Engineers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new ultrasound transducer, or probe, that could dramatically lower the cost of ultrasound scanners to as little as $100. Their patent-pending innovation—no bigger than a Band-Aid—is portable, wearable and can be powered by a smartphone.

Synthetic biology is making strides in key applications, armed with the ability to create materials never possible before.

Many consider quantum dots as the ultimate and ideal phosphor material. This is because quantum dots and phosphors both act as downconverters and therefore share many applications in lighting and displays.

Thin-film solar cells made of crystalline silicon are inexpensive and achieve efficiencies of a good 14 percent. However, they could do even better if their shiny surfaces reflected less light. A team has now patented a sophisticated new solution to this problem.

It is a technological megatrend providing billion dollar business opportunities. The unique new IDTechEx Research report "Smart Materials as Structural Electronics and Electrics 2019-2029" explains how structural materials can be electronically, electrically, mechanically, magnetically and optically smart nowadays.

This article concerns TactoTek in Oulu Finland and how its technologies can scale up and create billion dollar businesses.

Advances in laser technologies over the past three decades have enabled lasers to progress from specialist scientific instruments to a diverse range of end-user markets. In this article, time periods where data storage and data communication segments dominated the laser diode market are coloured yellow, while the current era of emerging laser diode applications in material processing, sensing and healthcare is indicated by green shading in the charts.

Researchers have achieved a new efficiency record in organic photovoltaic cells. The process could improve the production of new devices for energy harvesting and lighting.

Key areas discussed and displayed at the LCV event include the battery, powertrain, lightweighting, autonomous driving and electric vehicle charging, from not only the technology but also business model and policy perspectives.

This event brings together the hottest emerging technologies including materials, components and systems with end users, who seek to use these technologies to differentiate their products through greater capability.

In this article, IDTechEx describe the emerging dynamic between the different QD approaches for displays: edge optic, film-type, color filter type, and on-chip- type. We will examine how, and when, these technologies are likely to commercially rise and fall.

U.S. buildings leak an estimated 30 percent of their energy through inefficient windows, costing consumers an estimated $42 billion annually. But that could begin to change if efforts are successful in commercializing a patented new process for synthesizing vanadium dioxide nanoparticles that makes manufacturing energy-efficient ​"smart windows" economical.

A new point-of-care rapid-sensing device can detect a key marker of eye injury in minutes - a time frame crucial to treating eye trauma.

Imprint Energy announced the successful completion of a $5 million investment round. Imprint has continued its progress toward commercialization. Multiple manufacturing partners have successfully printed Imprint batteries using their existing standard printing equipment, and Imprint batteries are moving into field trials of IoT products.

Ynvisible Interactive Inc is pleased to announce the opening of a new production and customer training facility. The new sheet-to-sheet production line will enable ynvisible to produce electrochromic devices for orders in the hundreds of thousands of unit per production run for products such as smart labels and Internet of Things devices.

The key next iteration for fiber reinforced polymer products will be the concept of multifunctionality. This is the idea of making a structural part carry out additional role(s) beyond their current primary mechanical task - the market for smart composite material is forecast to exceed 5 kilotons by 2029.

The 13.28% efficiency was independently confirmed by Newport PV laboratory, a recognized center for verification of solar cell results under standard testing conditions in August 2018.

IDTechEx will be hosting a free webinar on Wednesday 26 September titled Progress to the Foldable OLED Display.

Printed electronics use standard printing techniques to manufacture electronic devices on different substrates like glass, plastic films, and paper. Interest in this area is growing because of the potential to create cheaper circuits more efficiently than conventional methods.

Diesel generator sets are noisy and polluting; reducing or limiting their use is beneficial for both human health and the environment. Despite this, their ability to provide reliable and weather independent power around the clock means that they are unlikely to be completely eliminated any time soon. Hybridisation of diesel generator sets through the integration of photovoltaics and/or battery storage presents an excellent opportunity to change…