Si-photonics chip emits beam of light; towards piezoelectric converters without transformers; digital twin for autonomous driving.
MIT researchers developed a miniature, chip-based “tractor beam” that could help scientists study DNA, classify cells, and investigate the mechanisms of disease.
The device uses a beam of light emitted by a silicon-photonics chip to manipulate particles millimeters away from the chip surface, while the sample remains sterile under its glass cover. The system is called an integrated optical phased array.
“This work opens up new possibilities for chip-based optical tweezers by enabling trapping and tweezing of cells at much larger distances than previously demonstrated,” said Jelena Notaros, the Robert J. Shillman Career Development Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and a member of the Research Laboratory of Electronics, in a release. “It’s exciting to think about the different applications that could be enabled by this technology.” [1]
CEA-Leti researchers got closer to isolating piezoelectric converters without transformers with a new topology of dual-bridge isolated piezoelectric resonator converter (DB-IPRC), which provides isolation using two independent piezoelectric resonators. This version of the DC-DC converter significantly improves efficiency, while maintaining the converter isolation principle.
The work expands on previous results reported by CEA-Leti in the August 2023 issue of “IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics” in the article, “A New Isolated Topology of DC-DC Converter Based on Piezoelectric Resonators.”
The use of piezoelectric resonators instead of inductors in power conversion “will lead to a dramatic reduction in the size of power converters,” said Ghislain Despesse, a co-author of the PCIM paper and the earlier article in a release. “Our results make it possible to extend this type of compact conversion to isolated converters. So this type of converter is now compatible with a much wider range of applications, such as TVs, phones, tablets and electrical tools.” [2]
Tokyo Institute of Technology and Virginia Tech researchers jointly created a Smart Mobility Digital Twin that replicates physical traffic conditions in cyber space in real-time, demonstrating a hybrid autonomous driving system with self-driving and remote operation.
The digital twin could identify safer and more efficient routes for autonomous vehicles in real-time and relay this information back to the vehicles, confirming that hybrid autonomous driving – integrating both local autonomy and remote guidance – is possible.
“This research enables the fusion of local path planning based on the vehicle’s own sensors and global path planning based on the digital twin’s broader environment view,” according to a release. “This is achieved through V2X communication. improving both traffic safety and efficiency simultaneously.” [3]
[1] Sneh, T., Corsetti, S., Notaros, M. et al. Optical tweezing of microparticles and cells using silicon-photonics-based optical phased arrays. Nat Commun 15, 8493 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52273-x
[2] V. Breton, E. Bigot, F. Costa and G. Despesse, “Switching Assisting Circuit Improving the Efficiency of DC-DC Converters Based on Piezoelectric Resonators,” PCIM Europe 2024; International Exhibition and Conference for Power Electronics, Intelligent Motion, Renewable Energy and Energy Management, Nürnberg, Germany, 2024, pp. 797-802, doi: 10.30420/566262097. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10653929
[3] K. Wang et al., “Smart Mobility Digital Twin Based Automated Vehicle Navigation System: A Proof of Concept,” in IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 4348-4361, March 2024, doi: 10.1109/TIV.2024.3368109. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10443037
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