Spanish researchers at MIT have developed a system to produce electrodes for vanadium flow batteries, used in renewable energy storage. The electrodes are made from chitin, a polysaccharide found in the exoskeleton of crustaceans and insects. The advantage of this component is that it contains nitrogen in addition to carbon, which is then incorporated into the structure of the electron during the production process, improving electrode’s performance.

French scientists at the Neel Institute have produced a graphene patch that records the condition of chronic wounds, such as ulcers suffered by the elderly or those with diabetes, at any time. The data can be sent from home to the hospital via mobile phone, facilitating a rapid response to possible infections.

One of the most difficult parts of the human body to imitate due to its complexity is the hand. The Shadow Robot Company designs and develops highly dexterous robotic hands that are as realistic as possible to human hands and makes them available to researchers within the framework of the Human Brain Project. The goal is to integrate them into the robots of the future.

It is a two-dimensional material that has promised almost magical applications. Almost ten years after its ‘parents’ won a Nobel Prize, its most mundane applications are coming to market. Although the products are not revolutionary, many companies that use graphene do so with a secrecy that stands out against the marketing of others.

The 'Brains on Board' project is a collaboration between several British universities that partners with the HBP and seeks to ‘translate’ the brains of ants and bees into algorithms that a machine will understand. Its aim is to create equally efficient robots that can be used for rescue, space exploration and terrain analysis.

Aisoy Robotics, a start-up based in Elche (Spain), develops robots capable of recognising the person with whom they interact and simulate emotions. A nurse from the USA, Juan’s mother, confirmed its potential in autism therapies three years ago. Now, the firm is preparing a clinical study to test its efficacy with 50 children.

Barcelona-born Carlos Abellán has developed a chip that combines photonic and quantum technology to generate unpredictable codes to protect any connected device. The technology can be used in current and future quantum computers.

Spanish researchers have developed a system that tracks human displacement caused by climate change using the tracks of mobile phones. With this model, which was tested during a severe drought in Colombia in 2014, it was determined that the portion of the population that migrated due to this event was 10% during the six months of the study.

A typical feature of mammals lies in their ability to experience sensations, something that robots are beginning to imitate. With the help of artificial skins and algorithms, Czech and Italian researchers have managed to make a small humanoid robot aware of human contact and even notice if someone is invading his 'living' space.