Meet IRIS: A Smart Ring to Control Smart Devices

University of Washington researchers have developed IRIS, a smart ring that allows users to control smart devices by aiming the ring’s small camera at the device and clicking a built-in button. The prototype Bluetooth ring sends an image of the selected device to the user’s phone, which controls the device. Read on to learn more.

Space Traffic Management (STM) Architecture

Space is becoming increasingly congested due to rising numbers of on-orbit satellites and debris objects. Uncontrolled growth will severely affect future space operations. NASA Ames has developed a novel patent-pending technology known as Space Traffic Management (STM) which provides a robust framework for on-orbit coordination of activities to enhance the safety, stability, and sustainability of operations in the space environment. Read on to learn more.

Integrating Large Language Models into Autonomous Vehicles

Imagine simply telling your vehicle, “I’m in a hurry,” and it automatically takes you on the most efficient route to where you need to be. Purdue University engineers have found that an autonomous vehicle (AV) can do this with the help of ChatGPT or other chatbots made possible by artificial intelligence algorithms called large language models. Read on to learn more.

All-Solid-State Lithium Battery Breakthrough

Researchers at McGill University have made a major breakthrough in advancing all-solid-state lithium batteries, a promising next-generation technology for electric vehicle (EV) batteries. By addressing a long-standing issue with battery performance, this innovation could pave the way for safer, longer-lasting EVs. Read on to learn more.

Advancing Computational Combustion Tools for Next-Gen Detonation Engine

In a new collaboration, the Argonne National Laboratory and National Energy Technology Laboratory are leveraging their expertise in RDEs to develop advanced computational fluid dynamics tools that can give scientists a deeper understanding of the combustion process to unlock more of the engine's potential. Read on to learn more.

New Evaporative Cooling Technology Aims to Thwart Rising Energy Demands

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new cooling technology that could significantly improve the energy efficiency of data centers and high-powered electronics. The technology features a specially engineered fiber membrane that passively removes heat through evaporation. It offers a promising alternative to traditional cooling systems like fans, heat sinks and liquid pumps. Read on to learn more.

New MEMS Modulator Offers Significant Advancements in Optical Efficiency

A new Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) grating modulator has been developed, offering significant advancements in optical efficiency and scalability for communication systems. By integrating a tunable sinusoidal grating with broadside-constrained continuous ribbons, a large-scale aperture of 30 × 30 mm is achieved and supports high-speed modulation up to 250 kHz. Read on to learn more.

FPGA-Accelerated AI for Demultiplexing Multimode Fiber Toward Next-Generation Communications

The technique promises immediate impact not only on high-capacity optical communications but also on real-time endoscopic imaging, vibration-tolerant fiber sensors, and any application that demands fast, energyefficient phase retrieval. Read on to learn more.

Overcoming Multipath Propagation

A research team has designed a passive metasurface-based filtering system that breaks free from LTI constraints through an innovative time-varying interlocking mechanism. The design incorporates metasurface panels with internally coupled circuit elements, including metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Read on to learn more.

Making Oxygen Production in Space More Sustainable

A team of scientists and researchers has found a way to make oxygen production lighter, easier, and more sustainable — using magnetism. Read on to learn more.

New Fuel Cell Could Enable Electric Aviation

Batteries are nearing their limits in terms of how much power they can store for a given weight. That’s a serious obstacle for energy innovation and the search for new ways to power airplanes, trains, and ships. Now, researchers at MIT and elsewhere have come up with a solution that could help electrify these transportation systems. Read on to learn more.

Robotic Space Rovers Keep Getting Stuck — Engineers Have Figured Out Why

Using computer simulations, University of Wisconsin-Madison mechanical engineers have uncovered a flaw in how rovers are tested on Earth. That error leads to overly optimistic conclusions about how rovers will behave once they’re deployed on extraterrestrial missions. Read on to learn more.

The Intertwining of AI and Simulation in Automotive Design

By leveraging rich simulation data to train AI models, which can then be used to quickly explore a design space and guide further simulations, the existing product design process can be enhanced to become faster and more flexible. Read on to learn more.

Artemis II: The Final Countdown

Originally scheduled for September 2025, Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed mission in the Artemis program is now targeted no later than April 2026 for launch. Taking the crew around the Moon is going to be the agency’s first step toward sustained lunar presence. Read on to learn more about it.

Staining Technique Could Advance Li-ion Batteries

The discovery could lead to increased manufacturing efficiency of battery electrodes and ultimately help improve the charging rate and lifetime of Li-ion batteries.

Meet ULIS: A Power Module with Unprecedented Efficiency, Power Density, and Manufacturability Cost

Global energy demands are surging, pushed by energy-intensive data centers powering artificial intelligence and increased manufacturing. How will the world meet these rising energy needs? Read on to find out about one way!

Teaching a Robot to Hang a T-shirt Starts with Data

Building on her experience volunteering at retirement homes, Carnegie Mellon researcher Jasmine Li decided to focus her research on assistive robotics that help people with everyday tasks....

What Robots Can Learn from Sea Stars

Sea stars are creatures whose movements involve the coordination of hundreds of tiny tube feet to navigate complex environments — despite the lack of a central brain. In other words, it’s as though...

Resource-Sharing Boosts Robotic Resilience

If the goal of a robot is to perform a function, then minimizing the possibility of failure is a top priority when it comes to robotic design. But although systems with multiple units, or agents,...

Wearable Lets Users Control Machines and Robots While on the Move

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a next-generation wearable system that enables people to control machines using everyday gestures — even...

Sesame Solar's Nanogrid Tech Promises Major Gains in Drone Endurance

On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology Podcast, Sesame Solar Co-founder and CEO Lauren Flanagan explains how the company’s new mobile hydrogen‑powered nanogrids are redefining what’s possible for long‑range drone operations. Listen now!

How Much Do You Know About Agentic AI?

Agentic AI is the next level of artificial intelligence transforming enterprise workflows with intelligent agents that can make decisions without constant human oversight. Test your knowledge about agentic AI in this quiz.