Tech Xplore news

Tech Xplore / New technique turns everyday surfaces like walls and desks into touch panels

Augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets let us see the world around us with virtual elements superimposed on top. For example, many modern AR/MR headsets use hand-tracking cameras to detect hand gestures in ...

22 hours ago
Tech Xplore / Hygroscopic salts pull lithium from mining waste using only moisture from air

The world cannot have enough of the third element on the periodic table. From smartphones and laptops to state-of-the-art EVs, all are powered by lithium batteries. The demand for metal is only going to rise, and projected ...

Mar 30, 2026
Tech Xplore / Alkaline steel and cement wastewater could capture 30 million tons of CO₂ annually

Alkaline industrial wastewaters from steel or cement production are ideally suited to bind and sequester carbon dioxide (CO₂) chemically, safely, and for the long term. This is the result of a study conducted by the Helmholtz-Zentrum ...

Mar 30, 2026
Tech Xplore / Flexible gel can turn body heat into power for next-generation wearables

A soft material developed by researchers at QUT can convert body heat into electricity, opening the door to self-powered wearable devices and more sustainable energy technologies. Published in Angewandte Chemie International ...

Mar 30, 2026
Tech Xplore / HEAPGrasp: A faster, smarter way for robots to handle tricky objects

The fields of manufacturing, logistics, and even restaurants are increasingly moving toward automation, with robots being employed for a wide range of tasks. One of the most critical applications of robots is material handling, ...

Mar 30, 2026
Tech Xplore / Concrete's distinct microbial zones could change how building health is assessed

Concrete may be one of the world's most familiar materials, yet much is still unknown about its inner microbial world. Researchers from Hiroshima University and Kyoto University found that once concrete hardens, microbes ...

Mar 30, 2026
Tech Xplore / New lithium-ion battery design could power longer-lasting electric vehicles and portable devices

A new battery design that could significantly extend the range of electric vehicles and the lifespan of portable electronics has been developed by researchers at the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute (ATI). ...

Mar 29, 2026
Tech Xplore / AI benchmark helps robots plan and complete their chores in the real world

No matter how sophisticated they are, robots can often be indecisive and struggle with multi-step chores in the real world. For example, if you tell a robot to tidy a messy room, it might understand the goal but not know ...

Mar 29, 2026
Tech Xplore / Why AI still can't beat a new video game

For decades, video games have served as a proving ground for artificial intelligence. From early checkers programs to systems that conquered chess and Go, each milestone has seemed to bring machines closer to human-like intelligence. ...

Mar 29, 2026
Tech Xplore / Human creativity still resists automation: Artists rank highest, with unguided AI coming in last

New research confirms it: the creativity of artificial intelligence (AI) is a myth. Although current generative AI models may appear to be autonomous creative agents, analyzing their imaginative process step by step reveals ...

Mar 28, 2026
Tech Xplore / Molecular 'anchors' could be key to weather-resistant perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells are among the most promising technologies for making solar power cheaper and more efficient. Working with partners from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchroton), ...

Mar 28, 2026
Tech Xplore / Building facade solar panels on outside walls can generate power while cutting cooling costs

A team of Chinese researchers has modeled the potential global benefits of installing solar panels on outside building walls, a concept known as facade-integrated photovoltaics (FIPV). They found that solar panels installed ...

Mar 27, 2026