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Researcher explains why we should care more about converging technologies
Professor Dirk Helbing of ETH Zurich and Austria's Complexity Science Hub expects future digital technologies to penetrate the human body even more in the future. However, he believes that society is not prepared for the risks involved. In a new article, he puts forward a new legal framework to protect... Read more
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Researchers engineer sound-suppressing silk to reduce noise transmission in a large room
We are living in a very noisy world. From the hum of traffic outside your window to the next-door neighbor's blaring TV to sounds from a co-worker's cubicle, unwanted noise remains a resounding problem.... Read more
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Australian engineers develop an ultrasonic cold brew coffee machine
A new method to deliver a quality cold brew coffee in less than three minutes solidifies Australia's position as the innovators of modern coffee, according to researchers from The University of Queensland.... Read more
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How the EU transformed tech
As millions of voters prepare for next month's European Parliament elections, AFP explores some of the deep transformations the 27-member bloc has made in the field of technology.... Read more
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Refined AI approach improves noninvasive brain-computer interface performance
Pursuing a viable alternative to invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) has been a continued research focus of Carnegie Mellon University's He Lab. In 2019, the group used a noninvasive BCI to successfully demonstrate, for the first time, that a mind-controlled robotic arm had the ability to continuously track and follow a... Read more
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Stretchable e-skin could give robots human-level touch sensitivity
A first-ever stretchy electronic skin could equip robots and other devices with the same softness and touch sensitivity as human skin, opening up new possibilities to perform tasks that require a great deal of precision and control of force.... Read more
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Methane emissions from landfill could be turned into sustainable jet fuel with plasma-driven process
In a world first, University of Sydney researchers have developed a chemical process using plasma that could create sustainable jet fuel from methane gas emitted from landfills, potentially creating a low-carbon aviation industry.... Read more
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Australia just made a billion-dollar bet on building the world's first 'useful' quantum computer
The Australian government has announced a pledge of approximately A$940 million (US$617 million) to PsiQuantum, a quantum computing start-up company based in Silicon Valley.... Read more
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Scientists harness the wind as a tool to move objects
Researchers have developed a technique to move objects around with a jet of wind. The new approach makes it possible to manipulate objects at a distance and could be integrated into robots to give machines ethereal fingers.... Read more
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Researchers develop a new way to instruct dance in virtual reality
Researchers at Aalto University were looking for better ways to instruct dance choreography in virtual reality. The new WAVE technique they developed will be presented in May at the CHI conference for human-computer interaction research.... Read more
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Tractor-trailers with no one aboard? The future is near for self-driving trucks on US roads
On a three-lane test track along the Monongahela River, an 18-wheel tractor-trailer rounded a curve. No one was on board.... Read more
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Scientists create new atomic clock that is both ultra-precise and sturdy
A team of physicists and engineers at Vector Atomic, Inc., a maker of navigation and communications equipment, has developed a new kind of atomic clock that they claim is both ultra-precise and sturdy. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes the factors that went into building... Read more
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Machine learning and extended reality used to train welders
Ever since the ancient Egyptians hammered two pieces of gold together until they fused, the art of welding has continuously progressed.... Read more
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New insights lead to better next-gen solar cells
For Michael Saliba and Mahdi Malekshahi, it was one of those moments in science when good experimental results raised more questions. The University of Stuttgart researchers recently developed a new process to make solar cells with perovskites—advanced crystalline materials with the potential to revolutionize solar technology. Their cells were very... Read more
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Researchers develop deep learning alternative to monitoring laser powder bed fusion
Many things can go wrong when additively manufacturing (AM) metal and without in-situ process monitoring, defects can only be detected and characterized after a product is built. Most commonly, manufacturers will use a high-speed camera to keep an eye on the melt pool geometry and its variation during a short... Read more
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The world's largest 3D printer is at a university in Maine. It just unveiled an even bigger one
The world's largest 3D printer has created a house that can cut construction time and labor. An even larger printer unveiled on Tuesday may one day create entire neighborhoods.... Read more
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Splashy Saudi mega-project NEOM chases Chinese funds
Bigwigs behind a Saudi megacity dogged by questions about its viability have wrapped up a tour courting Chinese investors, detailing plans for a futuristic ski resort and 170-kilometer-long skyscrapers.... Read more
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Microsoft teases lifelike avatar AI tech but gives no release date
Researchers at Microsoft have revealed a new artificial tool that can create deeply realistic human avatars—but offered no timetable to make it available to the public, citing concerns about facilitating deep fake content.... Read more
