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Slow down and speed up for satellites

Small Finnish company Aurora Propulsion Technologies is testing a radical new satellite de-orbiting technology this summer. The plasma brake technology was invented by astrophysicist Pekka Janhunen, one of the company founders. The plasma brake is compact, lightweight, and relatively inexpensive. About the size of an old-style cassette tape, it can be installed on a satellite before launch, although in the future it may be possible to retrofit them to satellites of up to 600kg using a robotic arm mounted on another space vehicle. De-orbiting satellites safely is critical to mitigate the generation of space junk by collisions between orbiting objects. A plasma brake unit that can safely de-orbit satellites from orbits up to 1,000km in altitude would weigh only 2kg and cost a fraction of…

E+T Magazine in Space
Hands-on gadget review: Arlo Go 2 security camera

A smart security camera with a couple of differences. Most models rely on your home Wi-Fi network. They’re ‘wireless’ but often need mains power too; so while they’re affordable you won’t exactly be living the wire-free dream. Enter the Arlo Go 2, with a SIM card slot for optional mobile data, and SD card slot for optional extra storage and – crucially – a battery that should last months, not days. It’s not cheap, but it’s arguably good value because it can secure anything anywhere. The weatherproof security camera can livestream 1080p HD video via a 4G SIM (or Wi-Fi if it has a signal). It’s perfect for a caravan, boat, garage, even keeping an eye on a building site during refurbishment. Being a freelance journalist, I don’t own a yacht... but I do have an allotment, so I set up the…

E+T Magazine
View from Washington: AI is neither sentient... nor regulated

The controversy around Google engineer Blake Lemoine’s belief that the company’s LaMDA AI has become sentient is gradually moving from the distant and unhelpful Skynet topic to the more pressing one of how we interact with these systems as they become ever better at mimicking human discourse. That trend is also once more highlighting issues around regulation. An especially striking thing about Lemoine’s claims is that they come from a Google engineer with seven years of experience. Much is being made of Lemoine’s personal interest in spirituality. He styles himself as a priest. This may have made him more susceptible when it came to how he has interpreted LaMDA’s responses. But he does appear to have a solid understanding of how AI and pattern matching work. He helped in the development…

E+T Magazine
‘Robots can make engineering activities safer, quicker and cheaper’

“At the moment, the devices we are developing still have an operator in the loop,” says Jon Wakeling. “But if you were to talk to me in five-to-ten years’ time, we’d be discussing device automation and autonomy.” Wakeling, who is acting director at Openreach Research (part of British Telecom’s Applied Research division), is discussing robots currently under development in BT’s latest research facility at Adastral Park, where he leads “a small team performing technology and capability discovery, working with universities to take concepts through to early-stage prototypes”. In a utopian future, according to Wakeling, we will have robots at our disposal that dig under roads and across gardens to deploy cables, freeing up human engineering capacity. That is the long-term objective, he says, …

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
Scientists link stablecoin to electricity

Through the combination of statistical mechanics and information theory, scientists have been able to design a class of stablecoin that is linked to electricity, known as the Electricity Stablecoin (E-Stablecoin). According to the research published in Cryptoeconomic Systems , the E-Stablecoin would be minted through the input of one kilowatt-hour of electricity, plus a fee. This new blockchain concept would allow electricity to be transmitted between users who are spread around the world, without the need for interconnecting wires or a grid-based transmission system. E-Stablecoin could therefore be the first fully collateralised stablecoin, as its value would be pegged to a physical asset – electricity – that is dependent on its utility. Due to its nature, this stablecoin could solve…

E+T Magazine
Teardown: Apple Self-Service Repair

Apple launched its first self-repair scheme in the US in April, with Europe to follow later this year. However, unlike others recently launched by Samsung, Google, HTC and Microsoft, the company is maintaining complete control over its programme. Its rivals have partnered with independent repairs specialist and replacement-parts supplier iFixit. Leading electronics companies have gradually come around to addressing the demands of right-to-repair campaigners as politicians have become more open to introducing laws. France was the first country to do so in January 2021 and plans to extend the repairability scores it mandates across a range of electronic products to include durability. It is fair to say that most consumers will still prefer to have repairs carried out by an expert (though…

