Tag: Energy

Light can provide an energy-saving training method for smart IT systems. Now, a Minneapolis-based startup has shown how it can also cool high-performance data centres and AI systems. The team’s cold plate for processors contains layers of gallium arsenide. In pure and crystalline form, this semiconductor material cools down when stimulated by a laser-light pulse. More than that, the...

Edible drones would be a lifesaver. Meanwhile, a Japanese team is testing whether drones can protect against lightning. A drone was placed in a Faraday cage with additional lightning conductors. As thunder clouds gathered, the drone was sent 300m skywards attached to a wire cable, which had a ground connection. The difference in the electric field strength at the...

Wireless chips can be frugal. Whereas the 2022 version of a widely-used AI system consumed more than 1,200 megawatts during training. Far too much, according to a London-based startup founded out of a UCL research group. Rather than relying on electric signals to communicate with AI chips, its team is using amplified laser light in the ultra-wideband range. A...

Security labels without silicon can prevent theft. Still, no electronic sensor functions without a wireless connection. The power supply required for such devices has an impact on battery size. Which is why a Norwegian-based startup has developed a new circuit architecture for wireless chips, so that they work in the subthreshold region. At 3.3 volts, conventional components need around...

Edible furniture can supply important energy in emergencies. Our digestive system is crucial and requires regular examination - whether it’s by ultrasound, colonoscopy, or a mini camera that can be swallowed. Now, an Italian research team has developed an edible prototype to replace the metal batteries used in these devices. Acting as anode and cathode respectively, Vitamin B2 and...

Balancing cloud usage can keep emissions and energy costs at bay. Meanwhile, an English startup is aiming to reduce both in public swimming pools by building data centres near the baths and using their thermal discharge to heat the water. All that’s required is a digital boiler. The startup bears the costs for the electricity as well as the...

Sporting activities reduce cancer cells in our bodies and power our fitness trackers. Purifying wastewater, however, requires a lot of energy - or does it? Not according to a South Korean research team. Their multi-layered, printable membrane, which is not subject to size restrictions, could be used to generate electricity during the treatment process. Because the top polymer layer...

Cycling into the wind can be illuminating. A collection of small wind turbines in the ocean may generate electricity for entire towns. Using the patented technology developed by an American research team, renewable energy could soon be produced from the movement of water in the sea. Unlike mechanical systems like these, the water’s power doesn't actuate a single generator...