University of Massachusetts Amherst

Florrent

IDTechEx attended the launch of a new accelerator called ACCEL (Advancing Climatetech and Clean Energy Leaders) in February 2023. This is organized by Greentown Labs and Browning the Green Space (BGS). They reported over 120 applicants and ended up with six participating start-ups. All of the start-ups are BIPOC-led. These start-ups are mostly operating around technology readiness level (TRL) 4. The six start-ups are Active Surfaces, DrinKicks, EarthBond, Florrent, Frakktal, and SpadXTech.

First High-Performance Nanostructured Alloy is Ultrastrong and Ductile

A team of researchers has 3D printed a dual-phase, nanostructured high-entropy alloy that exceeds the strength and ductility of other state-of-the-art additively manufactured materials, which could lead to higher-performance components for applications in aerospace, medicine, energy and transportation.

Skin in The Game: Human Body to Recharge Smartwatches

As smart watches are increasingly able to monitor the vital signs of health, including what's going on when we sleep, a problem has emerged: those wearable, wireless devices are often disconnected from our body overnight, being charged at the bedside.

New Green Technology Generates Electricity "Out of Thin Air"

Electrical engineers and microbiologists have created a device they call an 'Air-gen' or air-powered generator, with electrically conductive protein nanowires produced by the microbe Geobacter. The Air-gen connects electrodes to the protein nanowires in such a way that electrical current is generated from the water vapor naturally present in the atmosphere.

'Phyjama,' a physiological sensing pyjama

Scientists expect that in the future, electronically active garments containing unobtrusive, portable devices for monitoring heart rate and respiratory rhythm during sleep, for example, will prove clinically useful in health care. Now researchers have developed physiological-sensing textiles that can be woven or stitched into sleep garments they have dubbed "phyjamas."

Wireless wearables powered by human skin

This scientist's vision is to invent devices that not only operate without batteries but take the concept of battery-less wearables one step further. In his mind's eye, the next generation of wearables will transfer power between wireless sensors using a far more efficient conductor - human skin.

Using artificial intelligence to track birds' dark-of-night migrations

On many evenings during spring and fall migration, tens of millions of birds take flight at sunset and pass over our heads, unseen in the night sky. Though these flights have been recorded for decades by the National Weather Services' network of constantly scanning weather radars, until recently these data have been mostly out of reach for bird researchers.

Smart Façades: Working from the outside in for energy efficiency

In an ongoing effort to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings, an interdisciplinary team of scientists and students is working to design and build more-sustainable building façade systems - so-called smart façades.

Tapping body heat to power smart garments

Some research has shown that small amounts of power can be harvested from a human body over an eight-hour workday, but the special materials needed at present are either very expensive, toxic or inefficient.

Fabric alternative to batteries

A major factor holding back development of wearable biosensors for health monitoring is the lack of a lightweight, long-lasting power supply. Now scientists report that they have developed a method for making a charge-storing system that is easily integrated into clothing for "embroidering a charge-storing pattern onto any garment."

Why a robot can't yet outjump a flea

When it comes to things that are ultrafast and lightweight, robots can't hold a candle to the fastest-jumping insects and other small-but-powerful creatures. New research could help explain why nature still beats robots, and describes how machines might take the lead.

Paving the way for a non-electric battery to store solar energy

Materials chemists have been trying for years to make a new type of battery that can store solar or other light-sourced energy in chemical bonds rather than electrons, one that will release the energy on demand as heat instead of electricity - addressing the need for long-term, stable, efficient storage of solar power.

Off-the-shelf, power-generating clothes are almost here

A lightweight, comfortable jacket that can generate the power to light up a jogger at night may sound futuristic, but materials scientists could make one today.

Reducing conducting thin film surface roughness for electronics

Surface roughness reduction is a really big deal when it comes to fundamental surface physics and while fabricating electronic and optical devices.

'Braidio' technology, lets mobile devices share power

A team of computer science researchers has introduced a new radio technology that allows small mobile devices to take advantage of battery power in larger devices nearby for communication.

Common soil bacteria creates nano sized conductive wires

Scientists have genetically modified a common soil bacteria to create electrical wires that not only conduct electricity, but are thousands of times thinner than a human hair.

A partnership to secure and protect the emerging Internet of Things

National Science Foundation and Intel Corporation team to improve the security and privacy of computing systems that interact with the physical world using a new cooperative research model.

Blades of grass inspire advance in organic solar cells

Using a bio-mimicking analog of one of nature's most efficient light-harvesting structures, blades of grass, an international research team led by Alejandro Briseno of the University of Massachusetts Amherst has taken a major step in developing long-sought polymer architecture to boost power-conversion efficiency of light to electricity for use in electronic devices.