Tag: #98

Mini-robots can collect microplastics in the sea. And, according to a Munich-based startup, in future small hydrokinetic underwater power plants will generate electricity using a river’s flow rate to drive their internal turbine. The devices are anchored to the river floor by rope, and are designed to present no threat to fish or divers. A connected system continuously monitors...

Thanks to a special armband, people with limited hearing capacity could play a more active role in conversations. Now, a Portuguese research institute is helping children with visual impairment converse with their non-visually impaired counterparts. Key to the enterprise: a modified, commercially-available robotic toy. It moves between children as they speak and uses an in-built microphone to determine who...

We’ve seen seaweed make lemonade, and AI harnessed in the quest for the perfect beer. Now a San Francisco-based startup is looking to pull pints from treated wastewater. Buildings use only 14% of drinkable water, but generally don’t re-use it. The team used the recycled greywater - water with no faecal contamination - from a high-rise apartment building. The...

Brain tumours may be detected thanks to a urine test. Meanwhile, an American research team is turning its attentions to Parkinson’s, having discovered a biomarker that could help accelerate pre-symptom diagnosis. Parkinson’s is caused when the body produces low levels of dopamine, and high levels of abnormal proteins. The latter, known as alpha-synuclein, are notoriously difficult to detect, even...

Filters can rid water of pollutants directly at the source. Now, an LA-based startup is aiming to remove CO2 from seawater. Why? The world’s oceans store around 30% of annual CO2 emissions and can absorb 150 times more of the gas than air. But as coral death shows, the situation is far from ideal. The new process sees carbon...

Insoles from mushroom spores keep our feet healthy in all weathers. A shoe made by a German startup, meanwhile, is destined to benefit both our budget and closet space. The foundation resembles a thick sneaker sock with a rubber base, the accompanying soles are interchangeable. Slip them off at home to create slippers, and back on to go about...