news

« BACK

Innovation



Results 21 - 40 of 269.


Computer Science - Innovation - 09.07.2024
Navigating the labyrinth: How AI tackles complex data sampling
Navigating the labyrinth: How AI tackles complex data sampling
Researchers at EPFL have made a breakthrough in understanding how neural network-based generative models perform against traditional data sampling techniques in complex systems, unveiling both challenges and opportunities for AI's future in data generation. The world of artificial intelligence (AI) has recently seen significant advancements in generative models, a type of machine-learning algorithms that "learn" patterns from set of data in order to generate new, similar sets of data.

Physics - Innovation - 13.06.2024
Miniaturizing a laser on a photonic chip
Miniaturizing a laser on a photonic chip
Scientists at EPFL have successfully miniaturized a powerful erbium-based biber laser on a silicon-nitride photonic chip. Since typical erbium-based fiber lasers are large and difficult to scale down, the breakthrough promises major advances in optical communications and sensing technologies. Lasers have revolutionized the world since the 60's and are now indispensable in modern applications, from cutting-edge surgery and precise manufacturing to data transmission across optical fibers.

Chemistry - Innovation - 05.06.2024
The mystery of cathodic corrosion protection clarified
Cathodic corrosion protection is a widely used technique for protecting steel-based infrastructure from corrosion. researchers have now clarified the detailed mechanisms involved, thereby resolving a controversial issue that had preoccupied the engineering community for decades. Corrosion is a chemical reaction to which even the strongest structures fall victim.

Innovation - Economics - 28.05.2024
Retail banks: cryptocurrencies on the rise as an investment
Retail banks: cryptocurrencies on the rise as an investment
Despite widespread skepticism, more and more retail banks are offering cryptocurrencies as a fully-fledged asset class. While some banks are specifically building up their own expertise in blockchain, most are relying on third-party providers. These are the findings of a new study by Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Physics - Innovation - 16.05.2024
Artificial intelligence calculates phase diagrams
Artificial intelligence calculates phase diagrams
Researchers at the University of Basel have developed a new method for calculating phase diagrams of physical systems that works similarly to ChatGPT. This artificial intelligence could even automate scientific experiments in the future. A year and a half ago, ChatGPT was released, and ever since, there has been hardly anything that cannot be created with this new form of artificial intelligence: texts, images, videos, and even music.

Environment - Innovation - 15.05.2024
Using solar energy to generate heat at high temperatures
Using solar energy to generate heat at high temperatures
Instead of burning coal or oil to produce cement or steel, in the future solar energy could be used for this purpose. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a thermal trap that can absorb concentrated sunlight and deliver heat at over thousand degrees Celsius. The production of cement, metals and many chemical commodities requires extremely high temperatures of over a thousand degrees Celsius.

Transport - Innovation - 15.05.2024
Researchers outsmarted EasyRide function on Swiss travel app
Researchers outsmarted EasyRide function on Swiss travel app
Experiments by ETH Zurich computer security researchers showed that smartphones can be manipulated to allow the owner to ride Swiss trains for free. The researchers also highlighted ways of curbing such misuse. It makes travelling by train, bus and tram super easy: instead of buying a conventional ticket, people using the EasyRide function in the SBB app can start their journey with a single swipe on their smartphone.

Health - Innovation - 02.05.2024
Blood diagnostics modelled on leeches
Blood diagnostics modelled on leeches
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a safe and inexpensive device for reliable blood measurements. It works using a suction cup and could also be employed to diagnose the tropical disease malaria - even by non-medical personnel. Many people are afraid of needles, and having a doctor take a blood sample from their arm makes them uncomfortable.

Life Sciences - Innovation - 22.04.2024
Spatial-temporal detection of apoptotic cell death in live-cell imaging
Spatial-temporal detection of apoptotic cell death in live-cell imaging
Apoptotic cell death is a crucial mechanism that contributes to tissue homeostasis and prevents the onset of several diseases. However, this phenomenon is challenging to identify within microscopy movies that can encompass thousands of cells. Led by Santiago Gonzalez, the recent study carried at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) in Bellinzona, affiliated with USI, introduces ADeS, an innovative approach based on artificial intelligence for the automatic detection of apoptotic cells in microscopy movies.

