Tag: #124

Internal wounds could be closed by a robot with an integrated 3D-printer. Sometimes, however, a blood transfusion is required. Here, blood type and Rh factor must be identical for donor and patient, although type 0 can generally be used for types A, B and AB. Need is unpredictable, and donated blood can only be stored for 42 days. Now,...

Some devices improve hiking stamina. Now, a US startup has developed special shoes for pedestrians who want to cover ground faster. The water-resistant robot shoes are strapped on and their 8 wheels powered by miniature electric motors. Artificial intelligence captures walkers’ natural speed and stride length and adapts the electric support. The wheels only turn when users are in...

Used, starch-based juice bottles dissolve in water. If only recycling printed circuit boards (PCBs) from plastic and glass fibre were as easy. Enter a US-based research team which has manufactured a PCB prototype using cutting-edge sustainable polymers known as vitrimers. When exposed to mild heat, their molecular compounds loosen so that tears or holes can be repaired. The team...

In Italy, tomatoes have a life after dinner. Chocolate is another cherished Italian staple. Yet, instead of using cocoa, a regional startup began looking to carob for a more sustainable alternative. Sweet and high-in-fibre, the legume also works against free radicals in the body. The carob tree thrives in the dry, southern Italian climate. If used, 2,400 litres of...

Animals don’t have to die for exotic leather products. It is, however, perfectly legal to use tusks from extinct mammoths for making luxury wood carvings, chess figures or jewellery. Since this type of ivory is mostly extracted from permafrost regions or near Polar seas, many elephants fall victim to the illegal ivory trade. It is impossible to make out...

A robot shapes dresses. If we ourselves don’t feel in great shape, perhaps because we are experiencing stress, a special ball can help us calm down. Now, thanks to a design student’s award-winning concept, items of clothing could soon fulfil the same function. Inflatable elements of various sizes are sewn into the upper part of her garment. Where exactly...