Tech Xplore news

Tech Xplore / Robots with different bodies can now share skills: What intention-based learning changes

Robots are increasingly being used in manufacturing, agriculture and health care. But programming a team of robots to carry out individual tasks raises a question: How can robots learn from other robots if they are built ...

Mar 30, 2026
Tech Xplore / Engineers create light-activated gel that boosts ion conductivity 400-fold

Consider the chief difference between living systems and electronics: The first is generally soft and squishy while the latter is hard and rigid. Now, in work that could impact human-machine interfaces, biocompatible devices, ...

Mar 30, 2026
Dialog / Three-in-one diode integrates sensing, memory and processing for smart cameras

Think about how easily you recognize a friend in a dimly lit room. Your eyes capture light, while your brain filters out background noise, retrieves stored visual information, and processes the image to make a match. It all ...

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 / Q&A: Robots can't feel, but novel sensors could change that

A research team, including Huanyu "Larry" Cheng, James L. Henderson Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State, is using pressure sensors—tiny devices, roughly the size of a paperclip, ...

Mar 30, 2026
Tech Xplore / AI-based model measures atomic defects in materials

In biology, defects are generally bad. But in materials science, defects can be intentionally tuned to give materials useful new properties. Today, atomic-scale defects are carefully introduced during the manufacturing process ...

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 / 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