Researchers at Tohoku University have created a new type of battery made from paper that activates with water, offering a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional batteries. This paper battery is inspired by how plants breathe and use sunlight to make food. It uses magnesium, a common metal, to generate electricity from oxygen in the air and water. This innovative battery, free from harmful materials, showed strong performance with a voltage of 1.8 volts. It was effectively used in devices like pulse oximeters, which measure oxygen levels in blood, and GPS sensors. The details of this research were published in the journal RSC Applied Interfaces.

Smart textile makes remote hugs possible

An innovative smart textile technology developed by a team at Saarland University is set to revolutionize the way children in hospital isolation wards experience virtual visits from their parents. This breakthrough involves an ultrathin film that transforms textiles into a virtual second skin, allowing children to feel the comforting touch of their loved ones, despite physical separation due to medical reasons. This tactile technology, created by Professors Stefan Seelecke and Paul Motzki, leverages dielectric elastomers—films that function as both sensors and actuators—to precisely replicate the physical sensations of being touched.