The government of Dubai announced the launch of a new waste-to-energy plant that it is calling the world's largest single-site plant. Slated for completion in 2020, the facility will aim to process 1.82 million tons of solid waste each year and produce 185 megawatts of electricity. This would be enough energy to power 120,000 houses, or the equivalent of 2,000 high-rise structures the size of the Burj Khalifa. [Government of Dubai]
Nine digital design leaders reveal the technological developments they anticipate to advance the design profession in 2018, as well as their own innovative projects, in ARCHITECT's annual tech-to-watch roundup. [ARCHITECT]
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison have created environmentally friendly plastic by transforming the fructose in fruits and vegetables into an organic compound used to make bio-based alternatives to PET (polyethylene terephthalate), a common plastic found in packaging, soda bottles, and polyester fabrics. [Science Magazine]
International design and innovation firm Carlo Ratti Associati is collaborating with ANAS, an Italian government–owned road construction and maintenance company, to design a smart highway system that will stretch across more than 1,500 miles of roads and highways in Italy. [ARCHITECT]
Seattle-based startup HaptX is making virtual reality (VR) all the more real with its tactile gloves that connect what a user wearing a VR headset sees to what they are feeling. The HaptX gloves inflate and deflate more than 100 pockets of air to simulate weight, shapes, and textures on your hand. [Cnet.com]
Billion-dollar software developer Autodesk is angling for an even bigger stake in the building industry with initiatives in automation, machine learning, and data management and exchange … all by watching design innovation in action. [ARCHITECT]
Could hemp be the future of sustainable concrete? The New York Times explores. [The New York Times]