E+T Magazine
Electric car grant scheme axed by government sends ‘wrong message’

Under the grant scheme, drivers were able to claim up to £1,500 towards the cost of a plug-in car costing below £32,000. The government has now said it wants to “refocus” its grant funding to encourage the take-up of other types of electric vehicle. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) criticised the decision saying that it sent the “wrong message” to consumers at a time when the UK is attempting to move towards net zero carbon emissions. “Whilst we welcome government’s continued support for new electric van, taxi and adapted vehicle buyers, we are now the only major European market to have zero upfront purchase incentives for EV car buyers yet the most ambitious plans for uptake,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes. The DfT said the scheme would be ended because…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Google engineer claims AI system has developed feelings

Google employee Lemoine had requested respect towards one of the firm’s artificial intelligence tools after reportedly finding that the system had the perception of, and the ability to express thoughts and feelings equivalent to, a human child. Google has denied all claims that Lamda AI has become sentient and has subsequently placed Lemoine on paid leave. The firm states that t he 'Language Model for Dialogue Applications' (Lamda) is a breakthrough technology that can engage in free-flowing conversations. Lemoine was working on the model, testing the AI’s ability to generate discriminatory language or hate speech. However, the tool’s impressive verbal skills led the scientist to believe it had developed a sentient mind. To support his claims, Lemoine shared a document with company executives…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Sponsored: Decarbonisation through energy management and renewable energy

Register for this webinar to learn about: The types of related key standards Evaluate their corresponding usage and application Summarise how the mentioned standards can be used in buildings in a complementary manner Evaluate when and how to promote these standards for various applications Presented with live Q&A on 5th July 2022 at 9am BST - or watch afterwards on demand. This free webinar is available for IET members and non-members. Register for this free webinar

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
Nigeria to require social media platforms to open local offices

The code of practice for "interactive computer service platforms/internet intermediaries" is intended to curb online abuse, including disinformation and misinformation, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said in the regulations posted on its website. A statement from the agency's spokesperson, dated 13 June, said the regulations had been developed with input from Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google and TikTok, among others. As in most countries, these platforms are very popular in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation with more than 200 million people. NIDTA said the platforms will be required to provide relevant information to users or authorised government agencies, including for the purpose of preserving security and public order. The code of…

E+T Magazine in Engineering with a Disability
Digital twin boosts railway station’s energy performance

The Berkshire station is one of the busiest rail hubs in Britain, used by nearly 20 million passengers a year, of whom nearly four million change trains there. Sensors are set to be installed across the site to capture live, real-time data on energy use, which will be fed into a ‘digital twin’ of the station that has been developed on a specialist computer-modelling platform. Using historical data and modelling, a number of opportunities have been identified that are predicted could result in around a 20 per cent improvement on the station’s carbon emissions and energy performance. Network Rail has teamed up with engineering and design consultancy Atkins, and Cardiff University to develop a ‘digital twin’ of Reading station, utilising Cardiff University’s Computational Urban Sustainability…

E+T Magazine in Electromagnetic Devices
How to vanquish the fatberg menace

We barely give a second thought to the greasy monsters that lurk in sewers beneath our streets, growing larger every day. We might even feed them without realising it. This might sound like the plot of a cheesy Hollywood film, but it’s the strange reality of a growing waste problem in the 21 st century – and engineers, not film stars, are the heroes fighting back with new inventions to vanquish the fatberg monsters. Fatbergs are rock-like heaps of waste that build up in sewer systems thanks to the unsavoury and lazy habits of humans. Cooking fat and oils poured down sinks congeal in the sewers, forming a thick layer around pipes. This fatty build-up stops sewage from flowing freely, which can cause it to back up. But it’s the addition of non-biodegradable solids such as wet wipes and nappies…

