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Robotics

Wheel-less helical ring-based soft robot can move reliably in all directions

Over the past decades, roboticists have introduced a wide range of systems that can move in various complex environments, including different terrains, on the ground, in the air, and even in water. To safely navigate real-world ...

Energy & Green Tech

Magnesium-doped quantum dots boost perovskite/organic tandem solar cell stability

Photovoltaic (PV) solutions, which are designed to convert sunlight into electrical energy, are becoming increasingly widespread worldwide. Over the past decades, engineers specialized in energy solutions have been trying ...

Electronics & Semiconductors

A lighter, smarter magnetoreceptive electronic skin

Imagine navigating a virtual reality with contact lenses or operating your smartphone underwater: This and more could soon be a reality thanks to innovative e-skins.

Hardware

Brain-like computer steers rolling robot with 0.25% of the power needed by conventional controllers

A smaller, lighter and more energy-efficient computer, demonstrated at the University of Michigan, could help save weight and power for autonomous drones and rovers, with implications for autonomous vehicles more broadly.

Robotics

Scientists develop dog-inspired robot that runs without motors

Scientists from TU Delft and EPFL have created a quadruped robot capable of running like a dog without the need for motors. This achievement, a product of combining innovative mechanics with data-driven technology, was published ...

Machine learning & AI

Firms and researchers at odds over superhuman AI

Hype is growing from leaders of major AI companies that "strong" computer intelligence will imminently outstrip humans, but many researchers in the field see the claims as marketing spin.

Energy & Green Tech

A safe nuclear battery that could last a lifetime

Sometimes cell phones die sooner than expected or electric vehicles don't have enough charge to reach their destination. The rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in these and other devices typically last hours or days ...

Energy & Green Tech

'Super-Turing AI' uses less energy by mimicking the human brain

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can perform complex calculations and analyze data faster than any human, but to do so requires enormous amounts of energy. The human brain is also an incredibly powerful computer, yet it consumes ...