Industries
Biocompatible ink for 3D printing makes use of living bacteria
A group of ETH researchers led by Professor André Studart, Head of the Laboratory for Complex Materials, has now introduced a 3D printing platform that works using living matter. The researchers developed a bacteria-containing ink that makes it possible to print mini biochemical factories with certain properties, depending on which species of bacteria the scientists put in the ink.
Making tracks at rail manufacturing facility
In order to help simplify component and supply chain requirements at Hitachi Rail Europe's Newton Aycliffe based train manufacturing facility, the company has worked with Optimas. The new UK factory is the first of its kind outside of Japan, and is aimed squarely at supporting the European market, an effort that has been aided by Optimas.
Study examines the interaction of human cancer inhibitors
Medications which block enzymes belonging to the kinase family, are among the most effective pharmaceuticals for targeted cancer therapies. Scientists at the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have examined 243 kinase inhibitors which are either approved drugs or have been tested in clinical trials. According to results published in Science, some of these may have more applications than previously thought.
Robotic system can pick and pack your groceries
The technology division of what is supposedly the world's largest online-only supermarket, Ocado, has revealed a new robotic system capable of picking a wide range of grocery products from the 50,000 different items available on Ocado.com. The new system uses a proprietary computer vision system designed by the Ocado Technology robotics research team to calculate grasping points for a given item without requiring a 3D model of the object to be pi...
AEC-Q100 analogue switch enhances signal integrity
An AEC-Q100 (Grade 1) qualified dual DPDT / quad SPDT analogue switch featuring low resistance of 0.37Ω at 2.7V and 338MHz bandwidth in the compact 2.6mm by 1.8mm by 0.55mm miniQFN16 package has been introduced by Vishay Intertechnology. Ideal for both analogue and digital signal switching in space-constrained automotive applications, the Vishay Siliconix DGQ2788A offers ultra-flat resistance and parasitic capacitance to improve signal inte...
How to build a smartphone microscope
Add one more thing to the list of tasks your smartphone can perform. University of Houston researchers have released an open-source dataset offering instructions to people interested in building their own smartphone microscope.
'Getting in sync' with your baby
Making eye contact with an infant makes adults’ and babies’ brainwaves ‘get in sync’ with each other – which is likely to support communication and learning – according to researchers at the University of Cambridge. When a parent and infant interact, various aspects of their behaviour can synchronise, including their gaze, emotions and heartrate, but little is known about whether their brain activity also ...
Japan provides over half of the world's robots
Japan is the world's predominant industrial robot manufacturer. The production capacity of the Japanese suppliers has reached 153,000 units in 2016 - the highest level ever recorded. Japan's manufacturers deliver 52% of the global supply. These are results published by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) ahead of the International Robot Exhibition (iREX) in Tokyo - 29th November to 2nd December 2017.
The HS2 project stays on track
Throughout the construction of the National College for High Speed Rail, CP Electronics has supported a quality assurance approach to lighting control, resulting in a smoother installation for contractors.
Method could be used in targeted cancer therapeutics
Inspired by white blood cells rolling on endovascular walls before transmigrating to the disease site, scientists at ETH Zurich have succeeded in getting particles to move along the walls of microscopic, three-dimensional vessels. This method could be used in targeted cancer therapeutics. When white blood cells are summoned to combat invasive bacteria, they move along blood vessels in a specific fashion, i.e., like a ball propelled by t...