• Sponsored: DC-DC converter design trends and technology

    This high-power EV ecosystem demands reliable and efficient DC-DC power conversion. Energy efficiency depends on many factors, including temperature, operating voltage, percentage of rated power, and other environmental conditions. Click here  to view the  white paper registration page . Key Learning Outcomes: Power conversion differences between fully electric and mild hybrid EVs How the adoption of wide-bandgap power devices affects EV design and test How the regenerative power conversion tester addresses reliability, safety, and cost challenges for DC-DC converter design Download free white paper

  • Global offshore wind industry partners with Carbon Trust on sustainability

    The 11 developers collectively design, build and operate wind farms globally, including across Europe, North America and Asia, and represent around a quarter of global installed wind power capacity. The firms will work in collaboration with the Carbon Trust as part of the new Offshore Wind Sustainability Joint Industry Programme to develop the first industry-backed methodology and guidance to measure and address the carbon emissions associated with offshore wind farms throughout their lifecycle, including emissions from the manufacturing of materials and installation of wind farms. The aim is to help the global offshore wind industry scale as sustainably as possible and continue its key contribution towards meeting the world’s net-zero target by 2050, thus helping limit the most extreme…

  • Coastal erosion map shows homes worth £584m will be lost to the sea by 2100

    One Home’s ' England’s Communities Under Threat Interactive Map ' is an up-to-date look at the UK’s eroding cliffs and the threat this poses to the most at-risk seaside villages and hamlets. The map highlights where no new sea defences will be built to defend against erosion, meaning homes will be lost to the sea. In some cases, homeowners could be asked to pay thousands of pounds towards the cost of demolishing their homes, while potentially still paying a mortgage. Demolition grants of up to £6,000 are available from authorities, but costs above this must be met by the owner. The map was plotted using existing Environment Agency data and Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs), which outline the risks to an area and whether or not it will be protected from erosion. The coastal communities…

  • Green transition could bring £71bn to the UK economy, CBI finds

    The CBI's 'Mapping The Net Zero Economy' report found that the drive to achieve net-zero emissions in the UK involves more than 20,000 businesses and 840,00 jobs in sectors such as renewable energy and waste management. The report looked at the parts of the UK that have benefited most from policies aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions, a sector that CBI said is  worth £71bn.  According to the researchers,  Scotland and English regions, such as Tyneside, Teeside, Merseyside and the Humber, had all done better than average, with the green economy being stronger and contributing more to growth than in London and the South East. Green jobs also pay significantly more, the report says, with the average wage (£42,600) significantly above the national average (£33,400). "The net-zero…

  • Air-filtering backpack designed by 12-year-old wins national competition

    Eleanor Wood's winning design features a built-in air filter and fans, powered sustainably by solar panels and a dynamo. The goal of the 12-year-old's design is to filter polluted air, helping the eight million people in the UK who suffer the often-crippling effects of asthma. Wood entered the 'Backpack To The Future competition' after her mother, who suffers from asthma, put the application form in her room, where she eventually drew up her winning design. She named it the 'Breathe Better Backpack'.  “I was really shocked when I found out I’d won," Wood said. "I thought of my backpack to help clean the air because some of my family and friends have asthma and hayfever and it could help them. "I’m very happy the judges chose my entry as the winner. I think it’s a great idea to have cleaner…

  • UK design firm presents sustainable car interior made of recycled foodstuffs

    Designers and engineers at Callum went beyond materials already under consideration to identify fresh sustainable options that its customers could benefit from choosing through its 'SMS' design study. The study was intended to send a message to the automotive industry that sustainable alternatives are feasible. Using a retromod Porsche 911 interior as the basis for the research, the team - led by Charlotte Jones and British designer Ian Callum CBE - identified coffee pulp, eggshells, red lentils, walnuts and rice as viable materials for a car interior in 2030. Image credit: Callum Designs With thousands of tonnes of food going to waste every day in the UK alone, Callum consulted with green-tech company Ottan to determine the most appropriate materials capable of…

