October 13th is known as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. The date aims to encourage both citizens and the government to take part in becoming more disaster-resilient communities. As we approach this important date, we investigate the next-generation technology that has been helping cities prepare and tackle climate disasters.
As the world transitions towards deploying green energy solutions and electric vehicles, batteries are becoming a vital storage tool, necessary to facilitate the energy transition. However, the chemicals used in conventional batteries such as lithium-ion can take hundreds or thousands of years to break down and are often corrosive and flammable. Consumer gadget batteries have been known to catch fire on aircrafts or caused fires in waste and recycling sites. Moving away from fossil fuels isn’t enough, the batteries used for green technology also need to be eco-friendly. To solve this problem, a team of researchers from the University of Maryland’s Center for Materials Innovation, led by Liangbing Hu, have developed a renewable zinc battery that uses an electrolyte extracted from crustacean shells. More…
In a world that is becoming increasingly globalised, the ability to cross language barriers is crucial. The advancement made during the 1990s technology boom transformed machine translations, and to this day, continues to be continuously improved. In recognition of the United Nations International Translation Day, we’ve explored the developments made in the field of intralingual machine translation. Let’s take a closer look at the key inventors, inventions and jurisdictions, as well as the trends within this field of innovation and the role machine translations play in intellectual property.
Energy is the pulse of our day-to-day life – how we create and use it is changing rapidly. One thing is certain, to limit global warming we need to move away from fossil fuels altogether and embrace sustainable energy sources. Solar power technologies have been developing for decades, and modern solar power could now become a viable alternative to fossil fuels, but it doesn’t come without its flaws. Solar panels can only be placed at certain angles on buildings, significantly reducing the amount that can be installed in towns and cities. There are also concerns that solar farms can affect biodiversity and farmland and natural habitats need to be safeguarded. But what if these limitations in built up areas were removed? Scientists have been developing transparent solar panels that could be the answer to these issues... More…
Biometric technology has come a long way in recent years. We are using facial and fingerprint recognition more and more in our everyday lives and although technically they can be duped, they are still more secure than traditional security measure like passwords. Biometrics allow accounts to be intrinsically linked to an individual, rather than co-opted by hackers who can guess passwords, making them a promising technology for a world that is increasingly online. With this in mind, could passwords be a thing of the past? And what are the benefits and drawbacks of biometric technology? More…
In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly designated the 7th of September as the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies. The aim is to stress the importance of and urgent need to raise public awareness and to promote and facilitate actions to improve air quality. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 99% of the world’s population is now breathing polluted air, 7 million people die each year due to air pollution and it is one of the main avoidable causes of death and disease globally. To tackle this, innovators have been developing technologies to help improve the air we breathe. More…
A global debate around AI and IP ownership has been on-going since the late 2010s. The main issues surround the question of whether AI can legally own IP if AI is not considered to be a legal person. There has been a divide in opinion between national courts, mainly regarding patent ownership, with some ruling in favour of AI and others strongly opposing. Let’s take a closer look at the current landscape of AI ownership of IP and how this is applied more specifically to AI art. More…
With the rise of veganism and evidence that meat and animal products significantly contribute to CO2 emissions, consumers are demanding more and more plant-based products. Plant-based food innovations have exploded in recent years, diversifying the range of products already available, improving their quality and providing consumers with more choice. In this infographic we explore some of the top plant-based innovations already available to consumers and those that are still under development. You can view the relevant patents mentioned in PatBase by clicking here. More…
Innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in healthcare has grown exponentially in recent years. Around 80% of doctors believe that AI in healthcare is useful and it is already being used in exam rooms by triaging hospital and emergency department traffic, analysing patient risk scores and identifying potential new therapies by simulating chemistry with computers. Even though there have been tremendous advancements in healthcare and AI, challenges around accessibility and affordability remain. With this in mind, how can AI help improve accessibility to healthcare? More…
Ever since 1421 when the very first patent was recorded in Florence, patents and their protected inventions have helped shape the modern world we live in today. Patents protect inventions, granting their owners exclusive rights over them for a period of time and allowing them to reap financial rewards. They have supported technological and economical advancements, as well as helping to solve problems through innovation. More…
