Daily Innovation News

June 26^th 2024

💻 Technology

🇨🇳 Chinese battery maker CATL successfully tests electric plane, plans 1,800-mile civil aircraft by 2028

China's CATL, the world's largest EV battery maker, has successfully tested a 4-ton electric plane powered by its ultra-high energy density battery. The company aims to introduce an 8-ton commercial electric aircraft by 2027 or 2028, with a range of 1,200 to 1,800 miles. This breakthrough, using CATL's Condensed Battery technology, marks a significant step towards sustainable aviation. CATL is also advancing next-gen sodium-ion batteries, expected to launch next year.

🇦🇺 Australian researchers develop camera technology to detect drunk drivers using facial cues

Researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia have created a camera-based system that uses facial cues to detect if a driver is drunk before they start driving. The innovative technology, which accurately identifies intoxication levels 75% of the time, analyzes standard RGB videos for signs of impairment. This system could be integrated into vehicles, smartphones, and roadside cameras, offering a proactive solution to prevent drunk driving and enhance road safety.

⚡️ Energy

🇩🇪 German firm Synhelion opens the world’s first industrial solar fuel plant

Synhelion, a spinout from ETH Zurich, has inaugurated the world's first industrial-scale plant to produce synthetic fuels using solar heat. Located in Jülich, Germany, the DAWN plant aims to demonstrate the potential of solar fuels to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, particularly in aviation. The plant features a 65-foot solar tower that concentrates solar rays to create synthetic liquid fuels. Production is set to begin in late 2024, with an initial output of several thousand liters per year.

🇳🇱 Dutch firm develops Battolyser, which serves as both a battery and an electrolyzer to produce green hydrogen

Netherlands-based Battolyser, inspired by Thomas Edison's nickel-iron battery, has developed a technology that serves as both a battery and an electrolyzer, producing green hydrogen. Utilizing renewable energy, the Battolyser achieves 85% efficiency, generating hydrogen when fully charged. This innovative system, made from low-cost materials with a 20-30 year lifespan, aims to replace grey hydrogen in Europe's energy mix, significantly reducing carbon emissions. Battolyser plans to scale up, starting with a 2.5 MW module in 2024 and larger installations by 2026.

🇺🇸 US researchers develop AI-backed 'self-healing' tech for automatic electrical grid repairs

Researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas and the University at Buffalo have created an AI system that can autonomously detect and repair issues in the electrical grid within milliseconds. This "self-healing" technology, tested on multiple network setups, significantly reduces energy loss and minimizes power disruptions during outages, even in storm conditions. Utilizing graph reinforcement learning, the AI optimally reroutes electricity without human intervention. The study's promising results were published in Nature Communications.

🦾 Robotics

🇺🇸 US researchers develop smiling robot face made from living human skin cells

Researchers at Harvard University, led by Michio Kawai, have developed a robotic face covered with living human skin cells, allowing it to smile and potentially communicate more effectively. The skin, grown in a collagen scaffold with ligament equivalents for strength and flexibility, was attached to a 3D-printed resin base. This innovation not only enhances robot-human interaction but also offers potential applications in the cosmetics industry for testing skincare products. The study was conducted while Kawai was at the University of Tokyo.

🇺🇸 US researchers develop CARMEN, the first tabletop robot to combat memory loss

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have created CARMEN (Cognitively Assistive Robot for Motivation and Neurorehabilitation), a small tabletop robot designed to aid individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). CARMEN teaches users strategies to improve memory and executive function, such as designating spots for items like keys and adopting effective note-taking methods. The robot, developed with input from clinicians and MCI patients, operates independently without needing internet connectivity, making it accessible for home use.

🌎 Environment

🇺🇸 US scientists develop a super-efficient fin-based system to extract drinking water from dry air

Researchers from multiple US universities have created an adsorbent fin-based technology to harvest water from dry air with five times more efficiency than previous methods. The compact device, utilizing copper sheets and zeolite-coated copper foam, can saturate with water within an hour, even in desert-like conditions. Capable of producing up to 1.3 liters of water per day in 30% humidity, this innovation, published in ACS Energy Letters, could provide a cost-effective solution for water-scarce regions by integrating with existing infrastructure to utilize waste heat.

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