• Self-healing material paves way for durable robot hands

    The low-cost jelly-like materials can sense strain, temperature and humidity and can also partially repair themselves at room temperature. “Incorporating soft sensors into robotics allows us to get a lot more information from them, like how strain on our muscles allows our brains to get information about the state of our bodies,” said lead researcher David Hardman from the University of Cambridge. The team developed the new material with robotic hands and arms in mind. These materials can detect when they are damaged, take the necessary steps to temporarily heal themselves and then resume work – all without the need for human interaction. “We’ve been working with self-healing materials for several years, but now we’re looking into faster and cheaper ways to make self-healing robots,”…

  • View from India: Start-up companies thrive through value creation

    As an industry SaaS, an acronym for software as a service, offers tremendous opportunities. Many companies have made a mark in this segment, still a lot more can be done. “There is ample scope for the Indian SaaS companies to showcase their expertise globally, as India attributes to only 2 per cent of the global SaaS industry,” notes Rajan Anandan, managing director of Sequoia Capital. “There could be a great explosion of product companies, vertical SaaS, sales tech enterprises, increasing development roles and early traction of crypto. The exponential growth which is expected from this diversity can attract seed funding,” he told the 30th Edition of the NASSCOM Technology and Leadership Forum 2022. Girish Mathrubootham understood the potential of SaaS and forayed into the space with Shan…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • UK engineering community urged to ‘Think ethics before action’

    The new report - ' Engineering Ethics: maintaining society’s trust in the engineering profession ' - has been published with the aim of ensuring that ethical culture and practice become embedded in the engineering profession in the same way as health and safety considerations. The report has been produced by the joint Engineering Ethics Reference Group, established in 2019 by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Council, and includes a roadmap of short, medium and long-term actions to embed ethical best practice. At the heart of the report is the need to retain public confidence in the ethical behaviour of engineers. While reported public trust in engineers remains high (a 2021 poll ranked engineers as the sixth most-trusted profession, behind nurses and doctors), the ever…

  • Recycled plastic bottle research outlines significant environmental benefits

    Scientists at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University have won funding from Innovate UK to develop additives and processing methods that could significantly increase the amount of recycled material that can be used. It is hoped the work – being carried out along with Glasgow-based business Enviropet and scientists from the University of Strathclyde – will help companies meet UK and European requirements for all new PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles to contain a minimum of 30 per cent recycled material from 2030. While more than 580 billion PET bottles are produced each year, most of these contain little or no recycled materials. Drinks companies claim this is because variations in the recycled plastic can affect the colour and clarity of the finished product and can also lead to bottle…

  • Changing floor shape could cut concrete usage by 75 per cent

    An interdisciplinary team of structural engineers, mathematicians and manufacturing experts from the Universities of Bath, Cambridge and Dundee has unveiled a full-scale demonstration of a thin-shell floor, which uses 60 per cent less carbon in its construction than an equivalent flat slab that could carry the same load. The new vaulted style of floor, developed in the UK, uses 75 per cent less concrete than a traditional flat slab floor and could help the construction industry reduce its carbon footprint. The curved vault-shaped structure is covered by standard raised floor panels to create a level surface. Created by the UKRI-funded Acorn (Automating Concrete Construction) research project , the innovative vault-shaped floor design takes advantage of concrete’s inherent natural properties…

  • Why green issues are back at the top of the NHS agenda

    The UK government has set a target of achieving carbon net zero by 2050, with the National Health Service playing its part by striving to be the first national health service in the world to be net zero carbon by 2040 . The moves come as the climate emergency has the potential to become a health emergency. Changes to climate threaten the building blocks of good health, with direct and immediate consequences for patients, the public and the NHS. Recent data from the Met Office confirms that 2020 concluded the Earth’s warmest 10-year period on record; in 2019 almost 900 people died as a direct result of heatwaves in England alone. The UK’s healthcare sector spends in excess of £400 million on energy every year - more efficient and effective energy solutions would provide better conditions…

