Blog

Answering Reader Questions: NASA Prepares for Return to the Moon

A NASA expert answers your questions about the upcoming Artemis mission that will send astronauts back to the Moon.

To Handle the Heat, Researchers Add Boron Arsenide to High-Power Computer Chips

UCLA engineers have demonstrated successful integration of a novel semiconductor material into high-power computer chips.

NASA Going Back to the Moon: What is the Gateway Orbit?

A NASA expert explains why the Artemis mission will rely on a fascinating orbit known as the "Gateway."

NASA Going Back to the Moon: How Does the Artemis Mission Differ from Apollo?

A NASA expert explains the big difference between the lunar south pole and the Moon's equator.

NASA Going Back to the Moon: What Are the Specific Objectives, Beyond Preparing for Mars?

A reader asks about NASA's Artemis mission: "Are there other objectives for specifically lunar operations besides preparing and training for Mars mission?"

NASA Going Back to the Moon: What are the Biggest Technology Challenges for Artemis?

Before human explorers can head to the Moon and beyond, they need to tackle these three important tasks.

NASA Going Back to the Moon: How Will Crew Health Be Maintained for Artemis?

As NASA prepares to send astronauts back to the Moon, human explorers will have to handle microgravity conditions and other elements that take a toll on the body.

How to Bake a Cake (with Lasers)

With the help of additive-manufacturing techniques and software-controlled lasers, Blutinger and his colleagues are digitizing the cooking process.

Feature-Based Modeling vs. Bill of Materials (BOM)

A reader asks an industry expert from IBM: How is feature-based modeling better than a bill of materials?

Answering Your Automotive Questions: Why a 'Floating' Board-to-Board Connection?

An industry expert explains why automotive manufacturers are turning to a "floating" board-to-board connection.

Intelligent Robots Pick, Prune in the Peach Orchard

An intelligent robot being uses A.I. and sophisticated navigation to find good peaches and remove them from trees.

Go for Launch: Scientists Explore Radiation Risks to Mars-Bound Astronauts

With good shielding and good timing, Mars-bound astronauts are safe from radiation, according to a recent study.

A 3D-Printed 'Fish Fin' Offers New Ideas for Morphing Aircraft

Professor Francois Barthelat wants to incorporate the fish fin's strong, flexible characteristics into robotic and aerospace designs.

A New Way to Launch Rockets: Microwave Power

A team at the University of Tsukuba used a beam of microwave radiation to a launch a drone into the air. Can this type of propulsion take off?

A 'Charging Room' Powers Devices Through the Air

Prof. Alanson Sample and his team want to turn entire buildings into wireless charging zones. Learn how their system delivers electricity over the air.

Robotic Floats Measure Primary Factor in Climate Picture: Oxygen in the Ocean

Robotic floats — 4,000, in fact — are in the ocean, monitoring oxygen levels.

On Tough Terrain, An Algorithm Finds Robots the Best Path

A new algorithm finds robots the best path across uneven terrain — and the best placement for a robot’s arms and feet.

How to Turn 'Stubborn' Metals into Thin Films

Researchers from the University of Minnesota discovered a way to convert "stubborn" metals like platinum and tungsten into thin films.

Touch-Sensing Glove Feels the Pressure

A new pressure-sensor from MIT detects small and fast changes in pressure at the fingertip, such as from lightly rubbing fingers together.

An Electronics Recycling Approach Gets the Most Out of Nanowires

Researchers at North Carolina State University demonstrated a low-cost technique for retrieving — and then reusing — nanowires from electronic devices.

How Imaginative Can A.I. Get? A USC Team Has Ideas

A team of researchers at USC is helping artificial intelligence imagine the unseen.

A Soft Robot Replaces Electronics With 'Air Power'

While soft robots hold promise in applications ranging from search-and-rescue efforts to wearable exoskeletons, the technologies are often held back by the electronics, says William Grover, a...

How the Scalable 'Coventor' Stacks Up to a Traditional Ventilator

Learn how a low-cost machine known as the 'Coventor' stacks up to a traditional ventilator.

Self-Driving Model Navigates a Tough Traffic Problem: Narrow Streets

A self-driving algorithm guides an autonomous vehicle through a traffic scenario that many of us know well: navigating traffic on a crowded, narrow street.

How to Contain Thermal Runaway

A reader asks our expert how to contain a "thermal runaway" explosion in a lithium-ion battery.

How to Bring Digital Twins to 'Any System'

"We could imagine a digital twin of just about any system," says Karen Willcox, director of the Oden Institute.

A Robot That Moves Like a Bug (and a Cheetah)

UC Berkeley engineers have created a lightweight and durable robot that achieves exquisite control and agility by modulating the electrostatic forces between its feet and surfaces.

'm-Widar' Uses Radio Waves to Image Hidden Objects

With the help of 12 antennas, Fabio da Silva's m-Widar can spot — and image — objects hidden behind a wall.

Ultrasound Improves Efforts to Recycle the Battery

Could a tool from the dentist's office lead to better recycling of lithium-ion batteries?