Using 3D technology and interdisciplinary expertise, a research team has explored Buddhist temples in the remote Dolpo region of Nepal and digitized them for posterity In the high-altitude and extremely remote region of Dolpo in north-west Nepal, there are numerous Buddhist temples whose history dates back to the 11th century. The structures are threatened by earthquakes, landslides and planned infrastructure projects such as the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. There is also a lack of financial resources for long-term maintenance….
For the first time, researchers have succeeded in printing a robotic hand with bones, ligaments and tendons made of different polymers using a new laser scanning technique. In brief: By making 3D printing suitable for slow-curing polymers, researchers have greatly expanded the possibilities of soft robotics. The new materials have advantages over the previous ones. The advances were possible thanks to a new technology that combines 3D printing with a laser scanner and a feedback mechanism. A spin-off in the…
The technique could speed up the development of acoustic lenses, impact-resistant films, and other futuristic materials. Metamaterials are products of engineering wizardry. They are made from everyday polymers, ceramics, and metals. And when constructed precisely at the microscale, in intricate architectures, these ordinary materials can take on extraordinary properties. With the help of computer simulations, engineers can play with any combination of microstructures to see how certain materials can transform, for instance, into sound-focusing acoustic lenses or lightweight, bulletproof films….
The special requirements placed on trucks and agricultural machinery often make it difficult for engineers to bring them into the electric age. At the Agritechnica agricultural machinery fair researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are now showing what a modular development kit for electric tractors can look like. Their platform features modules for various uses and a power bank which can be used as a replacement battery when necessary. The agricultural industry is among those economic sectors most…
Web tool looks belowground for an economically viable renewable energy source. Geothermal power has a lot of promise as a renewable energy source that is not dependent on the sun shining or the wind blowing, but it has some challenges to wide adoption. One of these challenges is that there are a limited number of locations in the U.S. that naturally have the right conditions: hot rock relatively close to the surface and with plentiful groundwater to heat up. Closed-loop…
Ready for trial operation… Senator Kristina Vogt and Lord Mayor of Bremerhaven Melf Grantz are launching trial operation at the Hydrogen Lab Bremerhaven (HLB) together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES. The infrastructure is thus now ready for the research work in Bremerhaven focusing on the interaction between wind turbines and electrolytic hydrogen production to begin. The HLB received a total of €16 million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the State of…
… with air quality in mind. Lehigh University CSE professor Yu Yang applies advanced machine learning techniques in NSF-funded research on traffic management and micromobility systems to reduce vehicle emissions and grow use of electric bikes and scooters. After a summer that broke all sorts of dismal records in terms of cataclysmic wildfires across North America, there is now an even greater awareness of poor air quality—its myriad health impacts and the overwhelming need for sustainable solutions. To that end, Yu…
… and help combat global warming. A significant breakthrough in developing a passive radiative cooling (PRC) material has been announced by researchers at City University of Hong Kong (CityU). The findings have just been published in the prestigious scientific journal Science titled “Hierarchically structured passive radiative cooling ceramic with high solar reflectivity.” The material, known as cooling ceramic, has achieved high-performance optical properties for energy-free and refrigerant-free cooling generation. Its cost-effectiveness, durability and versatility make it highly suitable for commercialisation…
… in the heart of Silicon Saxony and Europe. Modern electronics developments require state-of-the-art technologies and manufacturing processes, which are a financial challenge for many companies. Located in the heart of Silicon Saxony, Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS offers both large chip manufacturers and smaller companies access to the latest research results and technologies on 200 and 300 mm silicon wafers. Services range from consulting and process development to pilot production. Green ICT – i.e. sustainability – is also…
Nature Electronics publishes research from University of Linz, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa and University of Trento. Technological advancement meets environmental sustainability. Actuators, which convert electrical energy into motion or force, play a pivotal role in daily life, albeit often going unnoticed. Soft material-based actuators, in particular, have gained scientific attention in recent years due to their lightweight, quiet operation, and biodegradability. A straightforward approach to creating soft actuators involves employing multi-material structures, such as “pockets” made of flexible plastic…
… low-cost and multifunctional. A research team led by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed a microprinter that can print piezoelectric films 100 times faster for the production of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for sensors, wearable or implantable medical devices, offering the possibility to lower the mass production costs. The microprinter, built at a comparatively lower cost as compared with other printers on the market, utilizes an electrostatic field to propel streams of ink onto a…
One of the crucial questions of transforming mobility is “how can e-vehicles be manufactured sustainably and economically at the same time?” The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen, Germany, which has developed electrifying solutions for laser technology together with industrial partners, has several answers. nLight Plasmo, Precitec and 4D Photonics, among others, will be presenting the monitoring of laser-welded joints at the LSE – Laser Symposium Electromobility 2024 on 23 and 24 January, 2024. The companies will be…
Conventional microscopes irradiate a sample, usually with light or electrons. Any reflected or scattered radiation can be used to build a detailed image and obtain characteristic information about a material’s surface. This is called an active measurement, but it isn’t the only technique that can be used. Researchers from Japan have been developing a new form of microscopy that can probe details in an object’s surface, like the distribution of a material’s lattice and electron temperatures, with nanoscale precision. Evanescent…
Screw Extention Additive Manufacturing (SEAM) makes it possible. With granulate-based plastic processes, it is now possible to design highly durable products and produce them economically, even in closed material cycles. Fraunhofer IWU demonstrates with a highly resilient shelf and a vehicle frame how individual shaping, low material costs, and high load-bearing capacity can add up to rather useful products (Formnext, November 7 – 11, 2023, Fraunhofer joint booth Hall 11 Stand D31). 3D-printed plastic shelves for battery electric police vehicles:…
Urban Air Mobility is a forward-looking approach in the development of sustainable concepts for individual and freight transportation in highly congested metropolitan areas. Whether it’s logistics drones, air taxis, or rescue and surveillance systems – regardless of the application, the requirements for flight safety are particularly high. The research project ADAM (“Advanced Air Space Mapping”) aims to improve lower airspace situational awareness using new mapping methods, thereby increasing safety for autonomous flying in the city. The project’s kick-off event will…
Dr. Andreas Birk, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Constructor University in Bremen, and his Ph.D. fellow, Tim Hansen, have developed an innovative method for processing sensor data that enables the creation of underwater maps in real time and with better quality than previous methods. Accurate underwater map data is typically collected with sonars that use multiple beams in parallel. With the method developed by Constructor University scientists, it is possible to use simple and much less costly…
New electronic device switches on and off heat at top speed with precision. A team of researchers from UCLA has unveiled a first-of-its-kind stable and fully solid-state thermal transistor that uses an electric field to control a semiconductor device’s heat movement. The group’s study, which will be published in the Nov. 3 issue of Science, details how the device works and its potential applications. With top speed and performance, the transistor could open new frontiers in heat management of computer…
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