https://techxplore.com/ en-us Tech Xplore internet news portal provides the latest news on electronics, technology, and engineering. Shoulder exoskeletons designed to help manufacturing workers with overhead tasks need to allow for more dynamic movement before workers reliably use them, according to two studies led by University of Michigan Engineering and the Boeing Company. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-shoulder-exoskeletons-arm-movements-revealing.html Engineering Wed, 14 Oct 2026 15:20:29 EDT news711209453 Solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which convert chemical energy directly into electrical power, are promising energy-conversion technologies because they can operate on various fuels, including hydrogen, natural gas and biogas. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-ultrafast-oxide-ion-conductors-route.html Electronics & Semiconductors Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:40:08 EDT news711207541 Some information, such as exam questions or bid prices, must remain unreadable until an agreed time, even if it has already been delivered. KAIST researchers have used changes in the electric current inside a semiconductor to develop encryption in which information is revealed only after a set amount of time has passed, or can be read correctly only at a specific time. In addition to the key needed to restore the original information, the technology adds a second condition: when the information is read. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-hardware-method-condition-decoding-encrypted.html Hardware Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:20:15 EDT news711206350 What does it take for an autonomous robot to be faster around a course than human drone pilots? At these dizzying speeds, humans need lightning-fast reflexes. Researchers at Delft University of Technology (the Netherlands) have developed an AI system that enables a racing drone to navigate demanding courses at extreme speed using only a single camera. It outperformed even former world champion human drone pilots in a race. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-ai-drone-outpaces-world-champions.html Robotics Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:00:07 EDT news711124285 Artificial intelligence can do remarkable things, but how much does it actually understand about the world? Researchers have found that surprisingly specific information can be extracted from the inner workings of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. Using mathematical tools to probe a model's internal activity, they can identify where a city is located on a map, when a historical figure lived or what emotion a character feels, even detecting descriptions of pain. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-ai-space-pain.html Computer Sciences Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:13 EDT news711196861 A Rowan University team of engineers has developed a new way to measure how 3D-printed concrete deforms during printing and curing, revealing how lower layers respond to the weight and pressure of newly deposited material. The approach could help researchers and manufacturers better understand how printed concrete behaves during construction and what factors affect the quality of finished structures. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-3d-concrete.html Engineering Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:20:07 EDT news711195241 Scientists have discovered a class of metal that can unexpectedly resist extreme cold using an unusual mechanism. Normally such temperatures would make similar materials brittle and vulnerable to breaking. The findings, published in Nature, point to new principles for designing materials for cryogenic environments. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-metal-alloys-defy-deep-staying.html Engineering Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:00:23 EDT news711188821 A U.S. soldier may carry up to 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of batteries to power communications equipment and other electronics on missions. New research from FIU could help lighten that load. A team of engineers has developed a dual-use, razor-thin solar device that can harvest sunlight to generate electricity and also produce light. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-wearable-solar-device-power-soldiers.html Engineering Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:20:01 EDT news711190402 A new study by researchers, including those in Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Department of Chemical Engineering, has found that the fastest-growing plant on Earth may offer a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to petroleum-derived transportation fuels. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-bamboo-emerges-potential-source-carbon.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:00:14 EDT news711190364 As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful, its ability to handle humanlike tasks is undeniable. Artificial neural networks can learn to recognize images, use language or write computer code. Like the brain's circuits, they reorganize themselves as they learn, adjusting the strengths of their connections to improve their performance. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-artificial-neural-networks-machinery.html Machine learning & AI Wed, 14 Oct 2026 09:47:33 EDT news711189900 Asphalt containing recycled plastic held together better than conventional asphalt and showed a lower level of plastic-like particles after combined traffic and moisture-related laboratory testing, according to a study led by Penn State researchers. The findings suggest that improved pavement durability may help limit particle release, the team said, but field studies are needed to determine whether the same pattern occurs on real roads. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-recycled-plastic-asphalt-boost-pavement.html Engineering Wed, 14 Oct 2026 09:40:09 EDT news711188582 Researchers from the Shenyang Institute of Automation (SIA) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed an electrohydraulically actuated soft robotic fish that can swim at high speeds and perform agile three-dimensional (3D) maneuvers. The soft robotic fish addresses a longstanding design challenge by combining a rigid–flexible coupled propulsion system with dynamic buoyancy regulation. This allows for fast propulsion without sacrificing maneuverability. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-soft-robotic-fish-combines-high.html Robotics Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:40:04 EDT news711124270 Hydrogen is expected to become an important energy carrier of the future, particularly for industrial applications. But this requires climate-friendly technologies that split water into hydrogen and oxygen. One major challenge is cost: PEM water electrolysis requires components that can withstand highly corrosive conditions. Some of these components are coated with platinum. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-platinum-cheaper-hydrogen-ultrathin-electrolyzer.html Engineering Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:00:12 EDT news711120663 The cladding tubes of the fuel rods used in nuclear reactors must remain leak-tight—despite the risk of corrosion from the surrounding cooling water and despite the radiation they are exposed to during operation. It is therefore important to know how quickly corrosion layers form and how porous they are. