• Mitsubishi robot sets Guinness World Record for solving Rubik's Cube in 0.305 seconds

    Mitsubishi Electric has been awarded the Guinness World Record for the fastest robot to solve a puzzle cube. We often hear the expression ‘in the blink of an eye’ to describe something very quick. But how quick? According to Harvard University's bionumbers database, a blink takes 0.1 to 0.4 seconds. The Japanese company’s TOKUI Fast Accurate Synchronised Motion Testing Robot (TOKUFASTbot) has solved a Rubik’s Cube in 0.305 seconds, in quite literally less than a blink of an eye. The robot recently received the Guinness World Record for this achievement, beating the previous record time of 0.38 seconds, which was set by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology robot in 2018. By comparison, the human record for solving a Rubik’s Cube is 3.13 seconds, set in June 2023 by Max Park, a 21…

  • Could large language models help run and maintain the energy grid?

    This is the question researchers at Harvard University attempted to answer when examining the potential that large language models (LLMs) could bring to the energy sector. LLMs are a type of artificial intelligence that can recognise, summarise, translate, predict and generate content having been trained using very large datasets, such as those that power ChatGPT. Having already found use cases across multiple industries, a team at Harvard’s John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has now published a study exploring the promise of LLMs to help run and maintain the energy grid. The research team, which included engineers from Houston-based energy-provider CenterPoint Energy and grid operator Midcontinent Independent System Operator, used GPT models to explore the…

  • Tarmac starts trials of all-electric 7.5 tonne tipper truck

    In a UK-first, sustainable building materials and construction solutions company Tarmac has started trials on an all-electric tipper truck. Tarmac has a big operation in the UK, with 6,000 employees working across 350 sites. It has set itself the ambitious target of reducing CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 and reaching net zero before 2050. Part of this roadmap includes decarbonising operational equipment and vehicles. It was an early signatory of the EV100 global initiative, with a commitment to transition to net zero electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030. As such, in recent years Tarmac has been researching electric options for its vehicles. Last year it started operation of an all-electric battery readymix concrete truck, along with an electric bond coat sprayer. To add to this EV line-up…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Report reveals findings of a year that saw ‘record highs in an energy-hungry world’

    A report published by the Energy Institute (EI) has revealed that 2023 saw record global energy consumption, with coal and oil pushing fossil fuels and their emissions to record levels, despite a record increase in renewable energy power. The EI, the chartered professional membership body for people who work across the world of energy, has released the 73rd annual edition of the Statistical Review of World Energy. This analyses data on world energy markets from the prior year. The report – co-authored with KPMG, a multinational professional services network, and Kearney, a global management consulting firm, with additional research undertaken by Heriot-Watt University – presents full global energy data for 2023. It found that in 2023 global primary energy use climbed to a record high…

  • AI could save UK public sector workers 23 million hours per week – Microsoft study

    Artificial intelligence (AI) could save public sector workers in the UK 23 million hours every week by eliminating basic administrative tasks, according to research commissioned by Microsoft. The study, Harnessing the power of AI for the public sector, suggests that the scale of administration required of the UK’s public sector is drawing workers away from delivering frontline services. It found that proper implementation of AI would save an estimated 5.93 million public sector employees four hours every week, equating to 23 million hours in total. The study, carried out by Dr Chris Brauer, director of innovation at Goldsmiths, University of London, makes various role-specific claims about the role that AI could play in the future. Doctors and nurses, for example, could save around…

  • Lab-grown burgers and cricket salads will be the norm by 2054, researchers predict

    What will our dinner plates look like in 30 years? Consumer attitudes towards food ethics and sustainability could see insect proteins and lab-grown meats becoming the norm. That‘s according to the findings of the Co-op’s Responsible Retailing report with research conducted at the University of York. What we eat is a contentious issue. Meat and dairy farming contribute to a rise in the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, whereas vegan diets have come under fire recently as ‘fake meats’ have been shown to be an ultra-processed food and therefore linked to cardiovascular disease. The Co-op predicts that, in the next 30 years, diets will have a greater balance of protein, carbohydrate and fibre and more pulses or seeds, with the diversity of protein options increasing with both high-quality…

