How NTU’s homegrown technologies are reshaping our future
by Lester Kok / Illustrations and animation by Vivian Lim
Wormy way to deal with plastics
Now
Inspired by how Zophobas atratus worms – the larvae of the darkling beetle commonly sold as pet food – can eat and digest plastics, NTU’s scientists studied these worms and uncovered bacterial colonies in their gut responsible for their “superpower”. They went on to extract the bacteria and grow them in the lab, birthing an artificial worm gut that has been effective in breaking down common plastics found in styrofoam boxes and shampoo bottles.
Future
Imagine giant tanks filled with these plastic-eating bacteria, ready to tackle mountains of waste plastic. As these artificial guts spring into action, speedily breaking it all down, envision futuristic compost bins combating the plastic pollution plaguing our oceans. Who knew the answer to our plastic crisis would wiggle its way out of a pet shop? Better yet, this nature-inspired solution does not rely on large-scale worm breeding.
Giving solar panels a new lease of life
Now
Solar panels in tropical countries like sunny Singapore have it hard. When these panels face inclement weather and harsh sunlight, the solar cells within them start to degrade in performance, sometimes by 10 to 20 per cent over their roughly 25-year life span. This degradation starts from the moment the solar panels are installed. To help protect these panels and restore degraded solar cells, NTU’s deep tech spin-off, EtaVolt, has developed an automated device that can re-energise the solar cells in just minutes using LED lights with several times the intensity of sunlight.
Future
Rather than wait for solar panels to degrade before rejuvenating them, this intense solar rejuvenation process can be applied in the factory to brand-new solar cells. This process “activates” the hydrogen within them, which helps to protect new solar panels from degradation caused by solar exposure. If we hit the refresh button on this process every few years, we can keep the energy flowing from our solar panels strong and steady, stretching out their sunny days.
The Force at NTU
Now
Commanding a robot with a mere wave of your hand, akin to a Jedi in Star Wars, is no longer just movie magic, but reality, thanks to the pioneering work of NTU’s material scientists in developing advanced soft electronic sensors. These electronics, designed to be ultra-thin, stretchable and flexible, can be comfortably worn on any part of the body. Embedded with multiple sensors, they can monitor vital signs and even remotely control robotic arms or vehicles, paving the way to novel wearables.
Future
Slim electronic patches, when directly applied to the skin, could provide those with limb disabilities or mobility impairments an easier way to control robots and vehicles, replacing conventional joysticks and controllers that require the use of both hands. These patches can be attached to the forearm, legs, head or shoulders, enabling wireless connectivity to operate vessels, control cranes, or replicate full body movements, much like how pilots control giant robots known as Jaegers in the Pacific Rim movie franchise.
This story was published in the Mar-Apr 2024 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
