Hi-Tech News

A team of engineers and environmental scientists from Mälardalen University, in Sweden, Southwest Jiaotong University, in China and Guizhou University, also in China, has developed a balloon system for producing and delivering electricity to the ground below. Their work is published in the journal Energy.... Read more

A research team from multiple institutions in China has proposed a novel concept of a thermal dome that could significantly advance the field of thermal invisibility technology. The study, published in Engineering, offers a potential solution to long-standing limitations in traditional thermal cloaking devices.... Read more

A research team affiliated with UNIST has unveiled an ultra-strong adhesive patch platform that adheres effectively to rough skin surfaces and shows remarkable motion adaptiveness during dynamic body movements, all while offering irritation-free removal on demand. The key to this technology lies in the surface adaptability inspired by barnacles and... Read more

A small team of computer scientists and sociologists, working with Google DeepMind, has developed an AI application that can generate a simulation of a person's personality after interviewing them for just two hours. The group has written a paper describing their work and where they believe such efforts are heading;... Read more

Using generative artificial intelligence, a team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin has converted sounds from audio recordings into street-view images. The visual accuracy of these generated images demonstrates that machines can replicate human connection between audio and visual perception of environments.... Read more

Imagine taking the radio frequency properties of the dish antennas you see on rooftops and knitting them into a wearable garment—a sweater or a blanket that is ultralight, portable, easy to fold up and stow away.... Read more

A team of biomedical engineers and virtual reality researchers has developed a lollipop interface to simulate taste in a virtual environment. They have published their research in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.... Read more

Smartphone-based augmented reality, in which visual elements are overlaid on the image of a smartphone camera, are extremely popular apps. These apps allow users to see how furniture would look in their house, or navigate maps better, or to play interactive games. The global phenomenon Pokémon GO, which encourages players... Read more

Madison engineers have found a way to simultaneously mitigate three types of defects in parts produced using a prominent additive manufacturing technique called laser powder bed fusion.... Read more

Predicting material failure is a significant challenge in materials science, as stress history often leaves no visible signs. To address this, researchers at ETH Zurich's Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces, Multi-Scale Robotics Lab, and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences have developed a smart self-reporting material.... Read more

If conventional speaking valves for tracheostomized patients are used improperly, dangerous overpressure can occur, which can cause serious complications and even death. In a collaboration between the Freiburg Botanical Garden, the Medical Center—University of Freiburg and the Cluster of Excellence livMatS of the University of Freiburg, researchers developed a speaking... Read more

Have you ever wondered why an airplane has a vertical tailfin? The plane needs it to stabilize its flight. Since flying without a vertical tail is much more energy-efficient, the aviation industry has worked hard to accomplish this—so far without much success. However, birds don't need a vertical fin, which... Read more

While camping is a great opportunity to unplug and connect with nature, it's hard not to rely on some sort of technology—cellphones, radios, lanterns, and portable chargers are all useful tools to bring along while exploring the wilderness. Research by Lixian Guo at the University of Canterbury may make it... Read more

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told customers at a conference in Chicago on Tuesday that the company is teaching a new set of artificial intelligence tools how to "act on our behalf across our work and life."... Read more

Imagine having a live art class taught by Leonardo da Vinci, or having a fully interactive discussion about the meaning of life with Socrates. You can now do this in your living room with a laptop and headset through startups like Ireland's Engage XR and Sweden's Hello History, combining the... Read more