In a paper published in the journal Materials Horizons in March, materials scientist Martin Thuo and his collaborators at Iowa State University demonstrated a new method of extracting valuable metals from recycled electronics: one that requires only air and relatively low temperatures of 500-700 degrees Fahrenheit (260-370 degrees Celsius). 

A strength of this new method is its tunability, allowing different metals to be extracted from a sample one by one. The balance of air and temperature controls which component in the waste reacts fastest. Once the most reactive component is entirely oxidized, it is separated from the rest of the sample, and the process continues with the next reactive component.

The tunability of the process also means that the waste must be "profiled" first, to determine the quantity of each component and design the air and temperature changes accordingly. Thuo said fine-tuning these profiles, as well as characterizing the method's environmental friendliness and cost, will be a priority as his team begins to commercialize the technology. 

Wearables debuted on the open seas in 2014 when Royal Caribbean launched its Wow Bands. Three years later, Princess Cruises debuted its Ocean Medallion technology. This wireless gadget can be worn as a bracelet or discreet pendant necklace, and it enables contactless boarding, keyless stateroom entry and onboard payments for everything from drinks to purchases in shipboard shops.

Now, instead of just making it possible to keep an eye on your kids while they’re having fun at a watery splash zone, these devices are now capable of keeping tabs on travelers who are quarantined due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As part of Kauai’s so-called “enhanced movement quarantine,” six resorts on the Hawaiian island use a mobile app paired with a wearable surveillance device to ensure guests comply with a mandatory 72-hour quarantine upon arrival. Some properties provide the bracelets for free, while others charge guests up to $100.

The British Virgin Islands also mandate that guests wear tracking bracelets. Arriving passengers, including residents and citizens, must take a COVID-19 test at the airport and use a contact-tracing system on their phones linked to a government-issued wristband during a four-day quarantine before being tested again. The two required tests, the mobile contact tracing app and monitoring bracelet are provided at the visitor’s expense, costing approximately $175.

There are also environmental concerns. Most properties don’t reuse the bracelets. Chapur, of Le Blanc, said their beachfront resort uses plastic-free vinyl wristbands, but they still generate more waste than a keycard, which can be reprogrammed.

With more travel providers (and entire nations) turning to wearable technology in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 amongst travelers, we’ll likely see new innovations in the wearable space. A single device could become your room key card, a quarantine monitor, theme park pass and mobile payment device. It could even use biotechnology to monitor your health, like the buttons deployed by the Cayman Islands to help travelers enjoy a reduced quarantine period. But hopefully, these wearable devices will become increasingly comfortable, eco-friendly and more discreet, so guests and travelers aren’t easily singled out — and aren’t deterred from using the technology in future applications.

When a returning loyalty member checks in, the room can automatically be set to their preferred temperature, play their favorite music and have the curtains wide open to enjoy the top-floor view, just as they like. Using AI and voice technology via in-room assistants further enhances the experience, enabling guests to manage their environments completely hands-free and avoid various touchpoints like the thermostat, light switches and the remote.

AI can also provide guests with the option to make requests for towels, pillows or food to be delivered to their rooms, outside the door without human contact. The Mercantile New Orleans uses a robot butler to deliver snacks, coffee or the morning newspaper to guests.

A recent AHLA survey found that 62 percent of guests consider cleanliness and safety protocols as their number two priority when choosing a hotel, compared to 38 percent of guests pre-COVID. Because of this, it is inherent upon hotels to implement new health and safety measures.

Verified Market Research, the market for UV disinfecting bots will grow to more than $5.5 billion by 2027.

Utilising SmartThings technology, these fridges allow people to see what is inside their fridge, wherever they may be.

COVID-19 may be the pandemic that has taken over the world recently, but there are a number of other crises that will continue beyond the effects of coronavirus. Food waste and, of course, global warming are just two of them.

By introducing technology into kitchens, this will help contribute positively to both of these incredibly important issues, as well as reducing the UK's carbon footprint.

2021 is the year to go digital and food businesses need to do more with less. Consumers are going to be even more sensitive to food hygiene standards and will choose not to dine with businesses if they feel they are not conforming to the highest levels of safety. Aiding safety and transparency, remote technologies such as in-app ordering and digitised menus should be continued to help limit the need for human contact and disease transmission. By going digital, food businesses can focus on the customer experience and let technology innovate, and take care of, many food safety procedures.

in April Etihad became the first airline to trial new contactless self-service technologies, which can estimate a passenger’s vital signs, to allow for touchless health screenings at airport kiosks and bag drops.

AirAsia also quickly followed suit and in May the airline introduced several contactless procedures for essential travel including contactless kiosks, Passenger Reconciliation System (PRS), contactless payments at the airport, as well as enhanced features on its mobile app to help ensure a smooth and safe travel experience.

Biometrics technology also has a major part to play in creating a touchless travel experience. The implementation of the technology in the aviation industry has been well underway in the past few years, but its potential to facilitate a more contactless travel experience has accelerated the adoption even further in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Southwest Airlines, for instance, launched a series of improvements across its Inflight Entertainment Portal, which allows customers to stream inflight content without having to download an app before they board.

Qatar Airways announced plans to offer passengers touchless technology for its Oryx One inflight entertainment system (IFE) across its A350 fleet. The Zero-Touch technology, introduced in partnership with the Thales AVANT IFE system, will enable passengers to pair their personal electronic devices (PEDs) with their seat-back IFE screen by connecting to ‘Oryxcomms’ Wi-Fi and simply scanning a QR code displayed on the screen. They can then use their PEDs to navigate and enjoy more than 4,000 options on offer through the airline’s Oryx One IFE system.

in Europe, Schiphol Airport launched a pilot which allows passengers to pre-order food and drinks at Schiphol’s food & beverage outlets after security control. Passengers can now scan a QR code from one of the physical banners or media screens located at and after the airport security check. The QR code will allow them to place their order, pay online and choose a time to pick up their order after going through security.

The MagicBands let customers do everything seamlessly – from unlocking their Disney Resort hotel room doors and entering the theme parks, to making food and merchandise purchases. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Disney has brought even more contactless engagement, by using signage with QR codes throughout the park to encourage guests to use features on the park’s mobile app.

Disney has also highlighted that last year food and mobile order utilisation skyrocketed from 9% to 84%, and nearly 90% of all payments are now cashless. The company is also implementing contactless security screening using artificial intelligence at its theme parks and Disney Springs centre.

It is important to note that the far-UVC light will not eliminate coronavirus on its own. It needs to work in connection with the other safety protocols already put into place, including face coverings and social distancing, as well as the COVID-19 vaccine.

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If Disney Parks, including Walt Disney World and even Disneyland, or Universal theme parks decide to invest in these new far-UVC light devices, it could help them continue to operate safely during the pandemic. The major theme parks in Florida have already implemented several safety protocols including temperature checks, social distancing measures, face coverings, paperless payment methods, mobile ordering, and more, ever since they reopened their doors in summer 2020.