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. ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

AI system helps prevent workplace injuries

The University of Cincinnati is working with Ohio's Bureau of Workers' Compensation to use digital-twin technology to make workplaces safer.

Hi Tech & Innovation

Do neurotechnologies threaten our mental privacy?

Consumer devices may soon be able to directly access and interfere with the human brain—but this raises unprecedented ethical and legal questions. How can we leverage the benefits of this technology for therapeutic purposes ...

Energy & Green Tech

Thin biofilm can transform CO₂ into renewable energy

NIBIO has contributed to developing a method for turning greenhouse gases like CO2 or CO into biomethane—a renewable energy source. Using thin layers of microorganisms, so-called biofilms, greenhouse gases can be transformed ...

Electronics & Semiconductors

Light-sensitive materials mimic synapses in the brain

An interdisciplinary research team has engineered a new class of organic photoelectrochemical transistors (OPECTs). These tiny devices can convert light into electrical signals and mimic the behavior of synapses in the brain. ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Turning gestures into speech for people with limited communication

Communication is a fundamental human right, and many individuals need augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) approaches or tools, such as a notebook or electronic tablet with symbols the user can select to create ...

Engineering

After 250 years, Mount Vesuvius artwork erupts into life

A mechanical artwork designed in 1775 to depict the eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius has been brought to life for the first time—250 years after it was conceived—thanks to modern technology and the ingenuity of two University ...

Consumer & Gadgets

New haptic technology adds the sense of touch to virtual reality

USC scientists have developed a wearable system that enables more natural and emotionally engaging interactions in shared digital spaces, opening new possibilities for remote work, education, health care and beyond.