Tech News related to Urban Mining for Metals, Robot Finding Lost Items, Self-Driving Cars, Bipedal Robot, Quantum Networking, Wireless Wearables
Note: I do not write/own any of the tech news bits (and cover picture) given here. The links on each of the news bits will redirect to the news source. The content given under each headline is a basic gist and not the full story.
*Cover picture credit: Freepik*
1. Urban Mining for Metals Flashes Electronic Trash into Treasure
Source: Rice University
4 Oct 2021
In what should be a win-win-win for the environment, a process developed to extract valuable metals from electronic waste would also use up to 500 times less energy than current lab methods and produce a byproduct clean enough for agricultural land. The flash Joule heating method introduced last year to produce graphene from carbon sources like waste food and plastic has been adapted to recover rhodium, palladium, gold, and silver for reuse.
2. A Robot That Finds Lost Items
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
5 Oct 2021
Researchers have created a robotic system, RFusion, that is a robotic arm with a camera and radio frequency (RF) antenna attached to its gripper. It fuses signals from the antenna with visual input from the camera to locate and retrieve an item, even if the item is buried under a pile and completely out of view.
Original written by: Adam Zewe
3. Making Self-Driving Cars Human-Friendly
Source: University of Leeds
5 Oct 2021
Automated vehicles could be made more pedestrian-friendly thanks to new research which could help predict when people will cross the road. The scientists investigating how to better understand human behaviour in traffic say that neuroscientific theories of how the brain makes decisions can be used in automated vehicle technology to improve safety and make them more human-friendly.
4. A Bipedal Robot That Can Ride a Skateboard and Walk a Slackline
Source: California Institute of Technology
6 Oct 2021
Researchers have built a bipedal robot that combines walking with flying to create a new type of locomotion, making it exceptionally nimble and capable of complex movements. Part walking robot, part flying drone, the newly developed LEONARDO can walk a slackline, hop, and even ride a skateboard.
Original written by: Robert Perkins
5. Researchers Reach Quantum Networking Milestone in Real-World Environment
Source: DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
6 Oct 2021
A team has developed and demonstrated a novel, fully functional quantum local area network, or QLAN, to enable real-time adjustments to information shared with geographically isolated systems at ORNL using entangled photons passing through optical fiber.
Original written by: Elizabeth Rosenthal
6. Wireless Wearables That Never Need a Charge
Source: University of Arizona College of Engineering
8 Oct 2021
Engineers have developed a type of wearable they call a “biosymbiotic device,” which has several unprecedented benefits. Not only are the devices custom 3D-printed and based on body scans of wearers, but they can operate continuously using a combination of wireless power transfer and compact energy storage.
Original written by: Emily Dieckman
That’s all the tech news for this week! Maybe you can help me provide news better. Leave a comment below if you have any suggestions or send me a message via the contact form! Have fun!
