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Beyond shade: Researchers improve radiant cooling to make outdoor temperatures feel cooler
A team of UCLA engineers and researchers has developed a new technique to make it feel up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler outside while preserving a sense of safe and open space.... Read more
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Disappearing electronics: Biodegradable fiber electronics offer solution to e-waste and textile pollution
The world produces over 92 million tons of textile waste annually, much of it made from synthetic materials that can linger for centuries. Add to that the surge in wearable electronics—smartwatches, fitness trackers, sensor-laden garments—and the problem becomes two-fold.... Read more
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Walk-through screening system enhances security at airports nationwide
A new security screener that people can simply walk past may soon be coming to an airport near you. Last year, U.S. airports nationwide began adopting HEXWAVE—a commercialized walkthrough security screening system based on microwave imaging technology developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory—to satisfy a new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) mandate... Read more
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Researcher develops generative learning model to predict falls
In a study published in the journal Information Systems Research, Texas Tech University's Shuo Yu and his collaborators developed a generative machine learning model to detect instability before a fall occurs. The hope is that the model could work within fall detection devices, such as anti-fall airbag vests or medical... Read more
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Filters inspired by nose hair and nasal mucus promise cleaner air
One of the problems of conventional filters used in homes, businesses and public spaces is their poor performance. They rely on weak van der Waals forces to capture particles like dust and pollen, meaning they let a lot of stuff slip through. Nature, however, does the job a whole lot... Read more
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Ultrathin clay membrane layers offer low-cost alternative for extracting lithium from water
Lithium, the lightest metal on the periodic table, plays a pivotal role in modern life. Its low weight and high energy density make it ideal for electric vehicles, cellphones, laptops and military technologies where every ounce counts. As demand for lithium skyrockets, concerns about supply and reliability are growing.... Read more
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Novel system turns quantum bottlenecks into breakthroughs
Quantum computers have operated under a significant limitation: They can run only one program at a time. These million-dollar machines demand exclusive use even for the smallest tasks, leaving much of their expensive and fast-running hardware idle and forcing researchers to endure long lines.... Read more
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A system for embedding invisible digital information in printed documents
A team of researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Adobe Research have presented Imprinto, a system for embedding invisible digital information in printed documents using infrared ink and a special camera. This technology introduces a new generation of hybrid interfaces between... Read more
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Stretchable electronics: Conductive polymer optimized for wearable biosensors
When aiming for stretchable, health-monitoring, skin-like sensor sheets, materials with demanding properties are required: they need to be flexible, biocompatible, and electrically conductive at the same time.... Read more
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3D-printed magnetoelastic smart pen may help diagnose Parkinson's
Every year, tens of thousands of people with signs of Parkinson's disease go unnoticed until the incurable neurodegenerative condition has already progressed.... Read more
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Researcher develops 'SpeechSSM,' opening up possibilities for a 24-hour AI voice assistant
Recently, spoken language models (SLMs) have been highlighted as next-generation technology that surpasses the limitations of text-based language models by learning human speech without text to understand and generate linguistic and non-linguistic information.... Read more
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Quantum machine learning improves semiconductor manufacturing for first time
Semiconductor processing is notoriously challenging. It is one of the most intricate feats of modern engineering due to the extreme precision required and the hundreds of steps involved, such as etching and layering, to make even a single chip.... Read more
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Stretchable polymer foam sensor detects wide range of motion with high sensitivity
A research team led by Prof. Wang Long from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a highly stretchable and conductive foam sensor with an ultra-wide operational range using supercritical CO2 (scCO2) foaming. The study was published in Materials Today... Read more
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Laser-assisted cold spray: A new generation of innovative manufacturing technology
The Center for Industrial Photonics (CIP) at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) has developed an additive manufacturing technique—laser-assisted cold spray (LACS).... Read more
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Reflected Wi-Fi signals could enable robots to find and manipulate hidden objects
A new imaging technique developed by MIT researchers could enable quality-control robots in a warehouse to peer through a cardboard shipping box and see that the handle of a mug buried under packing peanuts is broken.... Read more