University of Tokyo

Researchers can finally modify plant mitochondrial DNA

Researchers in Japan have edited plant mitochondrial DNA for the first time, which could lead to a more secure food supply.

Special nanotubes could improve solar power and imaging technology

Physicists discovered a novel kind of nanotube that generates current in the presence of light. Devices such as optical sensors and infrared imaging chips are likely applications, which could be useful in fields such as automated transport and astronomy. In future, if the effect can be magnified and the technology scaled up, it could lead to high-efficiency solar power devices.

Self-repairing batteries

Engineers recently developed a material which could significantly extend the life of batteries and afford them higher capacities as well.

TRENDE, Toyota , UTokyo experiment next-gen electricity system

TRENDE Inc, Toyota Motor Corporation and the University of Tokyo will conduct a joint experiment with a next-generation peer-to-peer electricity system that enables homes, businesses, and electric vehicles connected to the electricity grid to trade electricity using a blockchain.

Automatic neurological disease diagnosis using deep learning

A team of researchers developed MNet, an automatic diagnosis system for neurological diseases using magnetoencephalography, demonstrating the possibility of making automatic neurological disease diagnoses.

Ultra-soft electronics to monitor dynamically pulsing cardiomyocytes

In biointegrated electronics, the facile control of mechanical properties such as softness and stretchability in electronic devices is necessary to minimize the perturbation of motions inherent in biological systems.

Xenoma

IDTechEx caught up with Ryohei Konishi, Business Producer at Xenoma at their booth at CES 2019. They were demonstrating several new products since IDTechEx first met with them a year earlier at CES 2018.

Power cut: Wireless charger you can cut to shape

Researchers have developed a new system to charge electronic devices such as smartphones and smartwatches wirelessly. The method involves a cuttable, flexible power transfer sheet which charges devices wirelessly and can be molded or even cut with scissors to fit different-shaped surfaces and objects.

Don't go breaking my heart

For the first time, engineers have demonstrated an electronic device to closely monitor beating heart cells without affecting their behavior.

Can an "impossible object" be 3D printed, even impossibly small?

The answer is: Yes, if you take an impossible object design and combine it with micro 3d printing technology. A metallic impossible object at the size of a red blood cell is born.

Strong and self-healing ion gels

Scientists have designed an ion gel with excellent toughness and an ability to self-heal at ambient temperature without any external trigger or detectable change in the environment such as light or temperature. This new class of material has promising potential for building flexible electronic devices.

A self-powered heart monitor taped to the skin

Scientists have developed a human-friendly, ultra-flexible organic sensor powered by sunlight, which acts as a self-powered heart monitor.

Machine learning tool makes car designs more aerodynamic

When engineers or designers want to test the aerodynamic properties of the newly designed shape of a car, airplane, or other object, they would normally model the flow of air around the object by having a computer solve a complex set of equations--a procedure that usually takes hours or even an entire day.