Technology News

A team of physicists and engineers at Technical University of Denmark reports that it is possible to build a working selenium–silicon tandem solar cell, a combination that could theoretically improve the efficiency of solar cells to 40%. The study is published in the journal PRX Energy.

Biologist, materials scientist and bionics specialist Professor Stanislav N. Gorb and his team at Kiel University's Institute of Zoology are known for analyzing the spectacular abilities of animals and translating them into innovative technical applications. For example, they created robot grab arms based on the model of insects and a detachable adhesive film that works in a similar manner to the adhesive organs of insects, spiders and geckos.

Scientists have discovered a stable and highly conductive lithium-ion conductor for use as solid electrolytes for solid-state lithium-ion batteries.

Tesla sales fell sharply last quarter as competition increased worldwide, electric vehicle sales growth slowed, and price cuts failed to lure more buyers.

Energy harvesting, an eco-friendly technology, extends beyond solar and wind power in generating electricity from unused or discarded energy in daily life, including vibrations generated by passing car engines or trains. Recent intriguing research aims to enhance the efficiency of energy harvesting using a new type of metasurface that can be reconfigured, resembling the assembly of LEGO bricks.

Windows welcome light into interior spaces, but they also bring in unwanted heat. A new window coating blocks heat-generating ultraviolet and infrared light and lets through visible light, regardless of the sun's angle. The coating can be incorporated onto existing windows or automobiles and can reduce air-conditioning cooling costs by more than one-third in hot climates.

A paper proposing a hybrid data-driven framework considering feature extraction for battery state of health estimation and remaining useful life prediction was published in Green Energy and Intelligent Transportation.

There is room for just one small bottle in the world's first refrigerator that is cooled with artificial muscles made of nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy. But the mini-prototype that the team led by professors Stefan Seelecke and Paul Motzki will be presenting at the Hannover Messe from 22 to 26 April is groundbreaking: It shows that elastocalorics is becoming a viable solution for practical applications. This climate-friendly cooling and heating technology is far more energy-efficient and sustainable than current methods.

Cornell researchers have developed a wristband device that continuously detects hand positioning—as well as objects the hand interacts with—using AI-powered, inaudible soundwaves.

A group of researchers led by University of Massachusetts Amherst engineers have created ultraviolet (UV) rays-emitting glass that can reduce 98% of biofilm from growing on surfaces in underwater environments, as reported in the journal Biofilm.

Fraunhofer researchers have developed a helmet with an integrated acceleration sensor for drivers of construction vehicles. The helmet sensor measures harmful vibrations that affect the body. The software analyzes the sensor signals and shows the stress on the affected person. This allows corresponding relief measures to be taken. A flexible piezo-electret film serves as the sensor. A demonstration model for the Flexeras project will be presented at the joint Fraunhofer booth at the Hannover Messe (April 22–26, 2024, Hall 2, Booth B24).

A lot of energy is required to analyze and store large amounts of data. We may therefore have to take a different approach to data storage in the future, so says Professor Søren Brunak at the University of Copenhagen.

Climate-friendly fuel cell systems, which are set to power vehicles in the future, are still rare and expensive these days. There are several reasons for this, including the complex and costly process used to produce bipolar plates—a key component in electrolyzers and fuel cells, which are needed for many hydrogen systems.

Amazon is removing Just Walk Out technology from its Amazon Fresh stores as part of an effort to revamp the grocery chain.

Allaying anxieties, emphasizing potential—with their KI-Studios (AI Studios), experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO are bringing workplace artificial intelligence to life. Their KI-Infomobil (AI Infomobile) will be appearing at the Hannover Messe from April 22 to 26. Guests are welcome to visit Fraunhofer at Booth B24 in Hall 2 to learn how AI technologies work, where they can be used, and how they can make people's work easier.

Although a private browsing mode known as "Incognito" in Google's widely used Chrome browser has been available for nearly a decade, a legal settlement involving the way it works has casting new attention on this commonly available setting.

New research from ESMT Berlin shows how AI can manage human participants in large-scale research projects, taking over functions such as task allocation, coordination, and motivation.

There may be few better real-life laboratories in the United States than Cordova, Alaska, to evaluate the challenges and benefits of transitioning to new, cleaner methods of home heating in a colder climate.

With the evolution of artificial intelligence comes a discussion of the technology's environmental impact. A study has found that for the tasks of writing and illustrating, AI emits hundreds of times less carbon than humans performing the same tasks. That does not mean, however, that AI can or should replace human writers and illustrators, the study's authors argue.

Have you ever wondered how an email sent from New York arrives in Sydney in mere seconds, or how you can video chat with someone on the other side of the globe with barely a hint of delay? Behind these everyday miracles lies an unseen, sprawling web of undersea cables, quietly powering the instant global communications that people have come to rely on.