🔋 Aging batteries get a shot, Ukraine's drone factories, Saudi's 3D-printed mosque beats Dubai

What if you could just give your aging batteries a shot of rejuvenation? Well, Toyota-backed researchers have figured out a way to do just that! It's akin to a turbocharged energy drink for your car's battery. They've devised a method to inject specific chemicals, reviving aging lithium-ion batteries. Stay tuned for the full scoop on this electrifying breakthrough in today's Must Read. 

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MUST READ

🔋 Aging batteries? A simple injection could bring them back

We're well acquainted with lithium-ion batteries and how we rely on them to power all things from smartphones to electric vehicles (just to name a couple). However, over time, they do not perform the same, and the charge is retained much less successfully. The culprit?

It all boils down to the gradual loss of charged particles, or ions, crucial for storing and releasing energy within the battery. As these ions diminish, the battery's efficiency plummets, leaving users yearning for its once steadfast power source. Yet, what if there existed a method to replenish these ions and restore the battery's initial capacity?

Toyota Central R&D Labs in Japan have pioneered a singular-step process that not only shows promise in mitigating waste but also stands to increase the supply of batteries essential for burgeoning fleets of electric vehicles.

🪖 US aids shipping container-size 3D-printing drone factories for Ukraine

A new tech startup has recently raised $12 million from backers like Lockheed Martin to develop cheap miniature 3D-printing drone factories for battle zones like the Ukraine.

The startup’s core plan is to produce 3D-printing drone factories that fit inside a shipping container, can be deployed anywhere in the world, and are hidden in plain sight. The xCell shipping containers can produce a drone in less than 24 hours.

Their flagship product is the “Tempest” 3D-printable drone. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 55 pounds (25 kilograms), can carry a payload of 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms), and has a wingspan of 7 feet (2.1 meters). The drone is 6 feet (1.8 meters) long and can be customized based on the required range, loitering time, and cruise speed.

🕌 Saudi woman beats Dubai to construct world’s first 3D-printed mosque

In a remarkable tribute, Saudi businesswoman Wajnat Abdulwaheed honored her late husband by completing the world's first 3D-printed mosque, the Abdulaziz Abdullah Sharbatly Mosque, located in Jeddah's Al-Jawhara suburb.

In doing so, Abdulwaheed also beat the ambitions of Dubai, which has plans to build a 3D-printed mosque of 21,500 square feet (2,000 square meters) by 2025.

The initiative reflects a broader trend, with Interesting Engineering reporting an entire U.S. neighborhood constructed using 3D printing. As Dubai vies for the title of the world's 3D printing capital, it aims for 25 percent of new buildings to utilize this technology, signaling an innovative shift in architectural practices.

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