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ICYMI: Grippy robot hands, smarten up your dumb car and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-611028{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-611028, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-611028{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-611028").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: MIT developed robotic hands of pliable silicon that are also studded with pressure sensors so it knows how tightly to hold something. A small dashboard camera and advanced computer vision software are being tested in the San Francisco Bay Area to record potential roadway hazards and track the drivers eyes. And a robotic solar-powered mirror light is here to give Seasonal Affective Disorder sufferers another option for Vitamin D.
Indian airport now runs entirely on solar power
If humanity is to survive, it's going to have to embrace alternative forms of energy and ditch carbon at double-quick speed. India's making a pretty big stride in that direction after declaring Cochin International Airport as the world's first facility of its kind that runs entirely on solar power. All of the airport's energy requirements are met thanks to a roof-mounted installation on the terminal, as well as a solar plant beside the cargo warehouse. The plant comprises 46,150 panels that spread across 45 acres and generates 12MW -- with any excess power being pushed back into the local grid. Over the next 25 years, it's expected to save roughly 300,000 metric tons of carbon, which is a start.
Solar Impulse delay may end dreams of cross-Atlantic flight in 2015
It's no longer safe to say that the Solar Impulse 2 aircraft will make it around the world before 2015 draws to a close. The crew is now warning that its sun-powered machine won't fly the next leg of its journey (from Hawaii to Arizona) for at least two to three weeks due to severe heat-related battery damage. While that's not the biggest setback the team could face, it could trigger a domino effect. If SI2 doesn't get to the Eastern side of the US in time, it may miss the weather window it needs to get across the Atlantic this year. You'll find out more about the extent of the problem in the next few days, so it should soon be clear whether this is just a momentary obstacle or a serious showstopper.
Army scientists build smaller, tougher, cheaper solar cells
Army researchers at the Redstone Arsenal have announced a significant breakthrough in solar energy production. They've created a photovoltaic solar panel that is smaller, more robust and less expensive to build and operate than any other panel currently available. Virtually every solar panel currently in existence relies on a pure silicon construction, however the band gap (the wavelength of light that it can actually be absorbed and converted into electricity) of single crystal silicon is exceedingly narrow compared to the full spectrum shining down from the Sun. Not only does this mean that conventional panels are missing out on potential power, the ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths actively damage the panels by causing them to heat, warp and crack.
LightSail solar spacecraft gets back in touch with its ground crew
If you were on pins and needles wondering whether or not the LightSail solar ship would resume contact with the crew back on Earth, you can relax. The Planetary Society reports that the Carl Sagan-inspired spacecraft rebooted as predicted, and the ground team is once again in touch. There's already a software fix waiting in the wings, and there will be a decision on when to deploy it "very soon" -- if all goes according to plan, the Society will deploy the vehicle's namesake sails soon afterward. You'll know more in the next two days, but for now it appears that this years-long project is back on track.
Solar Impulse begins its sun-powered flight across the Pacific (update: bad weather)
Solar Impulse has already shown the potential for sun-based aviation in its attempt to fly around the world, but it just embarked on its most ambitious trip yet. Pilot Andre Borschberg has taken off from Nanjing, China on a cross-Pacific flight whose first leg ends in Kalaeloa, Hawaii -- 5,061 miles away. That's about 120 hours in the air, and should set records for both the longest single-seat flight ever as well as the first transpacific flight by a solar-powered aircraft. And did we mention that this leg is even more dangerous than previous parts of the journey? After a certain point, Borschberg's only choice in an emergency will be to bail over the Pacific and hope that his rescue goes smoothly.
