IDTechEx

Soft Robots use Camera and Shadows to Sense Human Touch

Soft robots may not be in touch with human feelings, but they are getting better at feeling human touch. Researchers have created a low-cost method for soft, deformable robots to detect a range of physical interactions, from pats to punches to hugs, without relying on touch at all. Instead, a USB camera located inside the robot captures the shadow movements of hand gestures on the robot's skin and classifies them with machine-learning software.

New Approach Yields Highly Customisable Bioelectronics

Bringing together soft, malleable living cells with hard, inflexible electronics can be a difficult task. Researchers have developed a new method to face this challenge by utilizing microscopic structures to build up bioelectronics rather than creating them from the top down—creating a highly customizable product.

The Water Industry Needs to Modernize its Networks

The WHO said in 2019 that over 70% of the world's population have access to clean water. Clean water is required by all and is a product that has a direct impact on the consumer. Many companies must meet targets and goals set by their country or industry body with water cleanliness and pollution monitoring. However, unlike the oil and gas industry, the water industry is behind with its uptake of digitization and in the monitoring of networks in many countries across the globe.

Epishine's World Unique Solar Cell is Here

Epishine's "light cell" that can change how we power small electronics - a thin and flexible organic solar cell that can be integrated in sensors, consumer electronics and other low power devices to reduce or eliminate the need for batteries.

Electric Motorcycle Market Growth in 2020 is on Par with Electric Cars

IDTechEx expects electric motorcycle sales in Europe, the market with the most potential for high power electric two-wheelers, to grow at least 50% year-on-year in 2020, building on the momentum of recent years.

Rapid, Reliable On-Site Drug Detection Using Wearable Sensor

Researchers have developed a wearable sensor that can detect illegal drugs in sweat by using a flexible, wearable sensor.

3D Printed Bioresorbable Airway Stent

A research team is using 3D printing to produce a new type of bioresorbable airway stent. This could greatly simplify the future treatment of upper airway obstruction.

The Future Evolution of Batteries for Stationary Applications

With more than 1TWh of battery capacity installed in the ten-year forecast and a market size of $56bn, the "Batteries for Stationary Energy Storage 2021-2031" report shows the fast-growing scale of this market, analyzing the main technologies involved in this energetic revolution.

Wärtsilä's Energy Storage System will Boost Mexico's Wind Power

The technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted to provide a project-critical energy storage system for the 50 MW Eolica Coromuel, S. de R. L Wind Farm in La Paz, Mexico. The Wärtsilä energy storage system is designed to deliver a power output of 10 MW for the operational life of the project.

Eminox Collaborates with RheEnergise on Energy Storage Project

Eminox announced a major new partnership with pumped energy storage innovator RheEnergise. UK start-up RheEnergise promises to solve the issue of cost-effectively storing energy from intermittent sources such as solar and wind through an innovative, environmentally friendly approach that is significantly cheaper than battery storage.

Consortium Launches Zenid - Sustainable Aviation Fuel from Air

The aviation industry is responsible for 3% of global manmade CO2 emissions and has the challenging objective to reduce these emissions in the next decade significantly. Unlike road transport, aviation cannot switch to electric or hydrogen propulsion yet and therefore depends on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). SAF purely made from air via direct air capture technology and renewable electricity offers a carbon-neutral solution suitable to meet the industry's high demands for renewable fuels in the future.

Eco Wave Power Engineering Permit for EWP-EDF One Project

In a significant regulatory milestone, Eco Wave Power secured the engineering coordination permit from the Municipality of Tel-Aviv Jaffa needed for the cement works and installation of ten floaters for the EWP-EDF One wave energy project in the Port of Jaffa, Israel.

ION Energy Partners with Ray Electric Motors

ION Energy has entered into an agreement to supply battery management systems to electric scooter startup, Ray Electric Motors.

3D Printed Microbes to Enhance Biomaterials

Scientists have developed a new method for 3D printing living microbes in controlled patterns, expanding the potential for using engineered bacteria to recover rare-earth metals, clean wastewater, detect uranium and more.

Textile Sensor Patch Could Detect Pressure Points for Amputees

A soft, flexible sensor system created with electrically conductive yarns could help map problematic pressure points in the socket of an amputee's prosthetic limb, researchers report in a new study.

World First Electric Urban Air Port Secures UK Government Backing

The Future Flight Challenge has been created to develop aviation infrastructure and systems that enable the next generation of electric and autonomous air vehicles. Air-One is a world-first fully-operational hub for future electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft - such as cargo drones and air taxis - to be launched in Coventry later this year.

Next-gen Platform Unveiled Ahead of World-leading Tidal Energy Project

Sustainable Marine is forging ahead with plans to deliver the world's first floating tidal energy array after unveiling its next-generation platform in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Secure Human-Robot Collaboration Thanks to Radar

A breakthrough in collaborative robotics is within reach thanks to an enabling technology for functional safety in various robot systems and applications, including high-performance robots.

InnovationLab

InnovationLab is a German company with a background as research platform but a strong industrial focus that describes itself as a 'one-stop-shop' for the development and production of printed electronics. In January 2021 IDTechEx caught up with Innovation Lab's business development director, Dr. Florian Ullrich. Our discussion focused on their capabilities, pilot line and commercial opportunities for diverse printed sensors, particularly pressure sensors.

Balls of Steel - or Silicone: 3D Printing Medical Advances Analyzed

3D printing offers an efficient method to improve current manufacturing limits across economic sectors such as transport, construction, and medical and dental industries allowing rapid prototyping and on-site production and repairs.