Energy & Green Tech

This adaptive roof tile can cut both heating and cooling costs

About half of an average American building's energy consumption is spent on heating and cooling. That's a lot of money spent, fossil fuel burned and strain on an aging energy infrastructure during times of severe temperatures.

Energy & Green Tech

Less power, lower emissions: improving AC technology

With air conditioner demand surging, scientists are looking for ways to improve the energy efficiency of cooling systems and limit damaging emissions that accelerate global warming.

Consumer & Gadgets

Crowdfunding an undershirt device for sweltering suits

Sony has come up with a wearable air conditioner. It's called the Reon Pocket. It is a tiny AC unit that fits right inside the shirt. The device takes a battery; the person adjusts the temperature by smartphone via a Bluetooth ...

Robotics

Researchers help robots think and plan in the abstract

Researchers from Brown University and MIT have developed a method for helping robots plan for multi-step tasks by constructing abstract representations of the world around them. Their study, published in the Journal of Artificial ...