• Robot voices emote, even with minimal training data

    In addition to improving smartphones, smart home devices, and navigation systems, the method could help improve voiceovers in animated films, automatic translation of speech in multiple languages, and more applications. It could also help to create personalised speech interfaces that provide a digital voice for people who have lost the ability to speak, such as the computer speech interface used by the late Stephen Hawking. “We have been working in this area for a fairly long period of time,” said PhD candidate Shehzeen Hussain, who is based at the university’s School of Engineering. “We wanted to look at the challenge of not just synthesising speech but of adding expression meaning to that speech.” According to the researchers, existing methods fall short in two major ways. Some systems…

  • Covid plastic waste could be cut with sterilisation process to reuse N95 respirators

    Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Massachusetts institute of Technology (MIT) reprocessed respirators using vaporised hydrogen peroxide (VHP), a standard decontamination approach, and found that the devices maintained their function and effectiveness on human subjects with up to 25 cycles of re-use. Using such techniques could help cut down on the vast amount of Covid-19 related plastic waste that has been leaking into the world’s oceans. N95 respirators are commonly used in hospitals worldwide to protect healthcare personnel from infectious pathogens. During the pandemic, healthcare facilities experienced shortages of the respirators, forcing personnel to reuse them or resort to less protective alternatives like face masks. “The findings from our study expand…

  • ‘Pessimism’ surrounds opening day of CES as Covid concerns deplete its impact

    On a typical year, CES, which is now in its sixth decade, would be the world’s largest consumer technology show. But strict Covid measures that have been put in place to protect attendees and a reduction in length from its traditional four-day schedule due to the Omicron variant are threatening to reduce its relevance. Those attending the show in person must show proof of vaccination as well as test negative for Covid-19 less than 24 hours before entering a CES venue, with masks also required throughout the show. The head of the show Gary Shapiro said: “As the world’s most influential technology event, CES is steadfast in its pledge to be the gathering place to showcase products and discuss ideas that will ultimately make our lives better. “We are shortening the show to three days and…

  • 3D digital holograms could be coming to your phone

    Until now, 3D holograms based on phase-shifting holography could be captured only using a large specialised camera with a polarising filter. However, the new technology developed by scientists at KIST and Yonsei University allows holograms to be captured on portable devices, such as smartphones. This involved using 2D semiconductor materials to develop a photodiode that detects the polarisation of light in the near-infrared (NIR) region without additional polarisation filters. Photodiodes, which convert light into electrical signals, are essential components within the pixels of image sensors in all digital cameras. Introducing the ability to sense the polarisation of light on the image sensor of an ordinary camera provides a variety of new information, enabling the storage of 3D holograms…

  • Finger-clip device monitors blood pressure in seconds

    The device can also simultaneously measure four additional vital signs – heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, body temperature and respiratory rate. “Typically, calculating someone’s blood pressure at a hospital or clinic involves using an inflatable cuff wrapped around their arm, but there are three issues with that method – it can cause damage to someone’s arteries if done repeatedly within a short amount of time; people’s blood pressure can rise due to nervousness; and it can take up to 30 seconds to complete,” said Richard Byfield, lead author on the study. “Our device can record someone’s blood pressure within five seconds by using optical sensors placed on the fingertip that measure the amount of light reflected off the blood vessels underneath the surface of the skin.” …

  • James Webb Space Telescope unfurls giant sunshade

    The $10bn telescope was launched at Christmas . It is already more than halfway towards its destination approximately one million miles from Earth. The 6.1-tonne telescope is so large that its sunshield and now-iconic primary gold-plated mirror had to be folded for launch for opening up in space. Its sunshield protects the telescope’s IR sensing instrumentation from solar radiation with five thin, reflective layers of different shapes and sizes, keeping it below its maximum temperature of -233°C. It is necessary to keep the telescope this cool to prevent its instruments being overwhelmed by its own IR signal. The shield, designed by Northrop Grumman, is intended to transmit just 23mW of 300kW of incident solar radiation.  It is especially unwieldy, kite-shaped, and spans 21.1m by 14.6m…

