A new wastewater treatment plant in Rio de Janeiro has opened in time for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in the city in August.
TI adds to NexFET FemtoFET mosfets
TI has introduced a 60-V N-channel power FemtoFET power transistor in a 1.53×0.77mm silicon-based package with a typical on-resistance (Rdson) of 54m designed to replace standard small-signal mosfets in space-constrained industrial load-switch applications. The CSD18541F5 expands TI’s NexFET technology portfolio of FemtoFET mosfets to include higher voltages and manufacturing-friendly footprints. CSD18541F5 key features and benefits …
Imec develops highly efficient bifacial n-PERT solar cell
Imec has developed a highly efficient bifacial n-PERT (BiPERT) solar cell featuring a bifaciality value close to 100%. With a rear cell efficiency close to the efficiency measured from the front of the cell, imec’s new achievement underscores the ability to strongly enhance the energy yield of photovoltaic (PV) modules made with this type of …
Bosch claims smallest 9-axis motion sensor
Bosch Sensortec has launched a 9-axis motion sensor in a 2.5 x 3.0 x 0.95 mm3 package, claiming it to be the world’s smallest. BMX160 includes accelerometer, gyroscope and geomagnetic sensors, and typically consumes 1.6mA. “It is ideally suited for applications such as smartphones, smart watches, fitness trackers, smart glasses, smart jewelry – rings and …
AI processors to get performance benchmark
The Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium (EEMBC) is creating a microprocessor benchmark targeting the compute-intensive applications commonly implemented on embedded heterogeneous compute architectures. The benchmark will be applied to parallel applications such as automotive surround view and image recognition and mobile augmented reality (AI). According to the independent processor benchmaking organisation, identifying the potential compute performance …
Transparent hole conductor for displays, solar cells and LEDs
An international team has developed a transparent hole conductor. While transparent electron conducting oxides are common, transparent oxides that conduct holes have not been commercialised due to their low conductivity. “Even though conducting holes and transparency were considered mutually exclusive, this new material both efficiently conducts holes and retains most of its transparency to visual …
Transparent hole conductor for displays, solar cells and LEDs
Robots will be at Wimbledon in 10 years
A quarter of people polled in research has been commissioned by the EPSRC UK-RAS Network believe that ball-collecting robots at tennis games will exist within the next 10 years. This one one of the quirky findings in the market research which is being released ahead of UK Robotics Week (25 June – 1 July 2016). …
UK drivers say robotic cars will be safer
More than a quarter of UK adults polled in the UK Robotics Week survey believe that the biggest benefit of driverless cars will be fewer road accidents. While 20% of adults polled in research believe driverless cars would make road rage less of a problem. The research has been commissioned by the EPSRC UK-RAS Network, …
China leads supercomputing with new machine
China is still number 1 in world supercomputing, breaking its own record with an entirely new machine. Built using Chinese designed and built processors with a Chinese archetecture, Sunway TaihuLight achieves 93Pflop/s on the LINPACK benchmark. Developed by the National Research Center of Parallel Computer Engineering & Technology (NRCPC) and installed at the National Supercomputing …
Qualcomm goes big on sat nav with Galileo support
Qualcomm is supporting the European Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) with its chipsets and Snapdragon mobile processors. Until now Qualcomm’s hardware support for Galileo was in selected chipsets nonly. The Qualcomm IZat location services platform will connect with up to six satellite constellations which means more than 80 different satellites can be used when …