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The Daily Innovation Newsletter

January 16^th 2025

💻 Technology

🇨🇦 Canadian researchers create ‘foot gesture’ tech for controlling apps while walking

Scientists at the University of Waterloo have developed a system enabling smartphone apps to be controlled through subtle foot movements while walking. Using "gait gestures," users can perform tasks like playing music, ordering coffee, or answering calls via an augmented reality headset. Tested on 25 participants, the system achieved 92% accuracy, offering a hands-free alternative for multitasking during daily walks. This innovation paves the way for practical, socially acceptable applications of AR technology.

⚡️ Energy

🇦🇺 Australia trials efficient vertical wind turbine for sustainable energy solutions

A 6kW helical vertical-axis turbine (VAWT) developed by Flinders University and VAWT-X Energy will undergo trials near Adelaide. Designed for quiet operation and versatility, the turbine is as efficient as horizontal models but requires less maintenance and works well in variable wind conditions. Backed by government and private funding, this innovation supports South Australia’s push for 100% renewable electricity by 2027, promising benefits for off-grid, agricultural, and urban energy needs.

🚘 Transport

🇳🇿 New Zealand team unveils modular autonomous gondola system for affordable urban transit

A New Zealand innovation promises to revolutionize urban transport with Whoosh, an on-demand autonomous transit system combining rail and cable networks. Unlike traditional gondolas, the modular pods navigate independently across a flexible, extendable network, allowing direct, non-stop travel. With speeds of up to 40 km/h and minimal infrastructure costs, the system is affordable, efficient, and eco-friendly. A pilot installation in Queenstown is set to launch in 2026, showcasing its potential to ease congestion, reduce emissions, and enhance urban mobility.

🦾 Robotics

🇺🇸 US researchers develop robotic bees with record hover times for future pollination

MIT scientists have created advanced robotic insects capable of hovering for over 1,000 seconds and performing precise maneuvers like flips and trajectory mapping. Featuring enhanced wing designs and artificial muscles, these robots demonstrate improved endurance, speed, and agility, with potential applications in artificial pollination and indoor farming. Future goals include equipping them with sensors and batteries for autonomous field deployment. The research was published in Science Robotics.

🌎 Environment

🇬🇧 UK researchers discover plant gene mutation to boost natural fertilizer alternatives

Scientists at the John Innes Centre identified a gene mutation in legumes that enhances root partnerships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria and phosphorus-providing fungi, improving nutrient uptake without inorganic fertilizers. Remarkably, the same mutation improved endosymbiosis in wheat under farming conditions, showing promise for broad crop application. This breakthrough, published in Nature, could reduce fertilizer use, lowering environmental impact and costs while advancing sustainable farming practices.

💊 Healthcare

🇺🇸 🇩🇰 US and Danish scientists use AI to create more effective antivenom for deadly snakebites

Researchers at the University of Washington and Technical University of Denmark designed novel proteins using deep learning to neutralize deadly three-finger toxins in snake venom. These proteins, smaller and more effective than traditional antibody-based treatments, can be manufactured via recombinant DNA technology, reducing costs and improving safety. Tested in mice, the proteins protected against lethal neurotoxin exposure. This breakthrough, published in Nature, could make antivenoms more accessible and help tackle neglected tropical diseases.

🇺🇸 🇨🇳 US and Chinese researchers develop epigenetic therapy targeting colorectal cancer

Scientists from Johns Hopkins and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have created an innovative drug strategy to treat colorectal cancer by targeting the UHRF1 protein, a key driver of epigenetic abnormalities. Using a peptide derived from the mouse protein STELLA, they successfully blocked UHRF1 and activated tumor suppressor genes in cancer cells. Delivered via lipid nanoparticles, the therapy showed promising results in mice, impairing tumor growth. This breakthrough, published in Nature Communications, offers hope for addressing solid tumors, an area with limited effective epigenetic therapies.

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