  • Virtual reality programme to allow students to speak to AI Holocaust survivors

    School students will be given the opportunity to “talk” to Holocaust survivors through a combination of AI and virtual reality (VR). Developed by the Holocaust Education Trust (HET), the Testimony 360 programme combines digital eyewitness testimony and virtual tours of historical sites associated with the Holocaust. Four Holocaust survivors were recorded, each answering hundreds of questions about their life stories in order to create the programme. Pupils can then ask their questions to a digital representation of the survivors, and the AI will interpret and play back the relevant clip. Each session takes about 2.5 hours and is open to all year 9-13 students. The VR headsets will also allow students to explore key sites linked to the survivor testimonies, including their pre-war home…

  • Amid AI boom Nvidia surges past Apple to become world’s most valuable company

    US chipmaker Nvidia experienced another rise in share price gains yesterday, putting it in the top spot as the world’s most valuable company. During his keynote speech at the Computex tech trade fair in Taiwan at the beginning of this month, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said: “Today, we’re at the cusp of a major shift in computing. The intersection of AI and accelerated computing is set to redefine the future.” It’s a future the chipmaker is certainly betting on, having made numerous AI-related announcements this year, including its Nvidia Blackwell platform and the Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper superchip. It is a future its investors are also betting on as shown in the 3.5% surge its shares took yesterday, giving Nvidia a market value of about $3.33tn. This puts Nvidia in the top…

  • Code First Girls teaches 200,000 women coding for free to help plug gender and tech skills gap

    Code First Girls – a provider of free coding courses for women in the UK and around the world – has announced it has taught more than 200,000 women tech skills for free. Starting out in 2012 as a free, part-time course to get female graduates interested in coding, Code First Girls has evolved into a community of coders, instructors and mentors who provide free coding courses for women in the UK and globally. According to research by Tech Nation, only 26% of the tech workforce are women. The representation of women in IT roles has improved in recent years – from 15% in 2020 to 19% in 2023. But even if this trend continues, says BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, it will take another 283 years to match the 48% of women in the wider workforce. Trade association techUK estimates that…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Four European tech start-ups awarded funding from $1bn Nato Innovation Fund

    The $1bn Nato Innovation Fund has directly invested in four European tech companies to help strengthen the defence, security and resilience of Allied governments. The Nato Innovation Fund was founded two years ago to finance deep tech start-ups in defence, security and resilience of Allied governments. The fund is backed by 24 of Nato’s 32 member states. “Enabling capital and support for strategic technologies is key to securing a safe and prosperous future for the Alliance’s one billion citizens,” said Andrea Traversone, managing partner of the Nato Innovation Fund. The fund has now revealed the four start-ups in Europe and the UK that have been allocated funding. They include: ARX Robotics: German defence tech start-up developing autonomous unmanned ground systems with scalable hardware…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Global offshore wind power installations surge by 21% over the past year

    Global installations of offshore wind turbines increased by a massive 21% over the past 12 months, from 61.5GW to 75GW, a report has found. According to RenewableUK, China and the UK have retained their top positions in offshore turbine building at 36.7GW and 14.7GW operational capacity respectively. Germany is third with 8.3GW, the Netherlands fourth with 3.7GW and Denmark fifth with 2.7GW. The symbolic threshold of 75GW is roughly equivalent to the energy requirements of the entirety of the UK in 2020 and the new capacity added over the past year generates enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 14 million UK homes. The global pipeline of projects at all stages of development (operational, under construction, consented, in planning or at an early stage of development…

  • US plans to invest $900m to ramp up deployment of small modular reactors

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced it will fund up to $900m to support the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). In a statement by the DOE, the development of SMRs will help the US increase its nuclear energy capabilities, drive clean energy goals and create skilled job opportunities. The advantages of SMRs over nuclear power reactors lie predominantly in the fact that they are a fraction of the size of a conventional nuclear power reactor and are modular. These features alone help lower overall project costs compared to large nuclear power plants. SMRs can more easily be built in factories as prefabricated units, then shipped and installed in a variety of settings not suitable for larger nuclear power plants. Another advantage is that SMRs have the ability to meet…

  • Connected health surge in biopharma and medtech, new report finds

    The biotechnology and pharmaceutical (biopharma) industry expects a fifth of its annual revenue to come from connected health services/products in the next five years, according to a new Capgemini report. The connected healthcare market is growing exponentially. The Covid-19 pandemic, and being prevented from seeing healthcare providers (HCPs) face-to-face, spurred on the integration of digital technology into healthcare. From mobile apps and smart medication adherence monitors to the integration of generative AI technologies, the adoption of connected health continues to accelerate post-pandemic. According to Market.US, a market research and analysis company, the global connected health market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25%, reaching $520.6bn by 2032 from…

  • Comment: Election insecurity – why our government can’t protect us from cyberwarfare

    David Critchley, regional director of UK & Ireland at Armis, draws insights from new research to showcase the risk cyberwarfare poses to democracy, as well as society, in a crucial election year. 2024 will see half of the global population head to the polls. This includes elections in the US, Europe, Africa, India and, of course, the UK. While this should be a cause for celebration, the threat of cyberwarfare is now jeopardising democracy. The digital realm has erupted into an invisible war, where the UK is under constant attack. Yet, in this kind of warfare, everyone is on the front line: every company, every person. There are no borders. That’s what makes this such an effective form of warfare. It’s not simply about data breaches or financial gains either. These attacks are a calculated…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • UK electricity prices could dip 20% by 2028

    Reduced demand for gas coupled with high levels of gas storage across Europe should see baseload electricity prices in the UK drop by around 20% over the next four years, energy experts have said. According to Aurora Energy Research’s latest forecast, carbon prices are also predicted to fall – further lowering prices to an estimated £19/MWh by 2028. As long as the falls are reflected in domestic energy bills, the lower prices should come as some relief to households that have been battered by record-high energy prices since the Ukraine war began in 2022. However, Aurora does not foresee further falls beyond that date due to delays at Hinkley Point C, Britain’s next nuclear power plant. While originally planned to be brought online as early as 2017, it is now not expected until 2029 at…

  • Alstom signs £370m deal for 10 Elizabeth line trains that will secure future of Derby plant

    Alstom, a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer, has signed a contract worth around £370m for 10 new nine-car Aventra trains for Transport for London’s Elizabeth line, along with maintenance until 2046. The Elizabeth line is the fastest-growing railway in the UK. The route passes through 41 stations, stretching over 60 miles, from Reading and Heathrow airport in the west through central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. According to Transport for London (TfL), the Elizabeth line has seen more than 350 million journeys since it opened two years ago in May 2022. On average, there are around 700,000 passenger journeys on the line every weekday, with the busiest day recorded on 18 April 2024 when there were 787,000 journeys across the line. With passenger demand predicted…

  • Rio Tinto’s lithium mine project in Serbia poised to get green light

    Europe’s electric vehicle (EV) industry could be given a boost if the Rio Tinto lithium mine in Serbia gets the green light, two years after the project was called off. To increase the production of EVs there needs to be a ramp-up in the minerals used to produce them. Lithium is crucial as this light yet energy-dense metal is a key component of the batteries that will power these vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries have resulted in a huge spike in demand for lithium over recent years. However, there has been speculation as to whether there will be sufficient resources to meet demand. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has forecast that the supply of lithium by 2030 will reach 420,000 metric tons, not quite reaching the forecast demand, which is estimated at 443,000 metric tons. However…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Northrop Grumman’s Manta Ray drone completes testing as it is seen gliding in the ocean

    Northrop Grumman, the multinational aerospace and defense technology company, has for the past four years been developing a massive uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) called Manta Ray for the US military. In 2020, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a military research and development agency, released a request for proposals on a new class of UUV that is capable of performing long-duration, long-range and payload-capable undersea missions without human supervision. Northrop Grumman answered the call with a type of UUV called an extra-large glider, which features a propulsion mechanism that includes an hydrodynamic hull and a buoyancy system that enables the craft to glide forward using minimal power to undertake long missions. Taking its name from the massive ‘winged…

  • Report warns that UK is heading towards its ‘first deepfake election’

