• Vodafone switches on ‘self-powering’ mobile mast in Welsh countryside

    The mast - located in Pembrokeshire, Wales - also incorporates a wind turbine, solar panels and on-site battery storage so that it can operate in remote areas without a good electricity supply. It will provide 4G coverage to the community of Eglwyswrw and is one of the initiatives that Vodafone is taking to meet its target of net zero UK operations by 2027. The specially designed mast will improve connectivity in ‘not-spots’ in the UK’s most remote and inaccessible locations and could help the industry achieve its stated goal of 95 per cent coverage of the UK landmass by 2025. Vodafone also said that every area of its business in the UK – including its network, data centres, retail stores and offices – is now 100 per cent powered by electricity from renewable sources, such as wind, solar…

  • Scientists study use volcanic ash to develop cement and concrete

    A research team based at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), has found that  volcanic ashes are sufficiently reactive to be applied in the manufacture of several types of cement. The samples were taken from the Cumbre Vieja volcano, on the island of La Palma, which erupted in September 2021 for 85 days, after lying dormant for over 50 years.  The ashes produced by each volcano are distinctively different, according to researchers, and the relative youth of the samples from La Palma could make the ashes have characteristics that could be leveraged by the construction sector to support its decarbonisation efforts.  "To date, we have carried out physical, chemical, mineralogical and mechanical tests, and the results show that these volcanic ashes meet the regulatory requirements…

  • Shape-shifting drone both flies and dives to study aquatic environments

    The ‘dual robot’ drone – developed at Imperial College London and tested at Empa and the aquatic research institute Eawag in Switzerland – has successfully measured water in lakes for signs of microorganisms and algal blooms, which can pose hazards to human health. The drone could be used in future to monitor climate clues such as temperature changes in Arctic seas. The researchers developed the drone to boost the ability to quickly deploy monitoring drones to aquatic environments. The unique design, called 'Multi-Environment Dual robot for Underwater Sample Acquisition' (Medusa), could also help monitor and maintain offshore infrastructure such as underwater energy pipelines and floating wind turbines. Professor Mirko Kovac, principal investigator on the project and director of the Aerial…

  • China’s lander finds water on the Moon

    Chang'e-5 , the lunar lander designed by China, has found water at its landing site using spectral reflectance measurements of soil and rocks. The lunar unit landed near Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon's near side in 2020, where it collected and tested over 60oz (approximately 1.7kg) of lunar samples from a core about three feet deep. The findings were validated through the analysis of samples the lander returned to Earth in 2021. Now, the Chang'e-5 team has published the conclusions of the experiment in the journal Nature Communications . Although it was India's  Chandrayaan-1 mission that first detected the presence of water on the Moon from orbit, using NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper instrument, no mission has been able to confirm these findings on-site. "For the first time in the world…

  • Offshore electric boat charging system cuts emissions from turbine maintenance

    Developed by MJR Power, the offshore wind vessel charging system uses energy generated by the turbines themselves to power the electrified marine transport vehicles. The cables and foundations that support turbines and carry power from wind farms back to the mainland need constant monitoring and maintenance. Conducting this work on offshore wind turbines usually requires energy companies to send out large vessels that use vast quantities of fuel, with very high operating costs, and are often crewed by up to 60 people from engineers and submersible pilots to cooks and cleaners. But the new project to install offshore charge points will enable all electric crew transfer vessels and other offshore support vessels to connect in the field to a green energy source. It has secured funding…

  • Racing against the microplastics tide

    Complex tides and constantly shifting weather make circumnavigating Britain a tough job. It needs good navigation skills as well as experience of coastal sea conditions. If you are rowing against the clock in a non-stop race in which competitors won’t set foot on dry land until it is over, you need to back up this expertise with the strength, stamina and determination that go with being an elite athlete. This is the GB Row Challenge, the prestigious Annual Around Great Britain Rowing Race. This year, three teams - Albatross, All Systems Row and Sea Legs - will form up at the start/finish line on 12 June at London’s Tower Bridge on the Thames. As well as competing against each other, they will be aiming to beat the Guinness World Record race time of 26 days, set in 2013 by a four-man crew…

  • UN climate plan sets tough standards for members to eradicate fossil fuels

    The global Race To Zero campaign currently represents a coalition of 1,049 cities, 67 regions, 5,235 businesses, 441 of the biggest investors, and 1,039 higher education institutions. The new rules mean corporations and investors must restrict the development, financing, and facilitation of new fossil fuel assets, which includes no new coal projects. The exact pathways and timelines differ across regions and sectors. It also makes explicit a pre-existing requirement to publicly disclose a Transition Plan within 12 months of joining Race to Zero. Nigel Topping and Mahmoud Mohieldin, high-level climate champions for COP26 & COP27, said: “The clarity these criteria provide, together with strengthened data transparency, will help us identify the progress made and gaps remaining. “They will…

  • Rising sea levels put 200,000 English homes at risk

    The predicted rise of sea levels might have placed a third of the English coast at risk. A study published in the journal Oceans And Coastal Management has compared the rising risk of coastal flooding with existing policies for managing the floods, concluding that nearly 2 00,000 homes and businesses in England are currently at risk of being lost forever to the seas. According to the research, these properties would have to be abandoned due to the high costs of putting protections such as seawalls and coastal defences . Some of the areas most at risk include North Somerset, Sedgemoor, Wyre and Swale. The figure does not include the 30,000 to 35,000 properties which already have a policy in place to realign the coast. "It just won't be possible to hold the line all around the coast," said…

  • 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…

  • 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
    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
    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, …

  • 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
    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
    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…

  • 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…

  • 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

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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
    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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • ‘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…

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