Clustered Prefab Cabins

Chilean architecture studio Larrou has designed a hotel near a field where sheep graze in Patagonia from wood-clad cabins that were prefabricated. Aka Patagonia hotel is located on a rural site north of Puerto Natales, a Chilean port city in southern Patagonia. Elements that form six guest cabins and the communal social area were prefabricated in a shipyard before being […]

Textile Warms & Cool Accordingly

Scientists at the University of Manchester have developed a new type of smart textile that could make its way into adaptive clothing that keeps the wearer cool in warm weather, and vice versa. The material achieves this through the use of graphene which can be tuned to alter the thermal radiation of the textile, with the team imagining the technology […]

Pandemic-Friendly Electric City Buses In Future

Previously, the electric bus was something of a hero in the making, a more sustainable paradigm for public transit that could help move the densely distributed city masses without a puff of smog-inducing tailpipe emissions. Then, COVID-19 happened, and all forms of mass transit are the enemy. Since London-headquartered startup Arrival is still in the early stages of fleshing out […]

Lyft Commits Up To 100% Electric Vehicles By 2030

Ridesharing company Lyft has today outlined a vision to transition to 100 percent electric vehicles by the end of the decade. The ambitious plan involves moving all cars used across its platform to zero-tailpipe-emission technologies, with the company anticipating benefits for its drivers as well as the environment. While the idea of ride-sharing and reducing the number of cars on […]

“Toughest” Solid Battery

A solid-state battery, where the liquid electrolyte that carries the charge is swapped out for a solid alternative, promises a number of performance benefits over today’s solutions, but there are a few problems to solve first. Scientists at Brown University are reporting a new design that overcomes some of the key hurdles, using a delicate mix of ceramics and the […]

Ultra Thin Smartwatch Monitors Body Chemistry 

By discreetly measuring the concentration of key chemicals in our sweat, thin, pliable sensors could play a huge role in how wearable devices track our health and wellbeing in the future. Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a new type of double-sided, disposable film that opens up some interesting possibilities in this area, by working […]

Can An App Detect Heart Failure From Someone’s Voice?

The most common symptom of heart failure, perhaps a little surprisingly, is a shortness of breath due to fluid accumulating in the lungs. A potentially life-saving app was developed with this in mind, as it analyzes the user’s voice to see if they’re experiencing heart failure-related lung congestion. Created by Israeli startup Cordio Medical, the experimental app is called Cordio […]

Self-Rotating Rotisserie

Rotisseries, or spit-roasts, have been setting saliva glands into overdrive since medieval times. Back then, servants were lumped with the unenviable task of sitting next to the spit and slowly turning the food over an open fire. These days you can get self-contained electric rotisserie ovens, but these take up valuable real estate on your kitchen countertop. Enter the ROTO-Q […]

Audio Beacons To Help People Out Of Smoky Tunnels

If you’re in a road tunnel that suddenly gets filled with smoke due to a vehicle fire, it can be very difficult knowing which way to head. That’s where EvacSound comes in, as it uses audio beacons to guide people to safety. Many road tunnels are located in remote, mountainous regions. As a result, rescue workers may take some time […]