• ‘World first’ 3D-printed railway station assembled overnight in Japan

    A new 3D-printed train station was constructed in just six hours in what railway operators are calling a ‘world first’. The installation took place in the rural town of Arida, Japan, between the departure of the last train and the arrival of the morning’s first. The project was a collaboration between housing company Serendix and the West Japan Railway Company. A compact, white curved-roof structure measuring 2.6 metres high and 6.3 metres wide has replaced a 75-year-old wooden structure. The West Japan Railway Company said a traditional construction would have taken more than two months and cost twice as much. The station’s foundations and exterior parts were pre-printed at Serendix’s factory in seven days. The parts were also reinforced with steel and a concrete cleat filling. Serendix…

  • Less than 10% of plastic is manufactured from recycled materials, study finds

    Just 9.5% of plastic materials produced globally in 2022 were manufactured from recycled materials, a study has found. Researchers from China’s Tsinghua University conducted an analysis of the global plastics sector, which also revealed a “large increase” in the amount of plastic being disposed of by incineration as well as substantial regional differences in plastic consumption. Plastic production has increased from two million tonnes a year in 1950 to 400 million tonnes a year in 2022 and is projected to reach 800 million tonnes a year by 2050. The lack of proper recycling has meant that plastic pollution has become a pressing global issue, posing major challenges for the environment, economy and public health. In 2021, the UK recycled roughly 44.4% of the 2.5 million tonnes of plastic…

  • Self-driving tech from Wayve to feature in Nissan models from 2027

    UK start-up Wayve to install its autonomous driving software in Nissan cars from 2027. Nissan’s next-generation ProPilot technology will see a camera, lidar sensor and radar combined with Wayve’s self-driving software. The Japanese car maker said this will set a “new standard for autonomous driving with advanced collision avoidance capability”. The collaboration between Nissan and Wayve marks the first deal the AI start-up has made with a global car maker. In May 2024, Wayne completed a $1.05bn funding round, which included investment from SoftBank Group, Nvidia and Microsoft, to enable the start-up to develop and launch its “embodied AI” technology for self-driving vehicles in the UK. This AI system, called AV2.0, is designed to handle highly complex real-world driving conditions…

  • Mobile network signals used to detect rain in boost to UK flood forecasting

    Vodafone has started using its mobile network to improve the accuracy of short-term rain forecasts, known as nowcasting. The forecasts provide detailed data for rain forecasts ranging from a few minutes to a few hours ahead and can help communities to prepare for flooding. Vodafone hopes the new trial across the River Severn catchment area could improve the long-term resilience of nearby residents and the environment. The mobile network can be used as an environmental sensor to monitor rainfall because of the impact that precipitation has on electromagnetic waves at certain frequencies. As water in the air affects the quality of the wireless link between masts, a microwave link can function as a virtual rain gauge, providing pinpointed and precise precipitation data. The River Severn…

  • Global energy grids strained by surge in AI data centres and chip production

    Electricity consumption by data centres is set to double by 2030, while energy required for AI chip production soared by more than 350% worldwide between 2023 and 2024. Demand for AI-driven data centres is booming. While tech giants such as Google, Meta and Amazon are all building their own facilities, governments are also investing in the infrastructure. In January 2025, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched the UK’s AI action plan with investment to speed up the building of more AI infrastructure. Now the European Commission has launched the AI Continent Action Plan to accelerate AI development in the EU. One of the key pillars of this plan is to build a large-scale AI data and computing infrastructure. This network of ‘AI factories’ and ‘AI gigafactories’ will be equipped with…

  • E+T Podcast: Episode 12 | Ukraine's hidden threat: Tackling the landmine crisis

    In this episode of E+T: Off the Page, the team explores the growing landmine crisis in Ukraine, now the most heavily mined country in the world after three years of war with Russia. Host Tim Fryer speaks with Michael Nevard, director of capability at the Halo Trust, about the devastating impact of landmines on civilians and the long-term challenges of de-mining. The discussion focuses on how Halo employs local Ukrainians to safely clear mines to help communities reclaim their land. Nevard also explains how land mine technology has evolved, which can make detection and removal increasingly complex. The conversation also highlights the broader, global issue of landmine contamination, referencing Cambodia, Syria, and Afghanistan, where decades-old mines still maim civilians. In addition…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Royal Mail trials solar-powered postboxes with barcode scanners