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Versatile fibers offer improved energy storage capacity for wearable devices
The latest wearable devices, such as Samsung's Galaxy Ring and Apple's Vision Pro, are taking health care a step further and even enabling people to work virtually. Given the characteristics of wearable devices that require them to be small and lightweight, there is an inevitable limitation on battery capacity, still... Read more
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Q&A: Enhancing last-mile logistics with machine learning
Across the country, hundreds of thousands of drivers deliver packages and parcels to customers and companies each day, with many click-to-door times averaging only a few days. Coordinating a supply chain feat of this magnitude in a predictable and timely way is a longstanding problem of operations research, where researchers... Read more
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Why robots can be culturally insensitive—and how scientists are trying to fix it
A robot is chatting to an elderly British man in his bedroom. The robot has a cheery demeanor and a pleasantly high-pitched voice.... Read more
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Can AI read our minds? Probably not, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be worried
Earlier this year, Neuralink implanted a chip inside the brain of 29-year-old US man Noland Arbaugh, who is paralyzed from the shoulders down. The chip has enabled Arbaugh to move a mouse pointer on a screen just by imagining it moving.... Read more
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Using sound waves for photonic machine learning: Study lays foundation for reconfigurable neuromorphic building blocks
Optical neural networks may provide the high-speed and large-capacity solution necessary to tackle challenging computing tasks. However, tapping their full potential will require further advances. One challenge is the reconfigurability of optical neural networks.... Read more
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Researchers develop stretchable quantum dot display
A team of South Korean scientists led by Professor KIM Dae-Hyeong of the Center for Nanoparticle Research within the Institute for Basic Science has pioneered a novel approach to stretchable displays. The team announced the first development of intrinsically stretchable quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs).... Read more
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Advance in light-based computing shows capabilities for future smart cameras
Researchers developing the next generation of computing technology aim to bring some light to the field—literally. Optical computing, which relies on particles of light called photons, is expected to provide alternatives to traditional electronic approaches. Such systems—or light-based components of hybrid systems that also retain electronic parts—could be faster, consume... Read more
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Engineers recreate Star Trek's Holodeck using ChatGPT and video game assets
In "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Captain Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise leverage the Holodeck, an empty room capable of generating 3D environments, of preparing for missions and entertaining them, simulating everything from lush jungles to the London of Sherlock Holmes.... Read more
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Premier League to use semi-automated offside technology from next season
The Premier League will use AI-based player tracking technology to make offside calls from next season in a move that should reduce the time it takes officials to reach their decisions.... Read more
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New 3D-printing method makes printing objects more affordable and eco-friendly
University of Florida engineers have developed a method for 3D printing called vapor-induced phase-separation 3D printing, or VIPS-3DP, to create single-material as well as multi-material objects. The discovery has the potential to advance the world of additive manufacturing.... Read more
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AI-powered 'sonar' on smartglasses tracks gaze, facial expressions
Cornell University researchers have developed two technologies that track a person's gaze and facial expressions through sonar-like sensing. The technology is small enough to fit on commercial smartglasses or virtual reality or augmented reality headsets yet consumes significantly less power than similar tools using cameras.... Read more
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New quantum material promises up to 190% quantum efficiency in solar cells
Researchers from Lehigh University have developed a material that demonstrates the potential for drastically increasing the efficiency of solar panels.... Read more
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Waterproof 'e-glove' could help scuba divers communicate
When scuba divers need to say "I'm okay" or "Shark!" to their dive partners, they use hand signals to communicate visually. But sometimes these movements are difficult to see.... Read more
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Perovskite LEDs for next-generation digital displays can detect fingerprints, changing light conditions and more
Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have developed a digital display screen where the LEDs themselves react to touch, light, fingerprints and the user's pulse, among other things. Their results, published in Nature Electronics, could be the start of a whole new generation of displays for phones, computers and tablets.... Read more
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Protecting art and passwords with biochemistry
Security experts fear Q-Day, the day when quantum computers become so powerful that they can crack today's passwords. Some experts estimate that this day will come within the next ten years. Password checks are based on cryptographic one-way functions, which calculate an output value from an input value. This makes... Read more
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This 3D printer can figure out how to print with an unknown material
