Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne

Bird-Like Robots Could Assist in Medical Emergencies, Hunt Down Drones

A bird flaps its wings, glides using air currents and then smoothly descends to perch on a pole. But this is not just any bird, it's a robot bird. And robots like these could in the next decade be used to respond to emergencies or to hunt down drones posing a threat to safety or security.

Breakthrough Anti-Viral Textile Wins Swiss Technology Award

HeiQ Viroblock has won the Swiss Technology Award 2020 for its breakthrough antiviral textile technology HeiQ Viroblock. Developed in record time and launched after the Swiss authorities announced the lockdown in March 2020, HeiQ Viroblock has had a major impact on the global textile industry and is being unprecedently adopted by mills around the world.

TwingTec

Twingtec was founded in 2013 as a spin-off from leading research and academic institutions in Switzerland. The company is based in Switzerland and at the time of writing has 9 employees. IDTechEx talked to CEO Dr. Rolf Luchsinger.

Finalists Announced for 2019 R&D 100 Awards

Finalists for the venerable R&D 100 Awards have been announced by R&D World magazine and its new parent company, WTWH Media, LLC.

New material to revolutionise electronics, fast-charging battery tech

Tiny, individual, flexible ribbons of crystalline phosphorus have been made in a world first, and they could revolutionise electronics and fast-charging battery technology.

Nanofacturing project accelerates development of innovative medicines

The Nanofacturing consortium has worked on a pan-European nanopharmaceutical project to develop new manufacturing methods and improve supply chain co-ordination to advance treatments for rare cancers, autoimmune diseases and viral infections.

Unleashing perovskites' potential for solar cells

Researchers have been able to decipher a key aspect of the behavior of perovskites made with different formulations: With certain additives there is a kind of "sweet spot" where greater amounts will enhance performance and beyond which further amounts begin to degrade it.

Small flying robots haul heavy loads

A closed door is just one of many obstacles that poses no barrier to a new type of flying, micro, tugging robot called a FlyCroTug. Outfitted with advanced gripping technologies and the ability to move and pull on objects around it, two FlyCroTugs can jointly lasso the door handle and heave the door open.

EU funded collaboration to make perovskite solar cells market reality

Aan ambitious 3-year European Union funded project, "ESPResSo" (Efficient Structures and Processes for Reliable Perovskite Solar Modules), that gathers known leaders in the field of perovskite PV technology to revolutionize Europe's photovoltaics (PV) industry.

3D printing inside the body

For the first time, researchers have shown that an optical fiber as thin as a human hair can be used to create microscopic structures with laser-based 3D printing.

Prototype of robot maintenance assistant

A prototype of its collaborative robot which will act as the main platform for testing and developing new technologies related to the maintenance and repair of automation equipmentt.

Drug discovery could accelerate hugely with machine learning

The algorithm can accurately predict the interactions between a protein and a drug molecule based on a handful of reference experiments or simulations.

Robotic bugs train insects to be helpers

Tiny mobile robots are learning to work with insects in the hope the creatures' sensitive antennae and ability to squeeze into small spaces can be put to use serving humans.

Sensars Neuroprosthetics grabs government funding for disruptive tech

European Commission's Horizon 2020 SME (small-medium sized enterprises) Instrument recently announced Sensars Neuroprosthetics as a Phase 1 recipient for funding of their SENSY technology. Phase 1 recipients receive €50000 in funding for 6 months to execute a feasibility study and draft a 10-page business proposal. This is intended to bring the technology from the idea to concept stage. There are currently 2813 participants, 2750 projects coordinated, and 1094,87M€ allocated to the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument.

Pinpointing sources of water pollution with a robotic eel

Researchers have developed a robotic eel that swims through contaminated water to find the source of the pollution.

Ultra-stable perovskite solar cell remains stable for more than a year

Perovskite solar cells promise cheaper and efficient solar energy, with enormous potential for commercialization.

Weihua Solar

Founded in August 2010 and based in Xiamen China, Xiamen Weihua Solar Co.,Ltd. is a company focusing on research & development, production and sales of perovskite solar cells, with RMB 10 million registered capital. The technology of the company is based on the perovskite solar cell technologies of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science (EMPA). The founder & CEO Dr. Bin Fan was a student of Prof Michael Grätzel, the latter was the inventor of dye sensitized solar cell (DS

Nanotube film may resolve longevity problem of challenger solar cells

Five years ago, the world started to talk about third-generation solar cells that challenged the traditional silicon cells with a cheaper and simpler manufacturing process that used less energy.

Printing energy producing photographs

Researchers wanted to take the idea of printed solar cells further, and see if their materials could be inkjet-printed as pictures and text like traditional printing inks.