Tech Xplore news

Tech Xplore / Solar-charged rock bed powers coffee roaster with heat stored for days

Michael Sweeney roasts coffee beans using energy from the sun at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility at Sandia National Laboratories. Sweeney has been collaborating with Sandia as part of a program to use solar energy ...

Aug 4, 2026
Tech Xplore / Composite catalyst could improve oxygen reactions in next-generation lithium-oxygen batteries

An electric vehicle that never needs recharging on a cross-country trip. Drones that fly for hours without landing. These scenarios demand energy storage far beyond what lithium-ion batteries can deliver—and lithium–oxygen ...

Aug 4, 2026
Tech Xplore / Self-repairing, recyclable substrate developed for durable soft sensors

Soft sensors convert movement, temperature and moisture into electrical signals. Repeated bending and friction can cause their metal conductors to peel from the underlying polymer, while physical damage, such as cuts, can ...

Aug 4, 2026
Tech Xplore / ZiaCore microreactor successfully achieves criticality

The emerging technology of advanced nuclear microreactors offers solutions to many modern energy challenges. The ZiaCore design, a low-enriched uranium dioxide-fueled microreactor developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory, ...

Aug 4, 2026
Tech Xplore / Prototype glasses can turn infrared into color vision

The human eye, as good as it is, misses out on so much of the world because it is limited in what it can perceive. It can't see X-rays, ultraviolet rays or infrared light. While X-ray goggles are still the stuff of science ...

Aug 3, 2026
Tech Xplore / Noninvasive AI-based system translates brain signals into written text

Some physical injuries and neurological conditions can temporarily or permanently impair movement, leaving some people unable to speak, type on keyboards or use electronic devices. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), systems ...

Aug 3, 2026
Tech Xplore / Adaptive decision support can fight overreliance on AI

From doctors diagnosing symptoms to judges intervening in court cases, humans make complex decisions every day. Increasingly, artificial intelligence tools are being used to help with those decisions.

Aug 3, 2026
Tech Xplore / Connected-grid AI could reduce blackout risk with more precise power predictions

A new artificial intelligence tool developed by researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and Florida State University's Center for Advanced Power Systems could help make electric grids more reliable and reduce operating ...

Aug 3, 2026
Tech Xplore / Turning molecules into reliable electronic devices with a new fabrication platform

Molecules are among the smallest building blocks available for making next-generation devices. Their unique, customizable properties enable promising applications in emerging computing, sensing, optical and quantum technologies.

Aug 3, 2026
Tech Xplore / Adaptive organic transistor for wearable electronics switches roles as salt concentration changes

Wearable electronics are gradually evolving from simple sensors into feature-rich devices that can make basic decisions and support medical care in real time. To fully realize this vision, wearable systems must be soft and ...

Aug 3, 2026
Tech Xplore / Organic liquid system could convert dirty factory exhaust into key fuel ingredient without CO₂ purification

A team of international researchers has found a way to turn carbon dioxide from industrial emissions directly into a key fuel ingredient without first cleaning or purifying the gas. The study, published in Nature Communications, ...

Aug 3, 2026
Tech Xplore / New strategy for designing ultra-fast charging batteries could prevent hazardous lithium plating

The rapid progress in electric vehicles and high-power electronics has increased the demand for ultra-fast-charging lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. However, during fast charging, current Li-ion rechargeable batteries suffer ...

Aug 3, 2026