    Royal Mail has unveiled a solar-powered postbox equipped with a barcode reader designed to make it easier for customers to drop off their parcels. The firm said the new design is “the biggest change to postbox design since their introduction more than 175 years ago”. The iconic postbox design has broadly stayed the same, but has been given an extra-large opening to accept parcels larger than those that fit through a letterbox. Customers can then scan their parcel’s barcode and a drawer opens for them to drop it in. They can also request proof of posting using the Royal Mail app. Five of the new postboxes are being piloted in the Ware, Hertford and Fowlmere areas before Royal Mail rolls them out further across the UK. Letters can still be posted in the usual way through a separate opening…

  • Future of British Steel’s Scunthorpe furnaces hangs in the balance

    British Steel has announced that steelmaking in Scunthorpe is heading for closure as operations are “no longer financially sustainable”. The UK government has said it would consider nationalisation if necessary but a “commercial solution” was still possible. Founded in 2016 from the ashes of Tata Steel, British Steel has had a challenging decade because of reduced demand for the metal and tough competition from Chinese manufacturers. In 2020, Chinese firm Jingye Group acquired British Steel with a commitment to invest £1.2bn over 10 years to modernise its sites and boost energy efficiency. Jingye had plans for a number of initiatives, including developing the electric arc furnace in Teesside, constructing a new 250MW power plant to serve the Scunthorpe site, and investing in rolling mills…

  • Trump signs orders to revive coal production and limit state climate powers

    US President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders designed to reinvigorate the US coal industry, despite concerns over the fossil fuel’s climate-warming potential. Last year, the Joe Biden administration introduced a number of rules designed to cut pollution from the sector, which included requiring the nation’s dwindling fleet of about 200 coal-fired power plants to install carbon capture technology if they plan to continue operating past 2039. But Trump has claimed that coal is essential for the US to meet its booming electricity demand, partly due to the proliferation of AI data processing centres and the hope that his tariff policies will spark a resurgence in the country’s manufacturing sector. Coal produces significantly more CO2 per unit of energy than other fossil…

  • UK achieves first long-distance secure data transfer over a quantum network

    Researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Cambridgen have successfully conducted the UK’s first long-distance, ultra-secure data transfer using a quantum communications network. In years to come, quantum computers will be able to perform calculations exponentially faster than classical computers. As such, they pose a threat to cyber security as their brute computational strength means they will be able to break current encryption standards protecting data. This has spurred efforts to develop new quantum-proof approaches to secure communications, including quantum key distribution (QKD). QKD allows cryptographic keys, which are generated from a sequence of polarised photons, to be shared in a way that makes it physically impossible to eavesdrop without being detected. In the past…

  • UK’s 'largest' on-street EV charging project to deliver thousands of chargers in £130m deal

    Chargepoint operator Char.gy has secured a £130m contract - the largest in the UK - to install over 6,000 on-street electric vehicle (EV) chargers across Brighton and Hove. The UK was the largest EV market in Europe in 2024 and the third in the world with over 382,000 EVs sold – up a fifth on the previous year. While industry figures show that nearly 20% of all new UK cars registered throughout 2024 were EVs, EV adoption among private buyers has been lower than anticipated. An issue hampering adoption is access to a more reliable charging infrastructure, including kerbside or on-street chargers. Brighton and Hove City Council has announced it has partnered with chargepoint operator Char.gy, which provides kerbside EV charging solutions, to install more than 6,000 on-street chargers…

  • Sonar-equipped autonomous ocean drones hunt subsea threats

    Saildrone and Thales have trialled a scalable, cost-effective system capable of autonomously scouring the oceans to detect undersea and surface threats. In the firms’ most recent collaboration, US ocean drone company Saildrone integrated the BlueSentry thin-line towed sonar array from defence company Thales Australia into its Surveyor-class uncrewed surface vehicle (USV). They have now completed a trial that has seen persistent undersea and surface surveillance conducted in Saildrone’s fully autonomous, long-endurance vehicle. Saildrone develops USVs capable of performing long-range, long-endurance missions in the open ocean to obtain real-time data. Last year, Saildrone announced that its SD-3000 aluminium Surveyor-class USV was to begin testing with the US Navy to help map the seafloor…

