Innovation Pipeline

A global water crisis is expected by 2025 unless economically viable ways of purifying water can be developed.
One of the major threats to water supplies is contamination, from saltwater from industrial waste, from pesticides.
New sensors would help. Research labs are working on sensors specially designed to deal with monitoring and purification problems.
Researchers at the University [...]

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Researchers at Duke University have come to respect the power of nano-engineered buckyballs.
In one project, the engineers found that ultrafine mesh coatings made of carbon buckyballs can hinder the ability of bacteria and other microorganisms to colonize the membranes that filter impurities from water. This is one of the major problems — and costs — [...]

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OK. It’s New Zealand, not Australia. But this company called EcoInnovation still reminds you a little bit of Road Warrior. Founder and chief engineer Michael Lawley has built his “renewable energy store” on the ingenious redeployment of everyday household appliances.
Among other things, the company recycles SmartDrive motors from salvaged washing machines to generate hydropower. Of [...]

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The electric grid has been on the sideline as digital innovation has made many other systems smarter and more agile. Yes, the grid is one complicated mesh of interconnects but it’s about time it got some attention.
The Obama stimulus package promises to do that. Of the $104 billion going to green tech, there’s roughly $4.5 [...]

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