  • $1 smart glove detects foetal position to minimise birthing mishaps

    The researchers created the device to assist healthcare staff in understanding how much pressure they are applying to the foetal head during labour, factors that can contribute to obstructed labour and poor birth outcomes. The technology provides real-time data during vaginal examinations, potentially improving birth outcomes in low-resource regions. When labour is not going as it should, clinicians can use a wide array of medical technologies to determine what is wrong. However, in low- and middle-income countries, these technologies and skilled staff who can use them are not always available. The researchers behind this latest study reported that 98 per cent of stillbirths occur in such countries, reflecting the cost of this problem. Obstructed labour, where the position or size of…

  • Emirates test flight runs plane engine entirely on sustainable aviation fuel

    The flight, which took off from Dubai International Airport, was designed to demonstrate the ability to power flights entirely with SAF as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions from the aviation sector, which is notoriously difficult to decarbonise. SAFs are typically derived by combining jet fuel with alternatives such as biofuels or recycled oils from industrial food facilities. Currently, SAF is approved for use in all aircraft, but only in blends of up to 50 per cent with conventional jet fuel. Following the successful trial on one engine, Emirates said it wanted to continue to develop the initiative with engine airframe manufacturers. Emirates worked alongside partners GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste and Virent to procure and develop a blend of SAF that closely replicates…

  • US and EU officials sign ambitious AI agreement

    The European Commission and the US administration have recently signed an “administrative agreement on artificial intelligence for the public good” at a virtual ceremony.  The agreement was signed in the context of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), launched in 2021 as a permanent platform for transatlantic cooperation across several priority areas, from supply chain security to emerging technologies. The last high-level meeting of the TTC was held in the US in December 2022. At the time, AI was presented as one of the most advanced areas in terms of cooperation. A senior US administration official called it "the first sweeping AI agreement between the United States and Europe", stressing that previous agreements on the issue had been limited to specific areas such as enhancing…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • £110m scrappage scheme to help ULEZ-affected Londoners switch to EVs

    It follows Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) London-wide in August this year. The zone was first introduced in April 2019 in a bid to reduce air pollution and charges non-compliant vehicles – mostly diesel cars that are more than six years old and petrol cars that are more than 15 years old – £12.50 for each day they are in the zone. Already around 94 per cent of vehicles driving in inner and central London, and 85 per cent of vehicles driving in outer London already meet ULEZ standards. The new scrappage scheme and grace periods are designed to help drivers of the remaining non-compliant vehicles prepare. Londoners receiving certain means-tested benefits and non-means-tested disability benefits can apply for cash grants of up to…

  • Philips to cut 5 per cent of its global workforce

    Dutch consumer electronics and medical equipment maker Philips will cut 6,000 jobs over the next two years, in addition to the reduction of 4,000 staff announced in October, the company has revealed. The decision followed the reports that the company suffered a net loss of €1.6bn (£1.49bn) last year, down from a net profit of €3.3bn (£2.9bn) in 2021. The decline in revenue has largely been attributed to a write-down in the value of its Sleep & Respiratory Care business, which recently recalled 5.5 million ventilators used to treat sleep apnoea over worries that foam used in the machines could become toxic. The large-scale recall slashed around 70 per cent off  Philips' market value in 2022, according to reports.  Philips CEO Roy Jakobs said 2022 was “a very difficult year for Philips…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • View from Brussels: EU Horizons to broaden in 2023 (kinda)

    The EU’s €95 billion research programme, Horizon Europe, looks set to expand in 2023 as officials aim to agree new association agreements with partner countries that include Canada, Japan and South Korea. According to EU research commissioner Mariya Gabriel, Canada is likely to be onboard in the first half of the year and exploratory talks with Japan and South Korea are “getting closer to an end”. That is good news for researchers operating in those countries as it means they will be able to access Horizon funding on the same equal terms as the EU’s 27 member states. The association agreements will include financial contributions to secure that access. Canada in particular is extremely keen to collaborate with the EU on energy technologies and innovation, including battery production…

