IDTechEx

Quantum dots: changing and expanding application landscape

Quantum dots (QD) are a success story in displays. The current incumbent mode of integration is film type (enhancement film). The value chain for this is well-established. The technology can be integrated in large displays (TVs) from 27" to 98". This article provides a brief look at multiple key applications.

Aziz Gdihi Joins FLEXcon North America as Vice President, Supply Chain

FLEXcon Company Inc announced that Aziz Gdihi has joined the company as the new Vice President of Supply Chain, FLEXcon North America.

Laser printing tech produces waterproof e-textiles in minutes

The next generation of waterproof smart fabrics will be laser printed and made in minutes. That's the future imagined by the researchers behind new e-textile technology.

World's largest electric ferry completes maiden voyage

The world's largest all-electric ferry, named E-ferry Ellen, made its first commercial trip connecting the ports of Søby and Fynshav, on the islands of Aerø and Als, in southern Denmark.

Autonomous vehicle coupled with a robotic laboratory proves its worth

Every drop of seawater contains thousands of cells that can reveal the diversity of life in our ocean. Using a self-contained robotic laboratory and an autonomous underwater vehicle, scientists and engineers are developing advanced collection techniques that may one day simplify the jobs of biologists and resource managers.

Optic nerve stimulation to aid the blind

Scientists are developing technology for the blind that bypasses the eyeball entirely and sends messages to the brain. They do this by stimulating the optic nerve with a new type of intraneural electrode called OpticSELINE.

Wearable predicts autism related outbursts a minute in advance

What would you do if you could predict the future a minute in advance? That might not seem like a long time, but for caretakers of people with autism, knowing what will happen 60 seconds from now could be enough time to prevent an aggressive outburst.

US Airforce produces first certified 3D printed aircraft parts

The 60th Maintenance Squadron is the first field unit in the Air Force to be certified with an industrial-sized 3D printer that is authorized to produce nonstructural aircraft parts.

Toyota provides electric vehicles for Tokyo 2020

Toyota Motor Corporation , worldwide partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, will provide a full line-up of electrified vehicles. Toyota, together with the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, aims to achieve the lowest emissions target level of any official fleet used at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and thereby also helping to reduce the environmental burden of the Games.

Organ-on-chip technology to advance drug development

Researchers have developed an organ-on-an-electronic-chip platform, which uses bioelectrical sensors to measure the electrophysiology of the heart cells in three dimensions. These 3D, self-rolling biosensor arrays coil up over heart cell spheroid tissues to form an "organ-on-e-chip," thus enabling the researchers to study how cells communicate with each other in multicellular systems such as the heart.

Scandinavia's largest offshore wind farm inaugurated

The 49 wind turbines on Horns Rev 25-40 km off Denmark's west coast in the North Sea will increase the Danish power production from wind with around 12 per cent. Enough to power the yearly consumption in 425,000 Danish households.

Robots assisting in the search for Amelia Earhart

Researchers have developed an autonomous surface vehicle, or robot, that can explore the seafloor in waters that may be too deep for divers.

New rechargeable aqueous battery challenges Lithium-ion dominance

A new rechargeable high voltage manganese dioxide zinc battery, exceeding the 2 V barrier in aqueous zinc chemistry.

Wearables now worth over $50bn per year as growth quietly continues

IDTechEx's latest report on the topic has found that wearable technology products will be worth over $50bn in 2019. In fact, the total market size has doubled in size since 2014, placing wearables as one of the most consistently successful markets around consumer electronics in the last 5 years. However, in 2019 headlines have been less frequent, investment has become more focused, and generally the hype around wearables has all but faded. IDTechEx's most comprehensive study of wearable technology looks at how this sector has evolved over the last few years, and how things will change in the coming decade.

Opel - first carmaker to present electric rally car

Opel is the first automobile manufacturer in the world to offer a battery-electric vehicle for customer rally sport. The electric competition car is based on the Opel Corsa-e. Opel and the ADAC will start the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup, the first rally brand cup for electric cars in the world.

Mapping the energetic landscape of solar cells

A new spectroscopic method now makes it possible to measure and visualise the energetic landscape inside solar cells based on organic materials.

Deep learning identifies cancer cells in blood in milliseconds

Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-powered device that detects cancer cells in a few milliseconds — hundreds of times faster than previous methods. With that speed, the invention could make it possible to extract cancer cells from blood immediately after they are detected, which could in turn help prevent the disease from spreading in the body.

Self-folding "Rollbot" paves the way for fully untethered soft robots

The majority of soft robots today rely on external power and control, keeping them tethered to off-board systems or rigged with hard components. Now, researchers have developed soft robotic systems, inspired by origami, that can move and change shape in response to external stimuli, paving the way for fully untethered soft robots.

Study identifies main culprit behind lithium metal battery failure

A research team has discovered the root cause of why lithium metal batteries fail—bits of lithium metal deposits break off from the surface of the anode during discharging and are trapped as "dead" or inactive lithium that the battery can no longer access.

Graphene sensors that measure air quality a step closer to mass market

Graphene-based sensors that can measure the quality of air using the 2D Material could soon enter mass production thanks to a new partnership between a University of Manchester spin-out company and Chinese corporation, Tunghsu Optoelectronics.