These seven climate science projects could save the world
The human race is doomed, and it's all our own fault. With the quantity of carbon in our atmosphere now well beyond the safe limit, it's almost certain the planet's temperature will continue to rise. Climate change is causing natural disasters of biblical proportions; a situation that's only going to get worse as time progresses. We all need to work harder to improve this situation by using less energy and behaving more responsibly. But since some people will never be convinced the Earth's rapidly approaching the end of its humanity-hospitable era, we're now in dire need of alternative options to save us from ourselves. To help get the word out, we've compiled a list of some of the most exciting scientific projects we've seen of late that could, if successful, undo some or all of the damage we've caused. [Image: Lisa Werner / Alamy]
Super-efficient solar cells can power homes in unforgiving areas
Scientists have long talked about black silicon (that is, silicon with nano-sized structures) having the potential to trump conventional solar power, and there's now some proof that this is happening. Aalto University researchers have developed black silicon solar cells that achieve a record 22.1 percent efficiency when turning the Sun's rays into usable energy. That's a 4 percent absolute boost over the previous best in black silicon, and good enough that the technology could finally be ready to reach the market and replace existing solar panels. Black silicon is far better suited to collecting sunlight at low angles, which is common in northern regions -- you wouldn't have to live in a sunny, forgiving part of the world to get the most out of clean energy. It should be cheaper, too. So long as these black cells translate well to mass production, you may have an easier time ditching the conventional power grid.
Americans are using more energy, but green tech is softening the blow
It may be tough to satisfy the US' seemingly never-ending thirst for energy, but clean power sources are at least helping to soften the impact. Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have determined that Americans' energy use climbed 1 percent year-over-year in 2014, but its carbon emissions hardly budged at all. In fact, they were down significantly for coal and petroleum-based power. While some of that decline is due to industry using less-than-clean natural gas, it's also helped by big jumps in solar and wind energy, which respectively grew by 33 and 8 percent.
The first solar bike path is producing more energy than expected
Back in November, SolaRoad launched a test bike path that generates energy through solar cells embedded in the concrete. It sounds like an outlandish idea, but it's apparently paying off very quickly. The company has revealed that its road has generated much more energy than expected -- it produced 3,000kWh of electricity in the space of just six months, or enough to power a single person's home for a year. That doesn't sound like much, but SolaRoad notes that its path only covers a 230-foot stretch in a Dutch village. You'd get a lot more energy from longer, wider roads.
MIT Study suggests current solar power tech is good enough
The standard line about solar power is that while good in theory, the technology just isn't there to keep our lights on and our Netflix streaming. But a new study from MIT (PDF) suggests that's not the case. According to the massive report (an epic 356 pages) current crystalline silicon photovoltaic technology is capable of delivering terawatt-scale power by 2050. That would be many times larger than Topaz facility California that generates 550 megawatts. While there is certainly room for improvement in efficiency, the MIT study says that the biggest hurdle isn't tech, it's investment. The authors called out the lack of funding for research and development, but focused more on poor governmental policies. Subsidies generally go to other energy sources, like oil and natural gas, and trade policies set by the federal government have driven up prices by restricting imports of cheaper solar parts in order to boost domestic production.
Carl Sagan's solar-powered spacecraft is getting its first test flight
Legendary astronomer Carl Sagan once envisioned a solar sailer, a spaceship that uses sunlight radiation to push itself through the solar system much like a boat relies on the wind. Decades later, his project is about to become a practical reality. The Planetary Society (which was co-founded by Sagan) has scheduled the first test flight for just such a solar vehicle, the LightSail, on May 20th. This initial run will see if the craft can successfully deploy its four Mylar sails. It won't be in a high-enough orbit to harvest the Sun's energy, but the experiment should pave the way for an honest-to-goodness sailing test in April 2016.
Solar-powered grill cooks your food no matter the weather
However much you may like grilling food on a warm day, you probably don't like dealing with gas tanks or other typical grill hassles... and most solar cookers won't help much if it's overcast outside. The upcoming GoSun Grill might be a smarter way to handle those backyard shindigs, however. It can bake, boil and roast meals for eight people using a sunlight-powered thermal battery that will keep cooking no matter how gloomy it gets outside. Yes, you can have some grilled chicken at the beach even if it starts raining. The reflector-based system also doesn't require you to flip your food, and it shouldn't dry out your moister meats and veggies.
The Solarbike is a very real thing
Here's an electric bike that doesn't need plugging in.. or swapping out batteries. As the name suggests, the Solarbike has solar cells built into both sides of the party typical bicycle wheels, using cells (and a design) that's apparently "shadow optimized": The inventor is based in Copenhagen, so it's certainly an issue that needed tackling. Power drawn in from the solar cells when the bike isn't moving is stored inside an on-board battery, then when you're in transit, power comes both from the Thermos-shaped attached to the bike frame and what ever trickles in from the solar cells. As Treehugger puts it, improvements solar cell tech improvements in last decade has made this design at least tenable -- because the wheels are facing out sideways, not getting solar rays head-on, it makes the task of absorbing light a little bit more difficult.
