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💨 World's tallest, 492-foot wooden wind turbine installed in Sweden

💨 World's tallest, 492-foot wooden wind turbine installed in Sweden

Plus: Valkyrie NASA robot, Snake-like bot, and Ancient Chinese city in palace

Shubhangi Dua
December 29, 2023

Modvion, a renewable energy startup based in Sweden, has recently finalized the installation of the world's tallest wooden turbine, standing at a towering 492 feet (150 meters). This structure boasts a modular design crafted from spruce wood, manufactured in a factory for subsequent on-site assembly.

Read more in today’s Must Read to learn about this modular design approach which allows taller turbines to be built using wood that also weighs less, meaning more can be made with less material.

Yesterday's poll revealed your keen interest in the unveiling of ChatGPT-4 this year. Today, we're shifting gears to inquire about the efficiency of constructing tall wind turbines.

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🤖 Meet Valkyrie: NASA's humanoid robot enters advanced stages of testing The robot is being developed to offer a helping hand to astronauts, designed to operate in hostile and hazardous conditions in space.
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MUST READ

💨 World's tallest, 492-foot wooden wind turbine installed in Sweden

Focused on erecting taller turbine towers, Modvion, a renewable energy startup situated in Sweden has finalized the erection of a pioneering 492-foot (150 m) wooden turbine, marking it as the tallest worldwide. They also plan to build another tower, even taller than the recent one, in the near future. By 2027, their goal is to supply 100 such towers annually and reach a milestone of 2,000 within a decade.

The company employs laminated veneer lumber (LVL) to craft robust walls for its noteworthy towers. Using spruce wood – the same material as a Christmas tree – along with compressed layers and adhesive, the startup manufactures curved segments for the tower. Controlling the grain within these layers enables precise regulation of the walls' strength and flexibility.

INNOVATION

🐍 Snake-inspired robot mimics parasite motion for enhanced flexibility

In the secientific community, snake -inspired robots have gained prominence for their remarkable flexibility in movement. Recently, scientists introduced an innovative approach to enhance the stiffness control of these snake-like robots. They proposed a groundbreaking ‘macro-micro’ structural design combined with a comprehensive strategy for stiffness regulation.

SCIENCE

📜 4,000-year-old palace found hidden in ancient Chinese city

In central China's Henan Province, recent archaeological breakthroughs have uncovered remnants dating back 4,000 years—an ancient palace and grain storage facilities. These findings at the Zhuqiu Temple site and the ancient walled city in Xinmi provide invaluable insights into the architectural prowess and early agricultural methods of the ancient Xia Dynasty, reshaping our understanding of history.

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