Technology

As prominent artificial intelligence (AI) researchers eye limits to the current phase of the technology, a different approach is gaining attention: using living human brain cells as computational hardware.... Read more

In a new research project led by the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) in Mannheim, scientists are investigating how insights into learning processes in animal brains can be used to make artificial intelligence (AI) systems more flexible and efficient. The project is titled NAILIt—Neuro-inspired AI for Learning and Inference... Read more

EPFL scientists have integrated discarded crustacean shells into robotic devices, leveraging the strength and flexibility of natural materials for robotic applications.... Read more

Google recently unveiled Project Suncatcher, a research "moonshot" aiming to build a data center in space. The tech giant plans to use a constellation of solar-powered satellites which would run on its own TPU chips and transmit data to one another via lasers.... Read more

Have you ever tried yelling underwater? Not only is it difficult to make the noise, but it is rarely audible to those outside of the water. Sound travels differently in mediums of different densities, and that causes a high acoustic impedance ratio between air and water, meaning that sound waves... Read more

A research team at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) has successfully developed Korea's first full-cycle magnetic cooling technology, encompassing materials, components, and modules.... Read more

One of the many benefits of electric vehicles is that they are much quieter than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. In some cases, though, they are too quiet. Automakers are required to design their vehicles so they emit sounds at low speeds to alert pedestrians to their presence.... Read more

Timothy Tran '27 has a new guitar for jamming out to his favorite Jimi Hendrix tunes, and he didn't pick it up at a music shop—he printed it.... Read more

An international team of researchers has unveiled a spacecraft attitude control system that can guarantee precise stabilization and maneuvering within a predefined time, even under extreme and unpredictable space disturbances.... Read more

Thermosets, such as epoxy and silicon rubbers, are a class of polymer (i.e., plastic) materials that harden permanently when they undergo a specific chemical reaction, known as "crosslinking." These materials are highly durable, heat-resistant with excellent electrical insulation in various applications such as in adhesives, coatings, and automotive parts.... Read more

A Dubai restaurant has opened that prides itself on having the world's "first AI chef," the latest ostentatious dive into new technology in a city obsessed with being on the cutting edge of the future.... Read more

A worker in white gloves inspects the propellers of a boxy two-seater aircraft fresh off the assembly line at a Chinese factory trialing the mass production of flying cars.... Read more

A research team has developed soft composite systems with highly programmable, asymmetric mechanical responses. By integrating "shear-jamming transitions" into compliant polymeric solids, this innovative work enhances key material functionalities essential for engineering mechano-intelligent systems—a major step toward the development of next-generation smart materials and devices.... Read more

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) power the high-end screens of our digital world, from TVs and phones to laptops and game consoles.... Read more

U.S.-China collaboration in technology research has fallen steadily to the lowest in 20 years, a shift an Australian think tank warns could reshape global innovation vital to security and economic growth.... Read more

Scientists have developed a new material that converts motion into electricity (piezoelectricity) with greater efficiency and without using toxic lead—paving the way for a new generation of devices that we use in everyday life.... Read more

The Wave Engineering for eXtreme and Intelligent maTErials (We-Xite) lab, led by engineering assistant professor Osama R. Bilal, has developed a reconfigurable metamaterial that can control sound waves—bending them, dampening them, or focusing them—while encoding real-time tuning with almost infinite possible shapes.... Read more

Researchers with McGill's Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design have developed a stretchable, eco-friendly battery suitable for use in wearable and implantable devices. The battery, which uses citric or lactic acid and gelatin to achieve flexibility and performance without relying on toxic materials, stands to reduce electronic waste.... Read more

A warm hand is enough to drive motion in tiny Salmonella-inspired robots that harness molecular-level dynamic bonding.... Read more

Cumberland, B.C. was built on coal mining—both literally and practically. Thousands of workers were employed and millions of tons of coal were exported over 80 years before the mines were shuttered, leaving deep holes in the ground and a deeper void in the village's economy.... Read more

An unmanned, oval-shaped craft from flying taxi maker EHang hovers, whirring noisily like a mini-helicopter over a riverside innovation zone on the outskirts of the southern Chinese business hub of Guangzhou, part of a trial of a mini-flying taxi that once might have been found only in sci-fi films.... Read more

Researchers have discovered that ferroelectric fluids can harness an overlooked transverse electrostatic force (TEF) to rise over 80 mm, without magnets or high voltages. By exploiting the fluid's spontaneous polarization and exceptionally high dielectric constant, they achieved a strong TEF, previously thought unattainable in conventional electrostatics.... Read more

Researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo have developed a neural-network-based 3D imaging technique that can precisely measure moving objects—a task long considered extremely challenging for conventional optical systems.... Read more

After years of design, development, and testing, NASA's X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft took to the skies for the first time Oct. 28, marking a historic moment for the field of aeronautics research and the agency's "Quesst mission."... Read more

