University of Pennsylvania

Material turns sunlight, heat, movement into electricity all at once

Many forms of energy surround you: sunlight, the heat in your room and even your own movements. All that energy -- normally wasted -- can potentially help power your portable and wearable gadgets, from biometric sensors to smart watches.

BioSolar reports progress on its high-energy anode material

BioSolar, Inc a developer of breakthrough energy storage technology and materials, has provided a progress report on the development of its high-energy anode material for next generation lithium batteries.

New approach captures the energy of slow motion

A new concept in energy harvesting could capture energy currently wasted due to its characteristic low frequency and use it to power next-generation electronic devices, according to a team of scientists and electrical engineers.

Researchers find way to increase scanning speed

A major technological advance in the field of high-speed beam-scanning devices has increased the speed of 2D and 3D printing by up to 1000 times, according to researchers.

Grant to examine conjugated polymers for flexible electronics

The National Science Foundation has awarded $1.2M to three researchers for a proposal which aims to identify the key polymeric properties of conjugated polymers used to develop flexible electronics.

Direct-drive legged robot platform

Researching and building next-generation legged robots that are superior to wheeled and tracked autonomous vehicles in many field applications.

Graphene key to two-dimensional semiconductor

A newly discovered method for making two-dimensional materials could lead to new and extraordinary properties, particularly in a class of materials called nitrides, say the scientists who discovered the process. This first-ever growth of two-dimensional gallium nitride using graphene encapsulation could lead to applications in deep ultraviolet lasers, next-generation electronics and sensors.

Nanotech garment will gather health information through sweat

Instead of just wicking sweat away, the team's yarn will be able to chemically analyze its contents and change color accordingly.

Assisting Parkinson's patients with innovative motion-tracking device

A rough estimate of the amount of steps taken in a day might be enough for the average fitness tracker or smartwatch user, but, for people with movement disorders like Parkinson's disease, more fine-grained data could be life changing.

Self-healing, flexible electronic material functions after many breaks

Electronic materials have been a major stumbling block for the advance of flexible electronics because existing materials do not function well after breaking and healing. A new electronic material created by an international team, however, can heal all its functions automatically even after breaking multiple times.

TPK consummates acquisition with Innova Dynamics

Innova Dynamics Inc and TPK Holding Co Ltd announced that after 3-years of close collaboration under a 'Joint Development Agreement and Framework for Touch-Sensor Strategic Alliance,' TPK has consummated an acquisition with Innova Dynamics.

Lead-acid battery collapse now self-fulfilling prophecy

In this article IDTechEx explains why there is almost uniform negativity about lead acid batteries.

Sensors driving next-generation wearable devices

Sensor development is driving the next generation of wearable devices, and this development is now going further than simply attaching sensors to devices that can be stuck on the body

New chemistries found for liquid batteries

Calcium, an abundant and inexpensive element, can form the basis for both the negative electrode layer and the molten salt that forms the middle layer of the three-layer battery.

Self-heating lithium-ion battery

A lithium-ion battery that self heats if the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit has multiple applications, but may have the most impact on relieving winter "range anxiety" for electric vehicle owners, according to a team of researchers.

Meeting with ALABC/ILA London 13 Jan 2016

The International Lead Association (ILA) now runs the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Corporation (ALABC) and it is repositioning it to basic research at the request of its members.

Harnessing the energy of small bending motions

For many applications such as biomedical, mechanical, or environmental monitoring devices, harnessing the energy of small motions could provide a small but virtually unlimited power supply.

Built in sensors make lithium-ion batteries safer

Researchers are working to make the lithium-ion batteries we use every day safer by inserting sensors to warn users of potential problems inside the battery.

Transparent metal films for smartphone, tablet and TV displays

A new material that is both highly transparent and electrically conductive could make large screen displays, smart windows and even touch screens and solar cells more affordable and efficient.

Simple mathematical formula models lithium-ion battery aging

Hybrid electric vehicles, cell phones, digital cameras, and the Mars Curiosity rover are just a few of the many devices that use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Now a team of researchers has a simple mathematical formula to predict what factors most influence lithium-ion battery aging.