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-3d-imaging-technique-nuclear-fuel.html Engineering Tue, 13 Oct 2026 14:40:16 EDT news711120181 From blinking and smiling to jaw clenching and eyebrow raising, faces are constantly in motion—and generating tiny amounts of energy along the way. Now, Northwestern University engineers are putting that energy to work. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-powered-glasses-harvest-mechanical-energy.html Electronics & Semiconductors Tue, 13 Oct 2026 13:40:06 EDT news711116881 Small artificial intelligence models may be only months away from being able to behave like a computer worm, copying themselves from one internet-connected gadget to the next without human help, Anthropic said. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-anthropic-ai-worms-smart-gadgets.html Security Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:50:01 EDT news711113802 Apple on Tuesday unveiled HomeView, a voice-driven smart display built around its revamped Siri AI assistant, as the iPhone maker makes a fresh bid for a place in living rooms and kitchens. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-apple-unveils-homeview-smart-display.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:36:10 EDT news711113729 It's no secret that an ever-increasing number of scientists use AI to help with their papers. While tasks such as polishing text are generally permissible if declared, using the technology to write papers, or parts of papers, from scratch and passing them off as original work is not. But it's happening. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-detector-ai-generated-ideas-words.html Computer Sciences Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:23:30 EDT news711112923 Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, only a few atomic layers thick, are promising materials for making AI chips faster and more energy efficient by stacking additional semiconductor layers on top of existing computing circuits. However, when crystals form at multiple random locations during growth, it is difficult to produce high-quality semiconductors at the desired positions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-scientists-2d-semiconductor-crystals-key.html Electronics & Semiconductors Tue, 13 Oct 2026 11:40:16 EDT news711109801 Researchers have developed a technology that lets a user move a small robot by bending and straightening a finger. The user can also pick up and move objects while checking the images and contact information that the robot sends back. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-beetle-soft-robot-finger-relay.html Robotics Tue, 13 Oct 2026 10:40:14 EDT news711104490 Inside the human brain, billions of individual neurons connect to form a vast network capable of rapidly processing information and electrical signals. A team of researchers and engineers at Penn State is taking inspiration from these natural computers to build soft networks of water-based droplets, connected by membranes like those found in the walls of living cells. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-tiny-droplets-soft-networks-brain.html Electronics & Semiconductors Tue, 13 Oct 2026 10:20:20 EDT news711104512 Scientists at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) have developed a "light-powered brain" that can recognize hidden information in complex patterns of light, potentially paving the way for faster communications systems. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-optical-intelligence-communications-complex-patterns.html Telecom Tue, 13 Oct 2026 09:40:21 EDT news711102721 A new battery binder—the glue that holds together a battery's internal parts—could make lithium-ion batteries more environmentally friendly and easier to recycle without sacrificing performance. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-binder-battery-recycling-sacrificing.html Engineering Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:40:27 EDT news711040501 Around half of the energy used to train AI can be saved without affecting speed or performance, using software developed at the University of Michigan Engineering. Now, U-M researchers are working with NVIDIA to integrate their new approach into Megatron-LM, NVIDIA's open-source platform for training AI. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-software-tools-ai-energy.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:20:11 EDT news711040381 Integrated circuits are electronic chips containing the interconnected components that process information or control electrical signals inside many electronic devices. These chips are known to generate heat as they operate, which can affect the safety and performance of electronics. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-vapor-channels-powerful-chips-cool.html Hardware Mon, 12 Oct 2026 14:40:10 EDT news711030353 Electronic devices are no longer limited to conventional systems with a screen, keyboard and processing components. Over the past decades, some electronics engineers have been developing thin electronic fibers that could be used to create wearable devices or flexible sensors for robots. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-method-electronic-circuits-soft-washable.html Electronics & Semiconductors Mon, 12 Oct 2026 07:40:07 EDT news710757600 Zinc-air batteries can store significantly more energy than lithium-ion batteries, but until now have been virtually impossible to recharge. A team led by Professor Jörg J. Schneider from the Department of Chemistry has now demonstrated how a material made of iron, nickel and carbon enables the battery to be charged and discharged up to 500 times. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-zinc-air-batteries-gain-momentum.html Energy & Green Tech Sun, 11 Oct 2026 12:20:01 EDT news710759710 Wind turbines, devices that can convert energy from the wind into electricity, do not burn fuel during operation and could thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Despite their possible environmental advantages, building these devices depends heavily on the mines and factories supplying the metals they are made of. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-high-rare-earth-demand-complicate.html Business Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:20:07 EDT news710757587 As artificial intelligence technologies become increasingly widespread, the growing demand for processing power and energy is emerging as a global challenge. Assistant professor Uğur Teğin from Koç University's Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering has developed two new systems that use light itself, rather than conventional electronic circuitry, to perform computations for artificial intelligence. Published in two articles, the studies introduce new approaches to computing that could contribute to the development of faster and more energy-efficient AI systems. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-approach-sustainable-ai-offloading-burden.html Hi Tech & Innovation Sat, 10 Oct 2026 06:55:27 EDT news710834081 Watermarks are increasingly being used to make AI-generated images recognizable and to ensure their origin can be traced. Previous research has focused on whether watermarks can withstand image manipulation. CISPA researcher Michel Meintz from the SprintML Lab has investigated whether watermarks can withstand the training of a new generative model. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-ai-image-watermarks-survive-durability.html Security Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:20:02 EDT news710773562