news 2017

Thanks to an innovative technology for encoding data in DNA strands, two items of world heritage - songs recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival and digitized by EPFL - have been safeguarded for eternity.

Biomechanics from TU Graz are developing surgical screws from donated human bone material for foot and jaw surgery in a project together with surgebright, a start-up from Linz. To heal broken bones using medical help, the surgical method of choice for decades have been metal screws, mainly made of titanium or stainless steel.

A new drone developed at EPFL uses cutting-edge technology to deliver parcels weighing up to 500 grams.

By Ulrike Keller In the near future, orodispersible films could replace pills: scientists at the Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering are developing printing technologies to create personalized dosage forms for individual patient needs on demand. "Would you print out this prescription?" In the future, pharmacists could hear this question more frequently and could react in a different way than we would expect today.

By Birgit Baustädter At the beginning of April, the COMET competence centre Pro²Future was established and shared between Linz and Graz. It will conduct research on products and production systems of the future. The key question is: what comes after Industry 4. Eight TU Graz-institutes of the In the future, machines should be able to recognise when humans and other machines are moving about in the room and adapt their work accordingly.

EPFL researchers have shown that a simple camera can detect and track flying drones. Plus, the lightweight, energy-efficient and inexpensive technology could be installed directly on the drones themselves and enhance safety in the skies. The rising number of drones in air space poses numerous challenges.

Since January 2017 a sensor wristband that, according to the manufacturer, is capable of detecting a woman's fertile days in her cycle with 89 percent certainty has been on the market.

It took EPFL researchers only three minutes to detect and locate a short circuit triggered intentionally in the power grid serving Fribourg Canton.

'Naturalness' is a construct - but according to a new study from the ETH Consumer Behavior group, a product's success on the food market is primarily defined by whether or not consumers perceive it as natural. The increasingly artificial and virtual nature of everyday life has now achieved broad acceptance, and the benefits that technological development bring to everyone cannot be denied.

Market disruptions and innovation strongly impact its stakeholders on a shortto mid-term perspective. In the particular case of the smartphone market, where new products are released in very short cycles, it becomes imperative to forecast and identify heavy shifts in market demand as soon as possible.

By Andreas Wimmer In order to meet ambitious environmental goals, research around the world must rise to the challenge of developing innovative and sustainable solutions in the areas of mobility, transportation and power generation. The question often arises in connection with electric mobility whether there will be any need to conduct research on internal combustion engines in the future.

Researchers from EPFL and UNIL have developed an encryption protocol that can put drivers in touch with passengers while keeping their personal data secret.

How can we organize energy supply in the post-fossil era? How can energy be stored efficiently? And how can we organize distribution as economically and conveniently as possible? Empa's research platform 'ehub? is searching for answers to these questions.

Researchers from EPFL and Karlsruhe Institute of Technologyâ?use a soliton frequency combs from optical microresonators to transmit data at speeds of more than 50 terabits per second.

ETH scientists have combined millions of images and videos into a three-dimensional, living model of the city of Zurich.

How can we burn natural gas without releasing CO2 into the air? This feat is achieved using a special combustion method that TU Wien has been researching for years: chemical looping combustion (CLC). In this process, CO2 can be isolated during combustion without having to use any additional energy, which means it can then go on to be stored.

EPFL spin-off Intento has developed a patient-controlled electrical-stimulation device that helps stroke victims regain mobility in paralyzed arms. The promising results of the first clinical study are published in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Every year, 17 million people worldwide suffer strokes, and a third are left paralyzed on one side of their body.

The analysis identifies key discoveries, lessons learned and recommendations for greatly improving "tail production." Manipulating 'tail production' could yield huge long-term gains while minimizing environmental impacts LOS ALAMOS, N.M. May 8, 2017-Extensive data mining and analysis of 20,000 shale gas wells has revealed how "refracturing” existing wells with new technology could transform them from diminished producers into high-performers long after their initial peak production period has ended.

Scientists use the term 4D printing to refer to the simple production of objects that can transform their shape at different times.

Researchers at EPFL have developed a tablet to help people with a visual impairment find their way around unfamiliar places.