• Ofcom raises over £1.3bn in latest round of auctions for 5G airspace

    Ofcom raises over £1.3bn in latest round of auctions for 5G airspace

    A total of 200MHz of spectrum was available to bid for in the auction, split across two bands. 80MHz of spectrum could be located in the 700MHz band, which is ideal for providing wide area coverage in more remote locations with sparser mobile towers. The other 120MHz of spectrum is in the 3.6-3.8GHz band, which is part of the primary band for 5G and capable of boosting mobile data capacity. The four networks, EE, O2, Three and Vodafone, took part in the principal stage of the auction, which involved them bidding for airwaves in 34 ‘lots’ to determine how much of the available spectrum they each secured. EE purchased the largest chunk of spectrum, winning 40MHz in the 700MHz band at a cost of £284m, with an additional 40MHz in the 3.6-3.8GHz band at a cost of £168m. O2 won 20MHz in the…

  • Transformation Optics Unlocking Next-Gen Connectivity

    Transformation Optics Unlocking Next-Gen Connectivity

    With investment from some of the biggest names in the industry: Boeing HorizonX Global Ventures, SES, UK Government Future Fund and Promus Ventures/Orbital Ventures, Isotropic Systems’ financial support and growth plan are robust. Their initial focus for launch is government applications; with aerospace, rail and maritime markets following soon after. However, they have the capability to expand further into community satellite broadband in the future if the opportunity arises. Isotropic Systems are actively hiring for skilled and ambitious engineers who want to help shape the future of the satcoms industry. Visit their  Careers Page for more information and to view & apply to current vacancies. They are working hard to practice and promote diversity, inclusion and equality within the workplace…

  • Direct air carbon capture firm sells first major contract to Shopify

    Direct air carbon capture firm sells first major contract to Shopify

    The e-commerce firm claims it has now purchased more Direct Air Capture (DAC) carbon removal than any other company and is urging other firms to follow suit. Shopify agreed to purchase 10,000 tonnes of removal from Carbon Engineering, adding to a previous 5,000-tonne commitment to Climeworks. DAC is a technology that directly pulls in atmospheric air and extracts carbon dioxide (CO2) using simple chemical reactions. Carbon Engineering’s US-based partner 1PointFive are currently jointly engineering their first industrial-scale facility, which is expected to be operational in 2024. It should be able to capture up to one million tonnes of CO2 each year and Shopify has agreed to purchase 10,000 tonnes of permanent carbon dioxide removal through this service. Shopify said it made the move…

  • Apple to set up $1.2bn silicon design centre in Germany

    Apple to set up $1.2bn silicon design centre in Germany

    Apple has said it intends to invest $1.2bn (€1bn) over the next three years to expand its team in the German city and increase the necessary research and development facilities in what will be known as the 'European Silicon Design Centre'. Munich is already Apple’s largest engineering hub in Europe, with around 1,500 engineers from 40 countries working in areas including power management design, application processors and wireless technologies. Apple's headquarters is the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The new Munich facility will be home to Apple’s growing cellular unit, Europe’s largest R&D site for mobile wireless semiconductors and software, Apple said in a statement, adding that the team would focus on 5G and other wireless technologies. The aim of the European Silicon…

  • The ancient Roman technology that is solving the space industry’s antenna problem

    The ancient Roman technology that is solving the space industry’s antenna problem

    Maija Palmer from Sifted recently caught up with Isotropic Systems to talk about the antenna being developed that can handle signals from multiple satellite systems with no moving parts. The cost of sending a satellite up to space is about 1/20th of the price it was two decades ago thanks to the arrival of SpaceX and its reusable rockets. But the price of the antennas that would allow you to receive the signals from all those new satellites remains prohibitively expensive. Plus, with a huge number of satellite constellations from Elon Musk’s Starlink, the UK’s OneWeb as well as Inmarsat, Intelsat, SpaceX, Amazon, SES and Telesat hitting the heavens, there is an increasing cacophony of signals to listen for, none of which will make antennas any cheaper or easier to build. UK startup Isotropic…

  • MPs slam government for gigabit broadband and 5G rollout delays

    MPs slam government for gigabit broadband and 5G rollout delays

    Full-fibre and gigabit-capable broadband to every home and business across the UK by 2025 was a key Conservative manifesto pledge in the 2019 general election. But the Tories softened their rhetoric on the stance over the course of 2020, saying they would go “as far as we possibly can by 2025” with Boris Johnson eventually committing £5bn to help ensure that at least 85 per cent of UK premises can access a gigabit-capable connection by the end of 2025. The chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee Julian Knight has now said the government has failed to explain how it will even meet this target. In the committee’s report, Broadband and the road to 5G, MPs warned that ministers risked failing to meet their latest, less ambitious target while also warning that the 5G…

