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Robotics

Electricity-free circuit helps free up space for robots to 'think,' say scientists

Engineers have worked out how to give robots complex instructions without electricity for the first time, which could free up more space in the robotic 'brain' for them to 'think.'

Robotics

Soft robotics redefined: Meet the light-driven toroidal micro-robot that navigates viscous liquids autonomously

Researchers from Tampere University in Finland and Anhui Jianzhu University in China have made a significant breakthrough in soft robotics. Their study introduces the first toroidal, light-driven micro-robot that can move ...

Hi Tech & Innovation

New apps aid blind people in navigating indoor spaces

Two new apps are set to assist blind individuals in navigating indoor spaces by providing spoken directions through a smartphone. This offers a safe solution for wayfinding in areas where GPS is ineffective.

Automotive

Expert suggests driver's test for autonomous vehicles in US

At a time of growing concern about the safety of self-driving vehicles, a leading expert is calling on the federal government to develop a national driver's test that such vehicles would have to pass before they could travel ...

Energy & Green Tech

Research highlights China's coal transition complexities

A new paper from the University of California San Diego details how China faces numerous political, economic and technological obstacles as it tries to transition away from coal—the country's primary energy source—while ...

Automotive

Will Tesla's robotaxi reveal live up to hype?

After years of talking up Tesla's prowess on autonomous driving, Elon Musk is set to host Thursday a much-hyped robotaxi event amid a mix of anticipation and skepticism.

Business

US industrial policy may strengthen EV battery supply chain

Vehicle electrification is an important pathway to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. The supply chain for electric vehicle battery materials relies heavily on China, a dependency that can leave the US vulnerable to ...

Machine learning & AI

Meta's Movie Gen lets users animate photos into videos

Meta on Friday provided a look at a generative artificial intelligence model it is working on that lets people create short videos, complete with audio, from text prompts and photos.

Robotics

Self-organization: What robotics can learn from amoebae

Amoebae are single-cell organisms. By means of self-organization, they can form complex structures—and do this purely through local interactions: If they have a lot of food, they disperse evenly through a culture medium. ...

Energy & Green Tech

Generating electricity from store-bought, double-sided tape

Along with bitterly cold temperatures, winter usually brings dry air and the occasional zap of static electricity. Those shocks might be annoying, but researchers are working to harness that otherwise wasted energy with triboelectric ...

Energy & Green Tech

A natural gas bridge to net zero?

Destenie Nock, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and engineering and public policy in Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering, has co-authored a study that helps illuminate the future ...

Hardware

Researchers develop a phase-change key for new hardware security

As more and more data are being shared and stored digitally, the number of data breaches taking place around the world is on the rise. Scientists are exploring new ways to secure and protect data from increasingly sophisticated ...

Robotics

'Butterfly bot' is fastest swimming soft robot yet

Inspired by the biomechanics of the manta ray, researchers at North Carolina State University have developed an energy-efficient soft robot that can swim more than four times faster than previous swimming soft robots. The ...