Tag: #163

Self-driving containers on the railway network should reduce street traffic. Staff shortages in fruit and vegetable farming are creating logistical issues within the industry. An area a New Zealand-based startup is addressing with its automated mini-tractor designed for narrow alleys. Weighing just 120kg, the sleek EV can tow an additional 600kg of weight, while a hitch system allows different...

Some wheelchairs can be steered by head movements or facilitate conversations at eye-level. But recording cinema-quality moving images from different perspectives has - until now - proved challenging for wheelchair users. Enter the founder of an inclusive film production company in London and his ingenious wheelchair-based camera mounting system. Like a steadicam, the system delivers 3-stage image stabilisation, while...

A rope with liquid crystals twists when exposed to infrared light, enabling it to transport items. Now a California-based research team knows the ropes when it comes to efficiently storing solar energy thanks to a newly developed molecule. When hit by sunlight, it contorts itself into a strained shape and can remain that way for years. If acid is...

Bone breaks can be treated with biodegradable glue. Badly damaged cartilage often means joints need to be replaced. Now, a US-based startup is focusing on the ‘pre-replacement’ stage and has developed a round implant with a multi-layered lattice structure to heal smaller injuries. It is available in three sizes and is 3D-printed from a nylon composite base material. Using...

New magnetic molecules could increase hard-drives’ storage capacity. But when it comes to storage density, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Cue the Viennese inventors of the world’s smallest QR-code, its individual pixels measuring a miniscule 49 nanometres in size. The pixels were carved into a thin ceramic layer using ion beams, and the code itself (1.98 square...

Even jellyfish have culinary potential. But those undergoing radio- or chemotherapy often lose their sense of taste and smell. Enter a Swiss startup aiming to support those affected, in the process reducing the risk of malnutrition and helping cancer patients rediscover their love of food. An olfactory kit first establishes which aromas and scents patients can still perceive and...