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May 1^st 2025

💻 Technology

🇯🇵 Japanese researchers use VR and scent to boost memory and spatial skills in older adults

A team led by the Institute of Science Tokyo has developed the world’s first VR-based olfactory training system to support cognitive health in aging adults. Published in Scientific Reports, the game uses scent cues within a virtual environment to stimulate memory and spatial reasoning, showing significant improvements in cognitive tests after just 20 minutes of gameplay. This novel approach could provide a fun, effective tool to reduce dementia risk and enhance mental function in elderly populations.

⚡️ Energy

🇫🇴 Faroese engineers harness Moon-driven tides for reliable, scalable renewable energy

The Faroe Islands Space Program, a collaboration between Minesto, SKF, and Sev, is generating renewable electricity by using a tidal kite—Luna 12—that captures underwater currents powered by the Moon’s gravity. This innovative system transforms predictable tidal motion into electricity and has already supplied energy to the islands' grid during a successful four-month pilot. With a goal of scaling to a 200 MW array by 2030, the project could serve as a model for global clean energy, especially in remote or ocean-based regions.

🚀 Space

🇺🇸 US engineers develop gas-cooling ‘sweaty’ shield to make spacecraft as reusable as airplanes

Researchers at Texas A&M University, in collaboration with startup Canopy Aerospace and backed by a $1.7 million Air Force STTR grant, are testing a “sweaty” spacecraft material that emits gas through its surface to cool during reentry. This transpiration cooling method, inspired by how insulation traps air, could replace fragile or single-use heat shields and drastically reduce spacecraft turnaround time. Using 3D-printed silicon carbide, the team aims to lay the groundwork for fully reusable space vehicles that could revolutionize access to orbit.

🦾 Robotics

🇨🇳 Chinese robots debut world-first collaborative humanoid swarm for factory automation efficiency

Chinese robotics firm UBTech has completed the world’s first coordinated deployment of multiple humanoid robots—Walker S1—in a 5G-enabled smart factory operated by Zeekr, part of Geely. Powered by UBTech’s BrainNet AI system, these robots autonomously executed complex tasks such as precision assembly, quality inspection, and load handling using swarm intelligence and reinforcement learning. The breakthrough marks a major leap in industrial automation, signaling how humanoid robots could address labor shortages and improve operational flexibility across manufacturing sectors.

🌎 Sustainability

🇨🇳 Chinese scientists cut cement emissions by 80% using steel waste and methane-based catalyst

Researchers at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have developed a novel catalytic process that slashes carbon emissions from cement production by up to 80%. Published in National Science Review, the method uses steel industry waste and methane to trigger a co-thermal reaction with calcium carbonate, producing useful syngas while avoiding conventional high-emission decomposition. This innovation could revolutionize one of the world’s most polluting industries by enabling deep decarbonization without overhauling existing infrastructure.

💊 Healthcare

🇺🇸 US engineers create wearable AI chip for real-time heart attack detection with 92% accuracy

Researchers at the University of Mississippi have developed a lightweight, energy-efficient chip that detects heart attacks in real time using AI to analyze ECG signals. Published in Intelligent Systems, Blockchain and Communication Technologies, the system achieves 92.4% accuracy and is designed for integration into wearable devices, potentially enabling earlier treatment and reducing fatalities. The innovation could revolutionize emergency cardiac care and pave the way for broader health monitoring applications.

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Max

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