Tag: Research

Smart ‘pinecones’ warn against wildfires. When it comes to domestic fires or break-ins, however, deaf people are particularly vulnerable. Enter a British research team and its new vibrating pillow jacket. On the reverse four miniature haptic actuators have been woven into the fabric. These are coupled with a smartphone through a microcontroller; the smartphone, in turn, can be connected...

A nature-inspired gripper works particularly well on uneven surfaces. Endoscopic surgery, in which suspicious tissue is removed for safety reasons, relies on doctors’ ‘touch’. But touch is a precarious thing. Enter a US research team and its soft sensors that can measure force during minimally invasive procedures. The sensors are 3D-printed, moulded and made from silicone. Each contains tiny,...

Waste wood isn’t just suitable as a sustainable polystyrene substitute. Now, a Finnish research team has created an alternative to petroleum-based resin using sawdust and straw. The presence of petroleum-based bonding agents makes it tricky to recycle composites, which are used for wind turbines, boats and RVs. The team extracted cellulose and hemicellulose from the waste wood, successfully developing...

Experienced hackers can be exposed. Password vaults help people remember the many logins required to access online services. But even they aren’t completely risk-free. Cue a Texas-based research team and its browser extension, which allows users to dispense with passwords save for a single master one. When visiting a website, the extension must first be activated and the master...

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...

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...

A new shoe sole helps predict falls. Meanwhile the way in which people move may be an indicator of their mental health. That is, according to a recent study conducted by a Texas-based research team. 30 young adults first completed a questionnaire assessing their depression or anxiety levels. Next they were filmed by 16 cameras walking or standing up...