  • The eccentric engineer: how an unsticky glue took a decade to finally stick

    Sometimes the engineer-inventor knows exactly what they’re after, but it’s always important to keep your mind open enough to see a different use should it present itself. This is particularly the case if the thing you’ve invented simply doesn’t work. That’s the situation Spencer Ferguson Silver III found himself facing in 1968. Silver had a very definite plan when he started out his work as a chemist at the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (now known simply as 3M). His task was to create a pressure-sensitive adhesive strong enough to be used in aircraft construction. The rigours of flight, a life outdoors, ultraviolet radiation, high altitude and extreme temperature variations means that it would require a remarkable glue to hold a plane together. Silver had come up with a remarkable…

  • Sit-ski designed to achieve the paralympian dream

    With the global buzz just dying down after the Winter Olympics, it is now the turn of the Paralympians to take centre stage in Beijing. From 4-13 March athletes from around the globe will compete for their sport’s greatest prizes – and the competition will be tough. At the recent World Championships in Lillehammer, Norway, the strength of athletes from Russia and Norway in the Nordic skiing disciplines was particularly strong. Trying to gain every possible advantage is therefore crucial if British athletes are to be competitive, and a team has been assembled behind these skiers to give them a technology boost. The sub-divisions of Nordic skiing are cross-country skiing and biathlon. Gruelling events range from the 2.5km sprint to the 20km long distance in the cross-country, while the 7…

  • Back Story: Mimi Nwosu, ‘It is important to know your value and be your own champion’

    Shini Somara: What is it like being one of very few women in civil engineering? Mimi Nwosu: When I started studying civil engineering at university, there were women on the course but nowhere near the number of men and I had a strong feeling this would be a reflection of the industry. I wasn’t wrong. I felt the university environment was very diverse, my class had students from all walks of life! I was shocked when I went into industry, to find that this was not the same. As a new graduate, this knocked my confidence. Completing pre-university education and living in London, I had become so comfortable with such diverse environments and inclusive peers. Not seeing that directly reflected in the industry was very strange to me. To blend in at work, I held back certain aspects of myself,…

  • The measure of: Stratolaunch carrier Roc

    Founded in 2011, Stratolaunch Systems produces and operates hypersonic testbeds. The Roc aircraft is described as a mobile multi-vehicle launch platform, built to carry and launch hypersonic and aerospace craft. With a twin-fuselage design and powered by six engines, the 117m-wide aircraft is said to have the longest wingspan in the world. The plane first flew on 13 April 2019, and completed its third test flight on 17 January 2022, when it flew for four hours and 23 minutes over the Mojave Desert in California after taking off at 08:47 (California time). The aircraft reached an altitude of 23,500ft (7,160m) at an indicated airspeed of 180 knots. Image credit: , As a result of the test, the company says it is now edging closer to reaching its hypersonic goals…

  • Sponsored: Testing squares up to LEO Satcom challenges

    Today’s satellite communication systems combine features from legacy cellular networks and emerging wireless technologies. New constellations are under development that attempt to provide ubiquitous broadband mobility via NewSpace Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks that include ground stations and user terminals. LEO constellations promise vast improvements in latency and coverage. For example, Starlink latency performs roughly 15 – 20 times faster than GEO satellites. Such constellations offer a significant increase in aggregate network capacity, thus enabling satellites to support time-sensitive applications such as video streaming and data-heavy applications. However, the LEO environment introduces challenging test requirements compared to legacy GEO VSAT terminals. LEO networks…

  • View from India: Human-centric approach to technology

    To put things in perspective, the 2010-2020 decade has witnessed a massive digital transformation; India has emerged as a powerful force to reckon with in terms of digital services. So much so, that even the pandemic’s impact was somewhat negligible and could not stagger progress. A case in point is the tech industry, which ended the fiscal year 2021 with success. “We massively increased jobs and strengthened our startup ecosystem. The IT industry is projected to add $30bn to last year’s revenue. IT accounts for 51 per cent of India’s service exports,” said Rekha M Menon, chairperson at NASSCOM and chairperson and senior managing director at Accenture, India, at the 30th Edition of the NASSCOM Technology and Leadership Forum 2022. The IT industry created an additional 450,000 jobs last year…

  • Change of focus for photography: Is the DSLR dead?

