Apr 27, 2018

Fri, 04/27/2018 - 10:56am Comments In this April 13, 2018, photo, bank customers speak with a robot at an automated branch in Shanghai. The outlet opened by Beijing-based China Construction Bank has been dubbed China's first "unmanned bank" and is equipped with face-scanning software, a virtual reality room and talking robots. (Image Credit: AP Photo/Dake Kang) China’s Unmanned Bank China Construction Bank, a state-owned establishment, has opened a branch that is equipped with numerous automation tools , from facial scanning software and a virtual reality room, to a hologram machine, talking robots, and touchscreens. These technologies can be used for many practical transactions like paying utilities and fees for political affiliations (just to mention a few). Touted as China’s first “unmanned bank,” the branch opened in Central Shanghai’s Huangpu District. Government officials said the innovative branch is intended to make banking more convenient, personalized, and efficient for customers, while also reflecting the growth in cashless payment systems that banks have been competing against in recent years. The Kiel research team manufactures anodes for their innovative silicon batteries from silicon wafers like this one. An etching process gives the originally blank discs a porous surface - and a colourful sheen. The porous silicon layer can be bonded particularly well with a copper electrode. The resulting extremely thin anode can be peeled off like a film. (Image Credit: Siekmann, Kiel University) Innovative Silicon Batteries Researchers from the Institute for Materials Science at Kiel University in Germany are developing 100 percent silicon-based anodes , in addition to a concept for their industrial production. By targeting surface structure at the micrometer level, the researchers can fully exploit silicon’s storage potential. Mechanical instability has made it nearly impossible to use silicon for storage technology. With massive storage capacity, silicon could potentially have decisive advantages over materials used in commercially available lithium-ion batteries. This research is opening the door to new approach at developing rechargeable batteries, along with more innovative and longer-lasting methods of energy storage. One of the key innovations of the new 3-D-printing technique on skin is that the printer uses computer vision to track and adjust to movements in real-time. (Image Credit: McAlpine group, University of Minnesota) 3D-Printed Electronics On Human Skin For the first time ever, researchers from the University of Minnesota printed electronics (via a 3D printer) on a real human hand . The team believes this breakthrough can have multiple uses in the future, like soldiers on the battlefield being able to temporarily print sensors on their bodies that detect chemical or biological agents, or even solar cells to charge essential electronics. Researchers have also successfully printed biological cells on the skin of a wounded mouse. This technique could also lead to new medical treatments for physical injuries like flesh wounds, and even the direct printing of grafts for skin disorders. Size and design of the 1 mm3 optogenetic stimulator. (Image Credit: Takashi Tokuda) World’s Smallest Bio-Implantable Device Japanese researchers have developed an implantable device that they describe as being no bigger than the width of a coin. The implant can be used to control brain patterns by converting infrared light into blue light. The researchers claim this device is the smallest and lightest optical bio-device developed . The implant’s development was prompted by the discovery of neural behavior capable of being controlled using light. It’s now known that light can activate certain brain proteins to change neurological patterns. The device utilizes a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor that controls photovoltaic power, and includes an InGan LED chip, which causes the device to emit blue light. Related Reads