Perovskites are materials with advantageous optoelectronic properties that could be used to develop more affordable photovoltaics (PVs). While in recent years engineers were able to significantly improve the power-conversion efficiencies of perovskite solar cells,...
Engineering
Strain engineering approach enhances performance of 2D semiconductor-based transistors
The manipulation of mechanical strain in materials, also known as strain engineering, has allowed engineers to advance electronics over the past decades, for instance enhancing the mobility of charge carriers in devices. Over the past few years, some studies have...
Study disproves idea that weather-dependent renewable energy systems are more prone to blackouts
Wind turbines and photovoltaics (PVs) are becoming increasingly widespread worldwide, which could contribute to reducing air pollution caused by fossil fuel emissions. To produce energy, however, these renewable energy solutions rely on specific weather conditions...
Simplified octopus-inspired swimming robot with soft asymmetric arms can replicate swimming patterns
Researchers at the National University of Singapore have developed a new robot inspired by one of the most intelligent aquatic animals on Earth: the octopus. This robot, presented in a paper published on the arXiv pre-print server, could be used...
Novel liquid acoustic sensor mimics whale melon to recognize voices in noisy environments
In recent years, engineers have developed a wide range of increasingly sophisticated sensors for robotic, portable, wearable and even implantable monitoring. The data collected by these sensors can then be analyzed using state-of-the-art machine learning, allowing...
Soft robotic shorts could assist older adults and people with limited mobility while walking
Recent technological advances have opened new valuable opportunities for assisting senior adults and individuals with physical disabilities. For instance, they have enabled the development of new interactive systems designed that can assist users with everyday...
Ultrathin organic-inorganic device shows promise for wireless monitoring of biomarkers
In recent years, electronics engineers have developed a wide range of wearable and implantable devices that can detect and record biological signals. These devices can help to keep track of various physiological processes, such as heart rate, arterial pulse, sleep...
Magnetically driven soft robot achieves high-speed jumping
Many animal species, ranging from insects to amphibians and fish, use jumping as a means of moving within their surrounding environment. Jumping can be very advantageous for these animals, for instance, allowing them to reach higher branches of trees, swiftly escape...
Researchers develop scalable approach to integrate ultrafast 2D flash memories
The widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools designed to process large amounts of data has increased the need for better performing memory devices. The data storage solutions that could help to meet the computational demands of AI include so-called...
Self-sensing cantilever design enhances microelectromechanical system performance in challenging environments
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are tiny devices that integrate various components, such as miniature sensors, electronics and actuators, onto a single chip. These small devices have proved highly promising for precisely detecting biological signals,...