Hi Tech & Innovation news

Hi Tech & Innovation

Harnessing extended reality to reduce the fear of water

Monash University human-computer interaction researchers have developed a playful water-inspired extended reality system using floatation tanks to help reduce aquaphobia.

Energy & Green Tech

Proof-of-concept study develops battery that would use Martian atmosphere as fuel during discharge

Mars presents a highly complex natural environment, characterized by a variety of gas components—95.32% carbon dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen, 1.6% argon, 0.13% oxygen, and 0.08% carbon monoxide—as well as extreme temperature ...

Electronics & Semiconductors

There's two sides to this semiconductor, and many simultaneous functions

Gallium nitride-based semiconductors have been a boon for high-frequency and power electronics. They've also revolutionized energy-efficient LED lighting. But no semiconductor wafer has been able to do both at the same time ...

Other

Can we find hidden graves of murder victims with soil imaging? New Australian study gives it a try

To avoid being caught, murderers often attempt to hide bodies using various methods. This can include shallow or deep burials, submersion in water, encasing in concrete or even disposing of remains in rubbish bins and suitcases.

Engineering

New device simplifies manipulation of 2D materials for twistronics

A discovery six years ago took the condensed-matter physics world by storm: Ultra-thin carbon stacked in two slightly askew layers became a superconductor, and changing the twist angle between layers could toggle their electrical ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Japan plans driverless bullet trains

Shinkansen bullet trains could be whizzing around Japan without drivers from the mid 2030s, one of its main rail operators said, motivated in part by the country's demographic crisis.

Engineering

Revolutionizing 3D printing through microwave technology

In the rapidly evolving world of 3D printing, the pursuit of faster, more efficient and versatile production methods is never-ending. Traditional 3D printing techniques, while groundbreaking, are often time-consuming and ...

Internet

Casanova: A scalable consensus protocol for blockchain

A team of researchers at Pyrofex Corporation recently introduced Casanova, a leaderless optimistic consensus algorithm suited for use in a blockchain. Rather than producing a chain, Casanova produces blocks in a directed ...

Engineering

Elon Musk's new tunnel 'a little rough around the edges' (Update)

Elon Musk unveiled his underground transportation tunnel on Tuesday, allowing reporters and invited guests to take some of the first rides in the revolutionary albeit bumpy subterranean tube—the tech entrepreneur's answer ...

Computer Sciences

Helping the blind to navigate

Picture yourself going to an unfamiliar supermarket for the first time. If you are a person who can see, you can simply look around to guide yourself and identify objects and obstacles. However, blind people must use other ...

Computer Sciences

Scalable forecasts for IoT in the cloud

This week at the International Conference on Data Mining, IBM Research-Ireland scientist Francesco Fusco demonstrated IBM Research Castor, a system for managing time series data and models at scale and on the cloud. Businesses ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Where you go tells who you are—and vice versa

November 19, 2018—Estimating travel demand in a city is a critical tool for urban planners to understand traffic patterns, predict traffic congestion, and plan ahead for transportation infrastructure maintenance and replacement. ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

Hoverbike S3 2019 sparks eVTOL interest, preorders open

Hoversurf's preorders have been made available for people attracted to their new Hoverbike S3 2019. The price is $150,000 with a reservation deposit of $10,000. Delivery will be in 2 to 6 months. Deliveries will be based ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

How should autonomous vehicles be programmed?

A massive new survey developed by MIT researchers reveals some distinct global preferences concerning the ethics of autonomous vehicles, as well as some regional variations in those preferences.

Hi Tech & Innovation

Malaysia team is focused on a digital smell future

The very idea of "multisensory" communication is provocative enough, but gets all the more interesting in the context of our digital futures. Can you not only view and hear the scene but smell it too?