Concrete in road tunnels decomposes unexpectedly fast
When seawater penetrates concrete in road tunnels, a biofilm is formed that breaks down the concrete. This can lead to high costs and the risk of damage if stone and concrete drop from the tunnel roof. In a new study, led ...
10 hours ago
0
8
How architecture shapes video game play
When players enter the virtual worlds of video games, they are greeted by complex architectural environments. These virtual spaces do more than serve as mere backdrops for gameplay. The design of buildings, streets and entire ...
5 hours ago
0
0
Wearable AI system helps blind people navigate
A wearable system designed to assist navigation for blind and partially sighted people is presented in a study published in Nature Machine Intelligence. This system uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to survey the ...
Apr 14, 2025
0
93
Engineering
Physics reveals the optimal roof ratios for energy efficiency
While serving as a visiting professor in Benevento, outside Naples, Italy, Adrian Bejan noticed something about the local architecture: All the roofs looked the same. With what seemed like too-shallow peaks on smaller, older ...
Apr 14, 2025
0
93
Engineering
Measuring the economic impact of bridges and roads in Pennsylvania
Bridges, roads, bike lanes, traffic signals, railroads and interstate highways allow millions of people to travel each year, but they are one of the most expensive investments for governments and taxpayers, according to a ...
Apr 14, 2025
0
0
Engineering
Stainless steel strengthened: Twisting technique creates submicron 'anti-crash wall'
A combined team of metallurgists, materials scientists and engineers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong University and the Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a way to make stainless steel more resistant ...
Engineering
Researchers unveil nearly invisible brain-computer interface
Georgia Tech researchers have developed an almost imperceptible microstructure brain sensor to be inserted into the minuscule spaces between hair follicles and slightly under the skin. The sensor offers high-fidelity signals ...
Apr 12, 2025
0
71
Engineering
Protective film on perovskite solar cells offers 1,000-hour durability in extreme heat and humidity
A new perovskite solar cell (PSC) demonstrates remarkable resilience even in high heat conditions, thanks to an innovative protective film. The research team suggests that these findings represent a significant step toward ...
Apr 11, 2025
0
4
Engineering
Ultra-thin cooling solution for mobile devices unlocks slimmer, high-performance technology
Scientists from Nagoya University in Japan have developed an innovative cooling device—an ultra-thin loop heat pipe—that significantly improves heat control for electronic components in smartphones and tablets. This breakthrough ...
Apr 11, 2025
1
14
Engineering
Hybrid anode material advances lithium-ion battery technology
Lithium-ion batteries are the dominant energy storage technology powering everything from portable electronics to electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. However, the demand for higher energy density, faster charging, ...
Apr 11, 2025
0
0
Engineering
Augmented reality improves carpentry ease and precision
A system developed at EPFL uses augmented reality (AR) to help carpenters make extremely precise timber cuts without having to measure or mark up beams. Its hybrid approach stands to make digitally assisted technology affordable ...
Apr 11, 2025
0
3
Engineering
Taking the heat off: Smarter cooling technology tackles climate challenge
EU researchers are developing a smarter system of sustainable cooling, replacing toxic refrigerants with safer, more efficient, and recyclable metals.
Apr 11, 2025
0
1
Engineering
Alpine craft: Scientists develop sustainable wood panels using traditional shingle-making techniques
Wooden shingles characterize the appearance of roofs and facades in the Alpine region and have been hand-crafted for generations. This centuries-old craft inspired researchers at Empa and ETH Zurich to use this very efficient ...
Apr 10, 2025
0
5
Engineering
Dynamic cables—the umbilical cord of ocean installations
Imagine that the wires to your house not only have to withstand high electrical current flow, weather and wind, but also salt water, ocean currents, temperature changes and large movements. This is the big challenge in connecting ...
Apr 10, 2025
0
0
Robotics
Magnetic microrobot swarm enables 3D imaging of vascular networks
Angiography is a widely used medical imaging technique that allows medical researchers and doctors to capture the vascular network (i.e., blood vessels) using contrast agents, substances that enhance the visibility of specific ...
Robotics
A new robotic gripper made of measuring tape is sizing up fruit and veggie picking
It's a game a lot of us played as children—and maybe even later in life: unspooling measuring tape to see how far it would extend before bending. But to engineers at the University of California San Diego, this game was ...
Apr 9, 2025
0
35
Robotics
Insect-sized jumping robot can traverse challenging terrains and carry heavy payloads
Insect-scale robots can squeeze into places their larger counterparts can't, like deep into a collapsed building to search for survivors after an earthquake. However, as they move through the rubble, tiny crawling robots ...
Apr 9, 2025
0
14
Engineering
Engineers bring sign language to 'life' using AI to translate in real-time
For millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals around the world, communication barriers can make everyday interactions challenging. Traditional solutions, like sign language interpreters, are often scarce, expensive ...
Apr 9, 2025
0
22
Engineering
Scientists advance a greener way to produce iron: Process could help cut carbon emissions in the steel industry
University of Oregon chemists are bringing a greener way to make iron metal for steel production closer to reality, a step towards cleaning up an industry that's one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions worldwide. ...
Apr 9, 2025
0
48
Engineering
Electrolyte additives enhance ultra-thin lithium metal anodes for longer-lasting batteries
A research team has developed a technology that dramatically enhances the stability of ultra-thin metal anodes with a thickness of just 20μm. Led by Professor Yu Jong-sung from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering ...
Apr 9, 2025
0
6
Engineering
Advancing diverse emerging solar cells with a 2D-transition metal dichalcogenide buffer
Thin-film solar cells comprising CdTe, Cu(In,Ga)Se2 have become a less-expensive photovoltaic technology than crystalline Si wafer solar cells. Still, their efficiencies are inferior to those of their predecessors in terms ...
Engineering
'No-splash' urinal design could prevent 1 million liters of urine spillage daily
A urinal designed to avoid urine splashback on the user and the floor will improve sanitation, bathroom cleanliness, and user experience.
Apr 8, 2025
0
87
Robotics
FLUID: 3D-printed open-source robot offers accessible solution for materials synthesis
A team of researchers led by Professor Keisuke Takahashi at the Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, have created FLUID (Flowing Liquid Utilizing Interactive Device), an open-source robotic system constructed using a ...
Apr 8, 2025
0
32
