IDTechEx

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.

Electric car registrations surpassed 100,000 units in Europe

The European car market registered its seventh consecutive month of decline in March 2019. Ongoing political and economic uncertainty, including lack of clarity around Brexit, alongside consumer preoccupation with diesel bans in cities, meant that overall demand continued to decline.

$280 million of support for energy storage from New York Governor

$280 million of support is available for energy storage projects to accelerate growth within the industry and drive down energy storage deployment costs to build a sustainable and affordable market.

Solar cells (like people!) work better with caffeine

Scientists have found that caffeine improves the stability of materials under heat - a property known as thermal stability — of perovskite solar cells, which could someday replace traditional silicon-based solar cells.

WaveRoller to generate energy at new project in Portugal

WaveRoller taps the unused ocean energy resource that is readily available also for many locations where other renewable energy sources cannot be fully utilized due to limited available on-shore area or other considerations.

Squid skin inspires creation of next-gen material

Drawing design inspiration from the skin of stealthy sea creatures, engineers have developed a next-generation, adaptive space blanket that gives users the ability to control their temperature.

MPC Capital closes acquisition for 21 MW wind farm in Costa Rica

MPC Capital has reached financial close for the acquisition of the 21 MW wind farm Tilawind for approximately USD 50 million.

AeroVironment announces assembly of first HAWK30 Solar HAPS

AeroVironment Inc announced the achievement of a significant solar HAPS project milestone, the assembly of the first HAWK30 solar HAPS for its HAPSMobile joint venture with SoftBank Corp. HAPS stands for High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite or High-Altitude Platform Station.

Artificial metabolism could open a new frontier in robotics

As a genetic material, DNA is responsible for all known life. But DNA is also a polymer. Tapping into the unique nature of the molecule, engineers have created simple machines constructed of biomaterials with properties of living things.

Air Force partnership advancing wearable sensor technology

Imagine being able to monitor your health quickly, simply, painlessly, and continuously, without complicated equipment or a doctor visit. For athletes or people with health conditions, an immediate physical "status update" would be a great convenience. For the warfighter in the field, it could be the crucial element of a successful mission.

Safer electrochromic inks

Anyone who has a rear-view mirror that automatically dims blue in reaction to annoying high-beam headlights glaring from behind has seen an electrochromic film in action. Chemists have developed a new method to more safely and, by extension, easily produce these shear films, which change their color with the help of a tiny electric current. This could make them available to many industries that have not been able to feasibly use them before.

All electric buses powered by wind energy

In what is believed to be a transit industry first in the United States, TriMet's all-electric buses will be powered by 100 percent wind energy.

Webinar Thursday 9 May 2019 - 5G: A Market Overview

IDTechEx is hosting a free webinar on Thursday 9 May 2019 titled 5G: A Market Overview.

IDTechEx present forums on wearable, flexible electronics and 5G

On 4-6 June, IDTechEx will host six half-day business intelligence forums covering the latest in stretchable and flexible electronics, biosensors, electronic skin patches, 5G and RFID.

A biosynthetic dual-core cell computer

Researchers have integrated two CRISPR-Cas9-based core processors into human cells. This represents a huge step towards creating powerful biocomputers.

Using DNA templates to harness the sun's energy

As the world struggles to meet the increasing demand for energy, coupled with the rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere from deforestation and the use of fossil fuels, photosynthesis in nature simply cannot keep up with the carbon cycle. But what if we could help the natural carbon cycle by learning from photosynthesis to generate our own sources of energy that didn't generate CO2?

Wearable to detect infant breathing problems

An innovative wearable sensor to monitor new-born babies in poor areas is being developed. Academics will create wearable technology to accurately measure the respiratory rate in new-born babies, specifically for areas where access to healthcare is poor.

An army of micro-robots can wipe out dental plaque

A visit to the dentist typically involves time-consuming and sometimes unpleasant scraping with mechanical tools to remove plaque from teeth. What if, instead, a dentist could deploy a small army of tiny robots to precisely and non-invasively remove that buildup?