Engineering news

Engineering

'Play-putty' that reads the body's electric signals could open a new field of flexible biometric sensors

A new study by University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers demonstrates the effectiveness of homemade play putty at reading brain, heart, muscle and eye activity. Published in Device, the research outlines the conductive ...

Engineering

New device simplifies manipulation of 2D materials for twistronics

A discovery six years ago took the condensed-matter physics world by storm: Ultra-thin carbon stacked in two slightly askew layers became a superconductor, and changing the twist angle between layers could toggle their electrical ...

Engineering

Team develops tougher concrete, inspired by bone

Inspired by the architecture of human bone's tough outer layer, engineers at Princeton have developed a cement-based material that is 5.6 times more damage-resistant than standard counterparts. The bio-inspired design allows ...

Engineering

Report: Transmission and renewables would reduce carbon emissions, generation costs in western United States

If all the high-voltage transmission currently under construction and in advanced stages of permitting is built by 2030 in the Western United States—enabling the construction of new renewable energy projects—carbon dioxide ...

Engineering

Axon-mimicking materials show promise for more efficient computing

A team of researchers from Texas A&M University, Sandia National Lab—Livermore, and Stanford University are taking lessons from the brain to design materials for more efficient computing. The new class of materials discovered ...

Robotics

Teaching robots to use color in moving objects

Research at Michigan State University is focused on teaching robots to use colors to perceive, visualize, and interpret interactions when manipulating objects. A force-interpreting optical system is being developed so robots ...

Robotics

Versatile microscale robots can fold into 3D shapes and crawl

Cornell University researchers have created microscale robots less than 1 millimeter in size that are printed as a 2D hexagonal "metasheet," but with a jolt of electricity, morph into preprogrammed 3D shapes and crawl.

Engineering

Bio-inspired wick enhances electronic chip cooling

A research team led by Prof. Ye Hong from the University of Science and Technology of China has developed an alumina ceramic bionic wick with finger-like pores inspired by the stomatal array of natural leaves. Their research ...

Engineering

From shrimp to steel: Introducing nature-inspired metalworking

Humans have long turned to nature for solutions, from deciphering the mysteries of flight to creating stronger materials. For Javier Fernandez, Associate Professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), ...

Engineering

How air-powered computers can prevent blood clots

A new, air-powered computer sets off alarms when certain medical devices fail. The invention is a more reliable and lower-cost way to help prevent blood clots and strokes—all without electronic sensors.

Engineering

Urban flooding alert: Subway tunnels get early warning system

In recent years, urban waterlogging disasters have become more frequent due to rapid urbanization and climate change, severely threatening city infrastructure. Subway tunnels, with their semi-enclosed structure, face significant ...

Engineering

Recovering valuable materials with better membranes

Critical minerals like lithium and cobalt are vital to batteries, electric vehicles, and renewable energy systems. To meet the long-term demand for these materials, finding sources of these materials beyond mining has become ...

Engineering

NASA's X-59 progresses through tests on the path to flight

The team preparing NASA's X-59 continues through testing in preparation for the quiet supersonic aircraft to make its first flight. This includes a trio of important structural tests and critical inspections on the path to ...

Engineering

A light-powered hydrogel launcher

An international team of mechanical engineers has developed what they call a fracture-driven, power-amplified hydrogel launcher. They have published their discovery in the journal Nature Materials.

Robotics

Picotaur—the unrivaled microrobot

Picture this: hundreds of ant-sized robots climb over rubble, under rocks and between debris to inspect the damage of a fallen building before human rescuers explore on-site.