Miniature EPFL robotic inspector could save millions

by Marcus Berry

September 6, 2010 | 11:02

A miniature robot developed at the Lausanne’s Federal Institute of Technology wins an industrial innovation prize in Japan. Experts reckon Cy-Mag 3D’s ability to negotiate the tightest nooks and crannies inside power generators could save millions in costly shutdowns. Swisster speaks to project boss, Francesco Mondada.

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Science & Tech
	Stanislav Smirnov: Winner of the greatest honour in maths
	September 2, 2010 \| 09:46	by Marcus Berry

After being awarded the Fields Medal in India last week, an honour described as "the Nobel Prize for mathematics", Professor Stanislav Smirnov returns to his post at Geneva University. Swisster talks to...Full story

Culture
	Celtic warriors cross swords at Swiss archeological site
	August 30, 2010 \| 15:17	by Tatiana Tissot

Wannabe warriors clash during battle reenactments this week-end in La Tène, in canton Neuchâtel, during the first Celtic festival ever to take place at this major archaeological site, which is considered...Full story

Science & Tech
	CERN staff raises warning flag over budget cuts
	August 30, 2010 \| 11:40	by Malcolm Curtis

The head of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) insists that cuts in funding over the next five years will not affect the operation of its flagship Large Hadron Collider project. But...Full story

Science & Tech
	Cargo plane flies CERN’s space detector to Florida
	August 26, 2010 \| 11:25	by Malcolm Curtis

A jumbo cargo plane from the American military carries a sophisticated device developed by the European Organization for Nuclear Research from Geneva to Florida ahead of its transport into the heavens...Full story

Science & Tech
	Swiss 'astro' retreat offers pie in the sky to stargazers
	August 26, 2010 \| 09:07	by Marta Falconi

An "astronomical" retreat in the Swiss Alps caters for short vacations in a pristine environment with the opportunity to observe the night sky, learn about constellations and take sophisticated pictures...Full story

Science & Tech
	Flying boat re-designed to break speed record
	August 24, 2010 \| 09:45	by Giles Broom

The Hydroptère sailing team, famous in the world of daredevil water sports, reveals the prototype of a new vessel designed to be the fastest long-haul sailboat in the world. At an unveiling ceremony in...Full story

Bern launches Internet mapping site in English
The federal government launches a “geoportal” website offering layers of information based on maps of Switzerland, including ones dating from the 19th century. The multilingual site - with a version...

Full storyAugust 23, 2010 | 11:31by Malcolm Curtis

Expat satellite phone supplier boards solar voyage
An expat based in canton Vaud sells satellite phones to the first round-the-world sea voyage powered only by solar energy. John Svalander’s satellite communications company counts the Planet Solar voyage...

Full storyAugust 20, 2010 | 11:02by Giles Broom

Master watchmaker unveils the secrets of horology
Have you ever wondered what it takes to design and assemble a luxury timepiece? Thomas Prescher Haute Horlogerie in the picturesque Swiss village of Twann opens its doors to all watch aficionados, providing...

Full storyAugust 18, 2010 | 15:29by Marta Falconi

Expert campaigns for free wireless access in Zurich
Despite being Switzerland’s largest city, main financial hub and an increasingly popular tourist destination, Zurich has yet to provide free wireless access to visitors and residents like other Swiss...

Full storyAugust 16, 2010 | 11:07by Marta Falconi

Photographers collide with CERN's universe
Almost 50 amateur photographers are aiming their lenses at the sophisticated equipment and gadgetry at the Geneva-based European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), as part of an international competition...

Full storyAugust 6, 2010 | 10:28by Malcolm Curtis

Brämer fly bite gets your attention
Hikers, runners and bikers in Switzerland, especially in eastern areas of the country and the Jura, warn of attacks by a virulent species of blood-sucking horsefly, locally known as the brämer. Delivered...

Full storyJuly 26, 2010 | 09:43by Marcus Berry

Swiss nuclear plant offers trips inside cooling tower
As debate on nuclear energy continues in Switzerland over new facilities and safety concerns, a functioning nuclear plant in the heart of Switzerland invites people to see for themselves how it all works....

Full storyJuly 21, 2010 | 08:22by Marta Falconi

Snowboarding expat jumps into Biosensors CEO job
Expat Jeffrey Jump, who lives in canton Vaud, tells Swisster about his new role as CEO of Biosensors, a successful medical technologies company that is competing with global giants such as Johnson & Johnson....

Full storyJuly 15, 2010 | 12:00by Giles Broom

Cyber crime up by a third, says 'ethical hacking' firm
Cyber crime increases by around a third over the first half compared to 2009, according to High-Tech Bridge, a Geneva-based company specializing in "ethical hacking" to test clients’ IT security systems....

Full storyJuly 14, 2010 | 12:20by Marcus Berry

Swiss solar plane makes history with night flight
André Borschberg, pilot and co-founder of the SolarImpulse project, successfully lands an experimental solar-powered plane at an airport in Payerne, Vaud following a 26-hour flight through the night,...

Full storyJuly 8, 2010 | 10:53by Malcolm Curtis

SolarImpulse takes off on first planned night flight
The SolarImpulse team headed by Lausanne adventurer Bertrand Piccard successfully launches a solar-powered aircraft from the Payerne airfield in Vaud on Wednesday morning in a bid to make a historic first...

Full storyJuly 7, 2010 | 10:32by Malcolm Curtis

New Geneva-Paris TGV link falls short of promise
A much-heralded new route is supposed to cut half an hour from the journey for high-speed trains linking Geneva and Paris, but schedules show that when it is implemented in December the savings in some...

Full storyJuly 2, 2010 | 10:29by Malcolm Curtis

Lucerne bird group sounds alarm over threatened species
A national ornithological organization based in the canton of Lucerne charges that dozens of bird species are worse off than a decade ago because Switzerland is failing to live up to its pledge to enhance...

Full storyJune 18, 2010 | 09:00by Malcolm Curtis