https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/engineering-news/ en-us The latest news on engineering technology, engineering science, computer engineering , civil engineering, chemical engineering, aerospace engineering and environmental engineering. In horror movies, music is a dead giveaway. Tension builds with each note, and you brace for the inevitable jump scare. The same sense of anticipation has taken a leading role in an unlikely venue: a Georgia Tech robotics lab. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-horror-movie-cue-wearable-robot.html Robotics Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:40:01 EDT news702135423 Most prosthetic hands today still struggle with a fundamental problem: No two amputees are the same, yet most devices are designed as if they are. That mismatch makes natural, intuitive control difficult, often turning what should feel like a seamless extension of the body into something that requires constant learning and adjustment. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-custom-prosthetic-user-decoding-gestures.html Engineering Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:00:20 EDT news702121762 Researchers have developed a new LiDAR approach that makes it possible to image small objects with much greater precision and accuracy than conventional LiDAR. The method could be useful for acquiring noncontact measurements of critical parts or features during manufacturing. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-lidar-approach-factory-tiny-hard.html Engineering Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:00:02 EDT news702045062 Today's antipersonnel land mines are small and often have plastic casings that standard metal detectors cannot register. Geophysical techniques such as ground-penetrating radar, magnetometry and electromagnetic induction are significantly less effective with plastic mines than with those made of metal. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-drone-mounted-camera-plastic-landmines.html Engineering Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:00:12 EDT news702038641 Storing solar and wind energy to meet the increasing power needs of the electrical grid calls for devices that can deliver power quickly, recharge quickly and last for decades at low cost. A new study led by UCLA has uncovered a technology that could meet all these criteria: a zinc-ion hybrid battery with a 3D-printed electrode that stores more than seven times the charge of similar hybrids. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-team-3d-zinc-ion-hybrid.html Engineering Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:40:13 EDT news701965741 A team of engineers at Rice University and Kyung Hee University has developed a soft, shape-shifting mechanical surface that can respond to touch, sense its own movements and visually communicate changes in real time—an advance that could open new possibilities for human-machine interaction, wearable devices and immersive tactile displays. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-shifting-surface-morphs-real-generation.html Engineering Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:20:10 EDT news701957029 A plastic bottle tossed into a recycling bin could one day help power an electric vehicle, smartphone or renewable energy storage system, according to a team of Penn State researchers. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-plastic-bottles-life-batteries-graphite.html Engineering Mon, 29 Jun 2026 11:00:05 EDT news701947741 Scientists from NTU Singapore and Waseda University have developed a flexible "diving suit" for cyborg cockroaches, enabling the insects to survive and move underwater and in low-oxygen environments for up to three hours. Published today in Nature Communications, the study could expand the use of cyborg insects in search-and-rescue missions, especially in disaster zones where flooded rubble, puddles or partially submerged spaces can block access for conventional robots. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-cyborg-cockroaches.html Robotics Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:40:07 EDT news701947321 A bio-inspired robotic bird capable of mimicking the key movements of kestrels is helping researchers unravel the mysteries behind the species' exceptional hovering capabilities. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-robotic-bird-uncover-mysteries-flight.html Engineering Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:00:06 EDT news701944741 Stanford researcher Ellen Kuhl estimates that there are some 1043 potential burger recipes in the world. And with BurgerAI, a new tool developed in her lab, artificial intelligence can now design the best one for you based on your age, taste, nutritional needs and even your sustainability goal. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-burgerai-custom-burgers-tailored-health.html Engineering Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:00:01 EDT news701684017 Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory use a slew of autonomous robots to design and implement experiments. However, setting up an experiment on an autonomous lab robot is surprisingly slow. The effort requires a lengthy back-and-forth between a scientist and an engineer to design the experimental steps—a process that can take weeks. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-agentic-ai-bot-scientists-robots.html Engineering Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:20:02 EDT news701626622 Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) could conquer the mass market within a few years, perhaps even being produced in Europe. Their large-scale production is highly cost-effective, and unlike silicon solar cells, their production is less energy-intensive. However, perovskite solar cells ideally need to achieve decades-long warranties, which remains a challenge. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-perovskite-solar-cells-decades-durability.html Engineering Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:00:01 EDT news701603206 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 they create colorful images, but also in cameras, where they capture images. In any case, however, they do one or the other—either they control light, as in the case of a display, or they analyze it in a camera sensor. Until now, there have been no pixels that could do both. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-pixel-paving-devices-function-camera.html Engineering Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:20:05 EDT news701539801 Researchers have demonstrated how to use the power of the sun to turn plastic waste, such as drink bottles, into clean hydrogen fuel at a scale large enough to be genuinely useful in the real world, using a scalable approach. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-scientists-solar-powered-plastic-recycling.html Engineering Wed, 24 Jun 2026 13:00:04 EDT news701523180 In 2022, global production of construction materials accounted for more than 7% of total carbon emissions. But how many of those materials were truly necessary to build houses, buildings and bridges? https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-smarter-optimization-bridge-materials.html Engineering Wed, 24 Jun 2026 12:40:04 EDT news701522909 Misjudge a curb or miss a step on the stairs, and there is a split second of panic as your foot doesn't land when you expect it to. That brief loss of pressure can be enough to throw off your balance entirely. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-haptic-insoles-forearm-band-substituting.html Engineering Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:40:01 EDT news701367483 Today's refrigerants, which are specialized working fluids used in air conditioners, refrigerators and heat pumps, come with a host of issues, including leakage, emissions concerns, flammability and limited reclamation of used refrigerants. However, a recent study by University of Notre Dame researchers published in Materials Horizons describes a promising alternative for next-generation cooling using thermoelectric technology, which has no moving parts and no gaseous refrigerants, allowing for zero leaks. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-ink-based-thermoelectric-technology-solution.html Engineering Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:00:01 EDT news701353148 Current flying objects face a trade-off: Drones with propellers, for instance, are very agile and able to hover; however, they use up a lot of energy. Airplanes, on the other hand, feature fixed wings that allow them to fly very efficiently. The downside: They can't remain suspended in the air like a kestrel on the lookout for prey. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-robot-floaty-bird-staying-stable.html Robotics Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:40:14 EDT news701354331 For some time, researchers have used optical tweezers to manipulate tiny objects with incredible precision, using carefully controlled beams of laser light. So far, however, this technique has always come with strict limits on how much force it can exert. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-microgripper-bridges-gap-precision.html Engineering Sun, 21 Jun 2026 08:00:01 EDT news701083327 It is a sobering fact that in the 21st century, 1 in 4 people still lack access to safe, clean drinking water, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The figures increase slightly during natural disasters, when infrastructure or supplies are damaged. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-powered-capsule-disinfects-unsafe.html Engineering Sat, 20 Jun 2026 10:30:03 EDT news701009992 A research team at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) has developed a technology that converts wet spent coffee grounds directly into high-quality biochar in just 90 seconds, with no drying or oil removal required. The breakthrough offers a fast, energy-efficient path to turning high-moisture organic waste into valuable fuel and carbon materials. The study, led by Dr. Taejun Park in collaboration with GodTech Co., Ltd., was published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, one of the world's leading journals in chemical engineering. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-coffee-grounds-high-grade-solid.html Engineering Fri, 19 Jun 2026 13:00:02 EDT news701091781 Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, are now widely used for various purposes, ranging from filmmaking and aerial photography to industrial inspection, precision farming and reaching obstructed areas during emergency response missions. While many existing drones can move swiftly in their surroundings and circumvent large obstacles, most still struggle in cluttered environments. In addition, they are often unable to execute maneuvers that would allow them to safely pass through small gaps or reach secluded areas. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-drones-narrow-gaps-onboard-ai.html Robotics Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:40:04 EDT news701010015 If you ever need help in the kitchen cutting fish into appetizing bites, a new three-armed robot may be able to help. And that's no easy feat for robots. While they are generally good at picking up rigid objects, something slippery that can change shape when touched, such as a fish, poses a range of challenges. Then, if you add slicing into the mix, it becomes even more difficult because the robot has to cope with the fish changing shape as it is handled and cut. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-armed-sashimi-bot-slice-fish.html Robotics Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:20:03 EDT news701079417 A prototype rover built with a new design for tackling rugged terrain is helping teams refine capabilities that could one day be used on future lunar and Red Planet missions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-nasa-advanced-capabilities-moon-mars.html Engineering Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:20:09 EDT news701019661 Scientists have revolutionized the way metals are made by using lower and slower heating of alloys to control how atoms self-organize during material manufacturing. The discovery, published in Science by Monash University engineers in Australia, essentially rewrites what has been a century-old approach to alloy design. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-slower-atoms-selforganize-architectures-vastly.html Engineering Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:00:02 EDT news701019601 Over the last two decades, annual carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. have declined significantly. In recent years, however, this trend has slightly reversed, likely due to the explosive growth of data centers. As energy-intensive data centers proliferate, their emissions could undo years of decarbonization efforts. According to an analysis of data in the public domain, capturing and storing emissions in underground reservoirs could halt this reversal, researchers report in Energy & Fuels. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-center-emissions-curbed-underground-carbon.html Engineering Thu, 18 Jun 2026 16:20:08 EDT news701016122 Wearable medical devices that monitor heart rate, respiration and joint movements for long periods without battery concerns, electronic skins that sense external stimuli like human skin, and soft robots made of flexible materials that move freely have all come one step closer to reality. KAIST researchers have developed a self-powered sensor (a sensor that generates electricity on its own without a battery) that can stretch up to 668% while producing stable electrical signals. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-stretchable-powered-sensor-stable-elongation.html Engineering Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:00:08 EDT news701011742 A team of international researchers has developed a new class of ultrathin polymer membranes that can rapidly and selectively separate complex hydrocarbon mixtures, potentially transforming how crude oil is refined and refinery streams are processed, significantly reducing the energy required for one of the world's most energy-intensive industrial processes. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-ultrathin-membranes-hydrocarbon-slashing-energy.html Engineering Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:40:08 EDT news701010400 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 of Texas at El Paso may explain why: The technology is still too complex and cumbersome for everyday use. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-ease-key-exoskeleton.html Engineering Wed, 17 Jun 2026 09:00:05 EDT news700904761 Inside computer chips are billions of tiny transistors made from silicon. But the material is approaching its limits. In an effort to build smaller, more capable devices, researchers are exploring how they might build transistors with other materials alongside silicon, including a class of extremely thin materials called transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD). One of the leading TMD candidates is a material called molybdenum disulfide. It is only three atoms thick: one layer of molybdenum sandwiched between two layers of sulfur. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-simple-coating-generation-chip-transistors.html Engineering Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:20:06 EDT news700833721