  • View from India: Digital shift creates economic opportunity

    Skill for better incomes Large scale digital transformation spurred by the pandemic continues across industries, prompting companies to migrate to cloud-based models from the traditional server-based ones. Hence there’s a felt need for professionals to handle cloud-based skills, be it data analytics, AI or DevOps (a portmanteau of development and operations). Those companies that deploy AI-ML (artificial intelligence and machine learning) prosper, while those that don’t probably perish. Development tool and product design are enablers for topline and bottomline growth of companies. Seen futuristically, there could be bountiful opportunities in virtual reality and voice recognition. A digitally trained agile and creative workforce is required as organisations increase their digital investments…

  • China’s total 2022 smartphone shipments at lowest level for 10 years

    The total number of devices shipped in 2022 was 286 million; down from 329 million in 2021. This means that the total sales volume for 2022 was the lowest since 2013 and the first time since that year that annual sales have dropped below 300 million units, IDC said in a report. Android handset maker Vivo was the top-selling brand over the year, with a market share of 18.6 per cent. However, its total shipments still fell by 25.1 per cent year-on-year. Honor ranked as the second best-selling brand, with shipments growing more than 34 per cent, albeit from a low base. Apple was the third best-selling phone brand in 2022, tied with Oppo. Apple's overall sales fell 4.4 per cent year-on-year, broadly outperforming the market downturn. Despite being the top-selling brand in the three-month period…

  • Space foetuses and Moon bases: Lembit Opik on space colony Asgardia

    Asgardia, also known as the 'Space Kingdom of Asgardia', was founded in 2016 by aspirational Russian billionaire Igor Ashurbeyli. Its goal is to be the first “nation” with a permanent colony in space, whether that’s on the Moon or in orbit. The current plan is to establish a permanent Moon base by 2043 – a project that seems ludicrously ambitious, even given the 20-year lead time. Opik is upbeat about the chances it will happen. “When John F. Kennedy in the early 60s committed to taking a man to the Moon and bring him safely back to the Earth, they hadn’t even been in orbit yet,” he said. “If you argue for your limitations, they're yours, no one will take them away from you.” Opik’s political career has had its fair share of twists and turns. Originally an MP for the Liberal Democrats…

  • Novel anode design set to improve battery performance for for EVs and laptops

    Researchers at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) and Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) have developed the world’s first electrode design for a high-performance lithium-ion battery.  The battery could, in the future, significantly improve the performance and stability of batteries used in electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles (EVs).   To achieve this, the researchers used an electrode (anode) structure that enhances the reliability and performance of traditional lithium-ion batteries. The anode is designed with grooves allowing small materials with improved ion conductivity and electrical conductivity to be placed between high-capacity materials.  The innovative design is able to maintain high performance and reliability even when the electrode…

  • Book review: ‘Code for What?’ by Clifford Lee and Elisabeth Soep

    Facial recognition software, a streaming service’s music-categorising algorithm, gendered and racialised high school dress codes and LBGTQ+ discrimination are some of the social issues that a team of teens at YR Media sought to address, using digital technologies.   In 'Code for What?: Computer Science for Storytelling and Social Justice' (The MIT Press, $29.95, ISBN 9780262047456), Dr Elisabeth Soep, and Dr Cliff Lee challenge current practices in computer science courses. Instead of teaching computing in a technical and decontextualised way, they encourage educators to push the boundaries of traditional education and lean into interactive and impactful methods that can approach the content from a more human perspective.  Could coding become a justice-driven medium for storytelling? Would…

  • Chancellor denies claims that HS2 will not terminate at London Euston

    The Sun originally reported that HS2 trains could stop at a new hub at Old Oak Common in West London’s suburbs due to soaring inflation, which would either delay the redevelopment of Euston station until 2038 or see it face the axe completely. But Hunt said there were no “conceivable circumstances” where the project would have its terminus changed when asked by BBC News. Hunt acknowledged that the UK does not have “a good record” of delivering complex, expensive infrastructure quickly, but he is “incredibly proud” that HS2 is being built under a Conservative government. “We’re going to make it happen,” he added. In April 2020, the Department for Transport released a 'full business case' for HS2 that stated that the target timeframe for services launching between Old Oak Common and Birmingham…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Japan to block technological exports to China and Russia

