Energy Harvesting

2016 was the year of Li-ion batteries' silver jubilee, a coming of age that has not been hassle-free, as Samsung's Firegate showed us. This year might mark the first significant switch to new materials in the electrolyte compartment, with both large and small companies trying to bring inorganic and polymer electrolytes to commercial fruition.

The technology of Airborne Wind Energy AWE has progressed in leaps and bounds recently as many developers prepare to sell them.

China has already once completely transformed the photovoltaic (PV) industry and maybe about to do so again.

Thermoelectric energy harvester technology developers have had their hands full: they have identified multiple applications from industrial, to automotive, to portable/wearable devices, and are looking to find the perfect balance between power output, operational temperature, cost at volume production, some of the most important considerations when looking to develop a thermoelectric energy harvester.

Exciting business opportunities are emerging from the confusion that has been the Internet of Things industry for the past 10 years.

The transparent conductive film (TCF) industry will leave behind its years of sluggish growth to achieve rapid growth.

At the recent Future Powertrain Conference in Solihull UK, Professor Matthias Wellers, Managing Director AVI Powertrain, said he liked the idea of intermittent catenaries on major roads charging inter-city pure electric trucks.

San Diego is affectionately known as America's finest city, but the Southern California metropolis will soon become America's smartest city.

RFID is booming - it now accounts for the largest number of silicon integrated circuits made of one particular type. But in addition to over 20% growth, there is much more to come. RFID is moving beyond wireless identification alone to wireless sensing of parameters such as temperature, humidity and much more.

Nothing lasts forever: things wear out. However, there is a huge pent up demand for "perpetual" autonomous drones for everything from security to surveying, meteorology and even power generation.