University of Illinois

Earthsense

They essentially are a spin out from the University of Illinois. They have $1M seed funding and 24 staff (6 employees and the rest part-time or students to drive down burn rate). They have working prototypes.

Aerial Image Dataset to Help Farmers

A dataset of large-scale aerial images aims to give farmers visibility into the conditions of their fields. The dataset, called Agriculture-Vision, will enable agricultural pattern analysis of aerial images, providing farmers with actionable insights into the performance of their crops to improve decision-making and maximize yields.

AI Better Predicts Corn Yield

A new study from an interdisciplinary research group offers a promising approach to efficiently and accurately process precision agricultural data.

Improving Electrical, Mechanical Properties of Carbon-Nanotube Fibres

Researchers recently developed a technique that can be used to build carbon-nanotube-based fibers by creating chemical crosslinks; the technique improves the electrical and mechanical properties of these materials.

Growth in Robotic Farming

EarthSense first robot—TerraSentia—improves the quantity, accuracy, cost and speed of in-field plant trait data collection, especially for under-canopy traits that cannot be obtained by other technologies.

Circuit Scribe

Circuit Scribe describe their history as follows: Circuit Scribe began during the founders PhD research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During this research, the founders developed a non-toxic conductive ink that was able to be integrated into a rollerball pen.

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.

First of a Kind In-Vitro 3D Neural Tissue Model

Researchers have successfully used stem cells to engineer living biohybrid nerve tissue to develop 3D models of neural networks with the hopes of gaining a better understanding of how the brain and these networks work.

Epidermal VR Gives Technology a Human Touch

Imagine holding hands with a loved one on the other side of the world. Or feeling a pat on the back from a teammate in the online game "Fortnite."

Graphene: The More You Bend it, the Softer it Gets

New research by engineers combines atomic-scale experimentation with computer modeling to determine how much energy it takes to bend multilayer graphene - a question that has eluded scientists since graphene was first isolated.

Artificial Intelligence to Run the Chemical Factories of the Future

A new proof-of-concept study details how an automated system driven by artificial intelligence can design, build, test and learn complex biochemical pathways to efficiently produce lycopene, a red pigment found in tomatoes and commonly used as a food coloring, opening the door to a wide range of biosynthetic applications.

Smartphone Diagnostics for Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases such as Zika and Dengue remain a top contributor to death and disability across the globe, according to the World Health Organization. Diagnosing and treating these diseases, which often have similar symptoms, is especially difficult in developing countries, where access to health care and laboratories is often limited.

DNA as Tool to Build Graphene Circuits

Graphene is a groundbreaking material in the nanotechnology field, but it has characteristics that limit its potential applications. A research team is investigating ways to incorporate DNA nanotechnology as a construction tool to assemble graphene in new ways that could make the material more useful in electronic devices, among other applications.

Kirigami Inspires New Method for Wearable Sensors

As wearable sensors become more prevalent, the need for a material resistant to damage from the stress and strains of the human body's natural movement becomes ever more crucial. To that end, researchers have developed a method of adopting kirigami architectures to help materials become more strain tolerant and more adaptable to movement.

Printed electronics open way for electrified tattoos

The first demonstration of a fully print-in-place electronics technique is gentle enough to work on surfaces as delicate as human skin and paper.

Researchers repurpose failed cancer drug into printable semiconductor

Many potential pharmaceuticals end up failing during clinical trials, but thanks to new research, biological molecules once considered for cancer treatment are now being repurposed as organic semiconductors for use in chemical sensors and transistors.

First fully rechargeable carbon dioxide battery with carbon neutrality

Lithium-carbon dioxide batteries are attractive energy storage systems because they have a specific energy density that is more than seven times greater than commonly used lithium-ion batteries. However, until now, scientists have not been able to develop a fully rechargeable prototype, despite their potential to store more energy.

Microscopic biohybrid robots propelled by muscles, nerves

Researchers have developed soft robotic devices driven by neuromuscular tissue that triggers when stimulated by light - bringing mechanical engineering one step closer to developing autonomous biobots.

Damaged hearts rewired with nanotube fibers

Thin, flexible fibers made of carbon nanotubes have now proven able to bridge damaged heart tissues and deliver the electrical signals needed to keep those hearts beating.

Microgel supports 3D printing of organs from stem cells

Scientists have developed a platform that prints bioink into 3D tissues using a supporting slurry of alginate microgel beads. The technique overcomes limitations of conventional bioprinted scaffolds and holds promise for tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, drug screening and developmental biology.