Materials as lightweight and resistant as plastic, yet fully biodegradable and... created from waste? Scientists from the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS are working on an ecological, waste-free and economical method of obtaining organic monomers.

In Kielce, representatives of the board of the Świętokrzyskie province authorities and the European Space Foundation signed the agreement on the co-organization of the 5th edition of the European Rover Challenge and the accompanying mentoring and business conference.

MindHand is a bionic hand prosthesis developed to facilitate the lives of the disabled and people after amputation. Scientists from the Bialystok University of Technology, the creators of the internationally acclaimed, award-winning design, have signed an incubation agreement in the programme Hub of Talents 2 - start-up platforms for new ideas in Eastern Poland. It is one of 34 companies supported by the Białystok Science and Technology Park.

Automation of transport will improve road safety, says Director of the Motor Transport Institute Prof. Marcin Ślęzak. In cooperation with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Warsaw University of Technology, the institute prepares guidelines for the principles of building infrastructure for autonomous vehicles.

Researchers will use funds from the industry to test new types of bitumen so that they be used in road construction in Poland. Polymer-modified surfaces offer a possibility of building roads without ruts, more resistant to frost, moisture and damage.

Graphene oxide and graphene derivatives can protect our rooms and vehicles against heat loss or overheating. Graphene materials can be used in façades, windows and fabrics. A team from Warsaw University of Technology is working on new composites.

Scientists from the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin want to use a 3D model of the skull to reconstruct the appearance of the woman living at the turn of the 18th century, whose remains were found in Kamień Pomorski. She was probably the victim of a witch trial.

Chemists from Łódź want to develop cheap and reliable electrochemical sensors for drug detection. Miniaturization of sensors will allow to build small, portable drug detectors, potentially useful at airports, train stations or for catching street dealers.

Two parallel categories of Martian rover competitions, demonstrations of scientific experiments, robotic construction workshops and a mentoring and business conference - these are the highlights of the 5th edition of the European Rover Challenge. The event will take place in mid-September at the Kielce University of Technology.