Innovation - Research Management - 15.04.2024
Research has lost none of its innovative drive
Research has lost none of its innovative drive
A high-profile study made headlines in 2023 stating that the scientific and innovation system is producing less and less completely new knowledge. Researchers at the University of Basel are now refuting this claim, at least for patents: It is based on a measurement error. The discovery of mRNA in the 1960s was groundbreaking.

Materials Science - Innovation - 04.04.2024
Airy cellulose from a 3D printer
Airy cellulose from a 3D printer
Ultra-light, thermally insulating and biodegradable: Cellulose-based aerogels are versatile. researchers have succeeded in 3D printing the natural material into complex shapes that could one day serve as precision insulation in microelectronics or as personalized medical implants. At first glance, biodegradable materials, inks for 3D printing and aerogels don't seem to have much in common.

Innovation - Physics - 27.03.2024
New process for the production of semiconductors
New process for the production of semiconductors
The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and the Finnish company PiBond to collaborate in the commercialization of advanced EUV semiconductor lithography products.

Life Sciences - Innovation - 18.03.2024
Two artificial intelligences talk to each other
Two artificial intelligences talk to each other
A team from the University of Geneva has developed an AI capable of learning a task solely on the basis of verbal instructions. And to do the same with a 'sister' AI. Performing a new task based solely on verbal or written instructions, and then describing it to others so that they can reproduce it, is a cornerstone of human communication that still resists artificial intelligence (AI).

Environment - Innovation - 04.03.2024
Cost of direct air carbon capture to remain higher than hoped
Cost of direct air carbon capture to remain higher than hoped
The cost of removing large quantities of CO2 from the air will fall in the medium term, but not as much as previously hoped. This is the conclusion reached by researchers on the basis of new calculations. Efforts to reduce carbon emissions should therefore continue at pace, says the research team. Switzerland plans to reduce its net carbon emissions to zero by no later than 2050.

Materials Science - Innovation - 01.03.2024
Turning waste into gold
Turning waste into gold
Researchers have recovered the precious metal from electronic waste. Their highly sustainable new method is based on a protein fibril sponge, which the scientists derive from whey, a food industry byproduct. Transforming base materials into gold was one of the elusive goals of the alchemists of yore.

Health - Innovation - 27.02.2024
Finding and blocking infection routes in hospitals
During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals often became hubs of infection. Researchers from ETH Zurich, EPFL and the ISI Foundation are developing a wearable tracking system for healthcare facilities that can identify the risks of infections. Initial tests in Switzerland and Africa show its potential. Hospital-acquired infections are an immense problem.

Computer Science - Innovation - 22.02.2024
AI-driven method helps improve quality assurance for wind turbines
An international collaboration between EPFL and the University of Glasgow has led to an advanced machine-learning algorithm to effectively detect concealed manufacturing defects in wind turbine composite blades - before turbines are put into service. Faulty wind turbine blades can incur huge costs for the companies that operate them, especially if the defects go unnoticed until it's too late.

Materials Science - Innovation - 09.02.2024
Innovative coating prevents limescale formation
Innovative coating prevents limescale formation
Wherever hot water flows, limescale is never far away. In households, this is a nuisance; in thermal power stations, it's an expensive problem. Now researchers at ETH Zurich have found an answer. Hot water tanks, washing machines, kettles: limescale forms in every domestic appliance that comes into contact with (hot) water - especially in areas where the water is hard, meaning high in calcium.

Materials Science - Innovation - 29.01.2024
Sound-powered sensors stand to save millions of batteries
Sound-powered sensors stand to save millions of batteries
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a sensor that utilises energy from sound waves to control electronic devices. This could one day save millions of batteries. Sensors that monitor infrastructure, such as bridges or buildings, or are used in medical devices, such as prostheses for the deaf, require a constant supply of power.

Physics - Innovation - 18.12.2023
A micro-ring resonator with big potential
A micro-ring resonator with big potential
Researchers have developed a hybrid device that significantly improves existing, ubiquitous laser technology. The team at EPFL's Photonic Systems Laboratory (PHOSL) has developed a chip-scale laser source that enhances the performance of semiconductor lasers while enabling the generation of shorter wavelengths.