Hi Tech & Innovation news

Engineering

Inspired by networks found in nature, engineers design stronger, more resilient 'metamaterials'

Order has long been the rule in the design of synthetic "metamaterials," which have internal structures that give the whole material exceptional properties not found in nature.

Consumer & Gadgets

Radar wristband turns your arm into a smartwatch trackpad

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed technology that turns a smartwatch user's forearm into a trackpad, allowing the user to scroll, zoom, click on icons and so on. The system relies on a radar system ...

Energy & Green Tech

Tuning giant surface potential in OLEDs can improve efficiency and lifespan

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) power many display screens, but their efficiency can be limited by energy lost inside the device. As organic layers are deposited, their molecules can align to create an internal electrical ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Directional VR passwords improve recall with a sense of place

Researchers have demonstrated a new password authentication technique for use in virtual reality (VR) settings, which allows users to choose directions rather than numbers. The approach supports the same number of possible ...

Robotics

Advanced coating can alter a drone's radar signature

Drones have become a crucial element in modern security and defense. The ability to manipulate the signals reflected from drones—so that, for example, it is possible to fly close to a radar without being detected—is therefore ...

Energy & Green Tech

Engineers adapt laser physics trick to deliver heat on demand

When a process needs a burst of heat, a steady supply may not be enough. Storing thermal energy and delivering it quickly are challenges for applications such as sterilization, cleaning or starting up distillation systems. ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

AI helps find better recipes for 3D-printing titanium parts

Engineers can 3D-print high-performance titanium parts for aircraft, medical implants and advanced machinery, but finding the right printing settings can still require costly and time-consuming trial and error. A new study ...

Energy & Green Tech

Rechargeable battery prototype runs on vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is essential for the body's proper functioning and is found in foods of animal origin. It is produced by certain bacteria that, in addition to being found in nature, are cultivated at industrial facilities for ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Researchers teach football to AI models

The NFL has given Carnegie Mellon University researchers access to official film and on-field data to develop new technologies that can enhance the way coaches, players and fans annotate, analyze and understand games.

Energy & Green Tech

AI and physics draw a blueprint for better hydrogen storage materials

Hydrogen can become a clever way to store renewable energy and power fuel cells—but this introduces the problem of what can store this hydrogen, in turn. Metal hydrides—solids that absorb hydrogen into their crystal structures—are ...

Energy & Green Tech

Seaweed-based ingredient helps turn dirt into 3D-printed walls

An ingredient that gives ice cream a creamier texture could make natural earthen materials like clay and sand easier to 3D print into durable structures, according to new research led by scientists at the University of Colorado ...

Engineering

Infrared filter could help detect pollution and disease

Researchers have developed a tiny, electrically tunable infrared filter that could help shrink bulky thermal sensing systems onto portable chips—a technology that could lead to handheld pollution detectors, compact multispectral ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

AI museum brings sights, sounds and smells of the rainforest

The squawks of macaws, the smell of wet earth after rain and a swirl of colors will transport visitors from a Los Angeles museum to the heart of the Amazon rainforest—or rather, an AI version of it.

Hi Tech & Innovation

Paint it black(er): A new way to make cars darker than ever

Scientists have developed a practical way to make ultra-black coatings to meet demand for trendy, luxury vehicles in China. The coating, described in a paper published in Matter & Light, is made up of a composite of carbon ...