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HomeTags#128

Tag: #128

Secured gain

It’s important to know ships’ coordinates as well as the effect they’re having on the environment. Now, smaller boats at anchor can help generate renewable energy through hydropower thanks to a startup based in southeast Alaska. Its rotor device is secured to the boat by rope; under the water, tidal currents make the rotor spin, powering the generator. Weighing...

Activating placement

Thanks to an app, people with Parkinson’s can navigate the internet more easily. But for some older people, smartphones, tablets and video calls remain a closed book. Enter a Munich-based startup and its simple solution. It consists of a stand, where a tablet is docked and, a board with a control button and small tray for smart cards. Each...

Specified blueprint

Cataloguing insects makes sense, as they can be important for the surrounding environment. Not always, however. Which is why a startup from Glasgow is looking to target harmful parasites using biotechnology rather than chemicals. The project, which began life at Glasgow University, relies on lab recreations of natural proteins found within unwanted insects in order to use them as...

Recreated protection

A soap mix is helping to combat skin cancer. Sunscreen is useful there, too, but mostly not eco-friendly. Enter two Boston-based researchers who have pooled their knowledge of underwater molluscs to launch a new startup. Their experiments showed that colour pigments in squid or octopus could protect against the sun when combined with zinc oxide. After recreating the pigments...

Angled adaptation

Hemispherical solar cells catch the light at multiple angles to generate power. Similarly, a Swiss startup is taking the sun’s position as its starting point, and its system comprises movable solar modules. They are attached to buildings by a framework, and angled by individual engines towards the sun. Installed outside windows, the modules provide shade and produce electricity at...

Peaceful position

A smart ball can alleviate stress, so too purring cats. Snoring, however, is no good for a proper night’s sleep - either for the snorer, or the person beside them. Enter a Hong Kong based team and its planned smart neck pillow. It uses the sound waves that travel through snorers’ neck bones as they sleep. These are recorded...

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