Tech Xplore news

Tech Xplore / Top developers are pivoting from chatbots to physical AI

Computer scientist Louis Castricato was in his eighth year studying large language models—the artificial intelligence technology behind chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude—when he started to feel like he was hitting a dead end.

Jun 24, 2026
Tech Xplore / Chinese supercomputer displaces US machines as world's fastest for first time since 2017

A supercomputer in China now outranks its U.S. counterparts as the world's most powerful, marking the first time since 2017 that a Chinese computer has topped a list sometimes viewed as a measure of a nation's technological ...

Jun 24, 2026
Tech Xplore / First global rules adopted for self-driving cars: UN

The first global regulations for fully autonomous vehicles were adopted Wednesday, a U.N. agency said, establishing uniform international safety requirements that could pave the way for larger-scale rollouts of self-driving ...

Jun 24, 2026
Tech Xplore / Friendly social robots may help ease a child's anxiety at the doctor's office

When 3-year-old Cameron arrived at the UC Davis MIND Institute for a recent medical appointment, she was in for a surprise: cuddly, social AI robots visiting from Japan were in the waiting room. "We both melted when we saw ...

Jun 24, 2026
Tech Xplore / Brain-inspired AI architecture could compute faster while using far less power

Spiking neural networks (SNNs) are artificial intelligence (AI) models inspired by how biological neurons communicate with each other. While biological neurons exchange information in the form of electrical impulses, SNNs ...

Jun 23, 2026
Tech Xplore / Safer lithium-ion batteries move closer as 3D-printed cobalt-free electrodes boost power

Since the early 2000s, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have become the predominant rechargeable power source for many mobile devices, electric vehicles, renewable-energy storage grids and more. But the Li-ion batteries in ...

Jun 23, 2026
Tech Xplore / Seaweed-based ingredient helps turn dirt into 3D-printed walls

An ingredient that gives ice cream a creamier texture could make natural earthen materials like clay and sand easier to 3D print into durable structures, according to new research led by scientists at the University of Colorado ...

Jun 23, 2026
Tech Xplore / Ultraefficient chip could help tiny robots traverse complex environments

A new chip developed by MIT researchers could help tiny, low-power UAVs avoid obstacles as they zip around tight corners inside an industrial HVAC system to check for gas leaks. The chip allows small autonomous robots and ...

Jun 23, 2026
Tech Xplore / Forgetting may be the secret to better AI language learning

Giving AI a human-like memory limitation may actually help it learn language better. In their new proof-of-principle study, Abishek Thamma (University of Amsterdam) and Micha Heilbron (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics) ...

Jun 23, 2026
Tech Xplore / Onsite fabrication unlocks large-area electronic skin for robots and wearables

Korean researchers have secured flexible electronic skin technology that can be fabricated directly in the field. This achievement has increased the feasibility of commercializing electronic skin for use in various fields, ...

Jun 23, 2026
Tech Xplore / Robot 'Floaty' rides the wind like a bird, staying stable without propellers

Current flying objects face a trade-off: Drones with propellers, for instance, are very agile and able to hover; however, they use up a lot of energy. Airplanes, on the other hand, feature fixed wings that allow them to fly ...

Jun 22, 2026
Tech Xplore / Food waste can become jet fuel through simpler refining and 50-50 blending

The aviation industry accounts for a large portion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Biobased, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can mitigate climate impacts, but transitioning to SAF faces critical supply chain constraints. ...

Jun 22, 2026