Inventions

Annual innovation event brings together global innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and scientists, and experts from various fields and industries to showcase their latest innovations, share ideas, and collaborate with industries to develop better technologies and solutions to shape our future. This is also a platform for innovators to meet potential investors and partners.

Shaking the compact, lightweight device generates enough electricity to power 100 LEDs.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a robotic hand with a magic touch, a solution to reduce the negative effects of screen time in children, and a team charting dung beetles.

Scientists from Oil Crops Research Institute (OCRI) of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Anhui Agricultural University (Anhui, China), Newcastle University in Singapore, and Huizhou Comvikin Biotechnology Co., Ltd (Guangdong, China) have developed a green and efficient approach to synthesize highly liposoluble and antioxidant L-ascorbyl esters by immobilized lipases.

An effective, stable solid-state electrochemical transistor has been developed, heralding a new era in thermal management technology.

Scientists from two Asian universities, namely Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Newcastle University in Singapore, have completed a study to understand how the mechanical behaviour of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composite laminates could be compromised by moisture seepage.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a robot that can melt and reform, artificial skin that can sense objects before touching them, and the pause and reversal of the planet’s inner core’s spin.

Scientists from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia have reported a novel way to produce reinforced concrete materials using tin slag aggregates, which is a by-product of the smelting process. This way of producing concrete enables tin slag to become a useful material, as well as reducing the amount of natural resources used, which in turn contribute to reducing carbon footprint in the construction industry.

Scientists developed a novel device that predicts whether an ICU patient taken off mechanical ventilation is likely to suffer from respiratory emergencies, helping critical care teams to provide immediate life-saving interventions.

A multinational team of researchers, co-led by a City University of Hong Kong (CityU) physicist, has found that a novel metallic crystal displays unusual electronic behaviour on its surface, thanks to the crystal’s unique atomic structure. Their findings open up the possibility of using this material to develop faster and smaller microelectronic devices.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a toothpaste that can be used in space, how to always win at a quantum game, and a trunk-inspired robot gripper.

The Malaysia Technology Expo (MTE) 2022: SDG International Innovation Awards & Expo (SDGIIAE) returns for its 2nd edition and the awards encourage the development of innovative solutions for local and global challenges.

The Education University of Hong Kong received 26 awards at the 7th International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (iCAN) in 2022, including seven gold medals, three silver, five grand awards and 11 special prizes. It marked a new record high since the University’s first participation in 2018.

Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong highly values research and knowledge transfer that generate social impact and demonstrate care for the community. LU honoured 72 LU faculty members for their outstanding performance in research and contributions to knowledge transfer in raising the community’s quality of life and contribution to society during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years.

A study led by researchers from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has demonstrated that a multifunctional organic compound named F-SLOH has the potential to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD) at an early stage. The team found that it can inhibit the aggregation of amyloid-beta (Aβ), and reduce the hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins and neuroinflammation in the brain to improve the pathological features of AD. The findings have been published in the international academic journal Redox Biology.

Nonthermal plasma (NTP) is used to activate CO2 molecules for hydrogenation into alternative fuels at low temperatures, also enabling the conversion of renewable electricity to chemical energy. Researchers from Tokyo Tech combined experimental and computational methods to investigate the hydrogenation pathway of NTP-promoted CO2 on the surface of Pd2Ga/SiO2 catalysts. The mechanistic insights from their study can help improve the efficiency of catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 and allows the engineers to design new concept catalysts.

An international team of scientists from India and Singapore has successfully developed a novel method to recycle waste cigarette filters for use in making the triboelectric nano generator, a clean energy generating device.

A team co-led by a City University of Hong Kong (CityU) neuroscientist has identified a key mechanism of a biological clock that ensures roundworms stay regular by defecating at steady intervals.

A novel practical way of modelling cracking and toughening of fibre composite materials has been developed. The novel approach also revealed new insights on the fracture behaviour of fibres reinforcing a composite laminate during intralaminar cracking. The new way can be used to complement inspection of laminated structures that are used as primary structures in many industries.

An international team of researchers, co-led by Changfang Zhao, from Nanjing University of Science and Technology, and Kheng Lim Goh (Newcastle University in Singapore), has developed a novel lightweight, high toughness auxetic structure made from plastic composite laminates. The auxetic structure may be used for constructing primary structures in the transport industry, such as electric vehicles, to maximize fuel efficiency.

Empowering the innovators to transition their new inventions, technologies and products into manufacturing and commercialisation prospects

Giants in History: Known as Mr. Natural Rubber, chemist and researcher B. C. Shekhar (17 November 1929 – 6 September 2006) introduced a number of technical innovations that helped put Malaysia’s natural rubber industry on the world map.

An international team of researchers from India and Singapore has successfully developed a novel coating with enhanced water repellent properties using natural material from the waste crab shell.

A team of materials researchers from India, Thailand, Malaysia, China and UK has successfully produced a fibre reinforced polymer composite material using natural fibres from the coconut stalk.

Malaysian and UK medical device and composite materials experts have partnered up to research into using natural fibres for prosthetic limb technology to lower the cost of the prosthesis

199 Gold, 188 Silver and 56 Bronze were awarded

The theme of MTE 2022 is "Embracing the New Norm and Moving to New Frontiers," and this prestigious event is expected to attract over 10,000 online visitors from all over the world via its virtual exhibition platform.

A surprising tree-inspired discovery is helping scientists design surfaces that encourage different liquids to move in varying directions.

Scientists demonstrate an optical trapping technique using nanotextured black silicon that can efficiently trap polymer chains. By adjusting the laser intensity, these “optical tweezers” can control the florescence color emitted through a local concentration of a perylene-modified polymer solution. From a low intensity blue to high intensity orange, this reversible and fully remote technology can almost reach the entire RGB spectrum.

Abdus Suttar Khan (c. 1941 – 31 January 2008) was a Bangladeshi engineer who spent a significant part of his career conducting aerospace research with NASA, United Technology and Alstom