Hi Tech & Innovation news

Engineering

For precision tech, a hydrogen-tuned crystal could cancel thermal expansion

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered that a hydrogen-absorbing material shrinks in one direction upon heating, so-called negative thermal expansion (NTE). They found that this NTE is driven by a phase ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Smart pillow lets users stream podcasts and music with hugs and presses

A "smart pillow" that enables people to access digital content at bedtime without looking at screens could help cut down on problematic evening smartphone use, its inventors say. Computing scientists at the University of ...

Software

Multiply and subtract your way to more lifelike VR avatars

POSTECH's (Pohang University of Science and Technology) Professor Inseok Hwang's team has developed ArithMotion, a mobile virtual reality (VR) system that enables anyone to express a wide range of avatar motions with ease. ...

Energy & Green Tech

Carbon nanotube fiber 'textile' heaters could help industry electrify high-temperature gas heating

A cross-disciplinary team at Rice University has developed a new type of electric heating element—one that looks less like a traditional metal coil and more like a high-performance thread. In a study published in Small, ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Photonic chips advance real-time learning in spiking neural systems

Researchers have developed photonic computing chips that overcome key limitations for a type of neural network known as a photonic spiking neural system. By enabling fast learning and decision making using purely light-based ...

Engineering

GiantEye—new dimensions in computed tomography

Traditional industrial tomographs reach their physical limits when it comes to large volumes and high radiography requirements. Fraunhofer IIS's XXL CT system, built in 2013, is considered the world's only publicly accessible ...

Electronics & Semiconductors

Borrowing from biology to power next-gen data storage

DNA, the genetic blueprints in every living organism, is nature's most efficient storage mechanism, capable of storing about 215 million gigabytes of data per gram. That storage capacity, if applied to electronics, could ...

Energy & Green Tech

This special solar cell system produces both electricity and heat

Researchers have developed a solar cell system that uses mirrors to concentrate solar energy. In addition to electricity, it produces heat for a plant that will capture carbon from industrial emissions. The solar cells in ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

New tech and AI set to take athlete data business to next level

From tracking the trajectory and speed of a footballer's strike to monitoring a Tour de France rider's real-time power output, performance athlete data is deepening its reach in sports, with specialized firms eyeing to score ...

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 ...