Technology
Science and technology
University of Wrenhaven's first satellite reaches orbit to watch coastal erosion
Why it matters: The shoebox-sized satellite, built by students and staff over four years, sent its first signal to the ground station on the university roof shortly after launch.
All stories
Showing 20 of 24-
Isabel Duarte Technology
A 3D model of a Mars rover, seen from every angle
Why it matters: The animation shows the six-wheeled rover’s robotic arm, cameras and chassis in detail.
Go deeper (1 min. read) → -
Owen Pryce Technology
Night launch: a sounding rocket climbs through the clouds
Why it matters: Fired from a pad ringed by trees, the rocket left a trail of flame before vanishing into cloud.
Go deeper (1 min. read) → -
Aisha Rahman Technology
University switches on new supercomputer for local weather forecasts
Why it matters: The machine can model the weather over the Wrenhaven coast in squares just 500 metres across, which forecasters say should improve warnings of flash floods and coastal gales.
Go deeper (2 min. read) → -
Eastmoor data centre waste heat to warm 2,000 homes in district heating pilot
Why it matters: Heat pumped from the cooling systems of the data centre on the Eastmoor industrial estate will be piped to nearby homes and a school, in a pilot the council hopes could later cover much of the east of the city.
Go deeper (3 min. read) → -
Jonah Becker Technology
University spin-out designs a tiny low-power chip to run coastal flood sensors for years
Why it matters: A start-up founded by researchers at the University of Wrenhaven says its new sensor chip can run for a decade on one small battery, making dense networks of flood gauges far cheaper to maintain.
Go deeper (3 min. read) → -
Mei Lin Tan Technology
Wrenhaven-made app predicts queues at public car chargers across the region
Why it matters: Built on open data from charge-point operators and the council, the free app tells drivers how long they are likely to wait at each charger and has grown to about 19,000 regular users.
Go deeper (2 min. read) → -
Samuel Adeyemi Technology
Solar panels raised above crops: first results from an Asher Valley trial
Why it matters: A two-hectare trial near Bramley Cross that grows vegetables and soft fruit beneath raised solar panels has produced its first full season of data, with some crops doing better in partial shade.
Go deeper (2 min. read) → -
Robots for rent: small bakeries and food makers lease automation by the month
Why it matters: A Wrenhaven firm is renting out robot arms to small food producers on monthly contracts, letting bakeries and kitchens automate heavy, repetitive jobs without paying tens of thousands of euros upfront.
Go deeper (3 min. read) → -
Eastmoor plant to recover lithium and cobalt from used batteries
Why it matters: The facility will shred and process up to 8,000 tonnes of spent batteries a year, recovering metals that can be sold back to battery makers.
Go deeper (2 min. read) → -
Lucas Moreau Technology
Drones begin carrying blood samples from Tarnmere to Wrenhaven General
Why it matters: A six-month trial cuts the journey for test samples from the village health centre to the hospital laboratory from over an hour by road to about 18 minutes.
Go deeper (2 min. read) → -
Freya Collins Technology
Libraries lend laptops and run digital skills classes for older residents
Why it matters: Residents can now borrow a laptop for up to three weeks and join small weekly classes on everything from video calls to spotting online scams.
Go deeper (2 min. read) → -
Hannah Okoye Technology
Volunteer-built app maps step-free routes for wheelchair users
Why it matters: More than 300 volunteers have surveyed kerbs, ramps and slopes across central Wrenhaven, and the free app now plans routes that avoid steps and steep hills.
Go deeper (2 min. read) → -
Elena Sokolova Technology
Smart street lights that dim on empty streets cut council energy bill
Why it matters: Motion-sensing LED lamps fitted in Netherby and Bramley Cross use 70 per cent less electricity, and residents in the trial streets say they barely noticed the change.
Go deeper (2 min. read) → -
Free Wi-Fi and phone charging arrive on every Wrenhaven tram
Why it matters: All 46 trams now have onboard internet and charging points at every seat bay, and the operator says the same network will feed live crowding information to passengers.
Go deeper (2 min. read) → -
Solar-and-battery phone masts keep marsh and island villages connected in storms
Why it matters: New masts with their own solar panels and batteries kept mobile coverage running in the Saltings during last winter's longest power cut, and more are now being installed around Greyling Bay.
Go deeper (3 min. read) →
