• Algae printed into tough material with plant-like properties

    The scientists combined 3D printing with a novel bioprinting technique to print algae into living, photosynthetic materials which are also tough and resilient. “Three-dimensional printing is a powerful technology for fabrication of living functional materials that have a huge potential in a wide range of environmental and human-based applications,” said Dr Srikkanth Balasubramanian, a researcher at Delft and first author of the study. “We provide the first example of an engineered photosynthetic material that is physically robust enough to be deployed in real-life applications.” Srikkanth Balasubramanian and his colleagues started with a non-living bacterial cellulose: an organic compound produced and excreted by bacteria. Its combination of mechanical properties renders it flexible, tough…

  • Holland’s 3D-printed concrete house welcomes first occupants

    The house, situated in the Eindhoven neighbourhood of Bosrijk, is the first of five within ‘Project Milestone’ and fully complies with all of the strict building requirements of The Netherlands. The project partners have realised a home with an original design thanks to extensive R&D that enlarged the freedom of form in concrete printing. Project Milestone is a joint construction and innovation project of Eindhoven University of Technology, Van Wijnen, Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix, Vesteda, the Municipality of Eindhoven and Witteveen+Bos. The house is a detached single-storey home with 94 square metres of net floor area, a spacious living room, and two bedrooms. The home is shaped like a large boulder, which fits in well with the natural location and demonstrates the freedom of form offered…

  • Can a shape-shifting mannequin make the fashion industry more sustainable?

    It is undeniable that emerging technologies are changing the world of fashion, ranging from personal recommendation engines using artificial intelligence (AI) to fitting rooms based in augmented reality done remotely from a smartphone. However, there is a sustainability crisis that still looms over the industry and advocates are doing all that they can to raise awareness of the importance of innovation for sustainability across the sector. For some time, technologies such as AI have been fine-tuning fashion business models, with AI being used to predict fashion trends as well as aiding the design process. It has also been effective in providing insights into how designers can tweak their designs to better resonate with the behaviours of consumers. Although AI and robotics have already proven…

  • Personalised 3D-printed facemasks made possible using smartphone mugshots

    A team from the University of Edinburgh has designed a system which generates 3D images of participants’ faces using either a precision scanner or three pictures taken with a smartphone. From this, moulds can be created that precisely match the contours of an individual’s face. The moulds can be 3D-printed and used to make mask components made of silicone, with the final product assembled using additional plastic parts and a filter section. While masks could be made using scanners or smartphone images, being able to capture pictures remotely is particularly beneficial during the pandemic due to social distancing rules and the ubiquity of remote working. Computer simulation of the reusable facemasks Image credit: University of Edinburgh Researchers found that…

  • Apple to invest £430bn in US; updates iOS with ad-tracking features

    Apple said it will allocate tens of billions of dollars to the development of next-generation silicon, including further research into 5G. Most of the new jobs are expected to be in roles focusing on machine learning, artificial intelligence, software engineering and other technology fields. “At this moment of recovery and rebuilding, Apple is doubling down on our commitment to US innovation and manufacturing with a generational investment reaching communities across all 50 states,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’re creating jobs in cutting-edge fields - from 5G to silicon engineering to artificial intelligence - investing in the next generation of innovative new businesses, and in all our work, building toward a greener and more equitable future.” Apple said it currently supports…

  • Google and Facebook are failing to tackle fake adverts, Which? says

    In a survey carried out by Which?, a third (34 per cent) of victims said that scam adverts were not taken down by Google after they reported them, while a quarter (26 per cent) of victims who reported a scam advert on Facebook also said the advert was not removed by the social media company. The survey, which was conducted by Opinium on behalf of Which?, asked 2,000 adults about their experiences, with 298 people saying they had fallen victim to a scam ad. Which? said that online platforms should be given legal responsibility for preventing fake and fraudulent adverts from appearing on their sites in order to force them to take more action. It called on the government to include such a ruling in the scope of its proposed Online Safety Bill . The survey also highlighted low levels of engagement…

  • ‘Fingerprint’ for 3D printer could help protect intellectual property

    3D printing is transforming everything from fashion and health care to transportation and toys. But this rapidly evolving technology, also known as additive manufacturing, can threaten national security and intellectual property rights. To reduce the illicit use of 3D printers, Zhanpeng Jin, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo, is developing a way to track the origin of 3D-printed items. Jin’s concern was that, as long as people have the digital design for an item – which can be downloaded from the internet, sometimes as open-source material – they can print out anything they want, ranging from computer parts and toys to more dangerous objects such as fully functional handguns and assault rifles. “So, what would be…

  • 5G mast rules relaxed to improve rural coverage by making them bigger

    The reforms will also help to reduce build time and costs for new infrastructure and with each mast able to fit more equipment, it could mean a lower number of towers servicing the same area. Under the proposals, mobile companies will be allowed to make new and existing masts up to five metres taller and two metres wider than current rules permit. But stricter rules will apply in protected areas, including national parks, the Broads, conservation areas, areas of outstanding natural beauty and world heritage sites. In addition, building based masts could be built closer to roads in order to offer better coverage for drivers. The government said it hopes the move will “turbocharge” the delivery of the £1bn Shared Rural Network which was created last year to allow operators to share infrastructure…

