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Articles archive for Year 2011

Tech»

Pilot plant in UK cleans waste water and produces fuel

By Damir Beciri
16 September 2011
uk-pilot-plant-waste-water-cleaning-fuel-production-1A new industrial plant that uses algae to clean waste water has opened in Gloucestershire, run by scientists from the University of Bath and environmental innovation company Aragreen. The pilot facility will demonstrate the efficacy of algae as a sustainable water polishing technology, using waste water from a nearby Welsh Water plant. The algae will… »

Robotics»

Robotic leg to compete with humans in rugby ball kicking at Rugby World Cup

By Damir Beciri
One Comment15 September 2011
massey-university-robotic-leg-1A group of engineers from the Massey University developed a robotic leg on task to out-kick former All Black Andrew Mehrtens as part of an innovation showcase during Rugby World Cup next month. The man-sized, muscular metallic leg might also upstage other players who have had less than consistent results in getting the oval ball… »

Bionics»

Clostridium sporogenes bacteria could aid in fight against solid tumors

By Damir Beciri
13 September 2011
clostridium-sporogenesA group of researchers from the University of Nottingham and the University of Maastricht have succeeded to employ a bacterium that is widespread in soil in order to fight cancer. They managed to modify a bacterial strain to specifically targets tumors without harming healthy tissue, and it could be used as a vehicle to deliver… »

Architecture»

Green architecture – Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa

By Damir Beciri
2 Comments12 September 2011
parkside-victoria-resort-and-spa-1Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa is a part of the scenic Victoria B.C., and its LEED Platinum certificate and 5 Green Key Rating (out of 5) prove it was built green from the ground up. The building is situated just one block from the Victoria Conference Centre and two blocks from the Inner Harbour and… »

Tech»

Zinc oxide moulding enables production of thinner and cheaper solar cells

By Damir Beciri
One Comment11 September 2011
epfl-thin-pv-cellEven though silicon is one of the most abundant elements, the energy required to make silicon from sand is immense. A group of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) developed a new nanopatterning technique which boosts the output of the cells, thus enabling manufacture of solar cells that are one… »

Tech»

Polymer batteries for cheaper and safer next-generation electronics

By Damir Beciri
One Comment11 September 2011
smartphoneRechargeable lithium-ion batteries are now the power of choice for a variety of portable consumer electronics. A group of researchers from the University of Leeds has invented a new type of polymer gel that could replace the liquid electrolytes currently used in rechargeable lithium cells. It would also enable production of cheaper lithium batteries without… »

Tech»

New controllable infrared coating for windows developed

By Damir Beciri
10 September 2011
berkeley-lab-milleron-groupResearchers from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have unveiled a semiconductor nanocrystal coating material capable to control the amount of solar heat while remaining transparent. The technology is the first to selectively control the amount of near infrared radiation and it is based on electrochromic materials (which use… »

Tech»

IBM and 3M developing new types of adhesives to create 3D semiconductors

By Damir Beciri
10 September 2011
ibm-stacked-chipsIBM partnered with 3M in order to develop adhesives that can be used to package semiconductors into 3D semiconductors. In order to develop these densely stacked silicon “towers”, IBM will draw on their expertise in creating unique semiconductor packaging processes, and 3M will provide their expertise in developing and manufacturing adhesive materials. The joint research… »