    IET EngX
    IET EngX
  • Shopping habits of in-store customers analysed by floor-walking robot

    Shopping habits of in-store customers analysed by floor-walking robot

    Autonomous robotic systems that already pervade our daily lives face a host of challenging tasks, including stocktaking in a rapidly changing environment. To tackle this, a team at Skoltech’s Intelligent Space Robotics Lab in Moscow has proposed a novel method that helps build models depicting location-related demand dependencies and precise locations of lost and moved items. The team, led by Professor Dzmitry Tsetserukou from Skoltech Space Centre, developed a robot capable of reading RFID tags with an accuracy of 0.3m. The robot monitors shoppers, notes the locations they find the most attractive and predicts demand. As a result, it gives useful tips to the retailer on where it is best to place an item in order to increase sales and profits. “Existing solutions lack applicability to real…

  • ‘Covid-killing’ remote working pods to revive town centres

    ‘Covid-killing’ remote working pods to revive town centres

    The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has seen many high-street retailers either permanently going out of business and shuttering shops or at abandoning their brick-and-mortar locations for an all-virtual existence online to cut costs. This has left many of the UK's high streets with an increasing number of empty retail spaces. These vacant buildings could get a new lease of life from property company Space Republic, which is proposing to install self-contained, self-cleaning office 'pod' spaces that use ultraviolet light to kill coronavirus in empty shops, helping bring these ghost-town high streets back to life. Billed as a "safe, private workspace for the work-from-anywhere generation", the sealed work stations, called Pluto work pods, would be put inside defunct high-street…

    IET EngX
    IET EngX
  • Rapid rocket-building enabled in Scotland with landmark industrial 3D printer

    Rapid rocket-building enabled in Scotland with landmark industrial 3D printer

    Orbex commissioned Additive Manufacturing Customized Machines (AMCM) to build the largest industrial 3D printer in Europe, allowing the innovative UK-based space launch company to rapidly print complex rocket engines inhouse. The custom-made, large-volume 3D printer will allow Orbex to print more than 35 large-scale rocket engines and main stage turbopump systems annually as the company scales up its production capabilities for launches. The multi-million pound deal was signed with AMCM following a series of successful trials printing various large-scale rocket components over a number of months. AMCM will deliver a complete printing suite with post-processing machinery and ‘Machine Vision’ systems, providing automatic imaging-based inspection of printed components. To accommodate the new…

  • Europe’s first standalone 5G network developed in UK

    Europe’s first standalone 5G network developed in UK

    The current 5G deployment is in the form of non-standalone, which uses 5G New Radio (5GNR) complemented with 4G radio and 4G core. To develop this groundbreaking 5GSA, Surrey’s 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC) used the Massive MIMO 64x64 5GNR at 3.5GHz spectrum with 100MHz bandwidth present around its campus and its own 5G Core that was built in the UK by 5GIC researchers. The Surrey team then used a commercially available 5G capable mobile phone to test end-to-end performance of its 5GSA. With the use of Surrey’s 5G Core technology, most 5G-enabled phones could download ultra high-definition video content in mere seconds. The standalone network could also be a gamechanger for high-definition real-time video game services, allowing people to play their favourite titles on the move. Regius…

  • Blood oxygen sensor can be 3D printed at home

    Blood oxygen sensor can be 3D printed at home

    Known as an oximeter, the device has been designed so that it can be easily 3D printed and assembled at home with minimal tooling. It uses widely available components to provide indicative measurements of blood oxygen and heart rate that have been widely used for triage purposes during the Covid-19 crisis. The team said it made extensive use of open source or freely available design tools wherever possible such as PCB designer Eagle alongside FreeCAD and OpenSCAD for its body design. Anyone with a 3D printer should be able to make their own device, which comprises a sensor, readout electronics and software, with components that cost less than £10. The sensor is worn on a finger clip (pictured) and measures the reflection of different wavelengths of light, tracking the wearer’s heart rate…

  • Your dinner is printed

    Your dinner is printed

    At its simplest, the 3D printing of food takes the form of extruding purees through nozzles that consider the viscosity of the original feedstock, and printing it in additive layers onto a platform. The end result is often dried or baked into a biscuit form. The cognoscenti actually call this 2.5D, as the process involves many 2D layers and only the final product is itself a 3D object. Another approach is to load up a printer with capsules of ingredients, like inkjet printer cartridges. Supply water, oil and heat and the printer can then combine these ingredients into a finished meal. Indeed, food printers could potentially prepare a wide range of meals from a handful of basic ingredients. No one becomes an astronaut for the quality of the food, which is notoriously bland, largely freeze…

