June 3rd 2025

Author

Max Gray
June 03, 2025

The Daily Innovation Newsletter

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June 3rd 2025

💻 Technology

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a metalens just 200 nanometers thick, 40 times thinner than a human hair, that converts infrared light into visible light by halving its wavelength. Built from lithium niobate and fabricated using a stamping process inspired by Gutenberg’s printing press, the lens simplifies a previously complex task typically requiring bulky optical systems. Published in Advanced Materials, this innovation could revolutionize night vision, thermal imaging, semiconductor manufacturing, and even banknote security.

🦾 Robotics

A Chinese robotics startup, Zerith, has launched the Zerith H1, the first humanoid robot designed specifically for hotel housekeeping. Capable of cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming rooms, restocking amenities, and navigating tight, cluttered hotel spaces, the H1 aims to ease labor shortages and improve operational efficiency. Its flexible wheels, spatial mapping, and multi-surface adaptability set it apart from domestic robots like Tesla's Optimus. Future versions may even handle guest requests autonomously.

Engineers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have created a multilayer robotic skin that can autonomously detect, seal, and reset punctures using built-in heating and a novel use of electromigration. Mimicking biological tissue, the soft robotic system includes stretchable electronics and a healing elastomer, offering potential applications in agriculture, wearables, and sustainable robotics. The innovation was presented at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, where it was named a Best Paper Award finalist.

🤖 Artificial Intelligence

Scientists at Tokyo University of Science have created a self-powered artificial synapse that replicates human-like color vision, distinguishing colors with 10-nanometer resolution across the visible spectrum. Built using dye-sensitized solar cells, the device generates its own power and performs complex logic operations, enabling low-energy visual processing ideal for edge devices like smartphones and autonomous vehicles. Published in Scientific Reports, this innovation could lead to smarter, battery-efficient AI systems capable of recognizing colors and patterns with near-human accuracy.

💊 Healthcare

A California-based startup, Boost Treadmills LLC, has transformed NASA’s anti-gravity treadmill technology into an accessible rehabilitation tool for people with injuries, chronic pain, or limited mobility. Originally designed in the 1990s to help astronauts maintain fitness in space, the tech uses air pressure to reduce body weight during exercise, easing joint strain. Boost's latest model, the Boost 2, adds durability, self-adjustment, and blood flow restriction training, bringing effective recovery tools closer to homes and broader healthcare settings.

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine and Japan’s Eisai have found that the sleep aid lemborexant significantly reduces harmful tau buildup in the brain, by up to 40%, in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Unlike other sleep medications, lemborexant targets orexin receptors, which may offer neuroprotective benefits without impairing motor function. Published in Nature Neuroscience, the study suggests this widely available drug could become part of a broader treatment strategy targeting both tau and amyloid in Alzheimer’s patients.

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