News by Subject Technology & Engineering

Researchers from Baidu Research and the University of Maryland have developed a robotic excavator system that integrates perception, planning, and control capabilities to enable material loading over a long duration with no human intervention.

Drones keep getting smaller, while their potential applications keep getting bigger. And now unmanned aircraft systems are taking on some of the world's biggest small problems: insect pests. From crop-munching caterpillars to disease-transmitting mosquitoes, insects that threaten crops, ecosystems, and public health are being targeted with new pest-management strategies that deploy drones for detection and control. A variety of these applications are featured in a new special collection in the Journal of Economic Entomology.

Organic solar elements with the self-assembling molecular-thin layer (SAM) of hole-transporting material, the technology, which was used in producing a record-breaking tandem solar cell, achieved 18.4 power conversion efficiency. The invention of Lithuanian chemists working at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), commercialized by several global companies proved versatile and applicable to different solar technologies.

Imagine flexible surgical instruments that can twist and turn in all directions like miniature octopus arms, or how about large and powerful robot tentacles that can work closely and safely with human workers on production lines. A new generation of robotic tools are beginning to be realized thanks to a combination of strong 'muscles' and sensitive 'nerves' created from smart polymeric materials.

A science-based intervention relieved hiccups for 92% of 249 users who self-reported the effectiveness of the tool. The study is in JAMA Network Open and is from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) and collaborating investigators.

Geothermal energy systems have the potential to power the world and become the leading technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions if we can drill down far enough into the Earth to access the conditions necessary for economic viability and release the heat beneath our feet. Quaise Inc. is developing a potentially disruptive drilling technology to make that happen. Matt Houde of Quaise presented the approach at the World Geothermal Congress on June 15.

CSEM engineers have developed an integrated circuit that can carry out complicated artificial-intelligence operations like face, voice and gesture recognition and cardiac monitoring. Powered by either a tiny battery or a solar panel, it processes data at the edge and can be configured for use in just about any type of application