China Scientist Awards Blog

  Drone control with the swipe of a finger? Chinese team shows how it is done Chinese researchers have released a video demonstrating the latest innovation in drone control – where a user can command a drone by simply swiping their fingers across a wearable touchpad.  Swipe patterns are instantly recognised by the advanced touchpad, which then sends the signals to a drone control platform via an external Bluetooth transmitter. Seamless interaction then allows the control platform to relay the commands to the drone. “Amid growing demand for more compact, intelligent and multifunctional human-machine interfaces, this high-performance touchpad marks a significant leap forward for the next generation of intelligent remote interactive platforms,” Tian Ye, associate professor at China’s Northeastern University, told the South China Morning Post in an interview on Wednesday. Results of the study were detailed in a recent paper in the peer-reviewed journal Nano Energy. The touchpad, similar in

  Researchers find quicker way to breed grapes Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have utilized artificial intelligence to shorten the breeding cycle of grapes, increasing the breeding efficiency of a commercially important crop known for its lengthy growth process. The findings of this research were published in the journal Nature Genetics this week. The typical germination and fruit-bearing process for a grape seed spans three years, with additional time needed to cultivate superior grape varieties. This prolonged timeline presents challenges in developing new types of quality grapes. Led by Zhou Yongfeng, researchers from the Agricultural Genomics Institute in Shenzhen, Guangdong province — a subdivision of the academy headquarters in Beijing — have focused on grape variety design and breeding since 2015, analyzing vast amounts of genomic and genetic data. Last year, they unveiled the first complete grape genome map and further constructed the inaugural grap

  China Focus: Taikonauts to conduct in-orbit experiments on fruit flies BEIJING -- The newly launched Shenzhou XIX taikonauts have embarked on their six-month journey aboard China's space station. Their packed schedule includes 86 sci-tech experiments, with a particularly intriguing one - the fruit fly research, aimed at studying the growth and behaviors of these insects at a distance of 400 km above Earth. The fruit fly is one of the model species frequently used in genetic experiments. It is small, measuring only 3 to 4 mm in length, and has a short life cycle with fast reproduction capabilities, enabling it to produce a large number of offspring within a short period, according to Zhang Wei, a researcher involved in the selection of in-orbit scientific experiments, at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "The genes of fruit flies share many similarities with those of humans, so the study can help with understand

  Alibaba Cloud notches big with ‘China’s Instagram’ completing largest data migration Alibaba Group Holding ’s cloud computing arm is now home to 500,000 terabytes worth of data from Chinese lifestyle platform  Xiaohongshu  after what the companies called the largest data migration ever, a case that could enhance the leading position of one of the country’s largest tech firms in the domestic cloud market. The migration of the 500-petabyte “data lake” – a repository that stores, processes and secures large amounts of structured and unstructured data – started last November, taking a year of 1,500 staff members from Xiaohongshu working with teams at Alibaba to complete, according to a statement from Alibaba Cloud. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. The data lake contains all the raw and critical data that Xiaohongshu has accumulated since it started operating 11 years ago. For context, one petabyte of data can hold around 11,000 4K high-definition movies, which would require mor

  AI may produce millions of tonnes of electronic waste by 2030, study finds Generative artificial intelligence could create close to 1,000 times more electronic waste by the start of the next decade, a global analysis has found. Without any waste reduction measures , e-waste from AI would see significant growth – from 2,600 tonnes in 2023 to 2.5 million tonnes in 2030, the scientists said. That would be equivalent to the world’s projected population in 2030 of 8.5 billion people throwing away nearly two iPhones each. The rapid rise of generative AI requires frequent upgrades to hardware and chip technology, often rendering existing electronic equipment obsolete. That equipment contains toxic metals including lead and chromium which are hazardous to health and the environment, as well as precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum that could potentially be recycled. “Our findings indicate that this e-waste stream could increase, potentially reaching a total accumulation of

  Thailand set to be first country to join Chinese and US-led space initiatives Thailand is poised to become the first country to take part in Chinese and US-led space exploration initiatives, despite the two powers being seen as rivals in a new space race. After signing a memorandum of understanding with China in April to collaborate on the International Lunar Research Station ( ILRS ), the Thai government has now approved a move to join the US-led Artemis Accords, according to The Nation, a Bangkok-based newspaper. Joining the accords will give  Thailand  access to advanced technologies from member countries and enhance its ability to compete globally in the   space economy , Thailand’s higher education, science, research and innovation minister Supamas Isarabhakdi said, according to the outlet. John Sheldon, a partner at Dubai-based space services and investment company AzurX, said that by taking part in both the ILRS and the Artemis Accords,  Thailand  had proved that these initi