June 23rd 2025

Author

Max Gray
June 23, 2025

The Daily Innovation Newsletter

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June 23rd 2025

⚡️ Energy

French researchers at Ifremer and GEPS Techno have launched construction of Dikwe, the world’s first full-scale breakwater system that generates electricity from wave energy while protecting harbors. The system uses oscillating flaps integrated into sea walls to convert wave motion into electricity, providing a low-carbon energy source without harming marine ecosystems. Developed over a decade, this energy-positive infrastructure could help reduce fossil fuel dependence and shield coastlines from erosion.

Dutch startup Equinox Ocean Turbines, with support from the University of Groningen and European funding programs, is developing a jet-sized underwater turbine capable of generating up to three megawatts of electricity from steady ocean currents. Unlike wind or solar, this system offers reliable, around-the-clock clean energy with minimal ecological and visual impact, operating entirely below the surface. Expected to launch commercially by 2027, the project positions ocean currents as a crucial new source of renewable baseload power.

🦾 Robotics

Scientists at EPFL in Switzerland have developed Digits, a soft robotic system that uses compressed air to create realistic touch sensations by bending, vibrating, or changing shape. Featured in the TangiGlove and TangiBall prototypes, this technology lets users feel virtual objects or perform interactive physical therapy, combining multiple touch sensations in one lightweight, adaptable device. The system, published in Advanced Intelligent Systems, uses upgraded, user-friendly software, enabling lifelike haptic feedback for VR, rehabilitation, and beyond.

🌎 Sustainability

Scientists at ETH Zurich have developed a printable, living material that uses cyanobacteria to absorb CO₂ from the air, both as biomass and stable minerals, while reinforcing itself structurally. This "photosynthetic living material" thrives for over a year and has already been showcased in architectural installations in Venice and Milan. Published in Nature Communications, this breakthrough could help buildings actively remove carbon from the atmosphere, offering a sustainable tool for future climate-friendly construction.

An international research team has created CCP-30, a cement-based paint that reflects sunlight, radiates heat, and "sweats" by evaporating water to cool buildings, cutting electricity use for air conditioning by up to 40%. Tested in tropical regions like Singapore, the paint absorbs moisture from rain or the air, sustaining its cooling power without reapplication. Offering 10 times more cooling than standard white paints, CCP-30 could help reduce urban heat, lower emissions, and fight climate change.

💊 Healthcare

Scientists at Tokyo Metropolitan University have created a fast, non-invasive method to identify aging human cells using electric fields, eliminating the need for chemical labeling that can distort results. Their technique, called frequency-modulated dielectrophoresis (FM-DEP), distinguishes senescent skin cells by analyzing how they move under varying electric fields based on their electrical properties. This breakthrough, published in IEEE Sensors Journal, could accelerate research into aging and diseases like Alzheimer’s or diabetes while improving drug testing and regenerative medicine.

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Max

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