Daily Innovation News

June 20^th 2024

💻 Technology

🇺🇸 US researchers develop durable yet stretchable 'Glassy Gels' for diverse applications

Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a new class of materials called "glassy gels," which are highly durable despite containing over 50% liquid. These glassy gels combine the hardness of glassy polymers with the flexibility of gels, stretching up to five times their original length without breaking. They also return to their original shape with heat and are highly adhesive. The ease of production and unique properties of glassy gels make them promising for various applications, including electrical conduction and materials science. This work was published in Nature.

🦾 Robotics

🇨🇳 Chinese company develops next-generation AI sexbots that mimic human interaction

China's Starpery Technology is developing next-generation AI sexbots equipped with advanced sensors to provide lifelike human interaction. These AI-powered companions, available in male and female forms, will feature realistic movements and speech capabilities, enhancing user experience by focusing on emotional connections. Despite technological challenges, the company aims to release prototypes by August, with future plans to create robots for household tasks, elderly care, and assisting people with disabilities.

🇬🇧 British engineers create a record-breaking robot that jumps twice the height of Big Ben

Engineers at The University of Manchester have designed a robot capable of jumping 120 meters high, more than twice the height of Big Ben's tower. This robot, the highest jumping ever made, outperforms the previous record of 33 meters. Utilizing advanced mathematics, computer simulations, and lab experiments, researchers optimized the robot's design for maximum jump efficiency. This breakthrough, published in Mechanism and Machine Theory, could revolutionize robotics for planetary exploration, disaster response, and hazardous environment monitoring. Next steps include enhancing jump direction control and energy efficiency for space missions.

🇺🇸 US researchers use shadows to model 3D scenes from a single image, improving AI and robotics

Researchers from MIT and Meta have developed PlatoNeRF, an innovative computer vision technique that models 3D scenes, including hidden objects, using shadows from a single camera image. Combining single-photon lidar with machine learning, PlatoNeRF accurately reconstructs scenes by tracing secondary light bounces to infer the geometry of obscured areas. This breakthrough could enhance the safety of autonomous vehicles, efficiency of AR/VR headsets, and speed of warehouse robots. The research, leveraging light and shadow physics, marks significant progress in real-time 3D scene modeling.

🌎 Environment

🇮🇹 Italian startup recycles solar panels with 99% efficiency without toxic chemicals

Venice-based startup 9Tech has developed a groundbreaking method for recycling solar panels, achieving up to 99% component recovery without releasing toxic fumes. This innovative process involves removing the aluminum frame and tempered glass, then using a combustion furnace and organic acid to efficiently extract valuable materials like silicon, copper, and silver. With high-purity recovered materials, this method offers a sustainable alternative to traditional, more hazardous recycling techniques. 9Tech plans to scale up with a facility capable of processing 800 panels daily.

🇩🇰 Danish researchers develop barley-based plastic that completely decomposes within 2 months

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have created a biodegradable plastic from barley starch and sugarbeet fiber that decomposes in just two months. This new material, stronger and more water-resistant than current bioplastics, can be used for food packaging and other applications. Unlike existing bioplastics, it fully decomposes into compost without leaving microplastics. The innovative biocomposite is made from amylose and nanocellulose, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics. The team aims to produce prototypes for various packaging uses within one to five years.

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