  • View from India: Clean energy initiatives to de-carbonise the economy

    Organisations are chalking out newer technologies and innovative approaches to create a sustainable future. This could well contribute towards India’s vision of achieving net-zero emission by 2070. “The integration of science and engineering can help in ushering smart auto and smart cities. All this may strengthen the sustainability quotient. Our company has announced the establishment of four new Giga factories to generate renewable energy. We are working on a process that could capture carbon dioxide. This adsorbent could be cost effective as the technology also stores carbon dioxide,” said Ajit Sapre, group president R&T, Reliance Industries, at the DST-CII Technology Summit. Not just companies but even airports have unveiled a clean energy map. The Cochin International Airport Limited…

  • Tighter rules for foreign takeovers of firms with UK national security importance

    The National Security and Investment (NSI) Act will allow the government to be able to scrutinise and intervene in certain acquisitions made by anyone, including businesses and investors, that could compromise the UK’s national security. The government will also be able to impose certain conditions on an acquisition or, if necessary, unwind or block it. Despite the powers afforded by the Act, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said it expected that it would “rarely” have to use them and anticipated that the “vast majority” of deals will require no intervention. Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “The UK is world-renowned as an attractive place to invest but we have always been clear that we will not hesitate to step in where necessary to protect our national…

  • Supercomputers used in arms race with antibiotic resistance

    Antibiotic resistance emerges when bacteria develop the ability to overcome the drugs designed to kill them, threatening many medical procedures dependent on the ability to treat infections with antibiotics, such as organ transplants. Every year, approximately 700,000 people are estimated to die due to infection by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with this number expected to rise into the millions in coming years. Without effective antibiotics, life expectancy could drop by 20 years, prompting urgent efforts to develop new antibiotics faster than microbes can mutate and form new defences. A team of researchers from around the world, co-led by the University of Portsmouth’s Dr Gerhard Koenig, are using supercomputers to fight the threat. The scientists are redesigning existing antibiotics…

  • HS2 should be using more British steel, Unite says

    As one of the largest construction projects in Europe, HS2 requires millions of tonnes of steel to be built. However, in a recent series of parliamentary questions, the Department for Transport (DfT) admitted that is has not placed mandates on using domestically produced steel. The lack of proactive government action is “alarming”, Unite said, which has also led to “growing uncertainty” about the long-term wellbeing of the UK steel industry. The union represents thousands of steel workers in a domestic sector which has faced tough competition from China and other markets in recent years. In 2020, British Steel was bought by Chinese firm Jingye Group in a last-ditch effort to secure the jobs of around 3,200 of its employees. Just before its collapse, the head of trade association UK…

  • Government considers intervention to slash carbon prices

    Officials are concerned that prices have been so high for the past four months that they may need to make a call on whether to intervene and make changes by 18 January. Companies covered by the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) must purchase one “allowance” per tonne of CO2 emitted. This is intended to disincentivise use of the most polluting fuels, such as coal, closing the cost gap between these fuels and lower-carbon and zero-carbon alternatives. For the second time in two months, officials have triggered the “cost containment mechanism”, which occurs when the carbon price is consistently above expectations. Carbon prices have remained high in recent months for a variety of reasons, such as the spike in natural gas prices making it relatively cheaper to burn coal even when accounting…

  • China to order cybersecurity reviews for firms seeking overseas listings

    According to the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the new rules come into effect on 15 February and will require platform companies with data on over one million users to undergo a security review before listing their shares overseas. “With stock market listings there is a risk that key information infrastructure, core data, important data or a large amount of personal information could be impacted, controlled or maliciously used by foreign governments,” said the CAC in a statement, reiterating a concern flagged in July 2021, when the changes were first proposed. In a separate statement, the CAC said it would also implement new rules on 1 March on the use of algorithm recommendation technology to increase oversight of news providers that use the technology to disseminate information…