E+T Magazine
From rotting potatoes to nourishing prebiotics

Food waste is a problem of supersized proportions. One third of the food we grow – 1.3 billion tonnes – is wasted. Not only is this shameful when 690 million people go to bed hungry every night, but it also produces an estimated 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Turning our noses up at leftovers is part of the problem. The priority is to minimise waste, by eating wonky veg, for example, or redistributing surplus food to hungry people, or animals if it is of lesser quality. But the bulk of wasted food doesn’t even reach our plates. Some food is inedible because it has gone off, become contaminated, or is an inedible by-product of the food industry such as onion skins. These products are then either recycled for fertiliser, burned for energy, or simply go to landfill. But thankfully…

E+T Magazine in Waste Management
UK launches first licensing round for carbon storage projects

The UK has opened its first licensing round of large-scale carbon capture projects in the North Sea. It could be the first of many, as estimates suggest up to 100 carbon dioxide (CO2) stores could be needed if the UK is to meet its target of reaching net-zero by 2050. Operated by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), the licensing round is inviting bids for projects in 13 areas within the North Sea, specifically in locations off the coast of Aberdeen, Teesside, Liverpool and Lincolnshire. The chosen 13 areas are “a mixture of saline aquifers and depleted oil and gas field storage opportunities”, the NSTA said, adding that it has “fully considered issues including co-location with offshore wind… environmental issues and potential overlaps with existing or future [oil and gas] licences…

E+T Magazine in Climate Change
The carbon cure: how to cut our waste emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions from waste management plummeted 73 per cent between 1990 and 2020, according to the UK government’s latest data. The waste management sector is now responsible for around 4 per cent of the country’s emissions (17.6MtCO2e of 404.5MtCO2e) compared to 8.5 per cent in 2000. The progress is impressive, with landfill tax driving waste out of holes in the ground – a treatment that sits at the bottom of the ‘waste hierarchy’ and produces the potent global warming gas methane. But where has all this waste gone, with its accompanying emissions? There have been improvements in the standards of landfilling, changes to the types of waste going to landfill (such as reducing the amount of biodegradable waste), and an increase in the amount of landfill gas being used for energy…

E+T Magazine in Waste Management
‘Digital Strategy’ published; UK must ‘embrace new technologies’ to grow

Dorries used the annual Tech Week event to announce the government’s newly updated Digital Strategy , which details a road map towards making the UK a tech superpower, boosting the economy as a result. Dorries said the Strategy would also involve creating a new Digital Skills Council to help “plug the skills gap” in the tech sector, as well as looking to “capitalise on the freedoms we now have to set our own standards and regulations” now that the UK has left the EU. The policy paper states that the UK will be "the best place in the world to start and grow a technology business". It also claims that "estimates commissioned by the Government suggest that our approach to supporting and strengthening the digital economy could grow the UK tech sector’s annual gross value added (GVA) by an additional…

E+T Magazine in Computing
Device provides 5G signal and wireless power to IoT devices simultaneously

The number of IoT devices is anticipated to rise alongside global improvements to 5G network coverage. However, such devices typically face hurdles regarding their connectivity and power supply; namely, short transmission distances and a fixed direction from which power can be received wirelessly. The researchers have reported the production of a wirelessly powered transmitter-receiver for 5G networks that overcomes both of these problems. Dr Atsushi Shirane, who led the project, said: “The millimetre-wave wireless power transfer system is a promising solution for massive Internet of Things, yet it has been hampered by technical problems. We were thus able to make a breakthrough by producing a 5G transceiver with high efficiency at big angles and distances.” The transmitter-receiver produced…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
World’s largest companies lack ‘credibility’ in their net zero plans

The climate charity analysed the Forbes 2000 largest companies list and found that more than one third (702) now have net zero targets, up from one fifth (417) in December 2020. However, 65 per cent of corporate targets do not yet meet minimum procedural reporting standards, it said. Recent years have seen an increasing number of countries setting and strengthening their carbon reduction commitments, with some 91 per cent of global GDP now captured by net zero targets proposed national by governments, up from 68 per cent in December 2020. But in contrast to the near-universal coverage of country-level net zero targets, the robustness of targets set by “non-state actors” is “alarmingly weak”, Net Zero Tracker said. Frederic Hans, the report’s co-lead author and climate policy analyst at…

E+T Magazine in Climate Change
View from Brussels: Ukraine’s brightest get EU windfall

