Infrared study: Underwater solar power plant and robot neurosurgeon
Russia has developed a robot for brain surgery without opening the skull, turbines for providing electricity to northern settlements, and technology for creating reliable bone implants. Meanwhile, China has successfully tested an underwater solar power plant, and South Korean scientists have created a film to protect electronics from radiation. Read more about the interesting science news of the week in the collection "Izvestia.
In Russia, the hardness of bone implants has increased sixfold
Scientists at the Saratov State Technical University named after Yuri Gagarin have developed a method for applying a niobium coating to titanium blanks, which allows them to increase their strength. Titanium is used to make bone implants due to its biocompatibility, however, vanadium or aluminum is usually added to the alloy to increase strength. Over time, these elements can provoke inflammation of the surrounding tissues.
The researchers suggested replacing them with niobium, a metal that is safe for the body. At the same time, its processing is difficult. Scientists have found a solution by proposing to apply niobium to ready-made titanium implants by spraying in a vacuum at high temperature.
When heated, niobium evaporates, and its smallest particles are embedded in the surface layer of titanium, increasing its strength. The higher the current and the longer the duration of spraying, the thicker the protective layer is obtained.
According to the developers, the technology can be used to create reliable bone implants, as well as microelectronic devices resistant to mechanical damage for the aerospace industry.
In China, a solar power plant started working underwater
Scientists from China have launched a photovoltaic system at a depth of 10 m in the open sea. At the world's first underwater solar power plant, lead halide and perovskite-based cells with a special polymer that allows them to hold more electrons convert light into electrical energy. They detect radiation penetrating to a depth of 5-10 m.
After laboratory tests, remote-controlled robots delivered solar cells to the open sea. At a depth of 10 m, they generated 324 MWh of electricity, which was enough to turn on the LED signage.
According to the developers, in the future, the technology will allow transmitting video broadcasts from coral reefs, providing energy to acoustic monitoring stations and underwater residential complexes.
Brain pathologies will be treated by robots with an ultrasound "scalpel"
""One of the promising developments presented at the Science of the Future — Science of the Young" forum in Nizhny Novgorod is a robotic complex for the treatment of brain pathologies using an ultrasound "scalpel". The technology involves operations without incisions and opening of the skull.
— In cooperation with an industrial partner, a robotic complex has been developed that can affect not only deep but also more superficial areas of the brain. At the same time, due to ultrasonic navigation, the device has high accuracy, which will allow it to be used in any neurosurgical operating room. Production of the complex is currently being completed," said Vsevolod Belousov, Director of the Federal Center for Brain and Neurotechnology at the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The new turbine will provide electricity to the northern settlements of Russia
Russian engineers have created a compact wind turbine with magnetic levitation of the rotor. Unlike traditional wind turbines, in the new design, the rotating element is held in the magnetic field of neodymium magnets. Due to this, there is practically no mechanical friction, and the need for maintenance is reduced. This feature allows the turbine to start already at a wind speed of 0.5 m/s, which is very important for the northern territories, where it is often weak or changeable.
Experts expect that the magnetic suspension will reduce wear by about 95% and increase the efficiency by about 20% compared to traditional designs. The stated maintenance interval is from five to ten years, and the total service life is up to 50 years, but these figures have yet to be confirmed during long—term operation and certification tests.
Scientists manufactured and tested the first functional 350-watt sample back in November 2025. The team is currently developing an installation with a capacity of 1-1.15 kW, and in the future it expects to bring the production model to the level of 1.5–2 kW. Experts believe that the technology has the greatest potential in Magadan and Yakutia, in Chukotka and Kamchatka. At the same time, they believe that in the coming years such installations are unlikely to completely replace diesel power plants, and a hybrid scheme will work.
Korea has created a super-thin film to protect electronics
Specialists from the KIMS Institute of Materials Science in South Korea and the KIST Institute of Science and Technology have created a composite film that blocks almost 100% of electromagnetic radiation and simultaneously reduces infrared thermal radiation from the surface.
The material consists of carbon nanotube fibers and titanium carbide nanosheets laid according to the brickwork principle. The thickness of the film is smaller than a human hair, while it effectively blocks electromagnetic waves and reduces the thermal radiation of the object in various conditions. The material retains its properties after exposure to high temperatures and high humidity, as well as after repeated deformations.
According to experts, the film can be used in the aerospace industry to reduce the thermal visibility of devices, as well as in compact electronics to eliminate electromagnetic interference between nearby components. The material has already passed laboratory tests, but it will have to be tested in real conditions before being used in production.
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