🦈 'Shark attack' glove, Meta challenges Nvidia, World's largest cavern energy

Plus: Quantum material gives 190% solar boost                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 April 11, 2024 | [Read Online]( Researchers created a new ‘e-glove’ to wirelessly transmit underwater hand gestures to a computer for translation into messages. In doing so, they overcome the key challenge of waterproofing electronic sensors for pool or ocean use while maintaining glove flexibility. The development will help divers talk to those on the surface to relay messages like – ‘OK,’ ‘Exit,’ or ‘Shark.’ For more about how the tech works in today’s [Must-Read]([.]( 🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on [jobs.interestingengineering.com](: >[Â]([Senior Automation Lead Engineer]( > [Software Engineer $80,000 - $100,000 a year]([Â]( 🎙 New podcast [The science behind Wi-Fi motion sensing with Dr. Taj Manku]( Reading Time: 4 mins Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe here.]( MUST READ 🦈 New e-glove could allow scuba divers shout ‘shark’ attack underwater Usually, when divers have to say ‘I’m okay’ or to make their dive partners aware of some danger, they [rely on hand signals]( to communicate visually. However, sometimes, these movements are hard to see. Now, a team has crafted a new glove with waterproof sensors inspired by the tube-like feet of starfish. Using [laser writing tools](, they created an array of these sensors on a thin film of waterproof plastic (PDMS). They then sewed them over the prototype’s knuckles and first finger joints. A volunteer made 16 gestures, which were recorded by the e-glove sensors. Using machine learning, the team achieved 99.8 percent accuracy in translating gestures into messages on land and [underwater.]( 🕳️ World’s largest cavern thermal energy storage to warm a city year-round Vaanta Energy, a company owned by the cities of Helsinki and Vaanta in Finland, has ambitious plans to establish the [world’s largest cavern-based]( thermal energy storage system. It will consist of [three underground caverns](, each measuring over 900 feet (300 meters) long, 131 feet (40 meters) high, and 65 feet (20 meters) wide. Together, the caverns will have a total volume of 38.85 million cubic feet (1.1 million cubic meters). Dubbed the Varanto project, it’s expected to have an energy storage capacity of 90 gigawatt hours (GWh). That’s the equivalent of energy stored in 1.2 million electric vehicles and would meet the heating needs of a medium-sized city [for up to a year.]( 💾 Meta challenges Nvidia’s dominance with new AI chips Social media giant [Meta]( has unveiled its second-generation artificial intelligence (AI) chips, which it plans to deploy in-house later this year. The Meta Training and Inference Accelerator (MTIA) is part of the company’s larger plans to build AI infrastructure for integration into its services, such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The company first announced the MTIA version 1 (v1) in May 2023, but production plans were [pushed back to 2025](. Meta turned to industry favorite Nvidia for the H100 processors to power its AI operations. According to a Reuters report, the company plans to acquire 350,000 H100 chips for AI applications. It will eventually have 600,000 AI chips powering its AI services. Meta is keen to [break into the largely monopolistic market]( of AI-powered chips currently held by Nvidia. Love what you're reading, but too many emails? Sign up to IE+ to get Blueprint Weekly, our exclusive weekly premium newsletter that gives all the insights you love in a more digestible weekly format– plus, enjoy an Ad-Free experience on our website. Try IE+ today for just $1 in the first month. [Subscribe here]( OUR WORKSHOP [Join our first workshop]( at Interesting Engineering, you'll explore the depths of AI models like #ChatGPT, #Gemini, and #Anthropic, understanding their capabilities in refining code for software applications and optimizing graphics. Learn to build AI models from scratch, and discover the power of selecting the perfect AI tools for specific projects. Use our special promotion code IEACADEMYBP for an extra 25% percent discount on checkout. Sign up today from [here]( HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY SCIENCE > All is not calm in the cosmic cradle. Astronomers have caught a baby star in the act of sneezing tremendous bursts of energy and stellar material into the surrounding space. ([More]() > Some frogs scream at an ear-splitting volume for other animals, but its frequency is inaudible to humans. Scientists have recorded the first documented case of "defensive ultrasound" being used by amphibians. ([More]() > A recent study by researchers at the University of Bonn sheds light on a long-standing fossil mystery. They finally reveal the culprit to be a colossal 200 million-year-old marine predator – the ichthyosaur. ([More]() ENERGY > A team debuted a prototype using a quantum material as the active layer in a solar cell. That material showed a photovoltaic absorption of 80% and external quantum efficiency of up to 190 percent. ([More]() > Oil wells might have a new life, according to a new project. Researchers are exploring if depleted oil & gas reservoirs can store hydrogen, a clean energy source. ([More]() > European Metals produces ‘exceptionally clean’ lithium battery material. According to the firm, lithium hydroxide monohydrate has been successfully produced in a test during the recent larger-scale Cinovec pilot program. ([More]() INNOVATION > Researchers use miniature humanoid robots trained through deep reinforcement learning (deep RL) to demonstrate their ability to intricately dribble and score in one-on-one soccer matches. ([More]() > Nature provides many remarkable instances of terrestrial and aerial mobility. Inspired by this type of multimodal movement, a team of engineers has developed a highly efficient hybrid robot that can hop and fly. ([More]() > Vast announced that Haven-1 will be the first commercial space station equipped with a Starlink laser terminal. This will give crew members high-speed internet as they fly around our planet at thousands of miles per hour. ([More]() VIDEO > A team at MIT is investigating the potential of hydrogen-powered motorcycles. The team has a history of converting gasoline vehicles to electric. But it hopes hydrogen could deliver a greener - and faster - option for the future. ([More]() > Carnegie Mellon's Team Explorer is diving underground with their cutting-edge autonomous robots for the DARPA Subterranean Challenge, revolutionizing exploration in tunnels, caves, and urban landscapes. ([More]() > Oxford University is using a supercomputer called Dawn to research fusion power. Fusion could be a solution to the world's energy needs. But it's exceptionally complex, and needs a supercomputer to design fusion reactors. ([More]() IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS Yesterday, we asked you: “What is the missing number in the circle?” The answer is: 7 Ready for more brainy challenges? Gear up for future IE quizzes by following us on [Instagram]( and [Facebook!]( FROM THE WEB > Incredible photos and footage of 2024's total eclipse that weren't taken on [Earth]( > Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner could ‘break apart’ midair, says [whistleblower]( > Russian engineers develop ‘killer burger’ [robot]( > Crustal carbonate build-up as a driver for Earth’s [oxygenation]( > The proton engine Einstein predicted, created for the first time: challenges the laws of the universe and makes cars [sustainable]( > What are volcanic vortex rings? Mount Etna blows spectacular ‘smoke rings’ into the [sky]( Additional Reads --------------------------------------------------------------- [⚙️ Mechanical:](Explore the wonders of mechanical engineering. [🛩️ Aerospace:]( The latest on propulsion, satellites, aeronautics, and more. [🧑🏻‍🔧 Engineer Pros:]( The latest in engineering news, career updates, and insider knowledge. 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