Blog

Integrated Solar Reactor Mimics Photosynthesis Using Engineered Bacteria and Organic Photovoltaics

In the future, this technology may be used to make environmentally clean chemicals, plastics, or even microbial protein.

Harvard's BRIDGE Brings Video Analytics to Parasports

A Harvard-led research team developed BRIDGE, a simulation technology. The system is designed to give para-athletes and coaches access to video analysis resources that are commonplace in non-disabled sports but are rare in parasports.

Why 3D ICs Are Essential for Next-Gen AI

As 3D-IC systems grow more complex and heterogeneous to meet the demands of the AI era, the combination of human expertise and AI-augmented design methodologies will be essential.

A Proof‑of‑Concept Quantum Battery

In a new study, scientists have created a proof‑of‑concept quantum battery that can charge, store and discharge energy – the closest step yet toward a working quantum battery. Read on to learn more.

Hardening AI for the Cosmos: New Flash Memory Defies Cosmic Radiation

Researchers have shown that NAND flash memory made with ferroelectric materials can withstand radiation levels up to 30 times higher than more conventional NAND flash memory.

NASA Fires Up Powerful Lithium-Fed Thruster for Trips to Mars

A prototype of an electric thruster was tested in a special chamber at NASA’s JPL. With further development, thrusters like this could be part of a nuclear electric propulsion system powering human missions to Mars.

Brain-Inspired Memristors Could Slash AI Energy Use by 70 Percent

Researchers developed a form of hafnium oxide that acts as a highly stable, low‑energy ‘memristor’ — a component designed to mimic the efficient way neurons are connected in the brain.

Cooling the Cloud: A New Way to Manage GPU Power

In an effort to meet the rising energy demands of data centers, engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new chip design that could improve how graphics processing units (GPUs) convert and manage power.

Catching Tiny Flaws, Preventing Big Failures: AI-Assisted Ceramic Inspection

At Sandia National Laboratories, a new inspection workflow is taking shape that could help catch tiny defects earlier in the manufacturing process for ceramic components. Read on to learn more.

Agentic AI Moves from Hype to Reality in Automation Engineering

A purpose-built AI has been designed by Siemens to execute engineering tasks autonomously by applying multi‑step reasoning and self‑correction.

Reciprocal Energy: A New Model for Grid-Friendly Data Centers

ARIES, the Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems platform, can simulate the electrical brains behind a single device or an entire country. Read on to learn more.

Lean, Mean, Machine: The Case for Robotic Muscles over Motors

The new heavyweight champions of robotics will be lighter, smaller, and disconnected from a power source. Read on to learn how researchers at Arizona State University are developing bioinspired robotic “muscles” to make this reality.

UAVs and the Future of Urban Logistics: Rethinking Congestion in the Supply Chain

To keep pace with rising delivery demand and sustainability goals, municipalities are beginning to reimagine the supply chain. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, aka drones, are emerging as one potential solution. Read on to learn more.

Ultrasound Wristband Precisely Tracks Hand Movements in Real Time

MIT engineers have designed an ultrasound wristband that precisely tracks a wearer’s hand movements in real time. Read on to learn more.

Thinking Outside the Box (Score): Carnegie Mellon’s Quest to Define the Future of Sports Analytics

A team at Carnegie Mellon University is innovating statistical analysis and data science to revolutionize the world of sports. Read on to learn more about it.

915 Hours in Space: An Interview with Retired NASA Astronaut Linda Godwin

Whose brain better to pick about NASA, the Artemis II mission, and space travel in general than the professor of astronomy emerita who has spent more than 915 hours in space? Read on for an exclusive Tech Briefs interview — edited for length and clarity — with Linda Godwin.

Bringing Scent to Simulation: A Wearable Olfactory VR System

VR tech is rapidly advancing, allowing users to see and hear highly realistic virtual environments. But most VR systems only rely on visual and auditory experiences, leaving out one of the most powerful human senses — the sense of smell. Until now!

Lincoln Laboratory Laser Communications Terminal Launches on Historic Artemis II Moon Mission

As it orbits the Moon, the Orion spacecraft will carry an optical (laser) communications system developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in collaboration with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Called the Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System (O2O), the system is capable of higher-bandwidth data transmissions from space compared to traditional radio-frequency (RF) systems. Read on to learn more.

New Sensing Tech Responsive, Versatile — Even in Liquids

Researchers at Penn State have designed a new type of field-effect transistor that can facilitate responsive and versatile sensing, even in liquid-rich environments like the human body. Read on to learn more.

AI's Energy Usage Might Not Be So Damaging

Believe it or not, new research finds that the use of artificial intelligence has a minimal effect on global greenhouse gas emissions and may actually benefit the environment and the economy.

The Kitchen Tech Hack Aiming to Revolutionize 3D Printing

Professor Fangyong Niu's team at the Dalian University of Technology may have fixed a pivotal 3D-printing problem by doing something unconventional: They added a microwave. Read on for an interview with Professor Niu.

The Holy Grail of Networking: Bringing Fiber-Optic Speed Directly to the Chip

Caltech scientists have developed a way to guide light on silicon wafers with low signal loss approaching that of optical fiber at visible wavelengths. Read on to learn more about it.

Beyond Lithium: The Rise of Calcium-Ion Energy Storage

The innovative approach led to the creation of a full calcium-ion cell that exhibited a reversible specific capacity of 155.9 mAh g–1 at 0.15 A g–1 and maintained over 74.6 percent capacity retention at 1 A g–1 after 1,000 cycles, showcasing the potential of redox COFs to advance CIB technology.

Trailblazing Innovators: Meet Rising Star Award Winner Sadiyah Sabah Chowdhury

The second annual SAE Media Group’s Women in Engineering: Rising Star Awards program proudly honors women engineers who are driving innovation and making significant contributions to the engineering profession across six key categories: Aerospace/Defense, Automotive, Electronics, Manufacturing, Medical, and Robotics & Automation/AI. Meet Rising Star Award Winner Sadiyah Sabah Chowdhury.

A Shield for the Next Generation: Lithium Batteries Get a Major Upgrade

Researchers found a silver coating that toughens the surface of an electrolyte fivefold against fracturing from mechanical pressure. It also makes existing imperfections much less vulnerable to lithium burrowing inside, especially during fast recharging.

Soft Robots with Human-Like Intelligence

Researchers have developed a new AI control system that allows soft robots to adapt across diverse tasks and disturbances.

Going for Gold in Winter Olympic Curling

How a purpose-built curling training brush unlocked meaningful performance data and improved Olympic curlers’ performance.

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!