Environment

High-Temperature-Resistant Material Perfect for Applications Like Energy-Efficient Aircraft Engines

A new material might contribute to a reduction of the fossil fuels consumed by aircraft engines and gas turbines in the future.

EV Industry Grapples with Unprecedented Battery Regulation Compliance Challenges

The EU Battery Regulation demands unprecedented granularity in supply chain tracking. Read on to learn more about what this means.

Shoreline Model Predicts Storm Protection, Sea-Level Rise

Researchers have created a simulation model to analyze how coastal management activities meant to protect barrier islands from sea-level rise can disrupt the natural processes that are keeping barrier islands above water. Read on to learn more about it.

Integrating Photovoltaics with Crop Production

As countries race to expand renewable energy infrastructure, balancing clean electricity production with land use for food remains a pressing challenge — especially in Japan, where mountainous terrain limits space. A recent study led by researchers from the University of Tokyo explores a promising solution: integrating solar panels with traditional rice farming in a practice known as agrivoltaics. Read on to learn more.

Building a Good Indoor Climate with Sustainable Building Components

A team of researchers from ETH Zurich investigated a new approach to passive dehumidification of indoor spaces. Read on to learn more about it.

New Self-Assembling Material Could Be the Key to Recyclable EV Batteries

Today’s electric vehicle boom is tomorrow’s mountain of electronic waste. And while myriad efforts are underway to improve battery recycling, many EV batteries still end up in landfills. A research team from MIT wants to help change that with a new kind of self-assembling battery material that quickly breaks apart when submerged in a simple organic liquid. Read on to learn more.

This Paint Can Cool Buildings Without Energy Input

Researchers at the University of Sydney and start-up Dewpoint Innovations have developed a nanoengineered polymer paint-like coating that can passively cool buildings and capture water directly from the air — all without energy input.

This Self-Powered Device Can Detect Toxic Amines in Water

Researchers have built a self-powered device that detects toxic amines in water using electrochemiluminescence (ECL).

Material Science Innovations for Medical Devices

New materials are enabling the production of medical devices that are stronger, more flexible, and more sustainable.

Using Streetlamps as EV Chargers

Electric vehicles (EVs) can have lower fuel costs and reduce emissions relative to cars that use gasoline, but they are only a practical option if drivers have convenient ways to charge them. For people who...

REACT®: Automated Capsule Recycling Technology for a Circular Coffee Industry

The REACT® Coffee Maker is an innovative integrated appliance that automates both the brewing and clean recycling of single-use coffee capsules. Unlike conventional capsule coffee machines, which leave used capsules contaminated with organic coffee grounds, the REACT® Coffee Maker incorporates a patented mechanical separation module that automatically empties each capsule immediately after brewing. Read on to learn more about the 2025 Create the Future Design Contest Manufacturing & Materials finalist.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including an artificial neuron made of conductive plastics that can perform advanced functions similar to those of biological nerve cells; a new method that significantly boosts the performance and stability of solar cells; and more.

Making Diesel Engines Nearly Emission-Free

The team spent seven years developing NOxZero™ — a highly efficient, low-cost, and easy-to-install technology that reduces diesel NOx emissions to near-zero levels. In the standard Diesel system, urea — also known as Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) or AdBlue — is injected into the diesel exhaust stream. Read on to learn more about the 2025 Create the Future Contest's Automotive & Transportation finalist.

Using Street Lamps as EV Chargers

EVs can have lower fuel costs and reduce emissions relative to cars that use gasoline, but they are only a practical option if drivers have convenient ways to charge them. To address this issue, a team of researchers at Penn State created a scalable framework to develop, analyze, and evaluate using streetlights as a low-cost, equitable EV charging option.

Passive Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS)

Reliable seed germination and plant production requires an environment that is neither too dry nor too wet. PONDS was developed to improve water and nutrient delivery for plants grown on the International Space Station (ISS). Read on to learn more about it.

Eco-Friendly Upcycling: Turning Spent Batteries into High-Voltage Energy Storage Systems

A research team led by Dr. Yosep Han at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources has successfully developed an eco-friendly electrochemical process to upcycle lithium manganese oxide, a common cathode material in spent lithium-ion batteries. Read on to learn more.

Drones Can Detect Fires and Monitor Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Forest fire prevention and control agencies in São Carlos, in the interior of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, will soon have help from the sky to detect fires more quickly and combat them before they grow out of control, as researchers at the University of São Paulo are developing drones equipped with gas sensors and artificial intelligence systems to detect forest fires.

How a Startup Is Reducing Carbon from Building Operations with Drones

Buildings are big energy consumers, emitting wasteful carbon, contributing to a warming planet, and accounting for more than 40 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Fortunately, a new startup is paving the way for dramatic reductions in carbon from building operations. Lamarr. AI has perfected the process of using drones, thermal imaging, and artificial intelligence (AI) to diagnose the health of building exteriors and roofs. Read on to learn more.

A Cleaner, Scalable Process to Recycle Lithium-Ion Batteries

In a major step forward for sustainable energy technology, researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, led by Professor Yan Wang, William B. Smith Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, have developed a new, scalable method to recycle lithium-ion batteries in a way that is both efficient and environmentally friendly. Read on to learn more.

Rising Star Awards 2025 Judges

Meet our esteemed panel of judges comprising of leaders from engineering and technology fields, who bring decades of experience and expertise to the evaluation process, ensuring fairness and rigor. These judges were hand-selected by SAE Media Group’s editorial team for their breadth of knowledge and experience in the industry.

How Much Do You Know About Wind Turbines?

Wind turbines are imperative in our search for renewable energy as we aim to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. How much do you know about wind turbines? Find out with this quiz.

3D Printing Lightweight Concrete Structures that Absorb Carbon Dioxide

Shu Yang and her materials research team at the University of Pennsylvania, along with the architect Masoud Akbarzadeh, Director of the Polyhedral Structures Laboratory, have developed a 3D-printed concrete based on diatomaceous earth that has enhanced carbon capture, is strong, and uses less CO2-producing cement.

A Technological Breakthrough for Ultra-Fast and Greener AI

AI systems like ChatGPT are notorious for being power-hungry. To tackle this challenge, a team from the Centre for Optics, Photonics and Lasers has come up with an optical chip that can transfer massive amounts of data at ultra-high speed. As thin as a strand of hair, this technology offers unrivaled energy efficiency. Read on to learn more.

Innovative Membrane Technology Promises Access to Clean Water

Water scarcity has been referred to as the silent existential crisis of our time. Our planet has very little fresh water — and is running out of it quickly. Yet no one seems to be talking about it — until Active Membranes.