• Digital-twin makeover

    On the face of it, the decision by Siemens and Nvidia to forge a link between their tools seems simple enough. So simple that executives from both companies were at pains to point out that it really isn’t that simple. The core of the agreement, presented at a joint event on Wednesday, will be to ensure Siemens tools that are used to design everything from chips to factories will ultimately be able to feed data to Nvidia’s virtual-world building software Omniverse to create more photorealistic visualisations.   “The digital twin is physics-based. It doesn’t just look like the real thing, it behaves like the real thing,” claimed Siemens CEO Roland Busch. “This is not about animation but simulation. If you don’t mimic the real world accurately, you don’t get the benefit out of it. The digital…

  • ‘Mammoth’ direct air capture facility under construction in Iceland

    With a nominal carbon capture capacity of 36,000 tons per year when fully operational, Mammoth represents a significant step in Climeworks’ plan to scale up its operations to deliver gigaton capture capacity by 2050. Construction is expected to last 18-24 months before operations start. The firm’s first direct air capture plant, which it claims is 1,000 times more efficient than photosynthesis, was built in Switzerland and went live in 2017 . It has previously sold its services to the likes of Shopify which used the carbon captured by its facilities to offset its own emissions. Climeworks said the Mammoth plant will capitalise on rising market demand, with several 10-year offtake agreements signed over the last months. Preparatory work at the site has already begun…

  • Urban drone trials underway to give cities ‘highways in the sky’

    The project could demonstrate the feasibility of using drones for delivery services, surveillance, or even unmanned transport in cities and other high-population areas. The AMU-LED project is carrying out co-ordination and testing on a system designed to manage airspace traffic and check safety, interoperability and feasibility. The air traffic management framework is known as U-space and is designed to ensure safe and efficient access to airspace for a large number of drones, based on high levels of digitalisation and automation. The researchers said that future city-dwellers could expect to see a variety of drones in the airspace above where they live designed for various different purposes. A key step towards this is performing flight demonstrations with various scenarios, situations…

  • UK’s first mass-produced hydrogen truck unveiled

    Truckmaker Tevva has launched the first hydrogen fuel cell-supported heavy goods vehicle (HGV) to be manufactured, designed and mass-produced in the UK. The hydrogen fuel cell system has been integrated into the firm’s battery-electric HGV design, enabling the hydrogen to top up the battery in order for the truck to carry heavier loads over longer distances. As a result, the 7.5-tonne hydrogen-electric truck can be driven for up to 310 miles, according to Tevva. “When a zero-emission truck is doing more miles per day, that is very good for the air we breathe, for the planet and for the economics of running electric trucks,” said Tevva’s CEO and founder Asher Bennett. “Every mile you drive on an electric truck, it’s so much cheaper than driving on a diesel truck.” …

  • Air quality sensor network offers highly detailed pollution map in Camden

    Developed by AirScape, the fixed network has 225 AirNode sensors that will provide 45 times more data points and refreshes 60 times more regularly than existing air-quality reference stations, to show a street-by-street picture of air quality in real time. The data collected will be made freely available online to enable individuals, businesses and local authorities to make quality-of-life decisions that improve air quality for all. The National Audit Office recently said that government initiatives to cut air pollution have “not moved as fast as expected” and it is unclear how current 2030 targets for the UK will be met. AirScape said the new project could form a blueprint for other London boroughs and cities around the world to improve the health and wellbeing of the public. Dr Matthew…

  • EU countries reach agreement on climate pledge

    After more than 16 hours of negotiations, environment ministers from the European Union's 27 member states have reached an agreement on five laws from a broader package of measures aimed at ensuring a 2035 phase-out of new fossil-fuel car sales and providing financial support to shield poorer citizens from the costs of carbon dioxide emissions. The new climate rules are expected to reduce EU carbon emissions by at least 55 per cent in 2030 compared with 1990 rather than by a previously agreed 40 per cent. “The climate crisis and its consequences are clear, and so policy is unavoidable,” said EU climate policy chief Frans Timmermans.  Some of the core parts of the package presented were first proposed by the European Commission last summer, including a law requiring new cars sold in the…

