University of Illinois

Teachable, ultra-compact, autonomous, phenotyping robot

Investors and executives in the agricultural industry are getting a first look at TerraSentia, a new-to-the-market agricultural robot that autonomously measures crop traits.

Origami-inspired robot

New research details how origami structures and bio-inspired design can be used to create a crawling robot.

Fizzy soda water could be key to clean manufacture of graphene

Whether you call it effervescent, fizzy, or sparkling, carbonated water is making a comeback as a beverage.

Dynamic templates critical to printable electronics technology

When it comes to efficiency, sometimes it helps to look to Mother Nature for advice - even in technology as advanced as printable, flexible electronics.

Robots to write news for UK press association

PA (the Press Association), the national news agency for the UK and Ireland, and Urbs Media, a start-up specialising in data-driven news, have received a grant worth €706,000 from Google to fund a new service which will create a stream of compelling local stories for hundreds of media outlets.

New 3D display takes the eye fatigue out of virtual reality

Although AR and VR devices are starting to hit the market, they remain mostly a novelty because eye fatigue makes them uncomfortable to use for extended periods.

New chemical method could revolutionize graphene

Scientists have discovered a new chemical method that enables graphene to be incorporated into a wide range of applications while maintaining its ultra-fast electronics.

Self-healing tech charges up performance

Researchers have found a way to apply self-healing technology to lithium-ion batteries to make them more reliable and last longer.

Electroplating delivers high-energy, high-power batteries

The process that makes gold-plated jewelry or chrome car accents is now making powerful lithium-ion batteries.

A few self-driving cars can dramatically improve traffic flow

The presence of just a few autonomous vehicles can eliminate the stop-and-go driving of the human drivers in traffic, along with the accident risk and fuel inefficiency it causes, according to new research.

Nanotube structure strengthens thin films for flexible electronics

Reflecting the structure of composites found in nature and the ancient world, researchers have synthesized thin carbon nanotube textiles, that exhibit both high electrical conductivity and a level of toughness that is about fifty times higher than copper films, currently used in electronics.

Agricultural robot may be game changer for crop growers, breeders

A semiautonomous robot may soon be roaming agricultural fields gathering and transmitting real-time data about the growth and development of crops, information that crop breeders -- and eventually farmers -- can use to identify the genetic traits in plants likely to produce the greatest yields.

Dual-function nanorod LEDs could make multifunctional displays

Cellphones and other devices could soon be controlled with touchless gestures and charge themselves using ambient light, thanks to new LED arrays that can both emit and detect light.

MC10

IDTechEx caught up with Roozbeh Ghaffari and Ben Schlatka, two of the co-founders at mc10, for an update on their business in the development, licensing and sales of stretchable electronic products, including skin patches.

Robot drone that mimics bat flight

Bats have long captured the imaginations of scientists and engineers with their unrivalled agility, but their complex wing motions pose significant technological challenges for those seeking to recreate their flight in a robot.

Faster recharging batteries possible after new insights

Faster recharging lithium batteries could be developed after scientists figured out why adding charged metal atoms to tunnel structures within batteries improves their performance.

Tiny, soft and wearable acoustic sensor

Researchers have developed a tiny, soft and wearable acoustic sensor that measures vibrations in the human body, allowing them to monitor human heart health and recognize spoken words.

Soft, microfluidic lab on the skin for sweat analysis

Aresearch team has developed a first-of-its-kind soft, flexible microfluidic device that easily adheres to the skin and measures the wearer's sweat to show how his or her body is responding to exercise.

Supersonic spray yields new nanomaterial for bendable electronics

A new, ultrathin film that is both transparent and highly conductive to electric current has been produced by a cheap and simple method devised by an international team of nanomaterials researchers.

Germs add ripples to make 'groovy' graphene

Researchers have used rod-shaped bacteria - precisely aligned in an electric field, then vacuum-shrunk under a graphene sheet - to introduce nanoscale ripples in the material, causing it to conduct electrons differently in perpendicular directions.