    Ask any professional photographer what they want from their camera of the future and you can guarantee that the answer will be a variation on the theme of higher resolution and bigger file sizes. In other words, more pixels on the camera’s sensor. It’s hardly a new request: ever since the Kodak Microelectronics Technology Division developed a 1.3MP charge-coupled device image sensor in 1986 and integrated it with a standard Canon F-1 film camera body, photographers have been clamouring for more from their digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. The equation has always been ‘bigger sensors plus more pixels equals better quality’. And they got it. Today, at the professional high end of the spectrum, Hasselblad H system cameras (that will set you back tens of thousands of pounds) deliver…

  • Brain changes observed in astronauts engaged in lengthy space trips

    Researchers at the University of Antwerp said they found “significant” microstructural changes in several white matter tracts. The human brain can change and adapt in structure and function throughout a lifespan. As human exploration of space reaches new horizons, understanding the effects of spaceflight on human brains is crucial. Previous research has shown that spaceflight has the potential to alter both the shape and function of an adult brain. White matter refers to the parts of the brain that are responsible for communication between grey matter and the body, and between various grey matter regions. To study brain structure and function after spaceflight, the researchers used a brain imaging technique called fibre tractography. “Fibre tractography gives a sort of wiring scheme…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Breakthroughs in nuclear power and the radioactivity issue

    When I went to see Sellafield’s nuclear decommissioning some years ago I was fascinated – and I admit a little nervous – to see the toxic legacy that had been left by previous generations that today’s custodians are still dealing with. Things, they pointed out, were very different when it started. There was the Cold War raging in the fields of science and technology as well as defence, and there was an urgent need for energy before the days of North Sea oil. In the rush to nuclear, the thorny problem of what to do with the toxic nuclear waste that would remain potentially dangerous for another generation or more was kicked down the road for another generation to deal with – a problem, you could say, to be repeated with climate change. But it was a very different time. It was the age of…

  • Where did going to work go?

    “The ‘Nowhere Office’ is a moment we are in today,” says Julia Hobsbawm. She’s referring not just to the title of her new book, but also to what she describes as a new kind of landscape in which we now work. Over the past two years we’ve had to recalibrate our approach to our employment and employees in the face of continually shifting restrictions brought about by Covid-19 public health restrictions. This readjustment she says, “wasn’t caused by Covid. But it was accelerated by it.” Many of us now work in a “liminal space”, says Hobsbawm, which is an umbrella term for the elements that make up today’s hybrid working. This space lies between those who are able to carry on in their workplace unaffected and those who are totally remote, working on the other end of a wire and hardly ever physically…

  • After All: Timeless observations of a once-bibulous technophile diarist

    My new workplace – Magdalene College – is one of the oldest in Cambridge. Founded in 1428 as a Benedictine monks’ hostel, it still abides to some peculiar medieval ways and traditions. On my induction day, a tutorial co-ordinator pointed out differently carved wooden banisters in each of the old Main Court buildings. “It was done deliberately to make it easier for the tipsy students and Fellows to grope their way up the stairs and back to their rooms in pitch darkness.” After my first High Table dinner, a fellow Fellow drew my attention to a short narrow slit in the massive wooden door of the college’s ‘Buttery’ (kitchen). “This is where the last Fellow to leave the High Table has to drop the key to the wine cabinet. Why? For the college porters not to drink it all during the night!” Having…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Integrating AI into diversity initiatives poses risks as well as opportunities

    The world is changing rapidly and businesses need new strategies that enable them to evolve at the same speed. For many organisations, success will depend on making a cultural shift towards upskilling their workforce - empowering them to answer questions and make decisions swiftly. Without a diverse and inclusive workforce, however, the insights generated can remain rigid and stale or, worse yet, biased and divisive. While every business is different, diversity and inclusion (D&I) is one factor that should be integrated into every organisation’s core not only to increase competitiveness, but also to help it react promptly, utilising more diverse points of view as it addresses the next big market challenge. Research from McKinsey has found that the success of a business directly correlates…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Google to implement Privacy Sandbox on Android

