Sci-Tech

Chinas BeiDou System to Expand Cooperation in Southeast Asia

In a bid to go global， the operator of Chinas home-grown BeiDou Navigation Satellite System （BDS） has announced that it will expand its reach to Thailand and Sri Lanka， eventually aiming to cover the whole of Southeast Asia.

Du Li， general manager of Wuhan Optics Valley BeiDou Holdings Group Co.， said recently that his company will continue to explore models for international sci & tech cooperation for BDS， including joint construction of base stations， joint technical development and research， personnel training and exchanges.

The company， which is in charge of BDS operations and services， established its first three overseas Continuously Operating Reference Stations （CORS） and networking for BDS in Chonburi Province， eastern Thailand， in December 2013. It also plans to build a China-ASEAN science and technology city in Thailand for the purpose of promoting BDS applications.

Wuhan Optics Valley BeiDou this year will cooperate with Sri Lankan authorities to create at least 10 CORS in the country， exploring a variety of applications such as land surveying and mapping， ocean fisheries and disaster warning.

The establishment of CORS in Thailand and Sri Lanka will increase BDS coverage by at least 3，000 km across Southeast Asia and South Asia， Du said.

By the end of 2016， BDS had already installed 23 satellites. The Belt and Road Initiative is an opportunity for China to develop its space science and technology， said Prof. Li Deren of Wuhan University.

“Our priority is to extend the reach of BDS from China to the frontline of the Belt and Road Initiative； and Optics Valley BeiDou is a pioneer，” Li said. China-made smartphones will be good platforms to carry BDS overseas.

Chinese Researchers Create Soft Robotic Arm for Medical Use

A team of Chinese postgraduates have created a soft robotic arm， inspired by an octopus， that can be used to heal injuries.

The students， from Beijing-based Beihang University， exhibited their prototype on March 30 after developing it with a foreign firm.

Soft robots are constructed with materials like silicone， plastic， fabric， rubber or compliant mechanical parts like springs.

“The softness makes it possible for the robots to work more effectively and safely with humans and can be used for rehabilitation and recovery or in the service sector，” said Wang Tianmiao， a robotics engineer at the university.

The robotic soft arm is inspired by the tentacles of an octopus， Wang said， “It can bend and swirl quickly， and the suction cups help it adhere tightly to objects of different shapes and sizes.”

“In five to 10 years， it is expected that the robotic arm will be used in minimal-invasive surgery and athletic rehabilitation，” said Wen Li， an associate professor at Beihang University and head of the team.

Chinese Scientists Develop All-weather Solar Cells

A photovoltaic revolution is taking place with the emergence of all-weather solar cells， according to a Chinese scientist.

“Solar cell research mainly focused on increasing photoelectric conversion efficiency in direct sunlight until persistent high-efficiency power generation in poor light conditions became possible，” said Tang Qunwei， a professor with the Ocean University of China.

Tangs team and one led by Yang Peizhi， a professor with Yunnan Normal University， developed a solar cell using a crucial material called long persistent phosphor（LPP）， which can store energy from sunlight during the day and harvest it at night.

“Only partially visible light can be absorbed by light absorbers and then converted into electricity. But solar energy from unabsorbed visible and near-infrared light can be stored in LPP， releasing monochromatic visible light at night，” Tang said. “The released light is reabsorbed by light absorbers to convert it into electricity， enabling persistent power generation during the day and in the dark.”

The work of Tang and Yang was recently published in an academic journal published by the American Chemistry Society， ACS Nano， and the publication Nano Energy.

“All-weather solar cells could indicate that the global solar industry will bring down the cost of energy harvesting，” Tang said.

New Plastic-eating Fungus May Solve Garbage Problem

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences （CAS） have identified a novel fungus capable of degrading polyurethane（PU） plastics. The research was published on the website of the international journal Environmental Pollution.

The fungus， named Aspergillus tubingensis， was isolated by a research team led by Xu Jianchu， a researcher with the Kunming Institute of Botany under CAS.

“The fungus can grow on the surface of PU and break the chemical bonds between plastic molecules or polymers through the activity of its enzymes，” Xu said， “Meanwhile， the fungus also uses the physical strength of its mycelia to help break apart polymers.”

PU is a type of synthetic polymer widely used in the manufacture of plastics. It can be applied in various industries， including medical treatment.

“Fungus biodegradation is an important way to treat pollution caused by synthetic plastics，” said Xu， adding that the efficiency of degradation was affected by various factors， including PH， temperature and type of plastic.

He said researchers would gradually figure out the ideal conditions for the rapid growth of the fungus， thereby laying the foundations for a solution to the garbage problem.