Tag: Infrastructure

Onions protect solar modules, securing their long-term output. Hemispherical solar cells could deliver even more electricity. Now a Norwegian startup’s system is enabling homeowners to harness their solar energy more efficiently and make provisions for the winter months. First, a fuel cell converts the solar energy into hydrogen. Then, using the firm’s patented technology, it is processed into a...

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...

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...

Lions and farm animals can co-exist peacefully. Now, an autonomous system developed in Sweden is protecting wildlife and infrastructure alike. The startup’s battery- or solar-powered device identifies species and creates acoustic noises accordingly in real time. On hearing these unexpected sounds, wild animals move away from airports, railway lines and agricultural areas. The system comprises a night-vision camera, motion...

Oil slicks could be removed using sunflowers. As for potholes… In the world devised by a new British research team, they wouldn’t exist in the first place - because road surfaces would be able to mend cracks that appeared themselves. Reducing CO2 emissions generated through repair work. Using AI, the team studied the organic molecules contained in petroleum component...

Taking mushrooms straight from the parking lot into the kitchen is a practical solution. Along similar lines, a startup in the Vancouver area is currently developing a stand-alone smart system for vertical farming planned as franchise. Its USP? The fact that it’s for small buildings specifically and helps owners grow fruit, vegetables and herbs in their underused spaces such...

Trailers can be remote-controlled while self-driving haulers could soon feature on railways. Meanwhile, a Swiss private sector initiative is developing an underground tunnel system allowing driverless EVs to transport supplies and waste at 30km/h. Trials will take place on a 70km three-lane stretch between Geneva and St. Gallen. Rather than using a swapping system, vehicles will be charged from...

Combining solar modules provides remote communities with electricity. Now, a man from the Democratic Republic of Congo is making internet access affordable for his fellow citizens. His startup, launched in Canada, uses small boxes of computer components to harness satellite signals and establish local wireless networks. The resulting ‘digital library’ in Kinshasa can supply internet for up to 100...