  • UK ‘urgently’ needs to regulate biometric technologies, warns review

    New laws governing biometric technologies are “urgently needed”, Matthew Ryder QC has found, as part of the conclusions of an independent review commissioned by the Ada Lovelace Institute. The use of biometric data - including faces, fingerprints, voices, DNA profiles and other measurements related to the body - is becoming increasingly common in new technologies, particularly those related to facial recognition. However, the review has ruled that the legislation currently in place in England and Wales has "not kept up" with developments in this technology, finding it to be "fragmented" and "unclear" regarding its use. Among the legal review’s ten recommendations are that public use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology be suspended pending the creation of a legally binding code of…

  • Government’s net-zero plans exhibit ‘major failures’, report shows

    In a 600-page assessment, it found that while policies are now in place for most sectors of the economy, there is “scant evidence” that the UK will achieve any of its climate change goals so far. UK emissions are now almost half (47 per cent) their 1990 levels. Emissions rose 4 per cent in 2021 as the economy began to recover from Covid-19 but were still 10 per cent below 2019 levels. While efforts to boost renewable energy deployment and increase uptake of electric vehicles were found to have progressed, other low-carbon options remain “in their infancy”, the report said. Home energy-efficiency was one area found to lacking, especially considering soaring energy prices, which have dominated household bills in recent months. While the government promised significant public spending on…

  • £1bn plan to install digital signalling on railways draws ire from unions

    The Department for Transport (DfT) said the plan will deliver safer and more reliable services on East Coast Main Line which is one of the UK’s busiest rail routes. The technology, which will be rolled out across the entire southern section of the line – from London’s King’s Cross to Stoke Tunnels, just south of Grantham – will mean faster, safer and more regular trains. As part of the announcement, transport secretary Grant Shapps took the opportunity to lay into railway workers who have carried out a series of strikes over the last week over pay disputes. “While union bosses waste time touring television studios and standing on picket lines, I am busy getting on with the job at hand and modernising our railway,” he said. “This £1bn investment will allow us to replace unreliable Victorian…

  • UK plans ‘digital revolution’ in health and social care

    The UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published its data strategy to modernise its systems and improve access to healthcare all across the country. The plan rests on the government's desire to digitalise healthcare and aims to ensure that UK residents can easily access their NHS records and use their phones to manage appointments, book vaccinations and have virtual consultations by March 2023. The following year, patients are expected to be able to complete hospital pre-assessment checks from home. Moreover, a further 500,000 people will be able to access remote monitoring, allowing their doctors to monitor their conditions while they stay at home, while also freeing up hospital beds and frontline workers’ time, according to the DHSC.   “We are embarking on a radical…

  • Museums and libraries recover historic texts using spectral imaging system

    The spectral imaging system collects images in many wavelengths of light to reveal faded text that is otherwise undetectable to the human eye. The system was created with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities by researchers from RIT’s Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science and museum studies program with the goal of providing a practical solution to help curators, archivists and librarians get more out of their collections. “For years we have been doing this type of work using very large, expensive, complicated and difficult-to-use imaging systems that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said David Messinger, director of the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science and principal investigator of the grant. “We developed a low-cost imaging system that is very…

  • Hands-on review: 1More Evo True Wireless ANC earbuds with LDAC support

    It's an immutable and important shopping fact: there is no pair of perfect wireless earbuds. Despite the ongoing deluge of options, no one single product offers everything that every consumer desires. What is increasingly happening is some excellent products are addressing specific needs – in this case, high-resolution listeners and support for the LDAC audio codec. 1More's new flagship Evo earbuds are the company's premium pitch for the higher end of the true wireless market. 1More previously won an award at CES 2020 for its earlier-generation 'True Wireless ANC' earbuds and the Evo is the natural successor to its feted forefather. E&T previously lent an ear or two to the company's (and the world's) smallest active-noise-cancelling earbuds, the Comfobuds Mini . Now with the Evo, 1More…