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    E+T Magazine

  • Wearable device measures pH of sweat to determine muscle fatigue

    The device uses ultrathin nanomaterials, known as MXenes, that monitor a person’s well-being by analysing their perspiration. MXenes share a similar two-dimensional nature to graphene and are composed of non-toxic metals, such as titanium, in combination with carbon or nitrogen atoms. With naturally high conductivity and strong surface charges, MXenes are attractive candidates for biosensors that can detect small changes to chemical concentrations. The researchers developed a MXene composite electrode, which they enclosed in a wearable armband sensor. The device, which had a modular design that used MXene inserts loaded with appropriate enzymes, could absorb perspiration and detect several analytes in human sweat, including glucose and lactic acid. MXene sheets were combined with hydrogels…

  • Egyptian mummy digitally unwrapped with 3D imaging tech

    While all the royal mummies found in the 19th and 20th centuries have long since been opened for study, Amenhotep I (pictured in the statue above) is the exception because it is so immaculately wrapped – decorated with flower garlands, and with a face and neck that is covered by a lifelike facemask inset with colourful stones. But researchers at the Egyptian Mummy Project have now finally peered inside the mummy for the first time in three millennia. The previous time was in the 11th century BCE, more than four centuries after his original mummification and burial. Hieroglyphics have described how during the later 21st dynasty, priests restored and reburied royal mummies from more ancient dynasties, to repair the damage done by grave robbers. The pharaoh's mummy, showing…

  • Updated rules for new home builders will mandate gigabit broadband infrastructure

    Currently, around 93 per cent of new builds are already being constructed with fibre-to-the-premises infrastructure. But the remainder are still being built without gigabit connections as developers seek to avoid the additional expenses incurred. The changes to the law will mean home developers will be legally required to build gigabit broadband into new homes in England and make it a priority as part of building work. They will also need to bring broadband network operators on board to consider gigabit broadband installation when construction plans are submitted to local councils. These measures form part of the government’s £5bn Project Gigabit programme, which aims to fulfil a manifesto pledge of broad gigabit internet rollout through the UK. Gigabit broadband is capable of download…

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    E+T Magazine

  • Electric vehicle boost fails to stem plummeting output from UK car makers

    The new figures show it was the fifth consecutive month of decline for UK automakers and represents the worst November performance since 1984 as the worldwide shortage of semiconductors continues to bite. It also reflects the loss of output arising from the closure of a UK car factory in the summer, a situation that will impact year-on-year comparisons until July 2022. British production of battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars took a record share of production, accounting for around a third (32.7 per cent) of all cars made in the month, and more than a quarter (25.5 per cent) over the year-to-date. EV output in particular was up in November by 52.9 per cent to 10,359 units, hitting a new high of 13.7 per cent of all production, more than double the level a year ago. With…

  • Superconducting power cable starts operation in Shanghai

    Local media outlet Shine reports that the 35kV three-phase cable was put into operation by the State Grid Corporation Shanghai Electric Power Company on Wednesday (21 December), marking the first time a cable of this type and length has been used for commercial power supply anywhere in the world. The power line, which runs for 1.15km,was designed to reduce transmission losses and ensure high power capacity in the city’s Xuhui district, which includes residential neighbourhoods, hospitals, and commercial complexes. The technology was developed in China, with much of the research carried out by the State Grid Shanghai Company. “A 35kV superconducting cable, which has the same transmission capacity as a traditional 220kV cable, can replace four to six traditional cables with the same voltage…

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    E+T Magazine

  • British firm launches ‘most sophisticated’ communications satellite

    The Inmarsat-6 F1 (I-6 F1) is the first of two satellites that the firm plans to launch into geostationary orbit, about 35,785km above the Earth. It will be able to make use of L-band communication networks using global narrowband technology Elera, as well as Ka-band. Although L-band provides relatively slow-speed connectivity, demand for its use in Internet of Things (IoT) applications has been growing. Such applications include remote assets – which includes everything from shipping containers to bulldozers – allowing the sensors to make regular reports back to base of their operational status. The satellite could also help to bolster other services such as 5G, Wi-Fi on planes, remote drones, autonomous vehicles, and remote sensors used for ocean and agricultural monitoring. Inmarsat…

