Engineering news

Engineering

Sodium-ion batteries lean heavily on lithium-ion expertise, patent analysis suggests

Researchers from the University of Münster, ETH Zurich, Stanford University, and the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production (FFB) used AI-supported patent analysis to show how strongly battery technologies ...

Robotics

Engineers demonstrate lightweight 'exoskeleton' that helps stroke survivors walk

A leading cause of disability in the United States is hemiparesis, a condition where impaired motor control, muscle weakness, and spasticity affect one side of the body. Occurring in 80% of stroke survivors, reduced mobility ...

Engineering

A new way to study how cannabis use impacts safe driving

As marijuana legalization expands across the U.S., it is outpacing research on the impact of cannabis use behind the wheel. Researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) recently spent two years collecting ...

Engineering

Mixing generative AI with physics to create personal items that work in the real world

Ever had an idea for something that looked cool, but wouldn't work well in practice? When it comes to designing things like decor and personal accessories, generative artificial intelligence (genAI) models can relate. They ...

Engineering

Tackling uplift resistance in tall infrastructure sustainably

Tall structures like radio towers experience high wind loads that generate uplift forces at their foundations, a challenge that is increasing burden, as natural occurrences like typhoons and tornadoes become more frequent ...

Engineering

3D printing platform rapidly produces complex electric machines

A broken motor in an automated machine can bring production on a busy factory floor to a halt. If engineers can't find a replacement part, they may have to order one from a distributor hundreds of miles away, leading to costly ...

Engineering

The giant fire tornado that could save our oceans

In the frantic hours following an offshore oil spill, emergency responders face a destructive decision: let the oil spread or ignite it. Once ignited, it creates an "in-situ" fire pool that stops the oil from spreading and ...

Engineering

Building energy model offers cities decarbonization roadmap

A new software tool developed by Cornell researchers can model a small city's building energy use within minutes on a standard laptop, then run simulations to help policymakers prioritize the most cost-effective approaches ...

Robotics

Sea slug research advances soft robotics

When designing new robots, engineers often look to nature for inspiration. They base their robots on the designs and behaviors of snakes, fish, humans, and more, such as sea slugs, whose feeding behaviors have been studied ...

Engineering

Black metal could give a heavy boost to solar power generation

In the quest for energy independence, researchers have studied solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) as a promising source of solar electricity generation. Unlike the photovoltaics currently used in most solar panels, STEGs ...

Robotics

Simplified wrist mechanism gives robots a hand

Give robots a specific job—say, placing a can on a conveyor belt in a factory—and they can be extremely efficient. But in less-structured environments with varied tasks, even seemingly simple things like unscrewing a ...