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 Imagine traveling in a foreign country, reaching for a window you've never seen before, and instead of struggling to open it, you feel your own muscles gently guide you through the motion, as if an invisible teacher was there, lending their know-how. Now picture that same sensation helping you twist open a child-proof pill bottle, operate a camera, or perform tasks you've never practiced before. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ai-muscle-context-aware-electrical.html Hi Tech & Innovation Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:40:06 EDT news695031962 Muscles are remarkably effective systems for generating controlled force, and engineers developing hardware for robots or prosthetics have long struggled to create analogs that can approach their unique combination of strength, rapid response, scalability, and control. But now, researchers at the MIT Media Lab and Politecnico di Bari in Italy have developed artificial muscle fibers that come closer to matching many of these qualities. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-electrofluidic-fiber-muscles-enable-silent.html Robotics Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:20:01 EDT news694959583 Researchers have developed a simple and eco-friendly way to use a laser to turn natural leather into flexible and wearable energy devices. The new approach could lay the groundwork for more sustainable wearable electronics. In a paper in Optics Letters, the researchers demonstrate the new technique by creating microsupercapacitors on leather in various patterns, including a tiger, dragon and rabbit. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-leather-power-laser-written-microsupercapacitors.html Electronics & Semiconductors Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:20:03 EDT news694883702 The delicate butterfly served as the inspiration for a new lightweight lattice structure that also boasts enhanced mechanical strength, impact resistance, and energy absorption capability through advanced structural design. A collaborative research team from Tohoku University and the Wuhan University of Technology developed this strong yet light-as-a-butterfly material with the hopes of one day using it for airplanes or earthquake-resistant infrastructure. The work is published in the International Journal of Mechanical Sciences. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-bio-impact-resistance-energy-absorption.html Engineering Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:30:01 EDT news694869150 UNSW researchers have redesigned hydrogen fuel cells to solve a critical flaw, bringing clean energy for aviation, heavy transport and beyond closer to reality. Hydrogen fuel cells, using locally produced green hydrogen as the only fuel, have long been viewed as the ultimate clean energy source, but their commercialization has been difficult. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-hydrogen-fuel-cell-key-energy.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:40:03 EDT news694871424 XPANCEO, a deep-tech company developing smart contact lenses, has unveiled a passive eye-tracking system that achieves industry-level measurement precision using standard cameras. The system employs microscopic patterns embedded in contact lenses that enable high-accuracy passive gaze tracking without requiring active electronics or dedicated power sources. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-deep-tech-company-high-precision.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:40:03 EDT news694869662 A breakthrough technology has emerged to fundamentally solve the camera protrusion/thickness issue, which has been a persistent limitation as smart devices become thinner. A KAIST research team has developed an ultra-thin camera that achieves a wide 140-degree field of view (FOV) without any lens protrusion. This technology is expected to be applied across various fields, including medical endoscopes, wearable devices, and micro-robots. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ultra-thin-camera-degree-view.html Engineering Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:40:05 EDT news694787522 In some settings and when completing some collaborative tasks, humans are required to coordinate their movements or actions with those of others. A clear example of this is musical performance, particularly instances in which two or more musicians play their instruments together. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-wearable-robots-pairs-violin-players.html Robotics Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:10:06 EDT news694777673 Imagine tapping your thumb and index finger together twice to skip to the next song or clicking around your laptop or desktop computer without a mouse, using discreet finger motions. New first-of-its-kind wearable technology from researchers at Cornell and KAIST, in South Korea, brings that vision closer to reality. The system, called WatchHand, equips off-the-shelf smartwatches with AI-powered micro sonar capable of tracking hand movements. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-sonar-stock-smartwatches-tracking-advancement.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:40:05 EDT news694696262 Researchers have developed a solar-powered reactor to break down hard-to-recycle forms of plastic waste—such as drink bottles, nylon textiles and polyurethane foams—using acid recovered from old car batteries, and converting it into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable industrial chemicals. The results are reported in the journal Joule. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-solar-reactor-battery-acid-plastic.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:00:01 EDT news694425241 Electrons have three intrinsic properties: spin, charge and orbital angular momentum. Researchers have long studied how to use spin to more efficiently create an electrical current. But the field of orbitronics—which is based upon using an electron's orbital angular momentum, rather than its spin, to create a current flow—remains relatively new. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-door-efficient-orbitronic-devices.html Electronics & Semiconductors Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:00:03 EDT news694425997 A major problem with quantum computers is memory, as the information they contain can be quickly lost. Quantum computers are not yet fully reliable—they are far too unstable. However, all around the world, people are trying to improve them—some of whom are based in Norway. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-quantum-memory-problem.html Computer Sciences Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:00:01 EDT news694354592 A research team at Tohoku University and Future University Hakodate has demonstrated that living biological neurons can be trained to perform a supervised temporal pattern learning task previously carried out by artificial systems. By integrating cultured neuronal networks into a machine learning framework, the team showed that these biological systems can generate complex time-series signals, marking a significant step forward in both neuroscience and bio-inspired computing. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-brain-cells-enable-machine.html Hi Tech & Innovation Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:20:01 EDT news694426202 While technology has made the world "smaller," it has also pulled individuals apart, thanks to mobile phones and other devices that command our attention. Cornell University researchers are using technology, in the form of a mirror-equipped robot, to help bring people together. Members of the Architectural Robotics Lab, led by Keith Evan Green, have built a four-foot-tall robot—dubbed MirrorBot—with dual mirrors that, when placed in front of a pair of strangers, let each participant see themself in one mirror and the other person in the other. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-mirrorbot-robot-foster-human.html Robotics Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:00:10 EDT news694366621 The effectiveness of air disinfection devices may now be measured in minutes, rather than hours, with a new technique from University of Michigan Engineering. This is important for researchers developing better antiviral air purifiers, helping to mitigate outbreaks of viral respiratory diseases and prepare for the next pandemic. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-uv-air-disinfection-minutes.html Engineering Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:40:03 EDT news694364942 Imagine a paint that changes color depending on how hard its surface is hit. It could be used on football helmets to monitor concussion-level impacts, to record the handling history of shipped packages, or placed on insoles to analyze an orthopedic patient's gait. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-revealing-strength-impact.html Engineering Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:40:03 EDT news694343515 A study by the EHU-University of the Basque Country shows how biomass can be used as an alternative in commercial batteries, thus making them more sustainable. The research is published in the Journal of Power Sources. Dr. Nekane Nieto of the EHU's Materials and Solid-State Group has proven that batteries made from biomass materials not only store sufficient energy, but can also withstand up to 1,000 charge and discharge cycles. This discovery paves the way for more environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional batteries, which are more expensive and pollute more. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-rechargeable-batteries-sunflower-seed-shells.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news694257841 Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have unveiled a tool to combat climate change, fossil-fuel dependency, skyrocketing home-heating bills, and gentrification all at once—a simple fabric treated with a special photothermal dye that, when placed on outside walls, can help keep a home 8.64ºF warmer over the course of a day. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-photothermal-fabric-panels-energy.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:40:05 EDT news694249949 The electronics inside your phone, your car, and every satellite currently orbiting Earth share one critical weakness: heat. Push them past about 200 degrees Celsius and they start to fail. For decades, that thermal ceiling has been one of the hardest walls in engineering. Now a team at the University of Southern California may have just found a way around it. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-memory-chip-survives-temperatures-hotter.html Hardware Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:20:06 EDT news694195201 A team led by Rutgers University researchers has developed a security system that could change how people log in to virtual and augmented reality platforms by eliminating passwords, personal identification numbers and eye scans and replacing them with something far more seamless. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-vibrations-skull-password.html Hi Tech & Innovation Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:39:38 EDT news694157757 Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new way to package photonic integrated circuits—tiny chips that convey information using light instead of electricity—so they can survive and operate in extreme environments, from scorchingly hot industrial settings to ultracold vacuum chambers and the depths of outer space. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-photonic-chip-packaging-extreme-environments.html Electronics & Semiconductors Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:20:01 EDT news694109881 Nano- and microplastics are increasingly being detected in the human body. However, their detection remains challenging, often relying on invasive techniques and specialized equipment. Researchers at the Institute of Computer Science at the University of Tartu are developing a device that can measure plastic in the human body. Their research is published in the journal Proceedings of the 27th International Workshop on Mobile Computing Systems and Applications. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-smartwatch-device-plastic-particles-human.html Computer Sciences Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:40:04 EDT news694106881 In biology, defects are generally bad. But in materials science, defects can be intentionally tuned to give materials useful new properties. Today, atomic-scale defects are carefully introduced during the manufacturing process of products like steel, semiconductors, and solar cells to help improve strength, control electrical conductivity, optimize performance, and more. But even as defects have become a powerful tool, accurately measuring different types of defects and their concentrations in finished products has been challenging, especially without cutting open or damaging the final material. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ai-based-atomic-defects-materials.html Engineering Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:20:03 EDT news694104719 Consider the chief difference between living systems and electronics: The first is generally soft and squishy while the latter is hard and rigid. Now, in work that could impact human-machine interfaces, biocompatible devices, soft robotics and more, MIT engineers and colleagues have developed a soft, flexible gel that dramatically changes its conductivity upon the application of light. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-gel-boosts-ion.html Electronics & Semiconductors Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:40:03 EDT news694101518 Machining, involving the precise cutting and shaping of materials, is a key manufacturing process. As industries increasingly adopt the use of high-performance materials with high strength and hardness, traditional machining methods often fall short in delivering the required precision. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-multi-energy-field-diamond-technology.html Engineering Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:50:03 EDT news694100821 Augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets let us see the world around us with virtual elements superimposed on top. For example, many modern AR/MR headsets use hand-tracking cameras to detect hand gestures in the air, which allows users to type on a virtual keyboard that appears to be floating in front of the user. As exciting as this sounds initially, the approach often needs handheld controllers, and keeping your hands in the air for a long time can cause arm fatigue. These air gestures also lack physical feedback, which can make interaction less comfortable. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-technique-everyday-surfaces-walls-desks.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:00:04 EDT news694095059 A soft material developed by researchers at QUT can convert body heat into electricity, opening the door to self-powered wearable devices and more sustainable energy technologies. Published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, the research found that the flexible hydrogel captured wasted heat and turned it into usable electrical power with record efficiency. The paper is titled "Ionic Coordination and Hierarchical Architecture Enable Record n-Type Thermoelectric Efficiency in Soft Hydrogels." https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-flexible-gel-body-power-generation.html Electronics & Semiconductors Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:00:09 EDT news694089421 Concrete may be one of the world's most familiar materials, yet much is still unknown about its inner microbial world. Researchers from Hiroshima University and Kyoto University found that once concrete hardens, microbes introduced through raw materials are sealed inside, forming interior communities largely isolated from those on the surface—and whose DNA signatures can survive the 70°C heat of drilling for routine core sampling. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-concrete-distinct-microbial-zones-health.html Engineering Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:00:04 EDT news694077901 Perovskite solar cells are among the most promising technologies for making solar power cheaper and more efficient. Working with partners from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchroton), and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, the team uncovered the microscopic mechanisms behind the deterioration of the material through temperature swings and developed a strategy to prevent it. Their approach focuses on stabilizing the fragile crystal structure with specially designed molecular "anchors." https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-molecular-anchors-key-weather-resistant.html Energy & Green Tech Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:00:01 EDT news693826593 Perovskites are semiconducting materials that have rapidly transformed the field of optoelectronics, demonstrating outstanding performance in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and photodiodes. For their unique properties, they have also gained attention in photovoltaics. After almost two decades of intensive research, this "wonder" class of materials could provide a cost-effective route to significantly enhance energy generation in both large-scale solar farms and rooftop panels. However, maintaining high efficiency upon scaling up device fabrication still remains difficult for the processes that occur on the molecular level, limiting long-term stability of perovskite materials. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-molecular-umbrella-solar-cells-blocking.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:20:04 EDT news693836041