IDTechEx

3D Printed Batteries Handle the Squeeze

While flexible and stretchable electronics technologies have progressed in leaps and bounds over the past 10 years, batteries to power them have some catching up to do. Researchers have now demonstrated a "quasi-solid-state" battery—made from materials somewhere between a liquid and a solid—that can be compressed by as much as 60% while maintaining high energy density and good stability over 10,000 charge-recharge cycles.

Experiment Too Big? Hire a Mobile Robot Scientist

Researchers have built an intelligent mobile robot scientist that can work 24-7, carrying out experiments by itself. The robot scientist, the first of its kind, makes its own decisions about which chemistry experiments to perform next, and has already discovered a new catalyst.

Liquid Wire

Liquid Wire produce circuitry based on encapsulated Metal Gel™ which can flow to ensure conductivity when the substrate is stretched or flexed. This conductive Bingham plastic is also used in vias and SMD attachment, thus interfacing between rigid components and flexible/stretchable interconnects. The company is primarily targeting medical/fitness skin patches and e-textiles but have also received interest in many industrial applications.

What the Oil Price Crash Means for Bioplastics

Bioplastics, plastics made from a biological feedstock, could be a renewable and more sustainable alternative to fossil-based plastics. Unlike the vast majority of fossil-based plastics, many bioplastics are biodegradable, which could help provide a solution to the dizzying escalation in plastic waste seen across much of the world. And although bioplastics have historically struggled to deliver the same performance as fossil-based plastics, technology is increasingly closing the gap, creating highly functional plastics that do not cost the Earth. "Bioplastics 2020-2025", the recent report by IDTechEx, explores the emerging technologies around bioplastics and forecasts the future of the industry over the next five years.

Battery Breakthrough Boosts Electric Flight, Long-Range Electric Cars

In the pursuit of a rechargeable battery that can power electric vehicles for hundreds of miles on a single charge, scientists have endeavored to replace the graphite anodes currently used in EV batteries with lithium metal anodes.

Bricklaying Robot Hadrian X Completes First Walls

The Hadrian X finished building the structural walls of its first display home in Dayton, Western Australia.

Webinars Available to Watch On-Demand Today

IDTechEx currently have a number of webinars available to watch on-demand. These include presentations on digital health, cardiovascular disease management, vertical farming and electronics as smart materials.

Sunew

Sunew is a Brazilian company that manufactures OPV modules using R2R printing techniques. These are installed in multiple locations worldwide, with a focus on building integrated photovoltaics.

Skin Analysis Technologies Market to Reach $275 Million by 2030

With a surface area of up to 2 square meters, skin is the largest organ of the human body. Skin acts as an outer covering and barrier - not only is skin health crucial to the overall health of an individual, but skin appearance has significant societal impact as well (body image, communication, etc.).

ML Approaches Will Be Ubiquitous For Chemicals & Materials R&D

In the future, all materials scientists and chemists will have access to machine learning tools to enhance their R&D. Seamlessly integrating these underlying operations will not happen quickly, but overlooking the developments in materials informatics will lead to a loss of any competitive advantage.

Oscilla Power to Demonstrate Utility-Scale Ocean Wave Energy in India

Oscilla Power announce that they are now in the planning stages of a demonstration of their 1MW 'Triton' ocean wave energy system in Southern India.

3D Hand-Sensing Wristband

In a potential breakthrough in wearable sensing technology, researchers have designed a wrist-mounted device that continuously tracks the entire human hand in 3D.

Brilliant Matters

Brilliant Matters is a Canadian company that develops and manufactures organic semiconductors for the printed electronics market. The company offers products and services mainly aimed at the organic photovoltaic (OPV) and organic photodiode (OPD) markets, focusing on purity and reproducibility.

Fluence Analytics

Fluence Analytics provide continuous monitoring and real-time analysis of polymerization reactions and biopharmaceutical manufacturing. IDTechEx spoke with Alex Reed (CEO and Co-founder).

New Organic Material Unlocks Faster Electronic Devices

Mobile phones and other electronic devices made from an organic material that is thin, bendable and more powerful are now a step closer thanks to new research.

Hybrid Electric Drive Integrated onto a Combat Vehicle

BAE Systems has been awarded a $32 million prototype agreement by the US Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office to integrate a Hybrid Electric Drive system onto a Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

Energy Harvesting for Electronic Devices

"Passing $2bn by 2030, energy harvesting modules become key to smartwatches, IoT and more" IDTechEx Chairman, Dr Peter Harrop shares some of the research from IDTechEx report: "Energy Harvesting for Electronic Devices 2020-2040 Materials, self-charging device opportunities, technology roadmaps, forecasts"

Using 3D Metal Printing to Fight Tradition

In the 3D printing industry, tradition ties companies to the technology they have always used, to the best practices defined decades ago and to the design practices tuned for legacy manufacturing processes.

Remote Specimen Collection Robot

The robot system is composed of a master device controlled by medical personnel and a slave robot that interacts with patients. The slave robot is equipped with a disposable swab, which retrieves samples from the nose and mouth of a patient, and moves according to the operation of the master device.

Photo-Rechargable Zinc-Ion Devices Merge Solar Cell and Battery Tech

Scientists have made a battery that can be directly charged in sunlight without needing an external solar panel. Clever design of the battery electrodes facilitates photo-rechargeable zinc-ion batteries that could find applications as cheap devices for off-grid solar farms.