Electronics and light don’t go well together on a standard ‘CMOS’ chip. Researcher Satadal Dutta of the University of Twente succeeded in introducing a light connection into the heart of a semiconductor chip. In this way, two circuits can communicate. Or: the worlds of electronics and photonics are connected. What is particularly attractive about Dutta’s…
3D-Printed Robot Aims To Fight Cancer
The world’s smallest and most accurate 3D-printed biopsy robot was revealed last week. The Stormram 4, as the robot is named, is made from 3D-printed plastic and is driven by air pressure. The advantage of plastic is that the robot can be used in an MRI scanner. Carrying out a biopsy (removing a piece of…
Record Laser On Chip Created
Working in collaboration with the Lionix company, researchers from the University of Twente’s MESA+ research institute have developed the world’s most narrowband diode laser on a chip. This laser represents a breakthrough in the fast-growing field of photonics, and will bring applications like 5G internet and accurate GPS closer. Research leader Professor Klaus Boller presented…
Robot Careers Safer with New Technology
Robots carry out their tasks more safely if they are controlled by another technology. This makes them much more suitable for use in the care sector, as revealed by a study conducted at the Robotics and Mechatronics department at the University of Twente. On 2 June, researcher Stefan Groothuis is being awarded his PhD for…
Robot Bird to Make First Flight at Airports
University of Twente’s Robird will make its first flights at an airport location in February. Weeze Airport in Germany, just across the Dutch border near Nijmegen, will serve as the test site for this life-like robotic falcon developed by Clear Flight Solutions, a spin-off company of the University of Twente. The Robird is designed to…
Researchers Develop Highly Efficient Hollow Copper Electrodes
Scientists at the University of Twente research institute MESA+ have developed an electrode in the form of a hollow porous copper fibre which is able to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO) extremely efficiently. In principle the invention enables a wide variety of industrial processes, for example in the steel industry, to be…
Mobile Telephone Selects Best Route for Wheelchair Users
Bumps on surfaces, doorsteps or kerbs and the unsuitability of roads, pathways and buildings cause problems for wheelchair users. Wheelchair users can now use technology developed at the University of Twente to map out safe and suitable routes and avoid roads and pathways that are unsuitable. Researchers from the Pervasive Systems department at the CTIT…
Satellites Identify Terror Organization’s Source of Income
Despite a UN ban on the export of charcoal, charcoal production is the main source of income for the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab. Because the area in which Al-Shabaab operates is inaccessible, it is not possible to determine on the ground where and how many trees are felled for the production. Researchers from the University…
Squeezing Transistors Generates Energy Savings
If silicon is squeezed, this affects the freedom of movement of the electrons in this material. This can promote or restrict the flow of electrical current. Compare it to a garden hose. When you stand on it, less water comes out. But strangely enough, the flow of electrons in silicon actually increases when the material…