Watch this solar-powered plane attempt to fly around the world
While you're just about to head to bed, over in Abu Dhabi the Solar Impulse team will attempt to fly around the world, powered by solar energy alone. While the plane takes off today in March, it won't likely return until late July, early August. The route will take in the sights of India, China, NYC and er, Phoenix, with final stops in Southern Europe and Africa before coming to land, finally. Watch the livestream take-off right after the break.
Apple invests in a solar farm that can power 60,000 homes
Apple makes much ado about using clean energy sources to power its buildings these days, and it just put its money where its mouth is... a lot of money. The company is investing a whopping $848 million in a First Solar plant in California's Monterey County that, according to Apple chief Tim Cook, should generate enough electricity to power 60,000 homes. Apple will get a 130-megawatt supply from the solar farm to light up buildings such as its future spaceship-like campus, while the remaining 150 megawatts will go to Pacific Gas & Energy's grid. Reportedly, this is the largest commercial deal to date in the solar industry -- it certainly eclipses many of the other green energy initiatives we've seen in tech, which tend to "only" require tens of megawatts.
Braven's BRV-PRO rugged speaker packs solar charging and more
Think the load of Bluetooth speakers announced at CES is rather ho-hum? Well, Braven has something to say about that. The company's new BRV-PRO Bluetooth speaker sports the rugged look we've come to expect from them, and claims 20 hours of battery life on a charge. Those are easily the two least interesting things on the spec sheet for the outdoor audio device. Up top, the BRV-PRO swaps out accessories as needed, including an extra 2,800mAh battery pack, LED glow deck (think of it as a lantern of sorts), stacking plate and a folding solar panel (pictured above) for all-natural recharging. Touting an IPX7 waterproof rating, the aircraft-aluminum-clad gadget will also juice up your phone or tablet when you're out on the trail. Looking to pack one for that next outdoor trek? The BRV-PRO is scheduled to arrive in Q2 for $150; the accessories cost extra, ranging from $30 to $50 each.
The world's largest solar power plant is now up and running
Solar power just hit one of its biggest milestones, in more ways than one. First Solar recently finished building Topaz, a 550-megawatt plant that represents the largest active solar farm on the planet. And we do mean large -- the installation's nine million solar panels cover 9.5 square miles of California's Carrizo Plain. It's an impressive feat that should power 160,000 homes on Pacific Gas and Electric's grid, although it won't be alone at the top for very long. First Solar's Desert Sunlight farm will match that capacity once its last solar cells go online, and SunPower's 579MW Solar Star is due to go live in 2015. Not that there's a problem with that, of course. These solar plants have been a long time coming, and they promise eco-friendly energy for hundreds of thousands of Golden State residents. [Image credit: Center for Land Use Interpretation]
Solar power will give you non-stop water during bike rides
If you're a cyclist, you know the anxiety that comes with running out of water in the middle of a bike ride -- the last thing you want is dehydration when you're miles away from home. Design student Kristof Retezàr may just set your mind at ease, though. He recently developed Fontus, a bike-mounted device that uses solar power to convert air moisture into water for your drinking bottle. The key is its use of thermoelectric cooling. Solar panels generate electricity that cools the top of the device, where air comes in as you ride; as the moisture condenses, it drips water into a bottle below. The bottom stays warm, but that only accelerates the condensation process above.
Discarded car batteries could become low-cost solar cells
It's great that manufacturers recover lead from discarded car batteries to use in new ones, since lead production from ores yields toxic residues. The problem is, when we shift from lead-acid to lithium-ion and other types of batteries (and we're starting to), over 200 million old batteries could be retired in the US and cause serious environmental issues. Thankfully, a team of MIT researchers has discovered one way to recycle lead from car batteries, and the end product is something very, very useful: long-lasting solar cells. We're talking about a new breed of solar cells in particular, one that uses a compound called perovskite, which needs lead to be manufactured.
