Hi Tech & Innovation news

Electronics & Semiconductors

Dog-bone design helps 2D nanoribbon transistors stay fast and efficient as widths shrink

Transistors, small semiconductor-based switches that control the flow of electricity, are central components of all electronic devices, from computers to smartphones, wearables, sensors and smart appliances. Over the past ...

Robotics

Artificial skin enables robots to simultaneously sense temperature and pressure like humans

A research team led by Prof. Seung Hwan Ko of Seoul National University College of Engineering's Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed an artificial skin technology that enables robots to sense temperature and ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Neural-machine interfaces reveal that brain senses hand movement through grasp synergies

A research team led by Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, has uncovered new insight into how the brain senses movement. Their findings, published in Science Advances, could ...

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 ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Innovations on show at Paris Vivatech fest

Around 15,000 startups from around Europe and beyond are showing off their wares at the VivaTech trade show in Paris until Saturday.

Engineering

Ease of use is key to exoskeleton adoption, engineers show

Wearable exoskeletons can help reduce physical strain in the workplace and protect employees from injury, but the technology has yet to achieve widespread adoption. A new study published in PLOS One by engineers at The University ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Electric 'nose' can smell when your food's gone bad

Most of us have used the sniff test to decide whether a slightly expired bottle of milk or a week-old box of takeout is still good to eat. But while the human nose can be quite astute, it doesn't always catch everything. ...

Electronics & Semiconductors

Soft, 3D transistors could host living cells for bioelectronics

New research from the WISE group (Wearable, Intelligent, Soft Electronics) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU-WISE) has addressed a long-standing bioelectronic challenge: the development of soft, 3D transistors.

Hi Tech & Innovation

What a virtual zebrafish can teach us about autonomous AI

Aran Nayebi jokes that his robot vacuum has a bigger brain than his two cats. But while the vacuum can only follow a preset path, Zoe and Shira leap, play and investigate the house with real autonomy.

Engineering

Atomistic model explains how memory metals can change their shape

Shape memory alloys are exotic materials that can be deformed at room temperature and return to their "remembered," pre-deformed shape when heated. They are used in a broad range of applications, such as heart stents, dental ...

Energy & Green Tech

Smart transparent woods can block UV and save energy

Environmentally friendly buildings are highly attractive for sustainable development and efficient energy consumption. Recently, scientists have made significant strides toward the development of energy-efficient smart windows—with ...

Computer Sciences

Digital technique puts rendered fabric in the best light

The sheen of satin, the subtle glints of twill, the translucence of sheer silk: Fabric has long been difficult to render digitally because of the myriad ways different yarns can be woven or knitted together.

Energy & Green Tech

New technique could facilitate faster nuclear forensics

Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have, for the first time, used a breakthrough technique with a goal of better identifying the origin of nuclear materials—a tool that could someday help efforts to prevent the ...

Energy & Green Tech

Ionogel innovation could power safe, enduring energy storage

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed an innovative energy storage system design that introduces a safer, more efficient method for electrical charge transfer.

Consumer & Gadgets

From sci-fi to sidewalk: Exoskeletons go mainstream

Exoskeletons are shedding their bulky, sci-fi image to become lightweight, AI-powered consumer devices that manufacturers hope will become as commonplace as smartwatches, targeting everyone from hikers to seniors seeking ...

Energy & Green Tech

Solar hydrogen can now be produced efficiently, no platinum required

A research team led by Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has presented a new way to produce hydrogen gas without the scarce and expensive metal platinum. Using sunlight, water and tiny particles of electrically conductive ...