Daily Innovation News

July 15^th 2024

🚀 Space

🇨🇳 Chinese scientists plan GPS system for the moon

Chinese scientists have unveiled a plan to develop a satellite-based GPS system around the Moon, enabling sub-meter level high-precision location services. The proposed system involves deploying 21 satellites across four types of orbits, providing real-time, accurate navigation data for lunar surface activities and future exploration missions. This initiative, led by the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, aims to support Beijing's lunar ambitions and enhance the efficiency of various lunar operations. The system will be implemented in three phases and is expected to significantly advance lunar exploration.

🦾 Robotics

🇺🇸 US researchers create a soft robot that can self-amputate and reattach limbs to alter its shape

Inspired by lizards and ants, US researchers have developed a soft robot capable of detaching and reattaching its limbs to alter its shape. Utilizing a new material called bicontinuous thermoplastic foam (BTF), the robot can perform self-amputation and reattachment efficiently, making it highly adaptable to different environments. This breakthrough represents the first fully soft reversible joint, enhancing the potential for flexible and resilient robotic systems. The study is published in Advanced Materials.

🇺🇸 World's first mobile bricklayer robot to boost construction speed in the US

The world's first mobile bricklayer robot, Hadrian X, has arrived in the US, promising to revolutionize construction by building walls in as little as a day. Equipped with unique optimization software that converts wall sketches into precise block positions, the robot enhances efficiency and reduces waste. Capable of laying up to 500 blocks per hour, Hadrian X uses a strong adhesive instead of mortar, ensuring durability. Following site acceptance testing in Florida, the robot will demonstrate its capabilities by constructing walls for several houses.

🌎 Environment

🇸🇬 Singaporean startup reduces methane emissions from rice cultivation by 35%

A Singaporean startup, Rize, has helped Southeast Asian farmers cut methane emissions from rice cultivation by 35% using the alternate wetting and drying (AWD) method. This low-tech approach involves periodically drying fields instead of keeping them continuously flooded, which reduces methane production and water usage by 20%. Additionally, this method has increased farmer incomes by 30%, showing that sustainable practices can also be economically beneficial. These efforts are crucial in reducing the high carbon footprint of rice farming.

🇦🇺 🇨🇳 Australian and Chinese researchers develop an efficient method to purify pesticide-contaminated water

Researchers from Australia and China have devised a more effective method for removing organic pesticides from drinking water, addressing rising concerns over water contamination and associated health risks. By reducing the size of organic pesticide-removing powdered activated carbon (PAC) particles from 38 μm to 6 μm, they achieved up to 75% efficiency in pesticide removal, significantly lowering treatment costs. This innovation is crucial as global pesticide use has surged by 62% in the past 20 years, posing a growing threat to water safety. The study is published in Chemosphere.

💊 Healthcare

🇺🇸 US researchers develop 100% effective HIV prevention drug that only needs to be taken twice a year

US researchers have developed a twice-yearly injectable drug, lenacapavir, that is 100% effective at preventing HIV spread, according to Phase 3 clinical trial results. This capsid inhibitor stops the virus from replicating, offering a significant improvement over daily oral PrEP options like Truvada and Descovy. The trial showed zero infections in participants receiving lenacapavir, highlighting its potential to improve adherence and reduce stigma associated with daily medication. Approval of this drug could be a major step toward eradicating HIV.

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