Tech Xplore news

Tech Xplore / Beetle-inspired soft robot follows finger commands to walk, grip and relay sensory information

Researchers have developed a technology that lets a user move a small robot by bending and straightening a finger. The user can also pick up and move objects while checking the images and contact information that the robot ...

Oct 13, 2026
Tech Xplore / Blink-powered glasses harvest mechanical energy from facial movements to power sensors

From blinking and smiling to jaw clenching and eyebrow raising, faces are constantly in motion—and generating tiny amounts of energy along the way. Now, Northwestern University engineers are putting that energy to work.

Oct 13, 2026
Tech Xplore / Tiny droplets form soft networks for brain-inspired computing

Inside the human brain, billions of individual neurons connect to form a vast network capable of rapidly processing information and electrical signals. A team of researchers and engineers at Penn State is taking inspiration ...

Oct 13, 2026
Tech Xplore / Scientists control where 2D semiconductor crystals begin to grow, addressing key challenge in stacking AI chips

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, only a few atomic layers thick, are promising materials for making AI chips faster and more energy efficient by stacking additional semiconductor layers on top of existing computing circuits. ...

Oct 13, 2026
Tech Xplore / Less platinum, cheaper hydrogen: Ultrathin electrolyzer coatings show promise

Hydrogen is expected to become an important energy carrier of the future, particularly for industrial applications. But this requires climate-friendly technologies that split water into hydrogen and oxygen. One major challenge ...

Oct 13, 2026
Tech Xplore / Optical intelligence could help communications systems read complex light patterns

Scientists at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) have developed a "light-powered brain" that can recognize hidden information in complex patterns of light, potentially paving the way for faster communications systems.

Oct 13, 2026
Tech Xplore / 3D imaging technique examines nuclear fuel rod corrosion at nanoscale resolution

The cladding tubes of the fuel rods used in nuclear reactors must remain leak-tight—despite the risk of corrosion from the surrounding cooling water and despite the radiation they are exposed to during operation. It is therefore ...

Oct 13, 2026
Tech Xplore / New spinning method builds electronic circuits directly inside soft, washable fibers

Electronic devices are no longer limited to conventional systems with a screen, keyboard and processing components. Over the past decades, some electronics engineers have been developing thin electronic fibers that could ...

Oct 12, 2026
Tech Xplore / Vapor-clearing channels could keep powerful chips cool with less risk of short circuits

Integrated circuits are electronic chips containing the interconnected components that process information or control electrical signals inside many electronic devices. These chips are known to generate heat as they operate, ...

Oct 12, 2026
Tech Xplore / Just add water: New binder simplifies battery manufacturing and recycling without sacrificing performance

A new battery binder—the glue that holds together a battery's internal parts—could make lithium-ion batteries more environmentally friendly and easier to recycle without sacrificing performance.

Oct 12, 2026
Tech Xplore / Coordinated software tools could cut AI training energy use by up to 50%

Around half of the energy used to train AI can be saved without affecting speed or performance, using software developed at the University of Michigan Engineering. Now, U-M researchers are working with NVIDIA to integrate ...

Oct 12, 2026
Tech Xplore / Zinc-air batteries gain new momentum with long-lasting catalyst

Zinc-air batteries can store significantly more energy than lithium-ion batteries, but until now have been virtually impossible to recharge. A team led by Professor Jörg J. Schneider from the Department of Chemistry has now ...

Oct 11, 2026