Daily Innovation News

December 2^nd 2024

💻 Technology

🇿🇦 South African researchers build affordable quantum computer using light and standard components

Researchers in South Africa have developed a quantum computer using ordinary lasers, digital displays, and lenses, significantly reducing the cost of quantum computing. By leveraging structured light to perform quantum operations, the system demonstrated capabilities beyond classical computers, handling multiple levels of information simultaneously. Tested with the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm, it outperformed classical systems and showcased potential for scaling to millions of data levels. Published in APL Photonics, this innovation could democratize quantum research worldwide by making the technology more accessible.

⚡️ Energy

🇬🇧 UK researchers unveil AI-designed urban wind turbine with 7x efficiency of conventional models

The Birmingham Blade, the first urban wind turbine designed with AI, achieves seven times the efficiency of conventional models in low-wind urban environments. Created by EvoPhase and KwikFab, it features compact, curved blades optimized for rooftop installations and tailored to Birmingham's average wind speed of 3.6 m/s. Over 2,000 designs were tested in weeks using AI, drastically accelerating development. Set for real-world testing in 2025, this innovation could revolutionize urban wind power worldwide.

🇨🇳 Chinese researchers develop self-healing, stretchable lithium-ion battery for next-gen devices

Scientists in China have unveiled a lithium-ion battery that stretches up to 250% and self-heals after damage, maintaining its operational capacity. Using an innovative "all-in-one" configuration, the electrodes and electrolyte are fused at the interface, enabling seamless functionality under strain. With a discharge capacity of 126.4 mAh/g post-healing, the battery powers LEDs and promises breakthroughs for wearable electronics, soft robots, and electronic skin. This advancement, detailed in Supramolecular Materials, pushes the boundaries of flexible energy storage.

🇰🇷 Samsung develops world’s first foldable battery for tri-fold smartphones

Samsung is innovating a foldable battery to power its upcoming tri-fold smartphone, enabling better space utilization and potentially extended battery life. The design allows the battery to fold alongside the screen, optimizing capacity and output while ensuring safe operation. This marks a significant shift in battery technology, addressing the unique demands of foldable devices. If successful, Samsung's tri-fold phone, expected by 2025, could set new standards in foldable gadget functionality and design.

🦾 Robotics

🇯🇵 Japanese robot Haru speeds up cognitive assessments by 900%, aids young patients

Honda's Haru, a 12-inch AI-powered social robot, supports children undergoing long-term hospital care by enhancing their psychological well-being. Using cameras and microphones, Haru analyzes emotions through facial expressions and voice tones, offering empathetic communication. At a Spanish hospital, Haru has increased neuropsychological assessments from 510 to 4,500 annually and boosted engagement in rehabilitation programs by 95%. This innovation highlights the robot's potential to revolutionize pediatric care by combining technology with emotional support.

💊 Healthcare

🇬🇧 UK scientists develop first new asthma and COPD treatment in 50 years

A UK-led study has shown that a single injection of benralizumab, a monoclonal antibody, is significantly more effective than traditional steroid tablets in treating eosinophilic asthma and COPD attacks. The injection reduced the need for additional treatment by 30%, improved symptoms, and enhanced patients' quality of life, with fewer hospitalizations and doctor visits. Unlike steroids, which have severe side effects and often fail, benralizumab targets inflammation at its source, offering a safer, more precise treatment option. These findings, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, could transform care for over a billion people globally with asthma and COPD.

🇺🇸 US researchers develop twice-yearly injection reducing HIV risk by 96%

A clinical trial has demonstrated that Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injection, is 96% effective in preventing HIV, significantly outperforming daily oral PrEP, which requires consistent use to be effective. The injectable treatment addresses adherence challenges faced by populations disproportionately impacted by HIV, including those with limited healthcare access. Conducted across diverse international sites, the trial highlighted the potential of long-acting treatments to reduce infection rates in underserved communities. Findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, with FDA approval anticipated by 2025.

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