Tag: #167

Smart visors adapt to sunlight, while intelligent helmets are equipped with indicators and warn cyclists of approaching traffic. Now a German company is supporting cyclists with normal helmets to receive the help they need in an emergency. Together with a Swedish technology partner, the team has developed a smart, retrofittable buckle for chinstraps. Using an accompanying app, important medical...

The right music helps pets relax when they’re home alone. And as a research team in Finland recently discovered, music also plays an important role in sport. In the team’s study, 29 participants completed two high-intensity cycling workouts, one without music and one while listening to a playlist they’d selected themselves. In the latter, they kept going at 80%...

Mushrooms are suitable for sound insulation. Spent coffee grounds, as a Chinese university research team just discovered, could be used to deliver sustainable thermal insulation. Initially, the grounds were converted into biochar at 700°C, increasing the granules’ porosity from 40% to 70%. These cavities were then filled with a mix of environmentally-friendly solvents. This in turn prevented ethylcellulose, the...

A maze-like material keeps insects away from plants. In France, meanwhile, a startup is creating sustainable pesticides from plant scents as around 80% of harmful insects are drawn to by these odours. The team deciphers which scents are particularly attractive for different species, and replicates the molecules in the lab. These can be used for the targeted defence of...

Minerals found in kidney stones are making chipboard less flammable. The last thing anyone needs is for their EV battery to go on fire. Enter a Chinese research team and its electrolyte for sodium-ion batteries, which doubles as a fire retardant. The liquid compound is stable up to temperatures of 150°C and solidifies at higher temperatures. Meaning that no...

Small villages can inspire innovation for the circular economy in cocoa production. Now an Oxford-based startup is working on a sustainable substitute to the cocoa bean. Sound familiar? This time rather than cell cultures the team is using the plant’s pod. First, the shells are chopped up and, using an age-old Japanese method, fermented with the help of fungi. The...