Hi Tech & Innovation news

Electronics & Semiconductors

'Impossible' low-loss, tunable dielectric achieved in microwave electronics

The result on his computer screen looked impossible. Late one night in 2009, Nate Orloff was alone in a laboratory, analyzing measurements from a set of experimental thin films sent to him by Darrell Schlom, the Tisch University ...

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 ...

Engineering

A new type of pixel can steer and analyze light, paving way for devices that function as both camera and display

In 1927, the term "picture element," later abbreviated to "pixel," appeared for the first time in the American technology magazine Wireless World. Today, pixels are everywhere: in computer screens and television sets, where ...

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

AI-powered robotic labs enable simultaneous experiments

In a pioneering experiment, a robotic sample preparation platform, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) was used to undertake simultaneous experiments at both Diamond Light Source, the UK's National Synchrotron, and the ...

Computer Sciences

Computer scientists digitally render iridescent bird feathers

Computer animators and video game designers may soon have a better way to create the purple-green sheen of a grackle's wing, or the pink flash on a hummingbird's throat, thanks to a new method for rendering iridescent feathers.

Engineering

NASA sets sights on Mars terrain with advanced tire tech

The mystique of Mars has been studied for centuries. The fourth planet from the sun is reminiscent of a rich, red desert and features a rugged surface challenging to traverse. While several robotic missions have landed on ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

India uses AI to stop stampedes at world's biggest gathering

Keen to improve India's abysmal crowd management record at large-scale religious events, organizers of the world's largest human gathering are using artificial intelligence to try to prevent stampedes.

Hi Tech & Innovation

Underwater exploration boosted with image enhancer

The search for long-lost shipwrecks, downed aircraft and even rare species of coral and fish could become easier thanks to an image enhancement technology developed by James Cook University researchers.

Engineering

Insect-eye-inspired camera captures 9,120 frames per second

The compound eyes of insects can detect fast-moving objects in parallel and, in low-light conditions, enhance sensitivity by integrating signals over time to determine motion. Inspired by these biological mechanisms, KAIST ...

Robotics

Robotic insects could someday aid in mechanical pollination

With a more efficient method for artificial pollination, farmers in the future could grow fruits and vegetables inside multilevel warehouses, boosting yields while mitigating some of agriculture's harmful impacts on the environment.

Energy & Green Tech

Comfortable materials use friction to generate power when worn

Researchers have demonstrated new wearable technologies that both generate electricity from human movement and improve the comfort of the technology for the people wearing them. The work stems from an advanced understanding ...