    With voters heading to the polls in just a matter of weeks, a Centre for Policy Studies report warns that with deepfake content already spreading rapidly, this could become the UK’s first deepfake election. You may have come across some suspicious videos on social media platforms recently. Perhaps you have seen a satirical TikTok video showing Rishi Sunak saying that he could not care less “about energy bills being over £3,000”? Or maybe a video of the shadow health secretary Wes Streeting calling his Labour colleague Diane Abbott a “silly woman” on Politics Live? A report from the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) called Facing Fakes warns that given the current general election campaign, we should be particularly wary of deepfakes aimed at spreading election misinformation and disinformation…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Labour Manifesto: party plans energy, rail and infrastructure shake-up

    The Labour Party has finally unveiled its manifesto for the next general election, making pledges to introduce measures designed to improve the UK’s energy and transport infrastructure while bolstering industry. Energy Labour has reaffirmed its commitment to create a new publicly-owned energy firm called Great British Energy that will aim to boost domestic electricity production through investments in low-carbon sources such as renewables and nuclear. As part of the plans, it will work with the private sector to “double onshore wind, triple solar power and quadruple offshore wind by 2030”. It will also boost investment in carbon capture and storage, plus hydrogen and marine energy, and will ramp up long-term energy storage. The UK’s current plan, as announced under the Tories, is to fully…

  • Swimming microrobots deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly to metastatic lung tumours

    Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed microscopic robots, known as microrobots, that swim through the lungs to deliver cancer-fighting medication directly to metastatic tumours. The lungs are the most prominent organ for cancer metastasis. This is cancer that has developed in other areas of the body, or other parts of the lungs, and then spread through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to the lungs. Currently there is no specific treatment tailored for advanced metastatic tumours in the lungs. Chemotherapy is a common approach; however, its effectiveness has proven suboptimal due to poor lung accumulation and targeting issues. The microrobots deliver drug-loaded nanoparticles to the tumours to inhibit the progression of lung metastasis. To create the microrobots…

  • Designing Hyper Energy Efficient Facilities

    This webinar will mainly focus on some key regulations and standards for: Last update of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD 2024), published in the Official Journal of Europe on May 8, 2024Deploying and prescribing building automation, controls and building management standards as key contribution for the Energy performance of buildings (ISO 52120-1, IEC 63044 Serie,etc.)Prescribing the measures required for energy-efficient and prosumer electrical installation in buildings (IEC 60364-8 Serie)Being prepared for Buildings Electrical Flexibility (EN 50491-12 serie, IEC 63402 serie, example of GOFLEX indicator-France)Designing and measuring Energy data collection for buildings in conjunction with ISO 50001 (EN 17267, IEC 62974-1, IEC 61557-12)This Webinar offers a guide to these…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Thermal Health Monitoring for the Built Environment: Accelerating Product Development with COMSOL Simulations

    This webinar will explore how lean technical teams can leverage simulation to reduce the cost and increase the speed of product development cycles in the advanced materials sector. In developing next-generation printed electronic sensors for thermal health monitoring, Vector Homes has invested in digital tooling to accelerate development. Digital twins are used to verify printed sensor performance and guide future design iterations. Collaborations with the Energy House 2.0 allow for characterising in situ real-world performance in a state-of-the-art environmental chamber. Vector Homes is working to accelerate and decarbonise affordable house-building in the U.K. It is collaborating with housing associations, contractors and developers to reduce the cost, carbon footprint, and complexity…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Scientists urge drastic cuts to nitrous oxide emissions to prevent rampant global warming

    Emissions of potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N20), which have been rising steadily since 1980, could have “dire consequences for the planet”, researchers from the Global Carbon Project (GCP) have said. It’s estimated that agricultural production accounted for around 74% of human-driven N2O emissions in the 2010s – a gas thought to have 300 times more global-warming effect than carbon dioxide. In a report – Global nitrous oxide budget (1980-2020) – researchers attribute its production primarily to the use of chemical fertilisers and animal waste on croplands. It is also produced from stationary combustion sources, predominantly from the burning of coal at electric power plants. At a time when greenhouse gas emissions must decline to reduce global warming, in 2020 and 2021 nitrous…

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