    It follows similar moves by Apple last year with the rollout of iOS 14.5 that allowed users to block apps on their device from tracking them across the web. The plan will limit sharing of user data with third parties and operate without cross-app identifiers, including advertising ID. They will also look at ways to limit “covert data collection” by apps and services. The changes will initially be optional for developers to take advantage of so they have time to adjust to the new model. Google had already tried a similar initiative with its Chrome browser with plans to block third party cookies from next year. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) expressed concern that the move could distort the market and wanted Google to ensure that the proposals will not favour its in-house…

  • UK cyber-security sector posts record £10bn in revenue

    The Cyber sectoral analysis 2022 report showed that it created more than 6,000 new jobs last year, and over £1bn in external investment was raised by UK firms. The figures from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport also estimated that the sector contributed around £5.3bn to the UK economy in 2021 – up by a third. The rise comes amid an increase in focus and investment in the cyber-security sector following the publication of the Government’s National Cyber Strategy, which aims to boost cyber skills and encourage further growth in the sector. Cyber attacks surged since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic as many people started working from home and increasing their use of the internet. In November, the National Cyber Security Centre said it had defended the UK from a record…

  • Clean-energy pledges by fossil-fuel giants not reflected in investments

    It is widely accepted that the energy products of major oil and gas companies have contributed significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and planetary warming over the past century. Decarbonising the global economy by the middle of this century to avoid dangerous climate change cannot occur without a profound transformation of these companies' fossil-fuel-based business models. In response, some energy companies have expressed plans to transition from fossil fuels to clean alternatives, but previous research suggests limited progress. A 12-year analysis of the companies BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell has revealed that their discourse and pledges related to transitioning to clean energy do not align with their business actions and investments. Mei Li and colleagues at Tohoku…

  • Who is tackling the pandemic of waste?

    You see them everywhere. Poking out from beneath piles of yellow autumn leaves in parks. Gently bobbing along streams. Crumpled up on the floors of commuter trains. The sight of pale-blue face masks scattered across the landscape has become depressingly common over the past 18 months. Principally made from plastics, disposable masks can’t be processed through normal household recycling and are either sent to landfill, get incinerated or, as is often the case, end up in the ocean. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. From PPE (personal protective equipment) to hand sanitiser bottles, visors, gloves and takeaway food boxes, humanity has been using plastic with gusto throughout the pandemic. However, designers, scientists and recycling businesses have been working hard to find better ways of…

  • Ultraprecise atomic clock loses just one second every 300 billion years

    A team from the University of Wisconsin–Madison has developed what is known as an optical lattice atomic clock that is the first example of a ‘multiplexed’ optical clock, where six separate clocks can exist in the same environment. Its design allows the team to test ways to search for gravitational waves, attempt to detect dark matter, and discover new physics with clocks. “Optical lattice clocks are already the best clocks in the world, and here we get this level of performance that no one has seen before,” said Shimon Kolkowitz, a UW–Madison physics professor and senior author of the study. “We’re working to both improve their performance and to develop emerging applications that are enabled by this improved performance.” Atomic clocks are so precise because they take advantage of…

  • Teardown: Nothing Ear (1) headphones

    Carl Pei is a bit of a tech personality. His previous venture, OnePlus, is now established as a vendor of well-designed and well-performing but mid-priced smartphones. He announced his latest one, London-based Nothing, at the beginning of 2021, and it launched its first product, the Ear (1) headphones, in August. The company says that it had sold just shy of 410,000 by the end of the year. Pei has used many of the same marketing techniques as he did around OnePlus’s early days to make Ear (1) a high-profile launch, even if the earbud space is very crowded at every price point. The design and project were teased over social media. Nothing focused on direct sales and drip-fed units into the market so that ‘scarcity equals cool’ and marketing costs were kept low. And there was another robust…

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