Tech Xplore news

Tech Xplore / Neuro-symbolic AI could slash energy use while dramatically improving performance

Power usage by AI and data center systems in the U.S. is extraordinary by any measure. The International Energy Agency estimates U.S. AI and data centers used about 415 terawatt hours of power in 2024—more than 10% of that ...

Mar 22, 2026
Tech Xplore / Sound waves could be used to remotely reprogram material stiffness, from implants to robotic muscles

A team of researchers co-led by the University of California San Diego, University of Michigan, and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) at Laboratory of Acoustics of Le Mans University has demonstrated ...

Mar 22, 2026
Tech Xplore / Highly performing AI agents can still fail to spot deception, study finds

Large language models (LLMs), artificial intelligence systems that can process and generate texts in different languages, are now used daily by many people worldwide. As these models can rapidly source information and create ...

Mar 21, 2026
Tech Xplore / Simple motor networks mimic human muscle behavior under increasing load

Scientists have developed a network of mechanical motors that mimic the molecular machinery underpinning human muscle contraction. The University of Bristol-led findings, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface ...

Mar 21, 2026
Tech Xplore / Magnets turn random snapping in soft metamaterials into repeatable sequences

Cutting patterns into elastic materials allows you to unfold those materials into new shapes, and researchers have now demonstrated the ability to control the sequence in which that unfolding happens by magnetizing the materials. ...

Mar 20, 2026
Tech Xplore / Brain-inspired nanoelectronic device could cut AI hardware energy use by 70%

Researchers have developed a new kind of nanoelectronic device that could dramatically cut the energy consumed by artificial intelligence hardware by mimicking the human brain. The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, ...

Mar 20, 2026
Tech Xplore / Humanoid robot learns impressive tennis skills from imperfect human motion

Roboticists have struggled to get humanoid robots to effectively replicate athletic sports skills, such as those needed for tennis. These sports require highly dynamic motion, quick reactions, and high precision that robots ...

Mar 19, 2026
Tech Xplore / Generative AI improves a wireless vision system that sees through obstructions

MIT researchers have spent more than a decade studying techniques that enable robots to find and manipulate hidden objects by "seeing" through obstacles. Their methods utilize surface-penetrating wireless signals that reflect ...

Mar 19, 2026
Tech Xplore / Smarter, faster, and more human: AI system helps robots outpace their human teachers

Robots are increasingly learning new skills by watching people. From folding laundry to handling food, many real-world, humanlike tasks are too nuanced to be efficiently programmed step by step.

Mar 19, 2026
Tech Xplore / Lead-free thin films turn everyday vibrations into electricity

Powerful electronics don't have to come at an environmental cost. Scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed high-performance, lead-free piezoelectric thin films directly on standard silicon wafers. Their ...

Mar 19, 2026
Tech Xplore / Humans and AI must form a cognitive alignment to work well together, say researchers

In the iconic Star Wars series, captain Han Solo and humanoid droid C-3PO boast drastically contrasting personalities. Driven by emotions and swashbuckling confidence, Han Solo often ignores C-3PO's logic-driven caution. ...

Mar 19, 2026
Tech Xplore / Swimming robot propelled by lab-grown muscle hits record speed

NUS researchers have developed a platform that lets lab-grown muscle tissues train themselves to record-breaking strength, with no external stimulation required. By mechanically coupling two muscle tissues so they continuously ...

Mar 19, 2026