General Electric Company (GE)

Wireless Sensor Networks - We Are Getting There

Yet it is only a first step to small devices communicating without human involvement and without those radio masts and their expensive and vulnerable cabling. Remember that...

Photovoltaic solar sails in space

The Japanese Space Agency succeeded with an origami space orbiter and zero-gravity sushi experiments. Now comes the first "space yacht". This month in a trial run that will captivate space researchers and science-fiction writers alike, a Mitsubishi H-IIA rocket goes into orbit from the island of Tanegashima and releases its small satellite into the void.

GE sees bright future for thin film solar technology

With the race on in earnest to have the most efficient, low-cost solar module on the market, GE announced it is focusing its research and development efforts on thin film photovoltaic (PV) technology in conjunction with PrimeStar Solar Inc., the startup firm in which GE is a majority investor. Working closely with PrimeStar technology experts, the company is bringing to bear the full scale of its four Global Research operations to address each of the challenges required to bring a new product to market.

Breakthroughs with sensing in the human body

Holst Centre and others are working on body area networking to monitor vital signs, control drug delivery according to need and otherwise progress towards bionic man and woman and care of the disabled and elderly. Unfortunately cutting into your body to change batteries brings with it a significant percentage of mortalities, not just pain and infection. Energy harvesting within the body is potentially helpful but biobatteries and thermoelectric generators provide only weak amounts of electricity in such applications.

Breakthroughs with sensing in the human body

Holst Centre and others are working on body area networking to monitor vital signs, control drug delivery according to need and otherwise progress towards bionic man and woman and care of the disabled and elderly. Unfortunately cutting into your body to change batteries brings with it a significant percentage of mortalities, not just pain and infection. Energy harvesting within the body is potentially helpful but biobatteries and thermoelectric generators provide only weak amounts of electricity in such applications.

GE and Juice Technologies enter the mainstream with PEV charge devices

GE and Juice Technologies are jointly developing intelligent plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging devices for the U.S. and global markets. The chargers integrate GE's smart meters with Juice Technology's Plug Smart engine to help consumers charge their cars during low-demand, lower cost time periods

Electric Vehicles - China vs Japan

The Western media debate at length the transformation of the Western automotive industry. However, the real battle of the titans is taking place in East Asia. It concerns electric vehicles, both hybrid and pure electric, and a much bigger picture, because these manufacturers ...

Wireless sensor networks - the next ten years

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) - self organising, self healing networks of small "nodes" - have huge potential across industrial, military and other many other sectors. While appreciable sales have now been established, major progress depends on standards and achieving twenty year life.

Wireless sensor networks - the next ten years

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) - self organising, self healing networks of small "nodes" - have huge potential across industrial, military and other many other sectors. While appreciable sales have now been established, major progress depends on standards and achieving twenty year life.

Wearable RFID sensors to detect airborne toxins

RFID sensors are commonly used to track a wide variety of items, from products in a supply chain to baggage at an airport. GE is developing sensors that combine RFID tracking with an acute gas sensing capability, which can detect the presence of potentially harmful chemical agents in the air. Because these sensors can be made at a size smaller than a penny, they can be part of a typical identification badge and serve as a pre-emptive or early warning sign for people regarding the presence of chemical agents in the air. Detecting chemical agents in this way could provide much more information about the relationship between a person's health and the environment in which a person lives.

GE, Philips, SNCF present at World's Largest Energy Harvesting Event

The event Energy Harvesting & Storage Europe and Wireless Sensor Networks & RTLS 2010 features speakers including SNCF and the huge General Electric and consumer electronics company Philips.

Power Paper and GE collaborate to develop self-powered OLED lighting

Power Paper and GE Global Research, the technology development arm for the General Electric Company have signed an agreement to jointly develop self-powered OLED lighting devices. Using low-cost, high volume manufacturing processes, these devices could be deployed in a wide variety of environments from military ships to night-time jogging vests.

Infinity Group Portfolio Company Power Paper and GE collaborate

Infinity Group Portfolio Company Power Paper and GE collaborate to develop self-powered OLED lighting

Konica Minolta to build a new pilot production line for OLED lighting

Konica Minolta to construct a new roll-to-roll pilot coating line to manufacture OLED lighting within its Hino facility in Tokyo.

Wireless sensors from GE

At the successful IDTechEx Energy Harvesting & Storage and RTLS & WSN conferences last week, Dr Radislav Potyrailo, Principal Scientist at GE Global Research, covered their work on wireless sensors.

Thin films and nanotechnology for power

Printed electronics and electrics will be a $335 billion business in twenty years, just for devices primarily made by printing with electronic inks. IDTechEx gives a summary of the projections.

How to improve lithium traction batteries

Dependence on increasingly troublesome oil supplies and rapid degradation of the environment provide every reason why electric cars, whether hybrid or pure electric, should now be adopted rapidly.

Summaries from the AIMCAL and IPC events

Last week IDTechEx presented at two events in the US on printed electronics. Here we bring you the highlights of some of the discussions and presentations that took place.