Simonwillison
Jul 21, 05:10
Reverse-engineering is cheap now
I keep hearing anecdotes from people who used coding agents to reverse-engineer and automate devices in their homes.
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Reverse-engineering is cheap now. Is that initial work worth the effort if you're committing yourself to a frustrating cycle of maintenance in the future? The effort to get a simple automation working has dropped, as has the cost of trying and failing to get it to work.
TL;DR:
I keep hearing anecdotes from people who used coding agents to reverse-engineer and automate devices in their homes.
Interestingengineering
Jul 21, 00:02
TJ150 missile engine completes tests with nearly 60% 3D-printed hardware
Pratt & Whitney has completed demonstration testing of an additively manufactured version of its TJ150...
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TJ150 missile engine completes tests with nearly 60% 3D-printed hardware. Pratt & Whitney has completed demonstration testing of an additively manufactured version of its TJ150...
TL;DR:
Pratt & Whitney has completed demonstration testing of an additively manufactured version of its TJ150...
Techxplore
Jul 20, 22:40
Fine-tuned perovskites make blue LEDs more vibrant
Over the past decade, perovskite LEDs have become increasingly vibrant and affordable to produce. With careful tweaks to their chemical composition, these crystal-based light emitters can be tuned across the visible spectrum—matching and sometimes even beating rival LED materials for producing red and green light. However, blue light has remained a holdout, keeping full-color perovskite displays out of reach.
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Fine-tuned perovskites make blue LEDs more vibrant. Over the past decade, perovskite LEDs have become increasingly vibrant and affordable to produce. With careful tweaks to their chemical composition, these crystal-based light emitters can be tuned across the visible spectrum—matching and sometimes even beating rival LED materials for producing red and green light.
TL;DR:
However, blue light has remained a holdout, keeping full-color perovskite displays out of reach.
Techxplore
Jul 20, 22:40
New electronic skin brings self-healing sensors to underwater robots and divers
Underwater environments are among the harshest operating conditions for electronic devices. Divers and underwater robots depend on sensors to navigate, communicate and handle objects, but conventional sensors are fragile, reliant on an external power source and unable to recover when damaged. A punctured sensor underwater typically means lost functionality with little prospect of on-the-spot repair, a limitation that shortens the working life of underwater machines and raises safety concerns for divers.
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New electronic skin brings self-healing sensors to underwater robots and divers. Divers and underwater robots depend on sensors to navigate, communicate and handle objects, but conventional sensors are fragile, reliant on an external power source and unable to recover when damaged.
TL;DR:
Underwater environments are among the harshest operating conditions for electronic devices.
Techxplore
Jul 20, 22:40
Mechanical engineers develop buttons that rise with light
No wires. No actuators. Shine light on the metal surface, and it rises like a button. KAIST researchers have developed a metal structure that changes shape using light, without any light-absorbing coating. This technology could open new possibilities for tactile interfaces with physical pop-up buttons, shape displays, next-generation wearable devices and soft robots.
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Mechanical engineers develop buttons that rise with light. Shine light on the metal surface, and it rises like a button. This technology could open new possibilities for tactile interfaces with physical pop-up buttons, shape displays, next-generation wearable devices and soft robots.
TL;DR:
KAIST researchers have developed a metal structure that changes shape using light, without any light-absorbing coating.
Interestingengineering
Jul 20, 20:56
World’s first hybrid-electric flight above 30,000 feet sets new aviation record
GE Aerospace has pushed hybrid-electric aviation into new territory after completing the first flight of a hybrid-electric aircraft above 30,000 feet, a milestone that moves electrified propulsion cl…
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Engineers flew a modified Saab 340B at cruising altitudes used by commercial passenger aircraft and kept the hybrid-electric propulsion system operating for more than two hours during its longest test segment. Unlike fully electric aircraft, hybrid-electric propulsion combines a conventional gas turbine with an electric powertrain.
TL;DR:
GE Aerospace has pushed hybrid-electric aviation into new territory after completing the first flight of...
Hackaday
Jul 20, 18:30
A Feature-Rich Drum Machine
A little over a month ago, we featured a project from [Igor] who built 64 bits of DRAM from scratch using discrete components. Jokes about memory pricing aside, he did …read more
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A Feature-Rich Drum Machine. A little over a month ago, we featured a project from [Igor] who built 64 bits of DRAM from scratch using discrete components. Jokes about memory pricing aside, he did …read more
TL;DR:
A little over a month ago, we featured a project from [Igor] who built 64 bits of DRAM from scratch using discrete components.
