Smart sensing metamaterials integrate engineered micro- and nano-structured media with sensing, communication, and actuation functions across acoustic, optical, electromagnetic, and mechanical domains. Work in this area spans metamaterial-enabled wave control, metasurfaces, and auxetic or lattice architectures combined with MEMS, e-skins, and e-textiles to monitor physiological signals, structural integrity, and environmental conditions. These systems often employ flexible, printable, or biodegradable platforms, multiplexed readout, and self-powered operation to enable distributed, real-time, and unobtrusive measurement in wearable, industrial, underwater, and aerospace applications.
Consumer & Gadgets
University of Adelaide researchers have developed a wearable glove that uses heat, touch and physical objects to transform data into a sensory experience. The prototype, called ThermoPhy, was developed as part of a remote ...
Jun 18, 2026
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Engineering
Wearable medical devices that monitor heart rate, respiration and joint movements for long periods without battery concerns, electronic skins that sense external stimuli like human skin, and soft robots made of flexible materials ...
Jun 18, 2026
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5
Hi Tech & Innovation
Researchers have developed a new kind of lidar system that simultaneously measures the location, speed and material properties of objects in a scene. This type of information could be useful for applications such as robotics, ...
Jun 18, 2026
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14
Hi Tech & Innovation
Most of us have used the sniff test to decide whether a slightly expired bottle of milk or a week-old box of takeout is still good to eat. But while the human nose can be quite astute, it doesn't always catch everything. ...
Jun 17, 2026
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15
Electronics & Semiconductors
A tiny new chip could give cameras and sensing systems a far sharper view of the world, helping them detect subtle differences in materials and environments that standard color imaging systems cannot see.
Jun 15, 2026
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Engineering
The photoacoustic effect has been known for more than 150 years: Gases exposed to light heat up. Pulsing the light generates periodic pressure fluctuations, or sound waves, with frequencies that can be uniquely assigned to ...
Jun 11, 2026
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5
Robotics
For remotely operated underwater vehicles, cloudy and turbulent waters are often a no-go. When vehicles settle on the seafloor or dig through a sand bed, they can kick up clouds of sediment that make it tough for onboard ...
Jun 11, 2026
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Engineering
Although self-driving cars and sophisticated robots use advanced cameras, computer algorithms and artificial intelligence to perceive their surroundings, these artificial eyes struggle to remain reliable in mixed lighting ...
Jun 9, 2026
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27
Engineering
Basements, tunnels, large buildings—a weak Wi-Fi or mobile signal in these hard-to-reach places is frustrating. The usual solution is to add more electronics like routers, repeaters and base stations. Yet, as we move towards ...
Jun 8, 2026
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25
Energy & Green Tech
Huge amounts of clothing are simply discarded, and almost nothing goes to reuse or recycling. But with sensors and artificial intelligence, textile waste can be sorted so carefully that far more could be recycled—and turned ...
Jun 4, 2026
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