Engineering news
Engineering
Rising from the ashes, a hidden supply of critical elements emerges
Anuja Tripathi grew up in Kanpur, India, where coal fly ash from a nearby power plant coated rooftops, windowsills and laundry hung outside to dry.
17 hours ago
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Engineering
Low-water lithium extraction method achieves 95% recovery efficiency from brine salts
Engineers have developed a new technology that enables the direct extraction of lithium from solid salt mixtures derived from brines, offering a low-water, low-energy alternative to conventional lithium extraction methods.
19 hours ago
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Bike robot lands first unassisted front flip thanks to Ph.D. student
A bicycle robot from the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has become the first to perform an unassisted acrobatic front flip. RAI calls the bicycle robot an ultra-mobility vehicle (UMV). It can ...
Jun 10, 2026
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Artificial eyes could bring human-like sight to self-driving cars and robots
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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Machine learning predicts wind shear 15 seconds ahead with less than 5% error
Wind shear, a sudden change in wind speed or direction, is a major cause of aviation incidents; it was responsible for 18% of aviation accidents in 2022. Predicting wind shear events is a priority for aviation safety because ...
Jun 9, 2026
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Robotics
Robotic arm inspired by octopus uses tactile sensors in suction cups for autonomous underwater grasping
The oceans hide some of the most sophisticated solutions nature has ever developed and are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the robotics of the future. The Bioinspired Soft Robotics research unit, coordinated by ...
Jun 8, 2026
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Engineering
Inclined kirigami cuts unlock twist when stretched, opening path to soft robots
Kirigami is a variation on the Japanese art of origami, or paper folding, in which cuts are used to create three-dimensional structures—for example, pop-up cards created from a sheet of paper. Kirigami also has applications ...
Jun 8, 2026
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Robotics
Autonomous drone can deliver life jackets to people that fall overboard
It's a race against the clock when someone falls overboard: People's chances of being found before they drown from exhaustion or freeze to death dwindle by the minute. Rescue efforts are often hampered by the time it takes ...
Jun 8, 2026
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Engineering
A low-tech solution to the 6G problem—metacrystal panels offer cheap way to guide wireless signals around corners
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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Engineering
Cheaper brass coatings for aircraft parts and pipelines move closer to real-world field repairs
Researchers from Skoltech—a VEB.RF group institution—have, for the first time, deposited a brass-based composite coating with reinforcing particles on a stainless steel part using low-pressure cold spraying. The technique ...
Jun 8, 2026
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Engineering
NASA's X-59 aircraft flies supersonic for first time
NASA's experimental X-59 aircraft marked a major milestone Friday, June 5, when it flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time, setting the stage for demonstrating its quiet supersonic capabilities later this year.
Jun 8, 2026
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Engineering
Jumping spiders inspire ultra-efficient 3D camera
By borrowing a trick from tiny jumping spiders, Northwestern University engineers have developed an extremely energy-efficient 3D camera. Called SpiderCam, the new device senses depth the same way that jumping spiders judge ...
Jun 7, 2026
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Engineering
Pilot plant uses catalytic process to convert mixed plastic waste into oil
The Catalysis Engineering Group at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) has developed a new robust process for the recycling of mixed plastics waste. A newly developed pilot plant aims to demonstrate how this can be transformed ...
Jun 6, 2026
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Engineering
Plastic waste yields jet fuel through new process costing as little as $1 per kilogram
Aviation is one of the sectors that contributes most to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change on Earth. One proposed strategy for mitigating or counterbalancing the effects of these emissions is to substitute existing ...
Engineering
Q&A: How organic glass scintillators could improve nuclear security
As the demand for nuclear security solutions grows, distinguishing a benign medical isotope from a potential threat is critical. Organic glass scintillators can help meet the need for accurate, cost-effective radiation detectors.
Jun 5, 2026
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Engineering
Looping lasers whisk molten metals together during 3D printing, opening new alloy design route
Like modern-day alchemists, metallurgists are constantly discovering and perfecting recipes for better alloys. A crucial step in those recipes is to get different metals to mix evenly. Unveiling a new utensil for the metallurgical ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Engineering
AI model predicts building fire spread, redirecting evacuees to safer exits in real time
A fire alarm jolts you from your office desk, and you head for the nearest exit. But what if the closest exit has already been blocked by the fire? Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Engineering
From waste wood to load-bearing feature, a simple calculation could change the way we use 'misfit wood'
Urging industry to make better use of wood that is wasted or burned for energy, researchers have released the first structural tests of non-straight, forked, and double-curved roundwood logs used as columns. In his mission ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Engineering
Trees positioned around a low-rise building can reduce storm wind force on segments by as much as 50%
FIU researchers have found that some of the most common trees in Florida can significantly shield homes from extreme wind, decreasing suction forces applied to critical regions of the roof by as much as 50%. The findings ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Engineering
Researchers improve efficiency, durability of nickel-based SOECs for electrochemical CO₂ conversion
A Korean research team has resolved a major durability issue in solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs), a technology that converts carbon dioxide (CO₂) into high-value chemical feedstocks. Researchers at the Korea Research ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Engineering
Innovative welding filler metals extend the service life of offshore wind turbine towers
Offshore wind turbines consist of numerous welded components and are exposed to extreme loads from wind and waves at sea. These lead to cyclic stresses that particularly affect the weld seams. Until now, these have been considered ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Engineering
Supercharging the grid: How to free up 20% more power
Implementing effective monitoring measures could yield much more energy from the cable network—all without digging a single new trench. Just a dream scenario? No, it is entirely possible, say researchers.
Jun 4, 2026
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Engineering
Dust-prone desert of the Southwest may be ideal for solar energy
Solar energy developers eyeing parts of southern New Mexico may have less to worry about than expected when it comes to dust. A new study led by University of Texas at El Paso researchers concludes that photovoltaic panels ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Engineering
Carbon ratios in concrete can improve carbon accounting
For the first time, researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo, have found out how to determine how much carbon dioxide (CO2) from either natural or anthropogenic sources can be absorbed by special concrete ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Engineering
'Baked' yeast-based materials power 3D-printed architectural materials
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed a new, entirely bio-based material from a somewhat unexpected ingredient: yeast. The material is 3D printed and customized for use in architectural ...
Jun 3, 2026
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