Blog

Rapidly Printing with Liquid Metal

MIT researchers say their technique, liquid metal printing (LMP), is at least 10 times faster than a comparable metal additive manufacturing process. It involves depositing molten aluminum along a predefined path into a bed of tiny glass beads.

My Opinion: We Need Humans in the Loop

With all the chatter these days about AI, it’s important to really understand what it is and how to use it. A project at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is exploring how operators and an AI automated control system interact.

Behold: The First Battery Prototype Using Hemoglobin

Researchers have developed a battery that uses hemoglobin as an electrochemical reaction facilitator, functioning for around 20-30 days.

Brain-Inspired AI Code Library Notches Milestone

The open source code library — snnTorch — has surpassed 100,000 downloads and is used in a wide variety of projects, from NASA satellite tracking efforts to semiconductor companies optimizing chips for AI.

New Material Could Lead to Better Hydrogen-Based Batteries, Fuel Cells

Researchers led by Genki Kobayashi at the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research in Japan have developed a solid electrolyte for transporting hydride ions at room temperature.

A Novel Strategy to Stabilize Zinc-Ion Batteries

Researchers constructed an electrocrystallization strategy to induce zinc texture growth. The adsorption of DMA induces Zn (002) texture growth and inhibits harmful side reactions.

Climate-Friendly Sodium-Ion Batteries to Rival Li-ion Batteries

The transition to a society without fossil fuels means that the need for batteries is increasing at a rapid pace. One option is a sodium-ion battery, where table salt and biomass from the forest industry make up the main raw materials.

My Opinion: Why Microgrids?

Microgrids are an excellent way of addressing multiple challenges facing our national electricity supply. They support resiliency and flexibility and offer a sensible way to integrate renewables.

An Ultra-Thin Tattoo that Produces a Tactile Sensation

The new system is an electronic tattoo a few micrometers thick, which is designed to arouse a tactile sensation, enabling a person to perceive a touch.

3D Printing Hair Follicles in Lab-Grown Skin

This marks the first time researchers have used the technology to generate hair follicles, which play an important role in skin healing and function.

TELEPORT: A New, Better Way to Extract Lithium

A research team from the University of Virginia has found a way to extract lithium from geothermal brines. The team’s method is called Targeted Extraction of Lithium with Electroactive Particles for Recovery Technology (TELEPORT).

A Green Li-ion Battery-Recycling Method

Researchers have improved on approaches that dissolve the Li-ion batteries in a liquid solution to reduce the amount of hazardous chemicals used in the recycling process.

Reaching for the Moon: Astrobotic Peregrine Mission One

Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic is at the precipice of groundbreaking historic opportunity with the launch of its Peregrine Mission One (PM1), which, if successful, will make it the first U.S. commercial spacecraft to land on the Moon.

4 Predictions for 2024: AI Set to Supercharge Robotic Automation

Software is a key component of automation, and with AI, software developers will be able to create more customized and optimized solutions for various tasks and challenges.

5 Most-Popular Quizzes of 2023

Find out which five of our quizzes were the most popular in 2023.

5 Most-Watched Videos of 2023

Which videos were the most popular this year? Find out, as we’ve curated the top 5 Tech Briefs videos from 2023. Relive their greatness here.

Top 10 Engineering Stories of 2023 on Tech Briefs

If you missed the most-popular engineering stories of 2023 on Tech Briefs, see the list below.

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.

Laser Setup Probes Metamaterial Structures with Ultrafast Pulses

A new laser-based technique could speed up the discovery of promising metamaterials for real-world applications.

3D Printing a Robotic Hand with Bones, Ligaments, and Tendons

For the first time, researchers have succeeded in printing a robotic hand with bones, ligaments, and tendons made of different polymers using a new laser scanning technique.

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.

My Opinion: Innovation Happens When Scientists and Engineers Work Together

LIGO scientists and engineers working together to observe gravitational waves have achieved the remarkable feat of surpassing the quantum limit.

Use SLEAP to Track Sheep — or any Other Animal

The desire to understand how the brain generates and patterns behavior has driven rapid methodological innovation in tools to quantify natural animal behavior.

Top Prizes Awarded in 2023 Create the Future Design Contest

NeuroPair’s Fibermag treatment — which aims to help patients of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) recover — took home the distinguished honor on Friday, November 10 in the heart of New York City.

Robotic Ankles Stabilize Amputees

Robotic prosthetic ankles that are controlled by nerve impulses allow amputees to move more “naturally,” improving their stability.

Big Data, AI Help Advance Ornithology

Big data and artificial intelligence are being used to model hidden patterns in nature, not just for one bird species, but for entire ecological communities across continents.

Choosing Exoskeleton Settings like a Music-Streaming App

Taking inspiration from music-streaming services, engineers have designed the simplest way for users to program their own exoskeleton assistance settings.

VR Therapy Aims to Help Those with Hoarding Disorder

Virtual reality therapy could allow those with hoarding disorder to rehearse relinquishing possessions in a simulation of their own home, which could help them declutter in real life.

Plant-Based Soft Robots Take on the Medical Industry

Researchers have created smart, advanced materials that will be the building blocks for a future generation of soft medical microrobots.