Most modern concrete usually only lasts decades whereas some of today's alternatives last longer. Concrete degradation of our infrastructure now requires high repair costs, which can be avoided if we use self-healing concrete in the first place. However there are cost and other issues with this relatively new technology.

How can doctors make sure a dressed wound is healing without taking off the bandage? This is a conundrum, because removing a bandage can disrupt the healing process. Technology presented in a new study in open-access journal Frontiers in Physics could help.

Thursday 11 November 2021 - The latest commercial developments in the field; Assessment of the different strategic approaches being adopted; The key technology pillars required for a MI approach; Industry pain points; and Application case studies

The discovery in 2018 of superconductivity in two single-atom-thick layers of graphene stacked at a precise angle of 1.1 degrees (called 'magic'-angle twisted bilayer graphene) came as a big surprise to the scientific community. Since the discovery, physicists have asked whether magic graphene's superconductivity can be understood using existing theory, or whether fundamentally new approaches are required - such as those being marshalled to understand the mysterious ceramic compound that superconducts at high temperatures.

A research team has set a new efficiency record for a perovskite solar cell at 25.8% by forming an interlayer between electron-transporting and perovskite layers to minimize interfacial defects, contributing to the decrease in the power conversion efficiencies.

A new method of 'sliding' delicate high-performance electronics onto flexible surfaces could enable future developments in electronics, scientists say. Engineers claim they have found a way to solve one of the key problems of contact printing - a method of planting electronics onto bendable plastic surfaces to create flexible electronic circuits and devices.

An exciting new solar material called organic-inorganic halide perovskites could one day help the US achieve its solar ambitions and decarbonize the power grid. One thousand times thinner than silicon, perovskite solar materials can be tuned to respond to different colors of the solar spectrum simply by altering their composition mix.

Thursday 28 October 2021 - Overview of current and future electric motor technologies from OEMs; Emerging motor technologies such as axial flux and in-wheel motors; A look at electric motors in cars, vans, trucks, two-wheelers and buses; and more.

Researchers have designed a thin polymeric sensor platform on a radiofrequency ablation needle to monitor temperature and pressure in real time. The sensors integrated onto 1.5 mm diameter needle tip have proven their efficacy during clinical tests and expect to provide a new opportunity for safer and more effective medical practices.

Researchers have developed a flexible, slimmed-down robotic laser probe for endoscopic larynx surgeries that could reduce recovery time for patients and cut health care spending by shifting procedures from hospitals to doctors' offices.

Optomec has introduced a new high performance semiconductor packaging solution for the rapidly growing mm-wave electronics market, in response to demands from its customers in the 5G, Autonomous Vehicle, Defense and Medical segments.

Ocean waves can be powerful, containing enough energy to push around sand, pebbles and even boulders during storms. These waves, as well as smaller, more gentle ones, could be tapped as a source of renewable energy. Now, researchers have developed flexible power generators that mimic the way seaweed sways to efficiently convert surface and underwater waves into electricity to power marine-based devices.

Under US sanctions, Huawei's revenue in the first half of 2021 was RMB 320.4 billion, which despite COVID-19 is a 38% decrease from RMB 454 billion in the same period last year; Xu Zhijun, Huawei's rotating chairman, pointed out that Huawei's goal is to survive. IDTechEx has recently launched the new version of their market research report on 5G - "5G Technology, Market and Forecasts 2022-2032". Some of the findings from the new report are presented in this article.

"Robotic" textiles could help performers and athletes train their breathing, and potentially help patients recovering from postsurgery breathing changes.

Creative Materials introduces 129-06 temperature sensing conductive ink, adhesive and coating in either one component or two component versions.

PragmatIC Semiconductor has secured $80 million of Series C funding. This scale-up investment will be used to build a second FlexLogIC fab in the North East of England, to meet the growing demand for ultra-low-cost flexible integrated circuits for the Internet of Everything.

Event summary: TechBlick Virtual Conference on Printed/Flexible Electronics

Think of a temperature sensor - and a traditional glass thermometer, or perhaps a small thermistor would probably spring to mind. However, a new class of temperature sensors is rapidly emerging that offers spatial resolution together with a thin-film format.

Thursday 21 October 2021 - IME offers multiple advantages relative to conventional mechanical switches, including reduction in weight and material consumption of up to 70% along with a much simpler assembly. Given these benefits, and increasing interest from OEMs/manufacturers/material suppliers, IDTechEx forecasts IME to be a $1.5bn market by 2032.