DARPA

Startup bringing driverless taxi service to Singapore

The startup's driverless taxis follow optimal paths for picking up and dropping off passengers to reduce traffic congestion.

Unorthodox unmanned aircraft pushes the limits of technology

Aurora's Phase 2 design for VTOL X-Plane envisions an unmanned aircraft with two large rear wings and two smaller front canards—short winglets mounted near the nose of the aircraft.

Unmanned ACTUV sub hunter ready for sea trials

The Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel is developing an unmanned vessel optimized to robustly track quiet diesel electric submarines.

Kopin Corporation

IDTechEx interviewed Hong Choi, the CTO/R&D Manager at Kopin corporation. Kopin span out of MIT over 30 years ago, and has been developing microdisplay technologies, starting with a $55m DARPA project in the early 1990s. Today, the company is focused on the wearable technology market, and particularly on near-eye computing. This profile also mentions their work on high-capacity, SiO-C anode lithium-ion batteries, developed with Hitachi Maxell.

MesoScribe Technologies

MesoScribe is commercializing a direct write process based on a plasma process. The technology enables electronic parts to be directly deposited onto 3D-shaped structures, thus enabling structural or conformal electronics. The technology is strong in processing structures at high (>850C) temperature, giving rise to high performance.

Highlights of IDTechEx Wearable USA

The IDTechEx Show! in Santa Clara assembled the largest collection of innovators and experts around wearable technology. The aim was to share knowledge, build networks and solve problems that the industry faces. With decision makers from the most well-known and prestigious wearable technology projects all present, the stage was set for two productive days of networking, problem solving and discussion. This article covers some of the main themes of the event.

First optical rectenna converts light to DC current

Using nanometer-scale components, researchers have demonstrated the first optical rectenna, a device that combines the functions of an antenna and a rectifier diode to convert light directly into DC current.

Less than 8% Exhibit Space left at Printed Electronics USA

Join the world's largest event on Printed Electronics, where users come together with suppliers to do business. Speakers include brands such as Coca-Cola, Colgate Palmolive, Bayer Healthcare, United Technologies, Qualcomm, DARPA and over 200 more.

IDTechEx Show! 2015 - 75% exhibitor space booked and over 200 speakers

The IDTechEx Show!, America's largest event focused on emerging technologies, including printed electronics and wearable technology, has already booked more than 75% of its exhibition space at the event, which will be held Nov. 18-19 in the heart of Silicon Valley at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California.

Students to launch experimental 3-D printer on NASA rocket ship

How would a 3-D printer work in the microgravity of suborbital space after surviving a jarring ride 100 miles above the earth? A group of students hope to have an answer next week after a launch at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.

Boosting confidence in new manufacturing technologies

DARPA's Open Manufacturing program seeks to build and demonste rapid qualification technologies that comprehensively capture, analyze and control variability in the manufacturing process to predict the properties of resulting products.

Faradion

Faradion Limited is an early stage company (est. 2011) engaged in the development of low-cost, non-aqueous sodium-ion (Na ion) rechargeable batteries for automotive, utility and consumer sectors (grid energy storage).

The direction of development in autonomous vehicle research

Autonomous vehicles uses a portfolio of sensors that is highly dependent on Lidar technology, given the high price of these sensors, researchers are looking how to reduce the reliance on this technology through enhancing the capabilities of cheaper sensor technologies.

Asleep-yet-aware electronics to benefit the Internet of Things

A new program seeks to develop near-zero-power technologies that could operate reliably for years and eventually benefit the growing global network of Internet-enabled devices.

Ultra lightweight motors for electric drones and airliners

Newcastle University in the UK was chosen by Boeing to develop an ultra-lightweight electric motor for an upper atmosphere electric aircraft. These spidery fixed-wing aircraft can have the wingspan of a jumbo jet but the weight of a small car.

Novel plastic could spur new green energy applications

A plastic used in filters and tubing has an unusual trait: It can produce electricity when pulled or pressed.

Velodyne LiDAR

Velodyne LiDAR is a division of Velodyne Acoustics Inc. It develops and commercialises a pioneering LiDAR sensor technology that has attracted a lot of attention in the automotive sector since it was adopted by Google for the development of their autonomous car.

New technique could produce the ideal light-absorbing material

The electronic band gap is a fundamental material parameter required for controlling light harvesting, conversion, and transport technologies.

Atom-thick CCD could capture images

An atomically thin material may lead to the thinnest-ever imaging platform.