  • Skills shortage threatens Japan's semiconductor industry

    Japan is currently facing a shortage of skilled engineers, as the country looks to strengthen its semiconductor manufacturing sector, weakened by Covid-19 supply disruptions. In an appeal to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry last month, an electronics industry body representing large manufacturers such as Toshiba and Sony said the five years until 2030 were “the last and biggest chance for Japan’s semiconductor industry to regain its footing” after years of losing global market share. The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) estimated that eight big producers will need to hire about 35,000 engineers in the next 10 years to keep up with the pace of investment. “It is often said that semiconductors are lacking, but the biggest shortage is…

  • Cambridge medical students train with holographic patients

    Cambridge University has pioneered a technology to train future doctors with life-like scenarios.  Medical students undergoing training at Addenbrooke’s Hospital are using a new mixed-reality training system to learn to treat holographic patients in a new world-first.  The technology, called HoloScenarios, can be used in person with a group of classmates or online, with students able to assess the scenarios using their phones from anywhere around the world. According to the university, it is more cost-effective than traditional simulation, which requires the hiring of patient actors.   Using virtual reality headsets, the students are able to interact with classmates and treat realistic-looking, virtual people with no fear of making a mistake. Mixed reality holographic…

  • Telecoms and automotive industries seek solutions amidst cost of living crisis

    The UK’s biggest broadband and mobile companies have agreed to improve low-cost offers to help customers stay connected as the cost of living soars. The bosses of BT Group, Openreach, Virgin Media O2, Vodafone, Three, TalkTalk and Sky made a number of commitments to support vulnerable customers during a Government-led summit at Downing Street yesterday (Monday 27 June). The measures include allowing people struggling with their bills to switch to cheaper packages or agreeing manageable payment plans, exploring tariffs, improving existing deals and better promoting these more affordable options. Telecoms providers, with the help of government, will also raise awareness of low-cost products to people on Universal Credit. While social tariffs, or discounted deals, are already available…

  • Over a million trees to be planted as part of River Thames road tunnel project

    A community woodland and two public parks are among the 400 hectares (1,000 acres) of “landscape scale” forest creation that the government has planned to offset the environmental impact of a new road tunnel scheme under the River Thames.  The proposed plans for the Lower Thames Crossing are expected to almost double road capacity across the Thames east of London and ease congestion on the Dartford Crossing, with the aim of connecting residents to jobs, boosting the economy and creating new public parks and woodland habitats, according to National Highways. National Highways said the Lower Thames Crossing aims to be "the greenest road ever built in the UK", as the project plans include the planting of over one million extra trees in Kent and in Thurrock, Havering and Brentwood in Essex…

  • Exoplanets could provide habitable conditions for billions of years, study suggests

    Researchers from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, have suggested that large rocky exoplanets at some distance from their star could retain their hydrogen and helium-dominated atmospheres. The study suggests that these planets can sustain temperate conditions and liquid water on their surface for long periods of time. As hydrogen and helium gases were readily available in the planet-forming materials around young stars, all planets built up atmospheres that were dominated by these two elements. In our own Solar System, rocky planets lost this atmosphere in favour of heavier elements, such as oxygen and nitrogen on Earth. Marit Mol Lous and colleagues from the University of Zurich investigated the evolution of such planets. They modelled the duration that hydrogen and helium-rich…

  • Why using up-to-date clean air technology is a win-win solution

    The importance of clean air to the UK is finally being recognised. A new clean air law is starting its passage through Parliament as a tribute to nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah, who died from asthma induced by air pollution. The bill would establish a right to clean air, and set up a commission to oversee government actions and progress – but could more be done? Poor air quality causes heart and lung diseases, is linked to low birth weight and children’s lung development, and may even contribute to mental health issues. The way the clean air problem can be tackled is clear: improving both outdoor and indoor air quality through a number of means. It might be surprising to know that we spend 90 per cent of our time in buildings. So, when much of the conversation focuses on improving outdoor…