  • UN warns AI boom could disrupt 40% of jobs and widen global inequality

    Globally, AI could impact 40% of jobs, with up to one-third in advanced economies at risk of automation, a UN report has found. The market for AI is projected to soar from $189bn in 2023 to $4.8tn by 2033 – a 25-fold increase in just a decade – the UN Department of Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has found. But the impact on workers could be profound if the potential productivity gains are realised, which raises concerns about automation and job displacement. Just this week, Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke told employees that they will have to show jobs cannot be carried out by AI before asking for more headcount and resources. In 2022, just 100 companies – mainly in the US and China – accounted for 40% of global AI research and development. Combined, the two countries hold 60% of all AI patents…

  • Harmonising Sound and Style in Open-Plan Offices

    Workplace conversations and calls are generally a distraction in open-plan offices. To improve the acoustical conditions of a workplace, Swiss consultancy Zeugin Bauberatungen models how sound propagates through office building designs and analyses specific design modifications to find the right fit. Acoustical engineers, like composers, can help shape the effect that sound has on human ears. And while the sounds that surround everyday life may not be as moving as a symphony, the acoustics of a room can have a profound impact on the people inside. Many modern offices are open-plan designs, meaning there is minimal physical separation between workspaces. Silencing every open-office conversation is neither possible nor necessary, but attention to workplace acoustical conditions can make other…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Underwater sound waves key to unlocking wave energy potential, study shows

    Underwater sound waves can be used to make surface waves more powerful to unlock their energy potential, say Cardiff University researchers. The power in ocean waves offers immense potential as a source of renewable energy and immense threat through tsunamis. However, harnessing this energy and converting into a useful form has proven challenging. Usama Kadri, lead study author, said: “The waves on the surface of the ocean are often created by a combination of wind raising up water and gravity pulling it back down – hence they’re sometimes referred to as surface-gravity waves. “On the other hand, their underwater counterparts are sound waves produced by phenomena like earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, sometimes thousands of metres below the surface.” These acoustic waves travel by…

  • Tariff-stricken car makers face relaxed EV targets ahead of 2030 petrol car ban

    The ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 is being maintained, but the government has relaxed the rules that manufacturers are required to meet. The ban was introduced in 2020 as a way to decarbonise Britain’s road transport and encourage the industry to shift production over to electric vehicles (EVs). But while sales of EVs have consistently been growing in the UK and across the world, they have not reached the levels hoped for. In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump introduced a 25% levy on imported cars, serving as another blow to British car makers. The Department for Transport (DfT) has now increased the flexibility of the mandate for manufacturers up to 2030, so that more cars can be sold in later years when demand is higher. It will also allow hybrid cars,…

  • UK hypersonic missile engine completes ‘milestone’ propulsion tests

    The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has completed a large-scale propulsion test that could power hypersonic cruise missiles by 2030. Hypersonic missiles can travel at several thousand miles per hour – more than five times the speed of sound. High-speed air-breathing engines have been extensively tested as part of the UK’s Hypersonic Weapons Programme, which aims at delivering a hypersonic weapon technology demonstrator by 2030. Defence secretary John Healey MP said: “We are living in a more dangerous world and it has never been more important for us to innovate and stay ahead of our adversaries, equipping our forces with the technologies of the future.” The engine tests were carried out by a joint UK-US team led by the MoD’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) together with…

  • Hitachi Rail’s north-east factory lands £300m order to build intercity battery trains

    UK transport company Arriva Group has ordered nine battery hybrid trains from Hitachi Rail to replace its entire Grand Central fleet. The order – worth £300m – will see Hitachi Rail build 45 rail ‘tri-mode’ cars at its factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. Tri-mode means the trains can be powered using electricity, battery or diesel, and can run on either electrified or non-electrified tracks. Being hybrid, they are expected to reduce both emissions and noise. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander visited the Hitachi Rail factory to announce the order, which she said was significant as it will help secure the future of rail manufacturing in the north-east. She said: “Not only will this new battery technology deliver greener journeys for passengers, but it will also boost skills for…

