Stories

“Agricomb” Measures Multiple Gas Emissions From ... Cows

After the optical frequency comb made its debut as a ruler for light, spinoffs followed, including the “astrocomb” to measure starlight and a radar-like comb system to...

This Advance May Enable 2D Transistors for Tinier Microchip Components

Atomically thin materials are a promising alternative to silicon-based transistors; now researchers can connect them more efficiently to other chip elements.

Ultra-Thin Terahertz Source Paves the the Way to Next Generation of Communication Tech

Physicists from the University of Sussex have developed an extremely thin, large-area semiconductor surface source of terahertz, composed of just a...

'P-Flash' Uses A.I. to Fight Fires

The Prediction Model for Flashover, or P-Flash, estimates where flashover explosions could occur.

Inexpensive Tin Packs a Big Punch for the Future of Supercapacitors

A sustainable, powerful micro-supercapacitor may be on the horizon. Until now, these high-capacity, fast-charging energy storage devices have been limited by the...

Reduced Heat Leakage Improves Wearable Health Device

North Carolina State University engineers continue to improve the efficiency of a flexible device worn on the wrist that harvests heat energy from the human body to monitor health.

Compound Normally Found in Candles Lights the Way to Grid-Scale Energy Storage

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Richland, WA) have shown that low-cost organic compounds hold promise...

Nanoscale Defects Could Boost Energy Storage Materials

A collaboration led by Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) used X-ray nanoimaging to gain an unprecedented view into solid-state electrolytes, revealing previously undetected crystal...

A Robotic 'Digger Finger' Senses Buried Items

The technology uses tactile sensing to identify objects underground.

'Self-Aware' Sensing Material Powers Itself

A "self-aware," self-powering material can be used in heart stents, bridges, and even space.

How to Make an RFID Chip Even Smaller

NC State researchers have made what they believe to be the smallest state-of-the-art RFID chip: a device measuring 125 micrometers (μm) by 245μm.

With 'Ghost'-Like Physics, Optical Rectennas Generate Power from Wasted Heat

Researchers from CU Boulder gave their optical "rectennas" a ghost-like way to turn wasted heat into power.

NASA Rover Seeks Moon Resources

As part of the Artemis program, NASA is planning to send its first mobile robot to the Moon in late 2023 in search of ice and other resources on and below the lunar surface. Data from the Volatiles...

How to Simulate Powertrain Systems: What is Toughest to Model?

A reader asks: "What are the main challenges in simulating powertrain systems? What do we struggle to model now?"

Researchers Make 3D-Printable Jelly (For Robots, Not Toast)

A better aerogel features a kind of biological scaffold made from a surprising ingredient found in nature: seaweed.

Metal-Free Battery Degrades on Demand

A team from Texas A&M developed a battery that's metal-free and replaces cobalt with organic, recyclable materials.

Navigation System Guides Robot Through Busiest Hospital Areas

Computer scientists at UC San Diego developed a navigation system that will allow robots to better negotiate busy environments in a hospital

Mars Helicopter Begins New Phase

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has a new mission. Having proven that powered, controlled flight is possible on the Red Planet, the Ingenuity experiment will soon embark on a new operations...

Living, Swimming, Self-Training Robots

Using 3D bioprinting, researchers have created biobots at the centimeter size range that can swim and coast like fish with unprecedented velocity. Rather than working with stiff or tethered...

Robot Senses Hidden Objects

MIT researchers developed RF-Grasp, a robot that uses radio waves to sense occluded objects. RF-Grasp uses both a camera and an RF reader to find and grab tagged objects, even when they’re fully blocked from...

How to Design an Antiviral Surface for the COVID-19 Era

By adjusting a surface's wettability and texture, IIT Bombay researchers demonstrate how to best limit the spread of coronavirus.

A 'Living Material' of Microalgae Offers New Ideas, From Energy to Fashion

An international team used 3D printers and a novel bioprinting technique to print algae into living, photosynthetic materials that are tough and resilient.

Army-Funded Research Paves Way for Improved Lasers, Communications

Photonics has the potential to transform all manners of electronic devices by storing and transmitting information in the form of light, rather than electricity. Using...