    Japan has tightened its sanctions against Russia following the latter's latest wave of missile attacks in Ukraine that killed at least 11 people. The decision will include a ban on  Russia-bound shipments of goods that can be used to enhance military capability, including semiconductor equipment and components, robots, power generators, explosives and vaccines, according to the trade ministry. The decision will affect 36 individuals and 52 organisations. The sanctions target  exports by Japanese firms, target politicians, military officers, businesspeople and companies in Russia and regions in eastern and southern Ukraine.  “In light of the situation surrounding Ukraine and to contribute to international efforts to secure peace, Japan will implement export bans in line with other major…

  • Operating theatres covered in microplastics with unknown health impacts

    A University of Hull team analysed microplastic levels in both the operating theatre and anaesthetic room in cardiothoracic surgeries and discovered an average of 5,000 microplastics per metre squared when the theatre was in use - almost three times the amount found in our homes. The anaesthetic room had far fewer particles, with an average levels of just 500 per metre squared when in use. Both settings had no microplastics settling out from the air when not in use. Researcher professor Jeanette Rotchell said: “You can imagine that during a cardiothoracic operation, which may last as long as eight hours, there will be a lot of people, utensils and consumable items. These items are all wrapped in plastic and this is contributing to all those particles in the operating room. “It is a very…

  • UK underestimates oil and gas industry emissions, study finds

    A  recent study from researchers at Princeton University and Colorado State University has found inaccuracies within the current method for estimating methane emissions from offshore oil and gas production in the UK.  As a result, as much as five times more methane is being leaked from oil and gas production than currently reported, the researchers said.  Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas providing more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide within the first 20 years of it reaching the atmosphere. It is currently estimated to contribute at least a quarter of today’s climate warming. Currently, c ountries are obligated to report their greenhouse gas emissions to international bodies such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. However, the study suggested…

  • Hands-on review: Nexar Pro GPS dual dash cam

    We previously looked at the Beam , Nexar's 'one big-eye on the road ahead' single-lens dash cam. Now, the Pro GPS model brings double the eyes, with separate front and rear-facing cameras for those who want to capture both the road outside and also the in-car activity. This is a growth area for dash cam companies. While some people are happy to simply capture the road ahead for insurance purposes, other drivers - particularly those carrying fare-paying passengers in these side-hustle, gig-economy times - need a record of what's taking place inside the vehicle, as well as potentially what's happening on the road behind. Nexar is selling a lot of dash cams, so it clearly knows its in-car onions. According to the company's own stats, Nexar users worldwide have collectively driven 3,000,000…

  • Seaweed farming expansion could cut carbon emissions, improve food security

    Seaweed is thought to offer a sustainable alternative to land-based agricultural expansion to meet the world’s growing need for food and materials. “Seaweed has great commercial and environmental potential as a nutritious food and a building block for commercial products including animal feed, plastics, fibres, diesel and ethanol,” said PhD candidate Scott Spillias. “Our study found that expanding seaweed farming could help reduce demand for terrestrial crops and reduce global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by up to 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent per year.” The researchers mapped the potential of farming more of the 34 commercially important seaweed species. They estimated the environmental benefits of a range of scenarios based on land-use changes, GHG emissions…

  • Artificial skin could sense objects without touching them

    The artificial skin developed by researchers from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore could be able to identify objects it has not yet touched.  The team demonstrated that the artificial skin could be used in a variety of applications, including the manipulation of virtual game characters, navigation of electronic maps, and scrolling through electronic documents. “Human skin has to touch something to tell it what is there,” said researcher Yifan Wang . “Human skin can only tell the softness or hardness of an object. We wanted our artificial skin to have more functions.” Even without touching an object, Wang and his colleagues´ artificial skin can sense if it is close by and can also discern some clues about the type of material it is made of. “We can tell whether it’s…

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