Technology

To automatically generate data for training deep convolutional neural network models to segment building facades, researchers from Osaka University used a three-dimensional model and game engine to generate digital city twin synthetic training data. They found that a model trained on these data mixed with some real data was competitive with a model trained on real data alone, revealing the potential of digital twin data to improve accuracy and replace costly manually annotated real data.

Crucial to our everyday use the Li-ion battery can be found everywhere. Research at Tohoku University has resulted in a hybrid electrolyte that is both more stable while also retaining excellent conductivity. This will pave the way to a safer polymeric solid electrolyte for Li-ion batteries with a myriad of applications.

Tohoku University scientists in Japan have developed a mathematical description of what happens within tiny magnets as they fluctuate between states when an electric current and magnetic field are applied. Their findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, could act as the foundation for engineering more advanced computers that can quantify uncertainty while interpreting complex data.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are dogs crying happy tears when their owner comes home, a new early warning system for solar flares, and burial practices that can tell us about ancient migration patterns.

Researchers have made perovskite solar cells more efficient and stable, A new cause of Parkinson's related cell death, Hibernating superpower is in the blood, Common mechanism for cancer and atherosclerosis, COVID-19 antibody skin-based test. Read all in the August's Editor's Choice plus an Interview with Prof Sutee Yoksan on The story behind the new dengue vaccine & this month's Asia Research News 2022 magazine pick - The evolutionary history of puddle frogs.

A research group led by Professor Akitoshi Hayashi at the Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Engineering has successfully developed a high-capacity capacitor, an energy storage device—using a solid electrolyte with high deformability—that can operate at high temperatures. With this discovery, high-capacity capacitors can now be made which do not require cooling, this increases their efficiency and allows for new suitable applications.

The OWSD Early Career Fellowship is a prestigious award of up to USD 50,000 offered to women who have completed their PhDs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and are employed at an academic or scientific research institute in one of the listed Science and Technology Lagging Countries (STLCs).

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo have used thermal treatments to improve modern recycling of concrete. This work will add value to construction waste and contribute to sustainable development

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a treasure map for tracking ant biodiversity, tattoo ink that can monitor your health, and a newly discovered super-Earth.

Osaka University researchers created a diminished reality system for providing a future view of a building to be demolished. By implementing generative adversarial networks on a remote server, the team was able to stream real-time video that predicted what a landscape would look like after a building was demolished. This technology can help with urban renewal planning and stakeholder discussions.

Researchers create 'time machine' to study ancestor galaxies, Robotics engineers pay attention to matters of the heart, Custom suits for delivery worms, Tough, light structures with superior impact resistance and Virtual training can reduce stress and anxiety. Read all in the July's Editor's Choice plus op-ed: To boost South Korea’s basic science, look to values, not just budgets, this month's Image & Asia Research News 2022 magazine pick - Better memristors for brain-like computing.

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.

Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science at The University of Tokyo introduce a machine learning method to help predict past infection from receptor sequences of immune T-cells even when little data is available, which may help improve human health and our understanding of adaptive immunity

A research group has successfully synthesized a ‘half-metal’ material, achieving a rare feat in the pursuit of zero magnetization. The new material will enhance the performance of electronic devices thanks to the unique behavior of its spin.

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 research team co-led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) have successfully developed a novel Vacuum Ultra-Violet (VUV) meta-lens which can generate and focus the VUV light, a disruptive technology for the UV optics market.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a robotic fish that can eat up microplastics, a bioinformatic platform that can test the efficacy of vaccines against COVID, and a new method of removing phosphorus from water using bacteria.

A thermoelectric metal oxide film with a thermoelectric figure of merit of ~0.55 at 600°C has been discovered, opening new avenues towards the widespread use of thermoelectric converters.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are zero-waste poultry processing that can boost lab-grown meat, residential facilities made for low-gravity environments, and new methods of cloning cells.

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.

Osaka University researchers develop a novel microfluidic chip that can detect very small concentrations of dissolved contaminants using just 100-picoliter sized samples. By using a terahertz point source, the detection area can be made very small. This work may lead to lab-on-a-chip technology for environmental and health care monitoring.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are using your breath to unlock your phone, the first successful launch of a Korean rocket, and the oldest bellybutton to date.

Osaka University researchers used sputtered silver to bond copper electrodes as part of 3D integrated circuits. By gently annealing the silver layers, enough surface roughness was created to connect the layers without added pressure. This work may lead to cheaper and smaller electronic devices that use less energy.

Resilient Education Information Infrastructure for the New Normal (REIINN) project broke ground for the second LokaLTE Base Station on 14 June 2022, commencing the tower's construction in Looc Integrated School, Castillejos, Zambales.

Researchers at The University of Tokyo create vertical field-effect transistors that can be used to store information in a 3D array, which may lead to faster and more energy-efficient data storage

Partnership seeks to deepen symbiotic industry-academia collaborations in applied research and talent upskilling. First-of-its-kind made-for-Asia sustainable R&D to develop kale stems as prebiotics

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.

Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are alien civilizations, prehistoric bird diets, and how we smell.

Resilient Education Information Infrastructure for the New Normal (REIINN) project has commenced the construction of its first LokaLTE Base Station in San Andres Elementary School, Tanay, Rizal, 24 May 2021.