Flying robots capable of inspecting and repairing building envelopes, interacting with natural ecosystems, and monitoring climate change and biodiversity are being developed and tested at the DroneHub at Empa's NEST.
Robots that can sense touch and perceive temperature differences? An unexpected material might just make this a reality. At Empa's Laboratory for High-Performance Ceramics, researchers are developing soft and intelligent sensor materials based on ceramic particles.
The Empa Innovation Award recognizes outstanding projects that bridge the gap between the laboratory and industry. This year, a team of researchers from Empa and ETH Zurich is being honored for an innovative sensor system: SensAL warns quickly and precisely of life-threatening complications after abdominal surgery.
Quantum technologies promise breakthroughs in communication, computing, sensors and much more. However, quantum states are fragile, and their effects are difficult to grasp, making research into real-world applications challenging. Empa researchers and their partners have now achieved a breakthrough: Using a kind of 鈥渜uantum Lego鈥�, they have been able to accurately realize a well-known theoretical quantum physics model in a synthetic material.
In dementia diseases such as Alzheimer's, incorrectly folded proteins accumulate in the brain. Empa researchers have now resolved a particularly active species of protein fibrils with unprecedented precision. The formation of potentially toxic molecules on the surface of protein fibrils was studied from early to late stages spanning over a period of hours.
Originally developed for electric cars, nowadays they supply mobile phone antennas with electricity, and tomorrow perhaps entire districts: The salt battery is a safe and long-lasting battery technology with huge potential. Empa researchers are collaborating with an industrial partner to further develop these special batteries.
In summer 2024, the South African government published a strategy paper on the management of e-waste, which was developed in collaboration with Empa. This is the first time the country has issued standardized guidelines for the proper and safe handling of e-waste. The collaboration is part of a program funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Widespread skin diseases such as psoriasis or neurodermatitis are difficult to treat. Together with an industrial partner, Empa researchers have found an innovative solution: Nanoceramic "stars" create tiny skin lesions and allow therapeutic molecules to reach their site of action.
Perovskia Solar has won more than ten leading companies from the Internet of Things (IoT) industry as customers and received over two million Swiss francs in seed capital. The multi-award-winning Empa spin-off prints customized solar cells for almost any electronic device. These can be produced cost-effectively 鈥� and even work indoors.
The ETH spin-off Synhelion has recently inaugurated the world's first industrial plant for the production of solar fuels in Germany. The heart of the plant contains a piece of Empa technology: Together with Synhelion, Empa researchers have developed a material for the high-temperature thermal energy storage system that allows the plant to remain in operation 24/7.
The Horizon 2020 SOLiDIFY consortium, comprised of 14 European partners, has developed a high-performance lithium-metal solid-state battery. The manufacturing process, which is both cost-effective and adaptable to existing production lines, paves the way for commercially viable solid-state lithium-metal batteries for electromobility.
Multi-storey timber buildings are extremely popular. To prevent them from being damaged by strong winds or earthquakes, sufficient bracing must be provided in the supporting structure. Computer calculations provide the basis for this. To check these in practice and improve the computer models, Empa researchers use a two-ton 鈥渟haker鈥�.
Researchers from Empa, the University of Bristol and the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) have investigated the emissions of the potent greenhouse gas HFC-23 from the production of Teflon and coolants. Their study shows: Abatement measures work 鈥� but are not being implemented everywhere.
Thanks to sensor technology and mathematical modeling, smart dummies provide new insights into how workplaces can be brought to a comfortable temperature in an energy-efficient way and how to prevent patients from getting cold feet in the operating theater.
Under the leadership of Empa scientist Mashael Yazdanie, an international research team is investigating ways to better plan for climate-resilient energy systems in the Global South.
Sustainability and quality of life 鈥� a contradiction? Not necessarily, shows a new study by Empa researchers. According to their calculations, an ecologically and socially just life is possible for over ten billion people. It will, however, require a paradigm shift.
The best way to treat kidney stones depends on how what they are composed of and how they are shaped. Empa researchers are now working on a painless diagnostic procedure using dark-field X-ray imaging. This innovative technology makes it possible to determine the structure and composition of the stones for each patient.
Why do just one experiment at a time when you can do ten? Empa researchers have developed an automated system, which allows them to research catalysts, electrodes, and reaction conditions for CO鈧� electrolysis up to ten times faster. The system is complemented by an open-source software for data analysis.
Medical products such as ointments or syringes reach their limits when it comes to delivering medication locally 鈥� and above all in a controlled manner over a longer period of time. Empa researchers are therefore developing polymer fibers that can deliver active ingredients precisely over the long term. These "liquid core fibers" contain drugs inside and can be processed into medical textiles.
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