  • Nasa delays launch of James Webb Telescope to Christmas Day

    Once launched, Nasa’s Hubble successor will be the world’s most powerful telescope with the ability to probe deeper and further back into space than ever before. The launch has been delayed by 14 years and is roughly ten times over budget, although once in orbit will hopefully give scientists a more detailed look at the start of the universe, the birth of stars, and possibly the origins of life. Originally set for a Christmas Eve launch on the back of an Ariane 5 rocket, poor weather conditions at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana has forced a 24-hour delay. Encapsulation of the JWST inside the cargo bay of the rocket was completed last Friday and it is now poised for blast-off just after midday on Saturday. If all goes according to plan, the $9bn instrument will be released from…

  • Electric car supply chain carbon emissions lower than ICE vehicles, study finds

    Indirect emissions include those produced by the supply chains of the vehicle components and the fuels used to create the electricity that charges the vehicles. “The surprising element was how much lower the emissions of electric vehicles were,” said researcher Stephanie Weber. “The supply chain for combustion vehicles is just so dirty that electric vehicles can’t surpass them, even when you factor in indirect emissions.” The research team combined concepts from energy economics and industrial ecology – carbon pricing, life cycle assessment, and modelling energy systems – to find if carbon emissions were still reduced when indirect emissions from the electric vehicle supply chain were factored in. “A major concern about electric vehicles is that the supply chain, including the mining…

  • Sponsored: Atlas underlines the power of SaaS to deliver enhanced protection against cyber-attacks

    Steve Dertien, EVP Chief Technology Officer at PTC , pointed to the recent global Apache Log4j 2 security breach as the perfect example of how quickly providers can react to a potential attack if they are embracing SaaS technology. The company was able to overcome the open-source vulnerability attack in just three hours, mitigating severe issues for every customer using products that run on Atlas TM, its SaaS platform. This tight response time was only possible because, in the world of SaaS delivery, everything is highly automated and built to scale efficiently. Software is updated with no effort on the part of the user, and this also means that when critical security or software issues are found, no manual intervention is required at the customer’s site.  PTC engineers discovered the…

  • UK scientist to pilot the European Space Agency’s Mars rover

    The Rosalind Franklin rover will be on a mission to find life on the Red Planet when it arrives in June 2023. It is the first to carry a drill long enough to explore molecules up to two metres below the surface, where they would be protected from the harsh radiation on the planet’s surface. Dr Christian Schröder is one of five Guest Investigators who will join a panel of scientists from of different disciplines from Europe, Russia and Canada. They will play a leading role in commanding the rover once it lands at the selected site of Oxia Planum on Mars. The rover will spend a minimum of 211 ‘sols’ (Martian days), equivalent to 230 Earth days, searching for organic carbon molecules that could tell us whether there was ever life on Mars. Schröder was previously part of the team operating…

  • Cheaper, greener and more efficient: paperless engineering’s time has come

    Despite the numerous technological innovations that have been implemented by manufacturers in recent years, many firms are still dealing with endless amounts of printed documents. For maintenance engineers, everything from instruction manuals and training documentation to parts catalogues are often only accessible in paper form. Not only are these documents time-consuming for engineers to use, they are also costly and environmentally unfriendly. The need to regularly update huge numbers of PDF files as product models are upgraded, then translate them into different languages, means an even bigger paper pile. Manufacturers and engineers both lose out in this environment – with major overheads being generated from such extensive paper-based processes. Relying on printed documents also restricts…

  • Rail electrification works underway following criticism of scaled-back plans

    The project is part of the Government’s £96bn Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) for the Midlands and the North and will see work undertaken to electrify lines between Kettering in Northamptonshire and Market Harborough in Leicestershire. When the details were published last month, MPs in the north of England expressed anger at the scrapping of the eastern leg of HS2 between the Midlands and Leeds. The Government insisted its new plan will result in similar improvements to previous plans, and that they will be delivered quicker and with better value for taxpayers’ money. The DfT said the IRP will cut journey times from Chesterfield to London to 76 minutes, Derby to London to 58 minutes and Nottingham to London to 57 minutes. Passengers will also see services and capacity nearly doubled with more…

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