The unique Soletair demo plant developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) uses carbon dioxide to produce renewable fuels and chemicals. The pilot plant is coupled to LUT’s solar power plant in Lappeenranta and uses solar energy for CO2 extraction and hydrogen producing.

The aim of the project is to demonstrate the technical performance of the overall process and produce 200 litres of fuels and other hydrocarbons for research purposes. This concerns a one-of-a-kind demo plant in which the entire process chain, from solar power generation to hydrocarbon production, is in the same place.

As part of Singapore’s efforts to enhance its nation-wide COVID-19 testing capabilities, ABB’s high-precision robots have been deployed in a new automated laboratory system, known as the Rapid Automated Volume Enhancer (RAVE).

The system automates some of the manual steps usually required in sample processing. Two sets of RAVE and associated equipment can process an industry-topping throughput of close to 4,000 samples a day. RAVE also reduces test contamination and infection risks for laboratory workers.

The development of artificial intelligence and machine-learning technologies has allowed customer service tools such as chatbots, or chatter robots, to be on the upswing in the recent years. Such virtual assistants are a versatile solution for customer service in companies and public authorities of all sizes.

Virtual chat assistants are rapidly becoming as self-evident and integral part of the reality of life as cell phones or social networks. By 2024, the chatbot market share is expected to grow by 30%.

Using approximately 2.6 million microscopy images of canine kidney cells, members of an international research group, containing contributors from Estonia and Russia have built and trained a deep learning model to better understand how cells grow and divide. This research opens a novel way to identify more quickly and more easily the cell cycle ‘clock’ for every cell that is essential to understand diseases like cancer. The methods and results of their work have now been published in the journal Molecular Systems Biology.

Cleveron will pilot its first self-service screen and parcel robot integration together with telecom company Telia in Estonia. Telia will set up a “self-service pod” in a small town, where the company’s clients can connect with customer service through a Cleveron self-service screen, pay for their goods on-site, and receive the items from the connected Cleveron parcel robot. The pilot aims to bring Telia’s services closer to its customers in areas, where having traditional service offices is not viable anymore due to the small population and increasing costs. 

Ten leading Latvian start-ups and scale-ups have been selected and will be showcased at a virtual national pavilion, Heart of the Baltic Tech, at the international start-up exhibit Node by Slush from October 1 to December 31. The global start-up exhibit takes place online and will gather and connect the most promising start-ups and prominent investors from European countries with the most developed and advanced start-up and technology ecosystems.

Data presented by Buy Shares indicates that China, Japan, and the United States cumulatively control about 58.71% of the global industrial robot installations.

ABB to supply electric, digital and connected solutions for P&O Ferries’ two new vessels, including Azipod® propulsion and energy storage, cutting fuel consumption by one ton per return trip across the English Channel

ABB has won a contract with Guangzhou Shipyard International Ltd for supplying a full scope of integrated solutions for P&O Ferries’ two new vessels. The hybrid propulsion solution, using electric power from 8.8MWh batteries and diesel generators, will cut fuel consumption on P&O Ferries’ Dover-Calais route by 40 percent. The batteries will provide full power for harbor maneuvering and stay in port and will prepare the vessels for a zero-emission future once more electric shore charging stations are available.

Boston Dynamics, the global leader in mobile robotics, expanded commercial sales of Spot, the agile robot that climbs stairs and traverses rough terrain with ease, to the European Union, United Kingdom and Canada. This follows the launch of commercial sales of Spot in the U.S., and builds upon a successful Early Adopter Program that saw a number of companies in both Europe and North America integrate the robot into their operations.

 ^{Photo: (CC) Darko Stojanovic / Pixabay}

The recent EIT Health and McKinsey & Company’s report “Transforming healthcare with AI: The impact on the workforce and organisations” has exposed an urgent need to attract, educate and train a generation of data literate healthcare professionals, whilst up-skilling the current workforce if we are to fully realise the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI).