11 Jul 2022

Sound Reduces Pain in Mice
An international team of scientists has identified the neural mechanisms through which sound blunts pain in mice. The findings could inform development of safer methods to treat pain.
11 Jul 2022

Volkswagen Enters Global Battery Business with PowerCo
Volkswagen Group broke the ground for its first cell factory in Salzgitter. Production will start in 2025. With immediate effect, responsibility for global battery business is to be held by the newly created company "PowerCo". In addition to cell production, the new company will be responsible for activities along the entire battery value chain.
11 Jul 2022

Smashing Through the 30% Efficiency Barrier for Perovskite Solar Cells
For the first time, an efficiency of 30% for perovskite-on-silicon-tandem solar cells has been exceeded thanks to a joint effort led by scientists at EPFL's Photovoltaics and Thin Film Electronics Laboratory in partnership with the renowned innovation center, CSEM. Independently certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the United States, these results are a boost to high-efficiency photovoltaics and pave the way toward even more competitive solar electricity generation.
11 Jul 2022

Smart Textiles Sense How Their Users are Moving
Researchers develop a comfortable, form-fitting fabric that recognizes its wearer's activities, like walking, running, and jumping.
Full profile interview
11 Jul 2022

Roboat: Autonomous Stack for Water Vessels
Roboat are developing an autonomous software stack for marine applications. They currently have two vessels testing in the canals of Amsterdam but later this year will be deploying their technology on a commercial ferry service.
External press release
11 Jul 2022

Sustainable Marine partners with Portugal's blueOASIS
Sustainable Marine has formed a strategic partnership with Portugal's blueOASIS to develop a range of 'SIDS-appropriate' marine renewable energy solutions, that can help unlock the vast ocean energy potential of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
External press release
11 Jul 2022

Roadside EV Charging Solution, Full Charge in as Little as an Hour
Offering a typical output of 50kW from an onboard battery , the ZAPME charger can offer around 140 miles of charge in an hour. This is more than enough to get to a charging point even if many miles away.
For the most part ZAPME chargers will be plugged in just 10 minutes to allow the EV to make it to a charge point. In a dangerous position on the road this could reduce the risk of problems such as roadside technicians being hit by passing vehicles.
Update
11 Jul 2022

ABB — Cobots for Various Uses
ABB, one of the market leaders in the robotics industry, demonstrated their CRB 1500 cobot performing different tasks with different end effectors, such as picking, welding, and unlocking with keys at Automatica 2022.
Update interview
11 Jul 2022

Viscon Group
Viscon Group is an agtech company, founded in 1927 with headquarters in the Netherlands. IDTechEx spoke with Viscon Group about its horticultural division at GreenTech 2022.
Update interview
8 Jul 2022

VividQ: Visit and Tech Demo
VividQ is a Cambridge, UK, based firm which focuses on developing IP for computer-generated holography, both for software and optical engine hardware. Following its recent profile, IDTechEx visited VividQ, trying out its technology and hearing about VividQ's thoughts on the future of augmented reality.
Full profile interview
8 Jul 2022

Ceylon Graphene Technologies
Ceylon Graphene Technologies are a Sri Lankan company producing graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO). IDTechEx spoke with Manju Gunawardana (CEO).
Full profile interview
8 Jul 2022

Elywhere
Elywhere makes mobile, battery-powered fast charging stations. Its solution is ideal for places where EV charging demand is high and spare grid capacity to install chargers is low. Its solution is portable and offers high power charging using on-board battery storage. IDTechEx spoke to its CEO, Kenneth Hauge, at EVS35 in Oslo.
8 Jul 2022

Battery Electric Equipment for New All-Electric Mine in Canada
Epiroc, a leading productivity and sustainability partner for the mining and infrastructure industries, has won a large order from Glencore in Canada for battery-electric equipment and automation solutions that will be used at what will be one of the world's first all-electric mines.
8 Jul 2022

Mice Cloned Using Freeze Dried Cells Are Able to Have Pups
Whole-animal cloning could be used to secure biodiversity and rescue threatened species. However, current bio-banking methods rely on ultra-low temperature storage, which is expensive and vulnerable to power outages or other problems. Recent advances have enabled the storage of genetic material from freeze-dried sperm cells, which has increased the stability and security of storage, but is limited by the ability to obtain healthy sperm cells.
8 Jul 2022

Written All Over Your Face: Improved AI for Facial Expression
When it comes to our state of mind and emotions, our faces can be quite telling. Facial expression is an essential aspect of nonverbal communication in humans. Even if we cannot explain how we do it, we can usually see in another person's face how they are feeling. In many situations, reading facial expressions is particularly important.
8 Jul 2022

Seeing Photovoltaic Devices in a New Light
Photovoltaic which convert light energy into electronic power are important as renewable energy sources or as light/image sensors. Recent progress in thin film photovoltaic devices has attracted much attention owing to their low-cost process, flexibility, and light weight. However, although various photovoltaic devices have been reported so far, reversible and fast wavelength-dependent responses have not been previously observed.
Background
8 Jul 2022

Kawasaki — Industrial Robots and Tactile Skin on Cobots
IDTechEx met Kawasaki at Automatica 2022.
Full profile interview
7 Jul 2022

ARTI — Navigation Software for Autonomous Vehicles
ARTI are an Austrian-based company providing navigation software for autonomous guided vehicles. The company was started in 2019 with six founders and now has 12 people.
Background
7 Jul 2022

Motiv Power Systems: Electric Trucks
Motive Power Systems are a manufacturer of all-electric chassis for medium duty (Class 3 through 6) commercial vehicles.
7 Jul 2022

MAHLE Claims the Most Durable Electric Motor
The automotive supplier MAHLE claims to have developed the most durable electric motor available. The traction motor, which is unique on the market, can run indefinitely with high performance. A new cooling concept makes this technological leap possible.