National Science Foundation

National Science Foundation

HQ Country
United States
Profile
The National Science Foundation is an independent U.S. federal agency established by Congress in the NSF Act of 1950 "to promote progress of science," and "advance national health, prosperity, and welfare," and "to secure the national defense." NSF provides financial support for fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. The majority of the funds are provided to support basic research performed in U.S. academic institutions.
Filtered by:
National Science Foundation
Company
Topic
Show
 
2019
25 Sep 2019

Point-of-care test for prostate cancer

The proposed biosensor platform will be based on an ultrahigh sensitivity magnetic nanoparticles detector and will look similar to a home pregnancy test with an electronic readout. As a bonus for healthcare providers and patients alike, it's expected to cost under $3 per test.
25 Sep 2019

Evolution of learning is key to better artificial intelligence

Researchers say that true, human-level intelligence remains a long way off, but their new paper explores how computers could begin to evolve learning in the same way as natural organisms did - with implications for many fields, including artificial intelligence.
24 Sep 2019

Shape-shifting robots built from 'smarticles'

Building conventional robots typically requires carefully combining components like motors, batteries, actuators, body segments, legs and wheels. Now, researchers have taken a new approach, building a robot entirely from smaller robots known as "smarticles" to unlock the principles of a potentially new locomotion technique.
2 Sep 2019

Robotic thread is designed to slip through the brain's blood vessels

Engineers have developed a magnetically steerable, thread-like robot that can actively glide through narrow, winding pathways, such as the labrynthine vasculature of the brain.
30 Aug 2019

Using artificial intelligence to track birds' dark-of-night migrations

On many evenings during spring and fall migration, tens of millions of birds take flight at sunset and pass over our heads, unseen in the night sky. Though these flights have been recorded for decades by the National Weather Services' network of constantly scanning weather radars, until recently these data have been mostly out of reach for bird researchers.
26 Aug 2019

Self-folding "Rollbot" paves the way for fully untethered soft robots

The majority of soft robots today rely on external power and control, keeping them tethered to off-board systems or rigged with hard components. Now, researchers have developed soft robotic systems, inspired by origami, that can move and change shape in response to external stimuli, paving the way for fully untethered soft robots.
21 Aug 2019

Exosuit shows potential for wearable robots

Researchers have previously developed robotic devices for rehabilitation and other areas of life that can either assist walking or running, but no untethered portable device could efficiently do both.
21 Aug 2019

Facial recognition technique could improve hail forecasts

The same artificial intelligence technique typically used in facial recognition systems could help improve prediction of hailstorms and their severity, according to a new study from the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
20 Aug 2019

$1.5 million grant for environmentally friendly 3D printed concrete

A team of engineers has received a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop 3D-printed concrete that incorporates carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, as part of a binder.
16 Aug 2019

Wearable moves brain monitoring from the lab to the real world

Imagine if a coach could know which moments of competition a certain player might peak, or if a truck driver had objective data telling him his body and mind were too tired to continue driving.
13 Aug 2019

Soft robots controlled with lights and magnets

Newly published research shows the possibility of controlling soft robots with light and magnetic fields, with the new technique to likely be applied to the biomedical and aerospace fields.
7 Aug 2019

Heat-free tech for flexible electronics

The latest application of undercooled metal technology features liquid metal (in this case Field's metal, an alloy of bismuth, indium and tin) trapped below its melting point in polished, oxide shells, creating particles about 10 millionths of a meter across.
19 Jul 2019

AI beats professionals in six-player poker

An artificial intelligence program developed by Carnegie Mellon University in collaboration with Facebook AI has defeated leading professionals in six-player No-Limit Texas Hold'em poker, the world's most popular form of poker.
18 Jul 2019

Artificial "muscles" achieve powerful pulling force

As a cucumber plant grows, it sprouts tightly coiled tendrils that seek out supports in order to pull the plant upward. This ensures the plant receives as much sunlight exposure as possible. Now, researchers have found a way to imitate this coiling-and-pulling mechanism to produce contracting fibers that could be used as artificial muscles for robots, prosthetic limbs, or other mechanical and biomedical applications.
26 Jun 2019

Engineers 3-D print flexible mesh for ankle and knee braces

Hearing aids, dental crowns, and limb prosthetics are some of the medical devices that can now be digitally designed and customized for individual patients, thanks to 3-D printing. However, these devices are typically designed to replace or support bones and other rigid parts of the body, and are often printed from solid, relatively inflexible material.
21 Jun 2019

Cytophone detects melanoma in earliest stages

A research team has demonstrated the ability to detect and kill circulating tumor cells in the blood using a noninvasive device called Cytophone that integrates a laser, ultrasound and phone technologies.
18 Jun 2019

Algorithm tells robots where nearby humans are headed

A new tool for predicting a person's movement trajectory may help humans and robots work together in close proximity.
30 May 2019

Selenium improves thin film solar cells

The rows of blue solar panels that dot landscapes and rooftops are typically made out of crystalline silicon, the workhorse semiconductor found in virtually every electronic device.
15 May 2019

Low-cost, high-tech synthetic biology for the classroom

How can high school students learn about a technology as complex and abstract as CRISPR? It's simple: just add water.
13 May 2019

Hummingbird robot uses AI to soon go where drones can't

Researchers have engineered flying robots that behave like hummingbirds, trained by machine learning algorithms based on various techniques the bird uses naturally every day.