Hi Tech & Innovation news

Hi Tech & Innovation

AI agents debate more effectively when given personalities and the ability to interrupt

In a typical online meeting, humans don't always wait politely for their turn to speak. They interrupt to express strong agreement, stay silent when they are unsure, and let their personalities shape the flow of the discussion. ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Virtual reality demonstrates the 'honey-pot effect' in pedestrian attention to public displays

Researchers at University of Tsukuba have used virtual reality (VR) to demonstrate that pedestrians' behaviors, such as stopping or turning their heads, can induce gaze following (the "honey-pot effect") among individuals ...

Energy & Green Tech

Fungi turn shredded mattress foam into lightweight building insulation

Swinburne researchers have turned old, unwanted mattresses into safe and sustainable building insulation materials using fungi. The team grew a common fungus together with shredded mattress foam to create a new material that ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Musk vows to put data centers in space and run them on solar power but experts have their doubts

Elon Musk vowed this week to upend another industry just as he did with cars and rockets—and once again he's taking on long odds.

Engineering

Octopus-inspired 'smart skin' uses 4D printing to morph on cue

Despite the prevalence of synthetic materials across different industries and scientific fields, most are developed to serve a limited set of functions. To address this inflexibility, researchers at Penn State, led by Hongtao ...

Energy & Green Tech

Oxygen-modified graphene filters boost natural gas purification

As we shift toward more sustainable fuels, natural gas and biogas, which mainly contain methane (CH4), have become important sources of energy and raw materials for chemical production. However, these gases also contain impurities ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

New AI system fixes 3D printing defects in real time

Additive manufacturing has revolutionized manufacturing by enabling customized, cost-effective products with minimal waste. However, with the majority of 3D printers operating on open-loop systems, they are notoriously prone ...

Energy & Green Tech

Electric eel biology inspires powerful gel battery

Power sources used in devices found in or around biological tissue must be flexible and nontoxic, while still powerful enough to support demanding technologies such as medical devices or soft robotics. To achieve this balance, ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Virtual reality as a reliable shooting performance-tracking tool

Virtual reality technology can do more than teach weaponry skills in law enforcement and military personnel, a new study suggests: It can accurately record shooting performance and reliably track individuals' progress over ...

Energy & Green Tech

Study explores ice-based electricity generation

Last year, researchers from the US and Canada reported in PLOS ONE creating electrical batteries from ice. The electrical output is modest, just 0.1 milliwatt. But this may be a sign of good things to come. The scientists ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Using AI to decode dog vocalizations

Have you ever wished you could understand what your dog is trying to say to you? University of Michigan researchers are exploring the possibilities of AI, developing tools that can identify whether a dog's bark conveys playfulness ...

Electronics & Semiconductors

New electronic skin mimics human touch with 3D architecture

Created by nature, the human skin shows powerful sensing capabilities that have been pursued by scientists for a very long time. However, it is challenging for today's technologies to replicate the spatial arrangement of ...

Electronics & Semiconductors

New all-optical approach could miniaturize night vision technology

Researchers from TMOS, the ARC Center of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, have made significant progress in their journey to deliver a new approach to night vision technology, creating an infrared filter ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Feeling flush: Japan's high-tech toilets go global

As Japan plays host to a record influx of tourists, one of the country's more private attractions—the high-tech toilet—is becoming a must-have in luxury bathrooms worldwide.