While 3D printing has exploded in popularity, many of the plastic materials these printers use to create objects cannot be easily recycled. While new sustainable materials are emerging for use in 3D printing, they remain difficult to adopt because 3D printer settings need to be adjusted for each material, a... Read more
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Forecasting the future of science to keep Swiss diplomatic hub buzzing
As technology and science advance at breakneck speed, a Swiss group is already looking beyond AI to the next big potential technological disrupters.... Read more
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Chipless fiber for wireless visual-to-digital transmission senses interactions with the human body
A team of materials scientists and engineers from Donghua University, in China, and the National University of Singapore, has developed a type of fiber that does not rely on chips or batteries to convert visual signals to digital transmissions as it interacts with the human body.... Read more
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Developing artificial skin that can regenerate skin and transmit sensation at the same time
Damage to nerve tissue due to skin defects such as burns, skin diseases, and trauma causes loss of sensory and cognitive functions that are essential for life-sustaining activities, as well as mental and physical distress. If the damage is severe enough that natural healing is not possible, surgical treatment is... Read more
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Virtual skin contact: Smart textiles are making remote hugs tangible
Smart textiles are making virtual reality more immersive and enabling wearers to experience the sensation of physical touch. An ultrathin film that can transmit touch sensations is able to turn textiles into a virtual second skin. For seriously ill children in hospital isolation wards, this new technology offers them the... Read more
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Drawing inspiration from plants: A metal–air paper battery for wearable devices
For more than two millennia, paper has been a staple of human civilization. But these days, the use of paper is not limited to writing. It is also playing a pivotal role in ushering in a greener future.... Read more
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As international travel grows, so does US use of technology. A look at how it's used at airports
The Belgian family of four was on their fourth trip to the United States. They had been dreading the long line at passport control when they entered the country but had heard about a new app they could use to ease their way and decided to give it a shot.... Read more
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Wristband uses echoes and AI to track hand positions for VR and more
Cornell researchers have developed a wristband device that continuously detects hand positioning—as well as objects the hand interacts with—using AI-powered, inaudible soundwaves.... Read more
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Health data storage has a climate cost. In the future, data may be stored in DNA
A lot of energy is required to analyze and store large amounts of data. We may therefore have to take a different approach to data storage in the future, so says Professor Søren Brunak at the University of Copenhagen.... Read more
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Semi-transparent camera allows for eye tracking without obstructing the view
A team of engineers at The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology's ICFO–Institut de Ciències Fotòniques has developed a nearly transparent camera that can be used for eye tracking without obstructing the view. The team has published a paper describing their camera and its performance as an eye tracker on... Read more
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Butterfly-inspired AI technology takes flight
When it comes to mating, two things matter for Heliconius butterflies: the look and the smell of their potential partner. The black and orange butterflies have incredibly small brains, yet they must process both sensory inputs at the same time—which is more than current artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can achieve... Read more
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A single-crystal-like mesoporous material for high-performance lithium storage
In lithium-ion storage, microstructured single crystal electrode materials show great advantages for ionic conductivity because of removing grain boundaries inside the materials but usually trade off the diffusion distance of Li ions in the microsized particle, consequently reducing the rate capability and cycle stability.... Read more
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Increasing the efficiency of eco-friendly solar cells by converting wind energy into high-voltage electricity
A research team led by Professor Lee Ju-hyuck of DGIST in the Department of Energy Science & Engineering has successfully developed an energy harvesting device that enhances solar energy efficiency by removing and preventing surface contamination on solar cells.... Read more
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Universal brain-computer interface lets people play games with just their thoughts
Imagine playing a racing game like Mario Kart, using only your brain to execute the complex series of turns in a lap.... Read more
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Generative AI develops potential new drugs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria
With nearly 5 million deaths linked to antibiotic resistance globally every year, new ways to combat resistant bacterial strains are urgently needed.... Read more
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Researchers develop biomimetic olfactory chips to enable advanced gas sensing and odor detection
A research team led by the School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has addressed the long-standing challenge of creating artificial olfactory sensors with arrays of diverse high-performance gas sensors.... Read more
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Highest power efficiency achieved in flexible solar cells using new fabrication technique
Flexible solar cells have many potential applications in aerospace and flexible electronics, but low energy conversion efficiency has limited their practical use. A new manufacturing method has increased the power efficiency of flexible solar cells made from perovskite, a class of compounds with a specific crystalline structure that facilitates the... Read more