New Atlas

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Volvo's first electric driverless bus swings into action in Singapore

Nick Lavars March 5, 2019

Singapore is intent on positioning itself at the vanguard of self-driving technologies. Now it is looking to ramp things up even further, rolling what it claims to be the world’s first full size, autonomous electric bus onto a university campus in partnership with Volvo.

With autonomous truck, car, taxi and shuttle bus trials already underway on the island state, Singapore ...

Medical

Prototype device listens to lungs to check the heart

Ben Coxworth November 29, 2018

One of the key symptoms of congestive heart failure is fluid accumulation in the lungs. Currently, people need to visit a clinic in order to check for such accumulation. Thanks to a new device, however, they may soon be able to perform checks whenever they want, in their own home.

The device takes the form of a stethoscope-like acoustic sensor which is hard-wired to a smartphone

Medical

Patch delivers medication by breaking needles off in the eye

Ben Coxworth November 19, 2018

We've already heard about "microneedle" patches that deliver medication through the skin. Well, scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have taken the same approach to treating eye diseases. They've developed a patch laden with tiny needles, which get poked into the eyeball.

The eye patch measures 2 by 2 mm in its present form, and contains nine microneedles

3D Printing

Robots collaborate on 3D-printing concrete structures

Ben Coxworth October 2, 2018

Although we've already seen 3D printers that can create full-size concrete structures, the huge size of the devices could make them difficult to install at construction sites. Singaporean scientists are developing an alternative, in the form of mobile robots that work together to do the job.

The NTU team with the two robots and the structure that they built

Science

Natural preservative could keep foods fresh longer than ever

Ben Coxworth August 16, 2018

There may be new hope for people who don't want potentially-harmful preservatives in their food, yet who still want it to have a decent shelf life. Scientists in Singapore have developed a plant-based food preservative, which they claim is actually more effective than its artificial counterparts.

The preservative has been successfully tested on fruit juice and meat samples

Medical

DNA-spiked nanoparticles could help minimize scarring

Ben Coxworth June 4, 2018

Not only are large scars often unsightly, but the stiff scar tissue can also limit a person's range of motion, causing discomfort. And although there are procedures that minimize scarring, it's not always apparent if such measures need to be taken. New nanoparticles could help doctors decide.

Dr. David Yeo (right) uses a microscope to detect NanoFlares which were applied to the skin ...

Around The Home

Noise-canceling windows soften the sounds of the city

Michael Irving May 1, 2018

Sometimes there’s nothing like a nice breeze from an open window, but in the city that can come with an unwanted side order of street noise. Inspired by noise-canceling headphones, researchers at NTU Singapore have developed a window-based system that can actively cut noise coming from outside.

The noise-canceling windows may be bulky, but they do a decent job of cutting external noise ...

Robotics

Robot puts IKEA chair together in 20 minutes

Nick Lavars April 19, 2018

Assembling IKEA furniture is perhaps not the most popular of past times, but homemakers could soon gain a helping hand from a dexterous new robot developed at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore that has assembled an IKEA chair in 20 minutes.

NTU's new robot, built from off-the-shelf components, was able to autonomously assemble an Ikea chair in ...

Medical

GonioPEN promises faster, cheaper glaucoma diagnoses

Ben Coxworth April 5, 2018

In order to diagnose glaucoma, a device known as a gonioscope is most often used … and it has to be pressed against the patient's eyeball. That may not be necessary for much longer, however, thanks to a new pen-shaped camera called the GonioPEN.

The GonioPEN is now in the process of being commercialized

Medical

Unwanted fish scales may help heal wounds

Ben Coxworth March 12, 2018

Chances are, you can't think of many uses for fish scales. Neither can the fisheries industry, which is why it disposes of great quantities of the things. According to scientists from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, however, such scales may be able to help heal wounds in humans.

Some of the fish scales used in the study