TyroMotion GmbH (AT)

Fiber nanogenerators could lead to electric clothing

In research that gives literal meaning to the term "power suit," University of California, Berkeley, engineers have created energy-scavenging nanofibers that could one day be woven into clothing and textiles.

IBM claims world record by creating high-efficiency solar cell

IBM announced it has built a solar cell - where the key layer that absorbs most of the light for conversion into electricity, is made entirely of readily-available elements - that set a new world record for efficiency and holds potential for enabling solar cell technology to produce more energy at a lower cost

Millimeter-scale, energy-harvesting sensor system developed

A 9-cubic millimeter solar-powered sensor system developed at the University of Michigan is the smallest that can harvest energy from its surroundings to operate nearly perpetually. The U-M system's processor, solar cells, and battery are all contained in its tiny frame, which measures 2.5 by 3.5 by 1 millimeters. It is 1,000 times smaller than comparable commercial counterparts.

NC State creates new breed of antennas

Antennas aren't just for listening to the radio anymore. They're used in everything from cell phones to GPS devices. Research from North Carolina State University is revolutionizing the field of antenna design - creating shape-shifting antennas that open the door to a host of new uses in fields ranging from public safety to military deployment.

Imec, Renesas and M4S report wireless transceiver in 40nm CMOS

At this week's International Solid State Circuit Conference, imec and its research partners Renesas Technology Corp. and M4S presented a complete transceiver with RF, baseband and data converter circuits in 40nm low-power CMOS.

EnOcean sponsors Olympian Catherine Raney-Norman

EnOcean is sponsoring US speed skater and four-time Olympian, Catherine Raney-Norman. The sponsorship celebrates the achievements of a US speed skating record holder and contributes to her continued success in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

PureDepth acquires patent for multi-layer OLED displays

PureDepth™, Inc. (OTC:PDEP), the creator of Multi-Layer Display™ (MLD) technology and a leader in new visualization experiences, today announced that it has acquired a patent covering methods of assembling, displaying and controlling images on a layered Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display. U.S. Patent 6,720,961, which holds a priority date of November 6, 2000, further strengthens PureDepth's leadership position in MLD technology by incorporating OLEDs, which are fast becoming standard in mobile devices and are expected to dominate the display market in the near future.

The future of electronic paper: Fast-switching full-colour e-readers.

The success of e-reader technology so far has only wetted the appetite for new devices with more functionality. The Kindle, for all its success, has its limitations and the technology companies behind it are fully aware of that. That is why E Ink, and its parent company PVI, are working intensely on the next generation of e-readers. Requirements include flexibility, the transition from black and white to full colour displays, and switching speeds able to support video playback.

Imec, Holst Centre present ADC suited for low energy radios

At yesterday's International Solid State Circuit Conference, Imec and Holst Centre reported an ultra-low power 8 bit analog to digital convertor (ADC) consuming only 30fJ energy per conversion step.

Power kites to harvest wind energy

Experts say that the energy in winds miles above the earth is sufficient to provide the world's energy needs. One company working towards harnessing this energy is Kite Gen Research, based in Italy.

Record performance of dual-gate organic TFT-based RFID circuit

At yesterday's International Solid State Circuit Conference (ISSCC), Holst Centre, Imec and TNO presented a dual-gate-based organic RFID chip with record data rate and lowest reported operating voltage.

Imec and Holst Centre achieve breakthrough in battery-less radios

At yesterday's International Solid State Circuit Conference, imec and Holst Centre reported a 2.4GHz/915MHz wake-up receiver which consumes only 51µW power.

Roth & Rau take over solar activities of OTB Group B.V.

Roth & Rau AG takes over from the OTB Group B.V., Eindhoven, Netherlands, 100% of the shares in that company's subsidiary OTB Solar B.V. (OTB).

Again - IBM claim world's fastest graphene transistor

IBM believe they have achieved the highest cut-off frequency so far for any graphene device of 100 billion cycles/second (100 GigaHertz).

Imec and Holst Centre at International Solid State Circuit Conference

At this week's International Solid State Circuit Conference, Imec and Holst Centre present their newest breakthroughs in ultra-low power design for wireless communications and wireless sensor networks, 3D design and inorganic electronics with an impressive number of contributions including 10 reviewed publications and 6 contributions to tutorials and workshops.

Tobacco plants could produce solar cells

Researchers at UC Berkeley have infected tobacco plants with a genetically engineered virus to produce artificial photovoltaic and photochemical cells, chromophores, which they claim can be extracted and dissolved into a solution to create spray on solar cells.

Carbon nanotube ink turns cloth into a battery

Ordinary textiles could be transformed into batteries that hold up to three times more energy than a mobile phone battery, by simply dipping them into nanoparticle-infused ink.

Development of energy efficient computer chips

Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science has been awarded $2.8 million from the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop energy-efficient computer chips.

Imec, Holst Centre on ultra-low power heart activity signal processor

At yesterday's International Solid State Circuit Conference, imec and Holst Centre report an analog-signal processor ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) - in short ASP - that reduces the overall power consumption of an ambulatory heart activity signal monitoring systems by more than 5 times.

Organic electrochemical cell could be an alternative to OLED lighting

An organic light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC) could be a cheaper alternative to OLED technology.