  • UK to investigate the safety and potential of self-driving cars

    The UK Transport Select Committee has opened an investigation into the potential of autonomous cars.  The committee will look into the research and trials that have been done into autonomous and connected vehicles so far, with the goal of better understanding the technology's potential uses for private motoring, public transport and commercial driving. To do so, it will assess possible safety issues and the perception of safety, as well as consider the relationship with other road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and users of conventional vehicles. Once the investigation is completed, the committee might also request changes to be made to the current regulations regarding this technology, to introduce changes such as the vehicles’ legal status as well as create standard insurance and…

  • Hydrogen trains to replace diesel units in Berlin region

    This is the train-builder’s first order for a hydrogen fleet. The Mireo Plus H trains will be equipped with fuel-cell drive systems and lithium-ion batteries. Siemens will also be responsible for service, maintenance and spare parts, with provision for “continuous further development and adaptation.” The order was placed by regional transport company Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB) for the Heidekrautbahn network (RB27) and the trains are due for delivery in autumn 2024 ready to enter service by the end of the year. The use of hydrogen-powered trains on the Heidekrautbahn is part of a pilot project funded by the federal government and the states of Berlin and Brandenburg. The project is focused on setting up a regional, sustainable hydrogen infrastructure that also includes a hybrid power…

  • Online Safety Bill could hinder free speech, research warns

    The UK is facing calls to “slim down” its Online Safety Bill amid concerns over its impact on people’s freedoms and privacy. The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has published a briefing paper in which think tanks warn about the risk that the bill could hand the Secretary of State and Ofcom “unprecedented powers to define and limit speech, with limited parliamentary or judicial oversight”. The authors of the research have also expressed their fears that the piece of legislation will lead digital platforms to use automated tools in a “cautious and censorious” manner against content that is “only reasonably considered to be illegal”. The Online Safety Bill has been presented by the government as a ground-breaking law that will protect the privacy and safety of children in the digital…

  • Compostable crop sensors aiming to keep fields green

    The £1.8m CHIST-ERA project - dubbed 'Transient Electronics for Sustainable ICT in Digital Agriculture' - is led by researchers from the University of Glasgow and supported by colleagues in Canada, Finland, Poland and Switzerland. CHIST-ERA is the coordination and co-operation activity of national and regional research funding organisations, supported by the EU's Horizon 2020 Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) programme. Over the next three years, the partners will work together to develop a new type of environmentally friendly modular sensor system. Their intention is to find ways to create devices built from sustainable and degradable materials, with the aim of cutting down on the growing problem of electronic waste. The devices in development will have two parts: a solar-powered…

  • US researchers look to 3D-print organic electronics

    A Texas research team has identified the possibility of utilising micro-scale organic electronics in the development of flexible electronics and bioelectronics, via multiphoton 3D-printers. The team, led by Mohammad Reza Abidian, introduced a new photosensitive resin doped with an organic semiconductor material (OS) to fabricate "highly conductive 3D microstructures with high-quality structural features via MPL [multiphoton lithography]  process".  To demonstrate the potential electronic applications based on the OS composite resin, the team fabricated various microelectronic devices, including a micro-printed circuit board and an array of microcapacitors. Their findings have been published online in the journal Advanced Materials.  The experiment demonstrated that the fabrication process…

  • View from India: Use digital tools to improve animal health

    Ancovax, India’s first Covid vaccine for animals, has been developed by Haryana-based Indian Council for Agricultural Analysis (ICAR)-National Research Centre on Equines (NRC). It is awaiting approval. This is an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 delta vaccine for animals. Its immunity neutralises both the delta and omicron variants of the coronavirus. The vaccine may possibly be used for animals in zoos and national parks. That could be because predators such as lions, leopards and tigers have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. A few such incidents have been reported during the pandemic. A Covid-19 vaccine for animals may be necessary because large carnivores or minks could get affected. Broadly speaking, animal-to-animal Covid transmission is as likely as animal-to-human transmission. Whether the virus…

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