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2020

Smart Fabrics From Bioactive Inks

Researchers have developed biomaterial-based inks that respond to and quantify chemicals released from the body (e.g. in sweat and potentially other biofluids) or in the surrounding environment by changing color. The inks can be screen printed onto textiles such as clothes, shoes, or even face masks in complex patterns and at high resolution, providing a detailed map of human response or exposure.

Microwaves Power New Technology for Batteries, Energy

New battery technology involving microwaves may provide an avenue for renewable energy conversion and storage.

The First Living Robots

A book is made of wood. But it is not a tree. The dead cells have been repurposed to serve another need. Now a team of scientists has repurposed living cells—scraped from frog embryos—and assembled them into entirely new life-forms. These millimeter-wide "xenobots" can move toward a target, perhaps pick up a payload (like a medicine that needs to be carried to a specific place inside a patient)—and heal themselves after being cut.

Bioelectric Stimulation to Clear Skin Lesions

The delivery of ultrashort pulses of electrical energy represents a promising nonthermal, nonscarring method of inducing regulated cell death in common skin lesions.

2019

Noninvasive neuromodulation to treat obesity

Novel approaches that have been tested to treat obesity include noninvasive neuromodulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation. Studies performed to date have suggested that this method does in fact help reduce appetite, food intake and body weight, but only in some subjects.

Flexible electronics and smart bandages are key to cost savings

Flexible electronics and smart bandages are key to cost savings in the future of advanced wound care. Advanced wounds, referring to those that are non-healing for more than 4 weeks, are on the rise around the world. This is because there are an increasing number of people with poor wound healing ability, including the rising number of elderly people over 65 years of age, and the rising number of people with Type 2 diabetes.

That's "sew" smart! Threads to detect gases

Equipment- and training-free textile detectors could be used in public health, workplace safety, military and rescue applications

Researchers 3D print metamaterials with novel optical properties

A team of engineers has developed a series of 3D printed metamaterials with unique microwave or optical properties that go beyond what is possible using conventional optical or electronic materials.

2018

Wearable bioreactor induced partial limb regeneration

Researchers have found that delivering progesterone to an amputation injury site can induce the regeneration of limbs in otherwise non-regenerative adult frogs—a discovery that furthers understanding of regeneration and could help advance treatment of amputation injuries.

Growing functioning human neural networks in 3D from stem cells

A team of researchers has developed three-dimensional human tissue culture models for the central nervous system that mimic structural and functional features of the brain and demonstrate neural activity sustained over a period of many months.

Ionic Materials

Ionic Materials (IM) is a US-based start-up developing a solid polymer electrolyte for Li-ion batteries. Founded in 2011 by Mike Zimmerman, serial entrepreneur and professor at Tufts University, in 2018 the company raised $65M in a Series C funding round that included Hyundai, Renault-Nissan, A123 Systems, Total, and Hitachi Chemical, among other investors.

Smart bandages monitor and tailor treatment for chronic wounds

A team of engineers has developed a prototype bandage designed to actively monitor the condition of chronic wounds and deliver appropriate drug treatments to improve the chances of healing. While the lab-tested bandages remain to be assessed in a clinical context, the research is aimed at transforming bandaging from a traditionally passive treatment into a more active paradigm to address a persistent and difficult medical challenge.

Teaching robots to sort out their issues

Robots can help do a lot of things - assemble cars, search for explosives, cook a meal or aid in surgery. But one thing they can't do is tell you how they're doing - yet.

Tooth-mounted wearable can track what you eat

Miniaturized sensors developed mounted directly on a tooth and communicating wirelessly with a mobile device, can transmit information on glucose, salt and alcohol intake.

2017

Multi-material printed systems poised to shape consumer products

Product developers can print integrated electronics onto plastic, ceramic and metallic structures at extremely fine resolutions.

Teaching robots manners

Advances in artificial intelligence are making virtual and robotic assistants increasingly capable in performing complex tasks. For these "smart" machines to be considered safe and trustworthy collaborators with human partners, however, robots must be able to quickly assess a given situation and apply human social norms.

Wearable watches to monitor blood pressure

What if there were a wearable fitness device that could monitor your blood pressure continuously, 24 hours a day?

2016

Stretchy optical fibers for implanting in the body

Researchers have developed a biocompatible and highly stretchable optical fiber made from hydrogel — an elastic, rubbery material composed mostly of water. The fiber, which is as bendable as a rope of licorice, may one day be implanted in the body to deliver therapeutic pulses of light or light up at the first sign of disease.

Smart sensors can be sutured into tissue

For the first time, researchers have integrated nano-scale sensors, electronics and microfluidics into threads - ranging from simple cotton to sophisticated synthetics - that can be sutured through multiple layers of tissue to gather diagnostic data wirelessly in real time.

Regenerative suspension comes center stage

The IDTechEx conference Electric Vehicles Everything is Changing finished in Berlin last week and it is analysed in this series of exclusive articles.