Daily Innovation News

November 15^th 2024

💻 Technology

🇺🇸 US researchers create EgoTouch, turning VR users’ palms into interactive touchscreens

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed EgoTouch, a novel interface system that transforms VR users' palms into functional touchscreens, eliminating the need for handheld controllers or floating menus. Unlike previous systems that require depth-sensing cameras, EgoTouch utilizes standard VR headset cameras to detect shadows and skin deformations as users press on their palms. The system proved 96% accurate in recognizing touch, offering a seamless, "out-of-the-box" VR experience and advancing intuitive on-skin interfaces. Findings were published in Proceedings of the 37th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology.

⚡️ Energy

🇫🇮 Finland builds 100MW sand battery using 2,000 tons of recycled soapstone for clean energy storage

Finnish company Polar Night Energy has constructed an innovative 100MW sand battery in Pornainen, Finland, repurposing 2,000 tons of soapstone waste from fireplace production. This thermal storage system, designed for Loviisan Lämpö’s district heating network, uses soapstone’s high heat retention to store and release energy, reducing reliance on combustion-based energy. Standing at 13 meters tall, the battery will begin operations in 2025, exemplifying Finland's commitment to circular economy by turning industrial by-products into sustainable energy solutions.

🇺🇸 US scientists create electro-biodiesel from CO₂, boosting efficiency 45x over traditional biodiesel

Researchers at Washington University and the University of Missouri have developed an electro-biodiesel process that converts CO₂ into biodiesel feedstock with 45 times the efficiency of soybean-based methods. Using a zinc-copper catalyst and electrocatalysis, the system achieves a 4.5% solar-to-molecule efficiency, far surpassing natural photosynthesis. By using microbes to convert CO₂-derived intermediates into lipids, the process could provide emission-negative fuel, reducing 1.57 grams of CO₂ per gram of biodiesel. This breakthrough, published in Joule, offers a sustainable alternative for sectors heavily reliant on fossil fuels.

🚘 Transport

🇫🇷 🇹🇼 French-designed driverless train in Taiwan to cut commute time by 60%

A fully automated Metropolis train, the first of 35 by French company Alstom, has been introduced in Taiwan’s new Light Green Line metro, promising to reduce commute time between Taipei and New Taipei City from 50 minutes to just 20. The 22.8-km line, opening in stages by 2031, will operate driverless, energy-efficient trains using Alstom’s advanced Urbalis control system, enhancing regional connectivity with faster, sustainable travel. The $1.72 billion project supports Taiwan’s rapid urban development and sustainable transit goals.

🦾 Robotics

🇩🇪 German researchers develop robotic shorts to aid mobility and reduce walking effort

Researchers from Germany’s Technical University of Munich have created "WalkON," a pair of robotic shorts designed to support walking by reducing energy use, especially beneficial for elderly and frail individuals. With soft, motorized artificial tendons that adapt to the wearer's pace, the shorts cut metabolic effort by up to 18% on hills and 10% on flat surfaces. Providing plug-and-play convenience, WalkON aims to keep users active and independent, improving mobility and quality of life. Researchers envision a future modular exoskeleton system for outdoor adventures. The research findings were published in Nature Machine Intelligence.

🌎 Environment

🇰🇷 South Korean scientists create eco-friendly tech to recycle EV batteries to full capacity

Researchers in South Korea have developed a groundbreaking technology that fully restores used lithium-ion battery cathodes to their original capacity, achieving performance equivalent to new materials. This low-cost, eco-friendly method uses a bromine-based solution and galvanic corrosion to replenish lithium ions without high heat or harmful chemicals, significantly reducing carbon emissions. By directly recycling within the battery cell, this innovation offers a sustainable solution for handling the growing number of decommissioned EV batteries. Findings were published in Advanced Energy Materials.

💊 Healthcare

🇬🇧 UK scientists use blood to create bone-repairing materials for injuries and disease treatment

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed a groundbreaking method to transform blood into a material that supports bone repair, potentially leading to personalized regenerative treatments. By combining synthetic peptides with blood, they created a self-assembling “biocooperative” material that mimics natural healing processes, effectively promoting tissue regeneration in animal bone models. This innovation could allow doctors to create 3D-printed implants from patients' own blood, providing a safe, accessible way to treat large injuries. Findings were published in Advanced Materials.

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