  • Online sales tax proposed to help curtail high street losses

    Online sales tax proposed to help curtail high street losses

    Officials have said such a tax would help to “shift the balance” between the rise in online spending and the reduction in visitors to physical shops. With high-street retail businesses already suffering prior to the pandemic, Covid-19 has dealt a deadly blow to many firms, with a record number of shops disappearing from shopping locales across the country in the first half of 2020. Meanwhile, Amazon’s UK sales soared last year to a record £19.4bn as people trapped at home were forced to purchase online. Despite this, the amount of taxes paid by the firm will only have minimally increased due to a complex tax avoidance scheme that it has implemented using Luxembourg as its main hub, Paul Monaghan, chief executive of Fair Tax Mark has claimed. Delivery firms such as Deliveroo and online…

    IET EngX
    IET EngX
  • Quantum receiver capable of detecting full spectrum of radio waves

    Quantum receiver capable of detecting full spectrum of radio waves

    Researchers for the US army built the quantum sensor, which can sample from zero frequency up to 20GHz, detecting AM and FM radio, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and other communication signals along the way. Dubbed the 'Rydberg sensor', it uses laser beams to create highly excited Rydberg atoms directly above a microwave circuit, to boost and hone in on the portion of the spectrum being measured. The Rydberg atoms are sensitive to the circuit’s voltage, enabling the device to be used as a sensitive probe for the wide range of signals in the RF spectrum. “All previous demonstrations of Rydberg atomic sensors have only been able to sense small and specific regions of the RF spectrum, but our sensor now operates continuously over a wide frequency range for the first time,” said researcher Dr Kevin Cox…

  • 3D-printed fresh vegetables become reality with new method

    3D-printed fresh vegetables become reality with new method

    The research team claims their method preserves the nutrition and flavour better than existing methods. Food inks are usually made from pureed foods in liquid or semi-solid form, then 3D-printed by extrusion from a nozzle and assembled layer by layer. Pureed foods are usually served to patients suffering from swallowing difficulties known as dysphagia. To present the food in a more visually appetising way, healthcare professionals have used silicone moulds to shape pureed foods, which is both labour and time intensive and requires storage. While 3D food-printing means food can be easily produced in a desired shape and texture in a shorter time, the dehydrated food and freeze-dried powders used as food inks usually contain a high percentage of food additives such as hydrocolloids (HCs…

  • Bioengineering threats rated as a top biosecurity risk

    Bioengineering threats rated as a top biosecurity risk

    The exercise was facilitated by the Centre for Existential Risk (CSER) and the BioRISC project, both based at the University of Cambridge. A group of 41 academics and figures from industry and government submitted 450 questions facing the UK government regarding biological security. These were then debated, voted on and ranked to define the 80 most urgent questions. The questions were sorted into six categories: bioengineering; communication and behaviour; disease threats; governance and policy; invasive alien species, and securing biological materials and securing against misuse. The line-up – published in PLOS ONE – includes questions around whether data from social media platforms should be used to help detect early signs of emerging pathogens; custom DNA synthesis; threats from “human…

  • View from India: Aero India’s runway to a billion opportunities

    View from India: Aero India’s runway to a billion opportunities

    Hailed as the Runway to a Billion Opportunities, the 13th edition of the international event has packaged a fair share of starry attractions. Countries will flex military muscle into space as fighter jets, metal birds and helicopters thunder the skies. Next-generation air combat capabilities, aerodynamically superior missiles, indigenous aircraft and sophisticated weaponry are among the highlights to watch out for in this year’s show. Global aviation companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Dassault and Airbus, and defence companies such as Thales and BAE Systems are among the participants. Aircrafts of the Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and the Coast Guard will showcase their prowess and technological self-reliance at the international show. This year’s event…

  • The measure of: Mambo 3D-printed fibreglass boat

    The measure of: Mambo 3D-printed fibreglass boat

    Mambo ('Motor Additive Manufacturing BOat'), introduced during the 2020 Genoa International Boat Show, was built by Italy’s Moi Composites via its continuous fibre manufacturing (CFM) process. Boasting a sleek, shiny coat of paint in ‘snapper rocks blue’, Mambo is equipped with a navigation system, cork flooring and white leather seats. Moi says the unique shape cannot be achieved with traditional manufacturing. Guided by a generative algorithm, the technique deposits continuous fibres into a thermosetting resin to produce a material with the strength and durability of traditional fibreglass. This makes it much easier to shape and saves time and money, the firm said: “A rare 3D-printing capability: continuous fibreglass thermoset material makes products strong, ultra-durable, and lightweight…

