On Monday, Japan and the European Union published a joint statement pledging to collaborate on improving clean hydrogen consumption and supply, thereby promoting associated technology. This programme aligns with Japan's goal of being carbon neutral by 2050 and Europe's plan to phase out Russian fossil fuels. The European Commission's Energy Commissioner, Kadri Simson, emphasised the importance of hydrogen being a worldwide commodity. She emphasised the need for EU-Japan collaboration to develop renewable and low-carbon hydrogen globally while maintaining regulatory standardisation. On M
Agnikul Cosmos, an IIT Madras-incubated firm, has launched the world's first rocket powered by a single 3D-printed engine. On Wednesday, the launch took place at 7:15 a.m. from Sriharikota. The Agnibaan-SOrTeD (sub-orbital technology demonstrator) was launched from Dhanush, India's first private launchpad founded by the firm. The mission's goal is to collect critical flight data and guarantee that systems for the startup's orbital launch vehicle, Agnibaan, operate optimally. Agnibaan employed India's first semi-cryogenic engine, which combines liquid and gas propellants, providing advantag
An endangered male plant, Encephalartos woodii (E. woodii), known as the world's loneliest plant, is being partnered with a female mate using artificial intelligence. The University of Southampton is leading the initiative, looking for E. woodii in South Africa, where the lone known specimen was discovered. All of the present members are male clones who cannot reproduce naturally. Dr. Laura Cinti, the project's leader, is employing drones and artificial intelligence to find a female E. woodii. She claimed that the E. Woodii story moved her and reminded her of a well-known tale of unrequite
Researchers have created an iron-based cathode material, which could lead to more affordable, safe, and ecological batteries. This novel material eliminates the need for expensive and precious metals such as cobalt and nickel, lowering the cost of producing electric vehicles. Oregon State University chemistry researcher Xiulei "David" Ji emphasised their success in changing the reactivity of iron metal. In addition to having a higher energy density than most advanced cathode materials used in EVs, iron costs less than a dollar per kilogram, far less than nickel and cobalt. These cost savin
Earlier this month, Mitsubishi Electric's TOKUI Fast Accurate Synchronised Motion Testing Robot (TOKUFASTbot) broke a new Guinness World Record for solving a Rubik's cube in 0.305 seconds. This achievement beat the previous record by 0.075 seconds. TOKUFASTbot's success can be credited to its high-power, signal-responsive servomotors, which can complete each 90-degree rotation in 0.009 seconds, and an AI algorithm that accurately identifies and matches colours despite impediments. Mitsubishi engineers used motion-control technologies from their manufacturing processes to ensure the exac
South Korea announced a 26 trillion won ($19 billion) support package for its chip industry to stay competitive in areas like chip design and manufacturing amid intense global competition. To increase investments by semiconductor companies, President Yoon Suk Yeol unveiled a 17 trillion won financial support programme via the government-run Korea Development Bank. "Win or lose, that depends on who can make cutting-edge semiconductors first," Yoon said, highlighting the crucial nature of the semiconductor industry. South Korea trails behind in chip design and contract manufacturing, even th
Europe’s landmark AI laws will take effect next month after EU countries endorsed a political deal in December, setting a potential global standard for AI regulation. China's state-control-focused approach and the US's voluntary compliance approach are less extensive than the EU's AI Act. The vote comes after EU MPs approved the AI legislation, which the European Commission first proposed in 2021 and included significant changes. As generative AI systems like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini have become more popular, worries about AI-driven disinformation and copyright violations have grown.
Researchers at Pantnagar, Udham Singh Nagar's GB Pant Agriculture and Technology University, have created a process to turn pine leaves, or pirul, which frequently start forest fires, into useful bio-grease and bio-resin. This innovation attempts to strengthen the local economy and stop forest fires. Under the guidance of Professors T. K. Bhattacharya and A. K. Verma, Tarannum Jahan led the team that developed bio-resin for plywood adhesion and bio-grease to lower friction in ball bearings and prevent rust. The Gujarat-based business Green Molecules purchased the study, which was a compone
OpenAI launched GPT-4o, a superior AI model powering ChatGPT that is now freely accessible. This release comes before Google's announcement of Gemini. CEO Sam Altman praised GPT-4o, called "Omni," for its voice, text, and image processing capabilities, comparing them to movie AI interactions. The multilingual, auditory, and visual skills of ChatGPT were demonstrated, along with its ability to understand the environment in real time. Altman prioritised cautious model releases over rumours of a GPT-5 or a rival to Google. The decision by OpenAI to offer cutting-edge AI for free raises que
The Indian large language model (LLM) Hanooman AI was created by 3AI Holding and Seetha Mahalaxmi Healthcare (SML) with the Indian population in mind. It was introduced in Mumbai on February 21 and offers text translation for 98 international languages in addition to 12 Indian languages. Although it is available for free for now, a paid version with a subscription model is in the works. Hanooman's official handle announced the launch on X, emphasising how easily it could overcome language barriers. Hanooman AI, available as an Android app and web platform, facilitates smooth communicati