Tech Xplore news

Tech Xplore / Big Tech wants to plug data centers right into power plants. Utilities say it's not fair

Looking for a quick fix for their fast-growing electricity diets, tech giants are increasingly looking to strike deals with power plant owners to plug in directly, avoiding a potentially longer and more expensive process ...

10 hours ago in Hardware
Tech Xplore / Eco-friendly aluminum battery lasts 10,000 cycles with minimal loss

Large batteries for long-term storage of solar and wind power are key to integrating abundant and renewable energy sources into the U.S. power grid. However, there is a lack of safe and reliable battery technologies to support ...

Jan 24, 2025 in Engineering
Tech Xplore / Neural networks model improves machine vision and object detection under low-light conditions

When designing a robot, such as Boston Dynamics' anthropomorphic robot Atlas, which appears exercising and sorting boxes, fiducial markers are the guides that help them move, detect objects and determine their exact location. ...

Jan 24, 2025 in Robotics
Tech Xplore / Self-adaptive LLM dynamically adjusts its weights to learn new tasks

A trio of AI researchers at Sakana AI, a Japanese startup, has announced the development of a self-adaptive AI LLM called Transformer2. Qi Sun, Edoardo Cetin, and Yujin Tang, have posted their paper on the arXiv preprint ...

Jan 24, 2025 in Machine learning & AI
Tech Xplore / Butterfly-inspired method for robot wing movement works without electronics or batteries

Researchers at the Technical University of Darmstadt and the Helmholtz Center Dresden-Rossendorf have developed flexible robot wings that are moved by magnetic fields. Inspired by the efficiency and adaptability of the wings ...

Jan 24, 2025 in Robotics
Tech Xplore / Scaling up neuromorphic computing for more efficient and effective AI everywhere and anytime

Neuromorphic computing—a field that applies principles of neuroscience to computing systems to mimic the brain's function and structure—needs to scale up if it is to effectively compete with current computing methods.

Jan 24, 2025 in Hardware
Tech Xplore / How good old mud can lower building costs

Buildings cost a lot these days. But when concrete buildings are being constructed, there's another material that can make them less expensive: mud.

Jan 24, 2025 in Engineering
Tech Xplore / New research shows many UK homes can adopt heat pumps with minimal upgrades

A group of energy specialists from University College London, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Loughborough University and the University of Birmingham has found that more homes in the U.K. could switch from ...

Jan 24, 2025 in Engineering
Tech Xplore / Electric vehicles now match traditional cars for longevity, study finds

Battery-powered electric vehicles are now more reliable and can match the lifespans of traditional cars and vans with petrol and diesel engines—marking a pivotal moment in the drive towards sustainable transportation, a ...

Jan 24, 2025 in Energy & Green Tech
Tech Xplore / OpenAI unveils 'Operator' agent that handles web tasks

OpenAI on Thursday introduced an artificial intelligence program called "Operator" that can tend to online tasks such as ordering items or filling out forms.

Jan 24, 2025 in Machine learning & AI
Tech Xplore / Bioinspired 3D printing: Architected design creates efficient structures

When 3D printing was first introduced in 1985, it marked a major turning point for the manufacturing industry. In addition to being cheaper than traditional manufacturing technologies, it also promised the ability to customize ...

Jan 24, 2025 in Engineering
Tech Xplore / A new method to fabricate soft electronics via particle engulfment printing

The electronics industry has been rapidly advancing over the past few decades, leading to the development of countless devices of different sizes and shapes, which are designed for a variety of applications.