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Energy-harvest technology to make roads safer
Nationwide hunt for local heroes begins
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n eco-friendly energy-harvesting smart sensor could help make roads safer by identifying potentially dangerous driver behaviour. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are an emerging technology that harvests the freely available mechanical energy from daily human activities. In a study published by Nano Energy, engineers from the University of Surrey reveal how they used recycled plastic cups and silk cocoon waste to develop a soft and skin-friendly self-powered sensor, which can be used to sense human activities. When coupled with an AI system and applied in a car setting, the smart sensor could flag potentially dangerous driving trends, including slow brake reaction times. The highly flexible and biocompatible sensor could either be used as a wearable item on clothing or placed within the fabric of the steering wheel, horn, gear stick and brake pedal. In tests, it provided real-time feedback on the driver's actions, which allowed the AI system to compute performance. Dr Bhaskar Dudem, principal author of the study and Research Fellow at the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute, said, "We are all excited by how AI will influence future consumer electronics, but this future must also be friendly to our planet's environment. Our recycled silk-based smart sensor technology is a hint of what the future holds and, with support from industry, we believe we can soon bring it to market." Professor Ravi Silva, director of the ATI and corresponding author, said, "Whilst in this example we tested our sensors to monitor driver behaviour, we believe the ideal application of the self-powered smart sensor technology is in future driverless cars and other Industry 4.0 automation systems. This eco- friendly cutting-edge project with international collaborators inspires us at the Advanced Technology Institute to keep inventing solutions to real-world problems faced by society."
eople across the nation are being encouraged to nominate
tradespeople in their area who have gone above and beyond to help out their local community during the Covid- 19 pandemic (since March 2020). The ‘local hero’ awards, which have been
launched by UK manufacturer and retailer SGS Engineering this week, are designed to celebrate the most generous and thoughtful plumbers, builders, electricians, joiners, gardeners, and mechanics who offered valued help to those in need, as a result of the Coronavirus crisis. One national winner will be awarded a £1,000 cash prize and a Kielder Tool Kit worth over £500, while up to five regional winners will each take home cash prizes worth £250. Dave Gordon, general manager at SGS Engineering explained: “We’ve heard so many stories about tradespeople helping out their communities – whether that’s doing free MOTs for key workers or even gardening for those who are shielding – and we’ve felt incredibly proud to be part of such a committed and caring industry. “We wanted to recognise those individuals and businesses who really went out of their way to support people in need in their local areas, so we decided to launch these local hero awards. We look forward to seeing all the entries and reading about all the amazing work that people have been doing.”
Nominating someone for a local hero award is free and easy to do via the dedicated entry form. Those making a nomination are encouraged to share information about the tradesperson who helped them (or a friend/family member), what they did, and when they did it. Entry closes at 11:59pm on Sunday 7th March. Expert industry judges from SGS and Kielder will be reviewing all entries personally. A shortlist of finalists will be contacted and then revealed publicly on Monday 15th March. A poll will then be opened, enabling the general public to vote for an overall national winner and up to a further five regional winners, which will be crowned on Wednesday 31st March.
ENGIE and Equinor signed a memorandum of understanding to investigate the development low-carbon hydrogen value chains in Belgium, the Netherlands and France. In the coming months, ENGIE and Equinor will start discussions with potential customers to assess the project, as well as with stakeholders and relevant authorities. ENGIE and Equinor believe that it is essential to develop low-carbon and renewable hydrogen projects at scale in order to make it possible for industrial customers to significantly reduce CO2 emissions before 2030. This development of low carbon and renewable hydrogen will accelerate the construction of new hydrogen infrastructure and the repurposing of current natural gas infrastructure, thus paving the way for net zero in 2050. Edouard Neviaski, CEO of the ENGIE's Business Unit Global Energy Management said: “We are glad to work on this project with Equinor, a long-standing partner. ENGIE firmly believes that hydrogen will play a key role in the energy transition. ENGIE produces renewable hydrogen and supports the development of the market for low-carbon hydrogen. Both these technologies will be necessary to accelerate the development of a solid infrastructure and the transition to a carbon neutral economy.”
ENGIE and Equinor partner to develop low-carbon Hydrogen E
NGIE and Equinor announce their partnership to develop joint low-carbon hydrogen activities. The partners will investigate the production and market potential for hydrogen from natural gas whereby the CO2 will be captured and stored permanently offshore.
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