Tech Xplore news
Tech Xplore / Solar reactor uses old battery acid to turn plastic waste into clean hydrogen
Researchers have developed a solar-powered reactor to break down hard-to-recycle forms of plastic waste—such as drink bottles, nylon textiles and polyurethane foams—using acid recovered from old car batteries, and converting ...
Tech Xplore / Too many cooks, or too many robots? Finding a Goldilocks level of randomness to keep robot swarms moving
Picture a futuristic swarm of robots deployed on a time-sensitive task, like cleaning up an oil spill or assembling a machine. At first, adding robots is advantageous, since many hands make light work. But a tipping point ...
Tech Xplore / High-entropy design achieves 3-fold increase in hydrogen production
While mixing materials typically leads to instability, there exists a phenomenon known as high entropy, where increasing compositional complexity can actually enhance stability. KAIST researchers have leveraged this principle ...
Tech Xplore / Sonar on stock smartwatches leads to hand-tracking advancement
Imagine tapping your thumb and index finger together twice to skip to the next song or clicking around your laptop or desktop computer without a mouse, using discreet finger motions. New first-of-its-kind wearable technology ...
Tech Xplore / Explainability is a must for older adults to trust AI, study shows
Voice-activated, conversational artificial intelligence (AI) agents must provide clear explanations for their suggestions, or older adults aren't likely to trust them. That's one of the main findings from a study by AI Caring ...
Tech Xplore / Memristor chip combines security and compute-in-memory for edge devices
A cross-institutional research team has developed Co-Located Authentication and Processing (CLAP), a privacy-preserving system that overcomes the trade-off between security and performance in edge computing devices. The study, ...
Tech Xplore / Resilient actuator shows potential for space-ready soft robots
To be safely and reliably deployed in outer space, underwater and in other extreme environments, robots need to be able to withstand harsh conditions without breaking. In addition, they should be able to promptly and rapidly ...
Tech Xplore / A new way to deliver faster, greener wireless connections indoors
Modern life depends on fast and reliable wireless connections. Video calls, streaming services, virtual reality, and smart devices all place growing demands on networks that already serve billions of users. Most wireless ...
Tech Xplore / Opening the door to more efficient orbitronic devices
Electrons have three intrinsic properties: spin, charge and orbital angular momentum. Researchers have long studied how to use spin to more efficiently create an electrical current. But the field of orbitronics—which is based ...
Tech Xplore / AI companions can comfort lonely users but may deepen distress over time
AI companions are always available, never judge, never tire and never demand anything in return. If someone is struggling with loneliness, this frictionlessness can seem profoundly appealing. However, new research shows that ...
Tech Xplore / Helping resolve quantum computers' memory problem
A major problem with quantum computers is memory, as the information they contain can be quickly lost. Quantum computers are not yet fully reliable—they are far too unstable. However, all around the world, people are trying ...
Tech Xplore / How a 'perfectly symmetrical' 2D perovskite could boost tandem solar cells
Rice University scientists and collaborators have created a new type of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor that comes closer than ever to a "perfect" crystal. The findings, reported in the journal Nature Synthesis, could ...