When it comes to innovation, engineers have long proved to be brilliant copycats, drawing inspiration directly from nature. But now some scientists are moving beyond simple imitation to incorporating natural materials into their designs. Stuck for ideas on how to create ultra-fine, low-cost 3D printing nozzles, researchers at McGill University... Read more

One of the things that AI doesn't have that humans have in abundance is fingerprints.... Read more

Research led by Rutgers engineers has shown how artificial intelligence (AI) can solve two of the biggest challenges in manufacturing.... Read more

A comprehensive review of the challenges in printing with paste-like materials and how understanding the underlying physics could improve manufacturing reliability has been co-authored by a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa mechanical engineering researcher.... Read more

Yann LeCun, an artificial intelligence pioneer who runs a research lab at Meta Platforms Inc., told employees that he will depart the social media giant at the end of the year and start a new company, according to a memo obtained by Bloomberg News.... Read more

In the visions of researchers at the University of Oulu, light does far more than illuminate. It provides, among others, a new way to transmit data securely and efficiently, while also offering a sustainable energy source for smart devices.... Read more

Wearable electronics could be more wearable, according to a research team at Penn State. The researchers have developed a scalable, versatile approach to designing and fabricating wireless, internet-enabled electronic systems that can better adapt to 3D surfaces, like the human body or common household items, paving the path for more... Read more

X-ray imaging is useful for seeing inside objects without causing damage, but until now it was not practical for use underwater. Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have developed the first X-ray imaging system that clearly reveals the interior of suspicious objects or infrastructure underwater.... Read more

Northwestern University engineers have developed the first haptic device that achieves "human resolution," meaning it accurately matches the sensing abilities of the human fingertip.... Read more

Virtual keyboards are a frequent source of frustration for augmented reality (AR) users. The virtual surfaces are slow and error prone, and raising an arm to type on them can cause muscle strain known as "gorilla arm."... Read more

Several companies are revolutionizing the way we make meals. Step aside microwaves, 3D printers are here.... Read more

Two UBC Okanagan engineering students are transforming classroom research into a practical tool for communities facing increasing wildfire risk.... Read more

Traditional deployable systems—relying on pneumatic pumps, electric motors, magnets, or manual assembly—often require bulky power systems or multiple steps. We began exploring whether a simpler, non-electronic alternative was possible using only geometric and material intelligence.... Read more

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a next-generation wearable system that enables people to control machines using everyday gestures—even while running, riding in a car or floating on turbulent ocean waves.... Read more

The optical properties of a thin layer of the semiconductor germanium-tin (GeSn) sandwiched between barriers of silicon-germanium-tin (SiGeSn), a structure known as a quantum well, have been studied with a focus on improving lasers and photodetectors. But what would happen to an electrical charge passing through the nanometer-thick germanium-tin quantum... Read more

Due to the intense global impact of fossil fuel overuse on air quality and climate, the search for advanced clean energy solutions has become critical. Metal–air batteries offer a game-changing alternative, holding the potential to replace combustion engines in various applications.... Read more

Using common kitchen ingredients such as citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, scientists have created an edible pneumatic battery and valve system to power soft robots.... Read more

University of Toronto researchers have designed a new composite material that is both very light and extremely strong—even at temperatures up to 500 Celsius.... Read more

The world's first automatic and adaptive, dual-mode light-emitting diode (LED)-based optical wireless power transmission system, that operates seamlessly under both dark and bright lighting conditions, has been developed by scientists at Science Tokyo. The system, along with artificial intelligence-powered image recognition, can efficiently power multiple devices in order without interruption.... Read more

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is normally a one-way street. In a digital light processing (DLP) printer, a structured pattern is projected onto a layer of liquid resin, which cures and solidifies. This builds an object up, layer-by-layer. But if the print isn't exactly right, there's no easy way to... Read more

Hole-selective self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are ultrathin organic films that play a crucial role in modern optoelectronic devices, particularly in perovskite and silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells. However, their inherent instability often compromises operational performance of the device.... Read more

An international research team led by the University of Bayreuth has developed an innovative method for producing green hydrogen directly from seawater—without the use of additional reagents. The researchers report their findings in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.... Read more

The formula powering aqueous zinc-iodine batteries has been brought under the microscope, with researchers from the University of Adelaide finding a way to enhance their performance.... Read more

Researchers at Aalto University have demonstrated single-shot tensor computing at the speed of light, a remarkable step towards next-generation artificial general intelligence hardware powered by optical computation rather than electronics.... Read more

In the 1980s when micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) were first created, computer engineers were excited by the idea that these new devices that combine electrical and mechanical components at the microscale could be used to build miniature robots.... Read more

Near-infrared (NIR) photon detection and object recognition are crucial technologies for all-weather target identification. Conventional NIR detection systems that rely on photodetectors and von Neumann computing algorithms are energy inefficient. Artificial sensory neurons based on infrared-sensitive volatile memristors offer a promising solution.... Read more