Giving Robots the Human Touch via Listening

New research from Duke University details a system dubbed SonicSense that allows robots to interact with their surroundings in ways previously limited to humans.

2024 Award Finalists

The Create the Future Design Contest, launched in 2002 by SAE Media Group, recognizes and rewards engineering innovations that benefit humanity, the environment, and the economy. Read on to learn about the finalists in all seven categories chosen from new product ideas submitted from more than 50 countries. The Grand Prize winner and category winners will be chosen at a live competition on November 15.

Teaching Robots to Move by Sketching Trajectories

Getting robots to perform even a simple task requires tons of behind-the-scenes work. Part of the challenge is planning and executing movements, everything from turning wheels to lifting a...

Advanced Binders for Advancing Li-ion Batteries

The work involved fabricating electrodes containing PVPA, PAA, and PVDF as binders, and their performance was assessed through electrochemical experiments and density functional theory.

Researchers Create First Functional Semiconductor Made from Graphene

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created the world’s first functional semiconductor made from graphene, a single sheet of carbon atoms held...

Self-Powered Sensor Automatically Harvests Magnetic Energy

MIT researchers have developed a battery-free, self-powered sensor that can harvest energy from its environment.

10 Tech-Savvy Holiday Gifts for Engineers

Choosing a present for an engineer is almost as daunting as performing the tasks of an engineer. With that in mind, we here at Tech Briefs aim to make your life easier with regards to the former.

Engineering a Safer Football Helmet

In the winter of 2019, the National Football League hosted its Helmet Challenge Symposium in Youngstown, OH, bringing together 300 engineers, manufacturing experts, and innovators from across the country.

Vote for Tech Briefs’ 29th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards

These 12 products are the nominees for the 2020 Tech Briefs Readers’ Choice Product of the Year.

New Tech: See No Data, Steal No Data

Peter Fuhr has invented a new way to hide sensitive electric grid information from cyberattack: a constantly changing color palette.

Who Knows How Much AI Knows? This Tech Does

Researchers have created software that is able to verify how much information an AI system farmed from an organization’s digital database.

Behold: The Oxygen-Ion Battery

The oxygen-ion battery can be extremely durable, does not require rare elements, and thwarts fire hazards.

Fully Recyclable Printed Electronics Use Water, Avoid Toxic Chemicals

By avoiding hazardous chemicals, the work points down a path industry could follow to reduce its environmental footprint.

Meet ARTEMIS — The World’s Fastest Walking Humanoid Robot

A soccer-playing, full-sized humanoid robot — ARTEMIS — with first-of-its-kind technology.

Terminator-Style Shape-Shifting Robot

A Terminator-style shape-shifting robot able to LIQUEFY and reform has been developed by engineers inspired by sea cucumbers.

Producing Efficient, Scalable Aquabots

MIT engineers have come up with an innovative approach to building deformable underwater robots, using simple repeating substructures instead of unique components.

New Products

See the new products for April 2023, including combustion valves, a linear motion system, an autonomous mobile robot, and more.

Mech Suit Gives Humans 50X Strength

The all-terrain walking mech’s aim is to give humans the size and strength of giants. It does just that — times 50.

A Microelectronic Fiber to Analyze Sweat

A microelectronic fiber with microscopic parameters is capable of analyzing electrolytes and metabolites in sweat.

Water-Activated Paper Battery

A team of researchers at EMPA have developed a water-activated disposable paper battery.

Kirigami Robotic Grippers Are Delicate Enough to Lift Egg Yolks

Engineering researchers from North Carolina State University have demonstrated a new type of flexible, robotic grippers that are able to lift delicate egg yolks without...

New Transistor Design Disguises Key Computer Chip Hardware to Protect Against Hackers

A hacker can reproduce a circuit on a chip by discovering what key transistors are doing in a circuit — but not if the transistor “type” is...

Even NASA Needs Effective Parts Sourcing

You can design the best product in the world but what if the parts, assemblies, and sub-components for your idea aren’t there?

Generative Design Enhances Autonomous Vehicle Development

The technological ramp to fully autonomous vehicles presents significant challenges for companies developing autonomous vehicle programs. Advanced sensor technology, high-speed and...