  • Evri to trial AI-powered robot delivery dog in bid to speed up service

    Delivery service Evri has confirmed it will trial an autonomous robot delivery dog later this year that will work with human staff to cut delivery times. The four-legged robot dog will be able to hop in and out of the courier’s van as it makes its way to and from homes delivering parcels, taking out some of the leg work for the courier. The device was developed by Swiss firm RIVR, and the focus of the trial is to gain insight into how the robot dogs can work with couriers to improve efficiency support with some of the more strenuous parts of the job. They can be deployed 24 hours a day, allowing for night-time deliveries or on-demand services with designated time slots for consumers. The robots are equipped with AI-powered navigation and obstacle detection that allow them to determine…

  • Luton Airport expansion gets green light despite environmental concerns

    The government has granted consent for Luton Airport to drastically increase its passenger capacity after it overruled the Planning Inspectorate, which had originally blocked the proposal on environmental grounds. The airport will now be able to raise its current permitted cap of 19 million passengers per year to 32 million by adding additional terminal capacity, taxiways and other transport infrastructure. The Planning Inspectorate said that although noise, traffic and greenhouse gas emissions would increase due to the expansion, these negatives were “outweighed” by the potential to boost local jobs and London’s capacity to accept more air passengers. Luton Rising, the Luton Borough Council company that owns the airport and associated assets, said the expansion would deliver up to 11…

  • AI scraper bots putting costly strain on Wikimedia infrastructure

    Wikimedia Foundation has revealed that automated AI bots scraping information from the internet are resulting in steep technical and financial costs. Since January 2024, Wikimedia Foundation has seen the bandwidth used for downloading multimedia content on its sites grow by 50%. This traffic is not coming from human readers, but rather from automated programs or scraper bots that are vacuuming up terabytes of data to train large language models and other use cases. Over the past year, the demand for content – especially for the 144 million images, videos and other files on Wikimedia Commons – has grown significantly. Wikimedia’s underlying infrastructure is built to sustain sudden traffic spikes. For example, when Jimmy Carter died in December 2024, his page on English Wikipedia saw…

  • Amazon’s space-based broadband service to launch its first satellites next week

    Amazon’s Project Kuiper, the space-based broadband service that will compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink, is planning to launch its first batch of satellites next week. The project, which has been in development since 2019, has been approved to deploy a constellation of 3,236 satellites into low-Earth orbit by the US Federal Communications Commission, although it has only launched two prototype satellites to date. Next week, a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket will take off from a Florida launchpad to deploy 27 satellites at an altitude of 450km above Earth. The satellite payload will be the heaviest that the Atlas V rocket has ever flown. Amazon said that once the full constellation is in orbit, Project Kuiper will deliver high-speed, low-latency internet to virtually any location…

  • Millimetre-sized injectable pacemaker could revolutionise heart surgery

    Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a tiny pacemaker that is injected into the body, controlled using light shone through the skin, and dissolves when no longer needed. Temporary pacemakers are often required after heart surgery while the patient waits for a permanent pacemaker or to help restore the heart’s rhythm. Implanting these devices requires invasive procedures, with wires protruding from the body. Potential complications include infection, dislodgement, torn or damaged tissues, bleeding and blood clots. Researchers at Northwestern in Illinois, US, had previously developed a quarter-sized (24mm) dissolvable electronic device for temporary pacing that eliminated the need for bulky batteries and wires. While it proved promising in pre-clinical animal studies…

  • Plastic packaging waste transformed into high-quality 3D printed products

    Researchers in Germany have created a method to transform plastic packaging waste into high-quality 3D printed products. Single-use or throwaway plastic packaging is a major environmental hazard. This not only in terms of how it is produced – most are based on crude oil – but also what happens once they are disposed of, as most are not recycled. In Germany alone, 5.6 million metric tons of plastic packaging winds up in household waste each year. Currently, less than a third of it can be recycled. Working in partnership with Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences (HSB), the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) aims to recycle post-consumer plastic waste into filaments that can be used to make high-quality 3D-printed products.…

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