Sunbathers could soon tell when to take shelter in the shade thanks to an early warning sunburn indicator, developed by Queen's University Belfast.
Researchers at Queen's have developed a strip of plastic, containing 'smart' ink, which turns colourless from an initial blue colour just before exposure to too much ultraviolet light from the sun, prompting you to move into the shade before you burn.
The plastic strip, worn as a bracelet, changes colour at a speed that depends on the wearer's skin type and can be worn at the same time as sun lotion, allowing users to enjoy the sun while avoiding unnecessary risks.
It is just one of a number of novel products based on 'photocatalysis', including antibacterial plastic films and water purifying bags, which has received a national award .
The technology was developed by Dr David Hazafy from Queen's University's School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, who has been awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering's Enterprise fellowship, which gives academics £85,000 each to develop their research into viable commercial products.
Dr. Beauchemin and student Lily Huang have developed a cutting-edge technique to identify human hair. Their test is quicker than DNA analysis techniques currently used by law enforcement. Early sample testing at Queen's produced a 100 per cent success rate. "My first paper and foray into fo ... more
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