers have developed a new and improved snake-inspired soft robot that is faster and more precise than its predecessor.

Next Electric Vehicles Get Ultra Lightweight Motors

In electric aircraft, motor power-to-weight ratio is paramount for endurance, the main constraint on sales. You cannot lug ever more battery weight to get range. Indeed, better motors mean less battery in a land, water or air vehicle. The new IDTechEx Research report, "Electric Motors for Electric Vehicles: Land, Water, Air 2019-2029" explains the new emphasis on power-to-weight ratio with good efficiency.

Elastic fibre with the strength of metal

Researchers have developed a fiber that combines the elasticity of rubber with the strength of a metal, resulting in a tougher material that could be incorporated into soft robotics, packaging materials or next-generation textiles.

JIOS Aerogel

Update on JIOS Aerogel in March 2019.

Shell has agreed to acquire 100% of sonnen

Shell has agreed to acquire 100% of sonnen, a leader in smart energy storage systems and innovative energy services for households. This follows an investment by Shell in May 2018 and means that, post regulatory approval and completion, sonnen will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell.

Huge Battery Opportunities from Radical Changes in EV Demand

The biggest demand for lithium-ion batteries is moving away from cars and in electric cars it will be a matter of less battery on average.

Quantum dots: technology evolution display, lighting, sensor material

Quantum dots are a commercial success for nanotechnology. They are already used in display applications. In this article, we discuss multiple innovation and commercialization frontiers of this technology.

Hanyang University

Hanyang University showed their research at CES2019

Toyota and Kenworth collaborate to develop zero emission trucks

Kenworth Truck Company and Toyota Motor North America are collaborating to develop 10 zero-emission Kenworth T680s powered by Toyota hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrains.

Maximizing the effectiveness of platinum in fuel cells

Platinum is a precious metal more rare than silver or gold. Renowned in the fuel cell community for its effectiveness in converting hydrogen and oxygen into water and electricity, platinum offers unrivaled activity and stability for electrochemical reactions. But platinum is both scarce and expensive, which means scientists are looking to create practical fuel cell catalysts that use far less of the costly precious metal.

Breakthrough battery chemistry from Honda Research

The joint study reports that the research team has opened new doors in the development of high energy-density batteries capable of meeting rapidly growing energy storage needs by overcoming the current temperature limitations of fluoride-based battery technology and by demonstrating the room-temperature operation of fluoride-ion based energy cells.

Fully 3D printed and functional electric motorcycle

Designed by NOWlab, the BigRep innovation consultancy and printed on BigRep's large-scale 3D printers are two groundbreaking prototypes for e-mobility applications: the world's first fully 3D-printed and functional electric motorcycle, the NERA, and a bionic passenger seat, the Aero Seat. Advancing applications in AM are two other new prototypes, the Adaptive Robotic Gripper, designed for flexible handling applications, and the Omni Platform, a 360° mobile industry platform for fully automated manufacturing environments.

Helping fuel cells beat the heat

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

New, durable catalyst for key fuel cell reaction

The new catalyst exceeds Department of Energy targets for performing the oxygen reduction reaction, a key step in generating an electric current in a hydrogen fuel cell.

Quantum dots: when will color filter or on-chip QD displays arrive?

In this article, IDTechEx describe the emerging dynamic between the different QD approaches for displays: edge optic, film-type, color filter type, and on-chip- type. We will examine how, and when, these technologies are likely to commercially rise and fall.