KIST

At any given moment, 89,000 terawatts of solar power hits the Earth’s surface. Current technology captures only part of it, limited by the solar spectrum. Researchers at Korea University report using gold nanotechnology to harness the full spectrum.

In a highly unexpected approach to renewable energy, researchers in Korea have developed a low-cost, easily-manufactured advanced membrane that actually generates electricity as it turns wastewater, seawater or groundwater into drinking water.

Electrolysis is a key component of the cost of green hydrogen, and a Korean team says it's made a huge breakthrough with an anion exchange membrane that's not only cheaper than current proton exchange tech, but offers some 20 percent better performance.

Colorless polyimide (CPI) is a flexible alternative to glass, increasingly being used in bendable smartphone screens. It still can crack, however, which is why scientists have developed a self-healing version that incorporates linseed oil.

Carbon fiber composites may be light and strong, but making them resistant to fire has been a challenge. Now, though, Korean scientists have discovered that a plant-derived substance both keeps them from burning and makes them easier to recycle.

We've already seen electronic glasses that watch the wearer's diet and automatically change focus, among other things. An experimental new pair monitors the user's health, lets them control games, and switch to being sunglasses as needed.

EV batteries have improved, but their limited ability to store energy still keeps many people from giving up their gas-burning cars. That may be about to change, as a new anode material is said to offer a whopping four-fold increase in capacity.

A Korean household robot prepared a salad at Robot World 2012.