Daily Innovation News

October 11^th 2024

⚡️ Energy

🇰🇷 South Korean scientists create a new method to lower costs of next-gen hydrogen fuel cells

South Korean researchers have developed a method to reduce the production temperature of key components for protonic ceramic cells (PCCs), improving efficiency and lowering costs. PCCs are a type of solid oxide fuel cell that conduct protons through a ceramic electrolyte at high temperatures, allowing them to generate electricity from hydrogen with high efficiency and minimal emissions. By reducing the sintering temperature to 1,400°C, this breakthrough enhances the performance and power density of PCCs, which are seen as the future of clean energy. This could make mass production of these fuel cells feasible, supporting green hydrogen production and energy use in industries. The study was published in Advanced Energy Materials.

🇭🇰 Hong Kong researchers develop perovskite solar cells with 25% efficiency and 95% stability after 2,000 hours in a key step towards commercialization

Researchers from Hong Kong have developed perovskite solar cells with 25% power conversion efficiency and 95% operational stability after 2,000 hours of continuous use. By replacing traditional organic materials with tin oxide via atomic layer deposition (ALD), they simplified the production process, enhancing both stability and cost-effectiveness. These improvements bring perovskite solar cells closer to commercialization, offering a more affordable and reliable solution for solar energy systems. The study was published in Science.

🇯🇵 Japanese scientists develop stretchable solar cells that retain 95% efficiency after 100 stretches

Researchers in Japan have created solar cells that maintain 95% of their efficiency even after being stretched 100 times. Using an organic compound called ION E, they enhanced both the stretchability and adhesion of the cells' layers, allowing them to stretch up to 1.5 times their size with only a 20% drop in performance. This innovation could power next-gen wearable devices for continuous health monitoring. The study was published in Nature Communications.

🚘 Transport

🇺🇸 Elon Musk unveils Cybertruck-inspired Tesla Robotaxi and Robovan, priced under $30K

At Tesla's "We, Robot" event, Elon Musk revealed the Cybertruck-inspired Robotaxi, called Cybercab, and the Robovan, which can carry up to 20 people or transport goods. Both fully autonomous vehicles are expected to revolutionize transportation with low costs and unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD). The Robotaxi will cost under $30,000 and operate at just 20 cents per mile, promising safer and more efficient travel. Production of the Cybercab is expected before 2027.

🤖 Artificial Intelligence

🇺🇸 US researchers create new algorithm cutting AI energy use by 95%

Scientists from BitEnergy AI have developed a new algorithm called L-Mul that reduces AI energy consumption by 95%. This method simplifies complex AI calculations, replacing energy-intensive floating-point multiplications with faster, lower-energy integer additions. L-Mul has shown excellent performance with transformer-based models like ChatGPT, maintaining accuracy while reducing computational costs. Although it requires specialized hardware, the breakthrough could make AI more sustainable.

💉 Biotechnology

🇺🇸 US scientists develop Spider-Man-inspired fibers that lift 80 times their weight

Researchers in the US have created sticky silk fibers that can lift objects 80 times their own weight. The silk is derived from silk moth cocoons, solidifying almost instantly when exposed to air after being extruded. These fibers show impressive adhesive and tensile strength, capable of picking up various objects, and could be used in areas like tissue engineering and drug delivery. The study was published in Advanced Functional Materials.

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