Tech Xplore news
Tech Xplore / Laughter reveals how we use AI at home
Voice assistants such as Alexa are often marketed as smart tools that streamline everyday life. But once the technology moves into people's homes, interest quickly fades. This is shown by new research in which laughter is ...
Tech Xplore / Safer railroads through ultrasound: Beamforming algorithms can improve track safety inspections
Advances in ultrasound—the same imaging technology that uses sound waves to allow doctors to monitor babies in utero—are being applied by engineers at the University of California San Diego to make railroad track inspection ...
Tech Xplore / How can you rescue a 'kidnapped' robot? New AI system helps robots regain their sense of location
Mobile robots must continuously estimate their position to navigate autonomously. However, satellite-based navigation systems are not always reliable: signals may degrade near buildings or become unavailable indoors. To operate ...
Tech Xplore / Personalization features can make LLMs more agreeable, potentially creating a virtual echo chamber
Many of the latest large language models (LLMs) are designed to remember details from past conversations or store user profiles, enabling these models to personalize responses. But researchers from MIT and Penn State University ...
Tech Xplore / Robot hand approaches human-like dexterity with new visual-tactile training
Human hands are a wonder of nature and unmatched in the animal kingdom. They can twist caps, flick switches, handle tiny objects with ease, and perform thousands of tasks every day. Robot hands struggle to keep up. They typically ...
Tech Xplore / Ultrafast 3D printing method creates complex objects in under a second
High-speed 3D printing has just gotten a lot faster. Researchers from Tsinghua University in China have developed a new high-speed printing technology capable of creating complex millimeter-scale objects in just 0.6 seconds. ...
Tech Xplore / The giant fire tornado that could save our oceans
In the frantic hours following an offshore oil spill, emergency responders face a destructive decision: let the oil spread or ignite it. Once ignited, it creates an "in-situ" fire pool that stops the oil from spreading and ...
Tech Xplore / Hydrogen-bond networks boost all-perovskite solar cell efficiency
The use of solar cells, devices that can convert sunlight into electricity, has grown exponentially over the past decades. These devices are enabling the production of clean and renewable energy, which could contribute to ...
Tech Xplore / New electrolyzer turns plastic-waste syngas into ethylene with less energy
For every ton of ethylene created, one ton of carbon dioxide is produced. With more than 300 million tons of ethylene produced each year, the production system has a huge carbon footprint that scientists and engineers are ...
Tech Xplore / Converting human urine into clean energy: Researchers optimize the process
Researchers at McGill University have improved the efficiency of a method for converting human urine into clean energy. The method employs microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which use bacteria to turn organic waste into electricity, ...
Tech Xplore / Can AI build a machine that draws a heart? What automated mechanism design could mean for mechanical engineering
Can you design a mechanism that will trace out the shape of a heart? How about the shape of a moon, or a star? Mechanism design—the art of assembling linkages and joints to create machines with prescribed motion—is one ...
Tech Xplore / Fiber batteries promise 'smart clothing,' but two obstacles stand in the way
Fiber batteries are an emerging technology which could one day be used to create smart clothing with a wide array of functions, from charging electronic devices to acting as wearable controllers. However, a new study finds ...
