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.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including COMSOL Multiphysics® version 6.4; Novotechnik's Vert-X 26 Series of non-contacting magnetic angle sensors; HMS Networks' N-Tron NT110-FX2, an unmanaged Ethernet switch with two fiber ports; Littelfuse's MMIX1T500N20X4 X4-Class Ultra-Junction Power MOSFET; and more.

Solving AI’s Power Problem at the Chip Level

To address the staggering power and energy demands of AI, engineers have developed a revolutionary new thin-film material that promises to make AI devices significantly faster while dramatically cutting energy consumption. In this interview, Alamgir Karim, who is leading the research, discusses the new approach, its benefits, and how Nobel Prize-winning chemistry enabled this discovery.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: Altech Corporation's C-TEC Series of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).

A New Approach to Manufacturing Machine Connectivity for the Air Force

On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, Corsha CEO Anusha Iyer explains how machine identity, continuous authentication, and secure connectivity are accelerating digital transformation for the U.S. Air Force Sustainment Center. Listen now!

New Products

See the new products, including NVIDIA's IGX Thor, an industrial-grade platform built to bring real-time physical AI directly to the edge; Teknic's precision planetary gearboxes; PI's L-220 series linear actuators; Compact Click dev tool from MIKROE; and more.

Researchers Give New Meaning to the Term “Microwave Brain”

Cornell researchers have developed a low-power microchip they call a “microwave brain,” the first processor to compute on both ultrafast data signals and wireless communication signals by harnessing the physics of microwaves. Read on to learn more about it.

The U.K.’s First Long-Distance, Quantum-Secured Video Call and More

Researchers have successfully demonstrated the U.K.’s first long-distance ultra-secure transfer of data over a quantum communications network, including the U.K.’s first long-distance quantum-secured video call. Read on to learn more.

Powerful and Precise Multi-color Lasers Now Fit on a Single Chip

A few years ago, researchers in Michal Lipson’s Columbia Engineering lab noticed something remarkable. They were working on a project to design high-power chips that could...

Context-Based Configuration Management System

NASA has developed a new technology to track the status of, and changes to, enterprise level programmatic operations. Read on to learn more about it.

New Transmitter Could Make Wireless Devices More Energy-Efficient

Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have designed a novel transmitter chip that significantly improves the energy efficiency of wireless communications, which could boost the...

Wi-Fi Signals Can Measure Heart Rate — No Wearables Needed

Traditionally, measuring heart rate requires some sort of wearable device, whether that be a smart watch or hospital-grade machinery. But new research from engineers at the...

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: Phoenix Contact's NearFi, a contactless real-time transmission technology.

New App Performs Real-Time, Full-Body Motion Capture With a Mobile Device

Northwestern engineers have developed a new system for full-body motion capture — and it doesn’t require specialized rooms, expensive equipment, bulky cameras, or an array of sensors. Instead, it requires a simple mobile device. Read on to learn more.

How AI Can Protect the Electric Grid

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed brain-inspired AI algorithms that detect physical problems, cyberattacks, and both at the same time within the grid.

Product of the Month

See the product of the month: STMicroelectronics' LEOPOL1 point-of-load step-down converter for low-Earth orbit deployments targeting the needs of equipment developers in the space market.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including Creform Corporation's cart, ACROS®, designed to be used on challenging terrains such as snow, soil, sand, mud, grass, rough concrete, and even steps; Instron's AT3 Floor Model testing system, for automated metals testing; Motorized high-resolution actuators from PI Americas; Walter's new countersink option; and more.

Tiny But Mighty: Next-Gen Transistors Hold Great Promise

As electronics become smaller, it is becoming increasingly difficult to continue scaling down silicon-based transistors. Now, a research team led by the Institute of Industrial...

New System Enables Robots to Solve Manipulation Problems in Seconds

Ready for that long-awaited summer vacation? First, you’ll need to pack all items required for your trip into a suitcase, making sure everything fits securely without...

Teaching Robots to Serve Humans

Over the past decade, robots have become an increasingly important part of our daily lives. Autonomous vehicles shuttle us from point A to point B, drones deliver lifesaving medicine to remote towns, sidewalk...

Brain-Like Computer Steers Rolling Robot With 0.25 Percent of the Power Needed by Conventional Controllers

Analog computing is making a comeback with hardware that processes and stores information in the same location, similar to biological...

IoT Threat Protection Is a Shared Ecosystem Responsibility

While the rapid advancement of IIoT applications is exciting, it also come with its challenges, especially from a security perspective. A recent study found that 57 percent of all IoT devices are vulnerable to medium- or high-severity threats and that two in five chief information security officers struggle to gain visibility into — and understand — their IoT deployments. Read on to learn more.

New Research Sheds Light on Using Multiple CubeSats for In-Space Servicing and Repair Missions

As more satellites, telescopes, and other spacecraft are built to be repairable, it will take reliable trajectories for service spacecraft to...