  • Ocado invests £10m in Oxbotica for autonomous vehicle solutions

    Ocado Group plc has commercially partnered with Oxbotica Ltd, headquartered in Oxford. Ocado will invest £10m in Oxbotica as part of Oxbotica’s latest Series B equity funding round, which included other strategic and financial investors in the UK, the US, China and Australia. Ocado will take a seat on Oxbotica’s board. The purpose of the partnership is to collaborate on hardware and software interfaces for autonomous vehicles, enhancing and integrating Oxbotica’s autonomy software platform into a variety of vehicles. Potential use cases range from vehicles that operate inside of Ocado’s Customer Fulfilment Centre (CFC) buildings and the yard areas that surround them, all the way to last-mile deliveries and kerb-to-kitchen robots. This will be a multi-year collaboration and the ultimate…

  • Why electrifying the last mile of your online order delivery is so important

    In December 2020, ‘Cyber Monday’ saw a record-breaking $10.8bn spent in a single day - the largest online shopping day in US history. It’s just one example of the continuing growth of e-commerce that is encouraging vehicle manufacturers and logistics companies to focus on solutions for making deliveries more efficient and environmentally sustainable. The ‘last mile’ of a delivery is the movement of goods from a transportation hub to their final destination. Anyone who is familiar with the delivery ecosystem will tell you that this stage is the most difficult. It is also, however, the easiest to electrify. Commercial vehicles responsible for the ‘middle mile’ – delivery from the depot to the stores – are large and have to be capable of travelling long distances. They require very heavy, expensive…

  • Dynamically controlled surface for 3D printers could help reduce waste

    Traditional 3D printing uses the 'Fused Deposition Modelling' (FDM) technique, which prints layer-by-layer directly onto a static metal surface. The new prototype instead uses a programmable, dynamically-controlled surface made of moveable metal pins to replace the printed supports. The pins rise as the printer progressively builds the product. The prototype was created by a team at the University of Southern California (USC) Viterbi’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Yong Chen, professor of industrial and systems engineering at USC and lead of the study, said that testing of the new prototype has shown it saves around 35 per cent in materials used to print objects. “I work with biomedical doctors who 3D print using biomaterials to build tissue or organs,” Chen explained…

  • 5G operators head for the clouds

    Back in the 1980s computer giant IBM narrowly avoided being broken into parts in the same way that phone company Bell had been in the previous decade. Part of the reason for the US government abandoning its antitrust investigation of Big Blue was then president Ronald Reagan’s enthusiasm for the way the company had managed to break into the Japanese market at a time when electronics companies from the Far East were laying waste to American suppliers thanks to their willingness to sell products more cheaply. In the event, IBM’s reprieve proved to be less effective than its management had hoped. At the start of 1993, the company won the record for the biggest ever corporate loss in US corporate history, at least up to that point. IBM’s weakness proved not to be antitrust lawyers concerned over…

  • Designing electrical models in Revit: Learn how to efficiently and accurately respond to changes

    Discover how you can optimise your electrical system design while easily maintaining design integrity with Trimble solutions. Whether you’re at the beginning of your digital transformation or looking to make significant improvements to your existing BIM workflow, this on-demand webinar will show you how you can dramatically increase your design efficiency and accuracy. Key Learning Points: Learn how to improve your productivity and accuracy whilst producing electrical 3D designs Learn how to improve your BIM workflow Understand how specialist software allows you to go beyond Revit functionality Download here

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Europe needs €300bn 5G investment, report finds

    ETNO’s report suggests that investment on this scale could benefit Europe to the tune of 2.4 million new jobs over the next four years, while also boosting economic growth and accelerating green transformation. The release comes prior to a meeting of EU heads of state for the European Council where they will discuss the future of Europe’s industrial and digital policy. The new analysis, carried out by consulting firm BCG on behalf of ETNO, finds that 5G alone can generate an annual increase of €113bn in GDP by 2025. The construction of gigabit networks and new digital services could also help to increase productivity as the continent tries to recover from the Covid-19 impact. BCG estimates that €150bn is still needed to achieve a 'full 5G' scenario in Europe, while an additional €150bn…

  • Implants embedded with antibiotics used to regenerate damaged bone

    Each year, around four million people worldwide develop a bone infection following an open fracture or surgery. The gold standard treatment comprises a lengthy antibiotic therapy, usually delivered orally or intravenously, and the removal of infected bone tissue. This often leaves behind a hole too large for the body to fill via normal bone regeneration.  To tackle this, a group of researchers from the Netherlands, Italy and Spain outlined a novel treatment approach they have developed – antibiotic-releasing and biodegradable 3D-printed scaffolds, capable of supporting bone regeneration and delivering antibiotics at the same time. “Every person has their own individual body anatomy, which certainly requires a specific intervention in the event of bone injury,” explained Lorenzo Moroni,…

  • UK government to support sustainable fashion in Waste Prevention Programme

    The UK government has unveiled plans to reduce waste, which include proposals for measures that will ramp up action on fast fashion production and hold manufacturers accountable for textile waste. The plans form part of a new wide-ranging Waste Prevention Programme for England , which sets out how the government and industry can take action across seven key sectors – construction; textiles; furniture; electrical products; road vehicles; packaging, plastics and single-use items; and food – to minimise waste and work towards a more resource-efficient economy. Building on the Resources & Waste Strategy , the government said they will consult stakeholders by the end of 2022 on options for textiles. For example, its Extended Producer Responsibility scheme would ensure the industry contributes…

  • 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

    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

    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 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

    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

    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

    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

    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

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