https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/hi-tech-news/ en-us The latest news on hi-tech, innovation and new inventions technology, computer news and information 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 Aquifer-based geothermal systems, known as aquifer thermal energy storage, could help ease the environmental stress stemming from artificial intelligence data centers in the United States. Researchers at the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are proposing a new way to keep those facilities cool by using the naturally stable underground temperatures and groundwater as a giant natural "thermal battery." https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-aquifer-thermal-batteries-ai-center.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:00:13 EDT news702053281 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 Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso have developed a way to 3D-print an essential battery component in nearly any shape. Their innovation could free engineers from the constraints of standard rechargeable battery sizes and allow energy storage to be built directly into the devices the batteries power. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-3d-battery-electrolyte-devices-power.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:20:10 EDT news702039001 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 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 Professor in Cornell University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-impossible-loss-tunable-dielectric-microwave.html Electronics & Semiconductors Sun, 28 Jun 2026 10:20:01 EDT news701698635 A research team led by Prof. Seung Hwan Ko of Seoul National University College of Engineering's Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed an artificial skin technology that enables robots to sense temperature and pressure simultaneously, similar to human skin. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-artificial-skin-enables-robots-simultaneously.html Robotics Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:00:05 EDT news701693522 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 decades, electronics engineers have been continuously working to boost the speed and performance of transistors while also reducing their size. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-dog-bone-2d-nanoribbon-transistors.html Electronics & Semiconductors Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:30:01 EDT news701690507 Hydrogen can become a clever way to store renewable energy and power fuel cells—but this introduces the problem of what can store this hydrogen, in turn. Metal hydrides—solids that absorb hydrogen into their crystal structures—are promising candidates to safely hold large amounts of hydrogen and release it when needed. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-ai-physics-blueprint-hydrogen-storage.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 25 Jun 2026 08:40:03 EDT news701593658 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 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 help improve sensation and movement for prosthetic limbs. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-neural-machine-interfaces-reveal-brain.html Hi Tech & Innovation Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:40:07 EDT news701533323 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 Boulder. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-seaweed-based-ingredient-dirt-3d.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 23 Jun 2026 09:40:01 EDT news701426341 The global shortage of freshwater has become a critical challenge. Conventional water treatment relies heavily on fossil fuels and associated infrastructure, which can make it unsuitable for remote and harsh regions. In contrast, solar thermal evaporation is a promising alternative, but its application is limited by material performance and production constraints. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-3d-photothermal-higher-solar-evaporation.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:20:04 EDT news701360385 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 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 Neuromorphic computing is a computing approach that mimics how the human brain works. Our gray matter is a marvel of nature, capable of handling huge volumes of data with incredible energy efficiency. While modern AI hardware is becoming better at processing complex tasks, it consumes vast amounts of energy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-power-kind-chip-human-brain.html Hardware Sat, 20 Jun 2026 15:20:03 EDT news701089243 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 Barcode readers excel at quickly identifying groceries and other products. Could a similar idea work at industrial recycling facilities to make sorting different plastics quicker and more cost-effective? The answer, according to a University at Buffalo research team, is yes. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-scientists-transient-thermal-barcodes-plastic.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 19 Jun 2026 09:20:01 EDT news701079001 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 University of Adelaide researchers have developed a wearable glove that uses heat, touch and physical objects to transform data into a sensory experience. The prototype, called ThermoPhy, was developed as part of a remote internship run by the Australian Research Center for Interactive and Virtual Environments (IVE) at the University of Adelaide. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-wearable-glove-personal-insights.html Consumer & Gadgets Thu, 18 Jun 2026 16:00:07 EDT news701012248 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 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 black pigment and carbon nanotubes. The resulting color is a deep jet black that also meets automotive standards, opening the door for car manufacturers to develop distinguished, high-end models in darker-than-ever hues. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-blacker-cars-darker.html Hi Tech & Innovation Thu, 18 Jun 2026 11:00:16 EDT news700896962 Researchers have developed a new kind of lidar system that simultaneously measures the location, speed and material properties of objects in a scene. This type of information could be useful for applications such as robotics, autonomous driving and remote sensing. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-lidar-material-properties.html Hi Tech & Innovation Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:00:07 EDT news700902828 Most of us have used the sniff test to decide whether a slightly expired bottle of milk or a week-old box of takeout is still good to eat. But while the human nose can be quite astute, it doesn't always catch everything. Each year, millions of people in the U.S. are sickened by food-borne pathogens that thrive in undercooked or spoiled food. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-electric-nose-food-bad.html Hi Tech & Innovation Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:20:03 EDT news700931540 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 The global semiconductor market is approaching US$1 trillion in annual sales, driven by growing demand for faster computers, smarter AI systems and more powerful electronic devices. Singapore, which produces one in 10 of the world's chips, has a direct stake in sustaining that trajectory. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-atom-thin-coating-tackles-key.html Electronics & Semiconductors Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:40:01 EDT news700903381 A research team led by Professor Taesung Kim of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) has developed an optoelectronic synaptic device that mimics the functions of human neurons and synapses at the device scale. The researchers designed a van der Waals (vdW) crystal through a single-step sulfurization process using mixed plasma. The device operates under optical stimuli, offering a structural solution for configuring semiconductor materials for brain-inspired computing. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-van-der-waals-crystal-mimics.html Hi Tech & Innovation Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:00:05 EDT news700822360 A tiny new chip could give cameras and sensing systems a far sharper view of the world, helping them detect subtle differences in materials and environments that standard color imaging systems cannot see. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-tiny-chip-cameras-hidden.html Electronics & Semiconductors Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:00:01 EDT news700757581 Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, is an important form of Japan's Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) that fosters creativity, mindfulness and aesthetic sensitivity. Also known as "Kado," or way of the flower, ikebana offers people living in metropolitan areas a way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and connect with nature, which significantly benefits mental well-being. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-ar-japanese-beginners-home-mindfulness.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:00:07 EDT news700747889