  • Ceramic-based ink used to print ‘bone’ with living cells

    Ceramic-based ink used to print ‘bone’ with living cells

    This is an entirely new technique: it uses a 3D printer to construct bone-like structures from calcium phosphate ink, which harden in minutes when placed in water. While the idea of using a 3D printer to create bone-like structures is not new, this is the first time it has been executed under convenient conditions: namely, at room temperature, complete with living cells, and without the use of harsh chemicals or radiation. The structure is portable. “This is a unique technology that can produce structures that closely mimic bone tissue,” said Dr Iman Roohani, from the university’s school of chemistry. “It could be used in clinical applications where there is a large demand for in situ repair of bone defects such as those caused by trauma, cancer, or where a big chunk or tissue is resected…

  • Wide-ranging 5G applications backed with £28m funding

    Wide-ranging 5G applications backed with £28m funding

    The nine projects will seek to show how the country could reap the full benefits of the 5G rollout. One of the projects will involve naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough appearing in a high-resolution “holographic” video via an AR (augmented reality) app, set to be released alongside the upcoming BBC series 'The Green Planet'. It has not been specified how the hologram will be generated. The app – developed by EE, immersive content studio Factory 42, and other companies – will highlight the possibilities of 5G to wide audiences and show creative and technology companies how well the 5G network can handle extremely data-intensive content, the government said. “This cutting-edge app, fronted by broadcasting legend Sir David Attenborough, is set to be an inspiring example of…

  • Construction restarts on UK’s largest Antarctica research hub

    Construction restarts on UK’s largest Antarctica research hub

    To avoid the risk of introducing Covid-19 to British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera Research Station, the construction team was forced to spend two weeks in quarantine and had three Covid-19 tests prior to making the 11,000km voyage by ship. Construction on such facilities can only take place during a short window in the Antarctic summer months, in order to avoid the harsh, dark winter. This is the second season that work has taken place on building the research hub, during which time the team aims to complete the pre-cast concrete foundations; ground floor slab; rock anchors, and stub columns, as well as the drainage and the perimeter wall, before returning in December 2021 to complete the outer structure. The new scientific support facility will be called the Discovery Building and…

  • Google’s ‘walled garden’ under regulatory scrutiny

    Google’s ‘walled garden’ under regulatory scrutiny

    The investigation will look into proposed 'Privacy Sandbox' changes to Chrome, specifically how the proposed phase-out of support for third-party cookies and other functionalities from the browser could flatten competition. Google would then implement a new set of tools for targeted advertising and other functionality. The CMA investigation follows complaints of anticompetitive behaviour and requests for the regulatory body to ensure that Google develops its proposals fairly. Google has framed the changes as pro-privacy. It has agreed to collaborate publicly on the plans before its changes are implemented in 2022. Online advertising is dominated by Google and Facebook, with the two US tech giants accounting for over 63 per cent of all advertising spending online - a lion's share that…

  • Morphing nozzle allows 3D printing of custom fibre-filled composites

    Morphing nozzle allows 3D printing of custom fibre-filled composites

    The nozzle offers the means for 3D-printing fibre-filled composites: materials made up of short fibres which have enhanced properties compared with traditional 3D printer parts, such as strength or electrical conductivity. These properties are based on the orientations of the fibres, which has previously been difficult to control during the manufacturing process. “When 3D printing with the morphing nozzle, the power lies on their side actuators, which can be inflated like a balloon to change the shape of the nozzle, and in turn, the orientations of the fibres,” said Professor Ryan Sochol, a mechanical engineer at the University of Maryland. The nozzle was built using 3D printing technology known as PolyJet Printing. This allowed them to 3D-print the nozzle with flexible materials for the…

  • Driving the best results from your data acquisition signal chain design

    Driving the best results from your data acquisition signal chain design

    Simply combining precision ADCs and high precision voltage references alone does not directly translate to the highest accuracy signal chain, and for many data acquisition systems used in instrumentation, industrial automation, medical devices and power line monitoring applications, precision is everything. Title:   Driving the best results from your data acquisition signal chain design Duration: 45 minutes + Q&A Recorded with live Q&A on 20th January 2021,  watch on demand -  register your interest Join this webinar to get some key ideas: The reference voltage's impact on the overall measurement accuracy The challenges associated with driving the ADC's reference input Common ADC reference driving solutions New ADC technologies that ease the reference driving challenge …

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