Predicting the properties of complex quantum systems is a crucial step in the development of advanced quantum technologies. While research teams worldwide have already devised a number of techniques to study the characteristics of quantum systems, most of these have...
Hi Tech & Innovation
Lithium metal batteries that perform well at low temperatures
Lithium (Li) batteries, or lithium metal batteries, use metallic lithium as an anode. Over the past few decades, rechargeable Li batteries have been used to power a wide variety of electronic devices, including toys, portable consumer devices and electric vehicles.
Using drones to reduce disease-spreading mosquito populations
Vector-borne diseases are illnesses that can be transmitted to humans by blood-feeding insects, such as mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. Mosquitoes are known to contribute to the spread of a number of vector-borne diseases, including malaria, dengue, yellow fever and Zika.
A platinum and yttrium iron garnet-based structure produces a new magnetoresistance effect
In recent years, several research teams worldwide have been trying to develop a new class of devices known as spintronics or spin transport electronics. These devices can encode, store, process and transmit data using the spin of electrons in certain materials.
A transparent artificial muscle to enable camouflaging in soft robots
The ability to become transparent is a considerable evolutionary advantage, as it allows animals to blend in with their environment, avoid predators and mask their movements. Robots with similar capabilities could be of great value for a number of applications, for...
A brain-inspired architecture for human gesture recognition
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University and University of Technology Sydney have recently developed a machine learning architecture that can recognize human gestures by analyzing images captured by stretchable strain sensors. The new architecture, presented in...
A system for swarm robotics applications inspired by pheromone communication in insects
Nature is one of the most valuable sources of inspiration for researchers developing new robots and computational techniques. Over the past few decades, technological advances have enabled the creation of increasingly sophisticated systems replicating naturally...
DIGIT: A high-resolution tactile sensor to enhance robot in-hand manipulation skills
To assist humans in completing manual chores or tasks, robots must efficiently grasp and manipulate objects in their surroundings. While in recent years robotics researchers have developed a growing number of techniques that allow robots to pick up and handle objects,...
Dye-sensitized solar cells that adapt to different light conditions
Solar cells made of semi-transparent photovoltaic (PV) materials typically have a fixed optical transmission, which results in either high transparency or high efficiency, but rarely both. In order to perform optimally when integrated on buildings, however, they...
An AI painter that creates portraits based on the traits of human subjects
Over the past decade or so, researchers have been developing increasingly advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems for a wide range of applications. This includes computational techniques that can interact with humans, analyze large quantities of data, identify...