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Consumers discard or possess disused electronic goods containing raw materials critical for the green energy transition and worth almost $10 billion every year, the United Nations said on Thursday.

Toys, cables, electronic cigarettes, tools, electric toothbrushes, shavers, headphones and other domestic gadgets contain metals like lithium, gold, silver and copper.

Demand is expected to soar for these materials due to their crucial role in rapidly growing green industries such as electric vehicle battery production.

Ceramic nanowires could essentially be used even for car tires reducing even hazardous rubber waste.

A team of MIT-led engineers found a simple, inexpensive way to strengthen Inconel 718 with ceramic nanowires to be used in metal PBF AM processes. The team believes that their general approach could be used to improve many other materials. “There is always a significant need for the development of more capable materials for extreme environments. We believe that this method has great potential for other materials in the future,” said Ju Li, the Battelle Energy Alliance Professor in Nuclear Engineering and a professor in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE).

Li, who is also affiliated with the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL), is one of three corresponding authors of a paper on the work that appeared in the April 5 issue of Additive Manufacturing. The other corresponding authors are Professor Wen Chen of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Professor A. John Hart of the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Continue reading “MIT researchers develop Inconel 718-ceramic nanowires powder for AM” »

From the astrology software of the 1970s to the Co-Star app, spirituality has proliferated online. Now, large language models can find overlooked ways to connect with a higher plane.

In addition to reducing travel times, it could also offer picturesque views using see-through windows if the project is deemed feasible.

The plan first came to light in 2018 but is now being actively pursued as Dubai looks to stamp its authority on impressive constructions again, with Saudi Arabia also aiming for a piece of the pie.

Hxdyl/iStock.

Continue reading “The UAE wants to build an underwater bullet train to Mumbai” »

Blucap Moto has developed new navigational augmented reality sunglasses.

Robot arms yield powerful jets of water and sand.

Do you know how heavy container ships are decommissioned? The process takes place in South Asia with the use of fossil fuel-powered torches to tear the ships apart and cut them into smaller pieces.

This results in much pollution both from emissions and the waste that runs down to the sea from the broken ships. It is also quite dangerous for the operators who have no protective clothing and often suffer many fatalities.

Austrian startup CycloTech has unveiled CruiseUp, an innovative air vehicle that showcases the benefits of CycloRotor technology and its 360-degree thrust vectoring capabilities, all within a compact, passenger-oriented design.

Drawing on 15 years of technology development, extensive wind tunnel testing, and experience from over 500 flights of its technology demonstrator, the CruiseUp concept is designed to meet the individual air mobility needs expected to emerge in the coming decade. The vehicle promises to unlock new possibilities for everyday activities, enabling comfortable, simple, and safe transportation while also promoting sustainability by replacing pollution-intensive ground-based transportation.

CruiseUp uses CycloRotors as its electric propulsion system. This system is unique because it encapsulates the moving parts, providing an extra layer of safety for both the environment and the two passengers.

Researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have successfully applied reinforcement learning to a video game problem. The research team created a new complicated movement design software based on an approach that has proven effective in board games like Chess and Go. In a single testing, the movements from the new approach appeared to be superior to those of top human players.

These findings could possibly impact robotics and automation, ushering in a new era of movement design. The team’s article in Advanced Intelligence Systems is titled “A Phase-Change Memristive Reinforcement Learning for Rapidly Outperforming Champion Street Fighter Players.”

“Our findings demonstrate that reinforcement learning can do more than just master simple board games. The program excelled in creating more complex movements when trained to address long-standing challenges in movement science,” said principal investigator Desmond Loke, Associate Professor, SUTD.

Picture a smartphone clad in a casing that’s not just for protection but also doubles as a reservoir of electricity, or an electric car where the doors and floorboard store energy to propel it forward. Such technologies may one day be a reality, thanks to recent work by engineers at the University of California San Diego.

The researchers have developed what’s called a structural supercapacitor—a device that provides both structural support and energy storage capabilities. Such a device could add more power to electronic gadgets and vehicles without adding extra weight, allowing them to last longer on a single charge.

While the concept of structural supercapacitors is not entirely new, it has been a longstanding challenge to create a single device that excels at both bearing mechanical loads and storing electrical energy efficiently. Traditional supercapacitors are great at energy storage but lack the mechanical strength to serve as structural components. On the flip side, structural materials can provide support but fall short when it comes to energy storage.