The European Innovation Council (EIC) last week announced the €20m fund dedicated solely to helping Ukraine’s start-up sector become more closely aligned with the rest of Europe’s. Under the new fund, grants of up to €60,000 and non-financial support will be made available. The first call for applications will launch on 23 June and the European Commission hopes that applicants will be emboldened to then apply for more funding from the EIC. "Ukraine has a vibrant deep-tech community and strong potential for creating breakthrough innovations," said EU research chief Mariya Gabriel, who also added that the sector will play an essential role in rebuilding the country’s destroyed infrastructure. According to the Ukrainian government, more than 70 per cent of start-ups are still going about…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
CBI’s economic forecast demands government investment in business

With the cost-of-living crunch showing no sign of abating, airports struggling to cope, national rail strikes on the horizon and 'Groundhog Day' battles with the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol, there is a real risk that the economy stays a ‘distant second to politics’ this summer, according to the CBI report. Growth has been downgraded to 1 per cent in 2023 as consumer spending weakens: real household incomes are predicted to fall at their fastest pace on record since the 1950s. With this impending household recession, investment in business is even more essential, the CBI said. The CBI’s outlook suggests that growth will soften as household spending turns downwards amid dented business and consumer confidence. As a result, the CBI has downgraded its GDP growth outlook significantly…

E+T Magazine in Business Planning
View from India: Conserve the soil for a better tomorrow

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder of Isha Foundation, has been named one of India’s 50 most influential people. His transformational programmes have touched the lives of millions the world over. This time, he has set out on a global mission to motivate people in diverse parts of the globe to save the soil from extinction. The visionary has embarked on this expansive 30,000km #JourneyForSoil on a motorcycle. The 100-day global journey kick-started in London earlier in the year, crisscrossed 27 nations in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East and is now spreading the message on the Indian terrain. The movement is envisioned to initiate policy-driven action to address land degradation, advocate for healthy soil and save it from extinction. There’s a pressing need for saving the soil everywhere…

E+T Magazine
Mining the bonepile of precious rubbish

Waste electronics are piling up around the world, whether they are lost in drawers, cupboards and attics just in case the devices might be useful one day or dispatched to the growing mounds of landfill in Africa and South-East Asia. The United Nations Global E-Waste Monitor estimated that consumers, governments and companies threw away some 53.6 million tonnes of unwanted electronics in 2019. That represented an increase of 21 per cent over the amount discarded five years earlier. By 2030, the world could easily be dumping 74 million tonnes of e-waste “fuelled mainly by higher consumption rates of electric and electronic equipment, short life cycles and few options for repair”. Out of 2019’s haul, only 17.4 per cent of the waste was collected and recycled in some way. It is a situation…

E+T Magazine in Waste Management
The problem with packaging

The conveyor belt whizzes past, carrying waste that residents have put in their recycling bins. Moving almost as fast, a handful of pickers remove items that shouldn’t be there (a negative pick) or collect ones that should (a positive pick). Cardboard packaging, aluminium cans and plastic bottles all fly by and will be recycled. But so too do keyboards, baking trays, dustpans, and an awful lot of flexible packaging – sweet wrappers, bread bags and the like – all of which are ‘contaminants’. “The cleaner the stream, the quicker you can run everything,” explains Richard Hinchcliffe, regional manager at Suez Recycling and Recovery UK, which operates the plant near Bedlington under a contract with Northumberland County Council, “and the less residual waste we send to energy from waste [incineration…

E+T Magazine in Waste Management
After All: brazen, innovative, and sure as Eigg is Eigg

In an article on Ukraine that I contributed to a national political monthly shortly after the Russian invasion, I surmised that after a while, the amount of British media war coverage was likely to dwindle. The public would get used to the war and start seeing it as an unfortunate, yet distant, reality, having little to do with themselves. Two months later, I must admit that I was right and wrong: media coverage of the war has indeed gone down, but public support for my long-suffering, yet brave and proud, motherland stays strong and unanimous. Life goes on, and human nature is such that it cannot focus on wars and conflicts alone. To function properly, we require regular intakes of positivity and hope. Having devoted my last four columns to the war, I have chosen a different topic this…

E+T Magazine

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