Spectrum
Jul 20, 18:00
IEEE Program Helps Girls In India See a Future In STEM
Roughly half the world’s population is female, but the STEM fields don’t reflect that. The 2024 U.N. Global Education Monitoring Report on gender found that about 35 percent of STEM college graduates were women. The proportion hasn’t increased much in more than a decade. When it comes to STEM careers, the percentage is even lower. Women made up about 28 percent of the global STEM workforce in 2024, according to the World Economic Forum. There are myriad factors for the discrepancy, including a lack of family support, some teachers encouraging only boys to pursue STEM subjects, and a shortage of female role models . But one force is at play long before college majors are ever considered: limited access to STEM-focused educational resources for preuniversity students. Especially for students in rural communities , the limited access curtails curiosity in STEM subjects before interest can take root. Although the lack of opportunity impacts boys and girls alike, when combined with other factors it can have an outsized effect on girls in some rural regions. IEEE Fellow Rajiv Joshi is one of the creators of the Women in Science, Engineering project. He is a principal scientist and master inventor at the IBM Watson Research Center, in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. Rajiv Joshi One such place is rural India. The challenges of pursuing a STEM education—or any education at all—increase sharply as rural Indian girls move into their teen years. Social barriers including early marriage, traditional gender roles, and familial expectations for financial support contribute to girls’ dropping out of school , according to the Mahadev Maitri Foundation , a nongovernment organization focused on childhood education in underdeveloped areas. Dropout rates for girls spike between the ages of 11 to 14, according to the foundation . The trend is something IEEE Fellow Rajiv Joshi and IEEE Senior Member Rajesh Zele want to change. A shared passion to keep rural Indian girls from dropping out of school and on paths to STEM careers led them to launch the Women in Science, Engineering (WiSE) project. “Talent is universal, but opportunity is not,” Joshi says. “WiSE is one way to expand opportunities.” Bringing the WiSE vision to life Joshi, vice president of industry for the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (CASS), is a principal scientist and master inventor at the IBM Watson Research Center , in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. Zele is a professor of electrical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B), in suburban Mumbai. They presented their proposal for the three-year initiative to the society’s board of governors in 2022 and received a grant of US $80,000. The framework WiSE was a five-day, hands-on learning program held on the IIT-B campus. Starting in 2023, it ran for three years and was held during the last week of March. A new cohort of 160 to 200 girls from rural and tribal areas in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka attended each year. The event was divided into two parts: hands-on learning through Break-Make-Program (BMP) experiences and presentations by influential female Indian role models. Zele, project manager Arti Auti , several IIT-B faculty members, and about 70 student volunteers from the institute oversaw the program. Selecting the first cohort With funding secured, Zele and his team on the ground in India got busy selecting attendees for the inaugural 2023 class. They reached out to administrators at 68 schools in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Although the two states are among the most urbanized in the country, each has vast rural areas where educating teen girls competes with early marriage and familial support pressure. Teachers identified girls with high scores in mathematics and science, and community leaders recommended students who could benefit from the program. Then outreach to their parents began. The adults were required to commit their own time, not just grant permission for their daughters to attend. They participated in quarterly online meetings that included the girls’ teachers, IIT-B student mentors, and other program volunteers after the week concluded. The check-ins held parents accountable for supporting their daughters’ continuing school attendance. The commitment to join the meetings was to last for at least four years after their daughter’s program participation ended. Hands-on learning is key Participants stayed in one of the institute’s dormitories for the week and attended sessions held Monday through Friday. They worked together in small teams to build things rooted in STEM concepts. The teams were supervised by Arti, IIT-B faculty, and student volunteers. “The idea behind BMP,” Joshi says, “was to give the girls an opportunity to take a gadget apart, then rebuild it, perfect it, or come up with a totally new idea.” The sessions included working with bioluminescence and bacteria (introducing participants to biology and microbiology), learning about autonomous underwater vehicles ,...
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IEEE Program Helps Girls In India See a Future In STEM. IEEE Fellow Rajiv Joshi is one of the creators of the Women in Science, Engineering project. The event was divided into two parts: hands-on learning through Break-Make-Program (BMP) experiences and presentations by influential female Indian role models.
TL;DR:
The event was divided into two parts: hands-on learning through Break-Make-Program (BMP) experiences and presentations by influential female Indian role models.
Interestingengineering
Jul 20, 17:13
ZeroAvia and Safran partner to develop hydrogen-electric propulsion technologies
US-based ZeroAvia and French aerospace giant Safran have partnered to accelerate the development of zero-emission, hydrogen-electric propulsion technologies for aviation.
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The partnership fuses ZeroAvia’s cutting-edge aerospace fuel cell expertise with Safran’s deep roots in propulsion, electrification, and fuel cell testing. The core is the development of high-temperature fuel cells, which are essential for meeting the intense, sustained power demands of heavy commercial airliners.
TL;DR:
US-based ZeroAvia and French aerospace giant Safran have partnered to accelerate the development of zero-emission,...
Interestingengineering
Jul 20, 16:55
US unveils reusable microwave drone-killer that can take down 50 UAVs per mission
A US defense and aerospace manufacturer has recently unveiled a one-to-many airborne counter-drone weapon, designed...
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US unveils reusable microwave drone-killer that can take down 50 UAVs per mission. A US defense and aerospace manufacturer has recently unveiled a one-to-many airborne counter-drone weapon, designed...
TL;DR:
A US defense and aerospace manufacturer has recently unveiled a one-to-many airborne counter-drone weapon, designed...
Event
Jul 20, 15:55
SEM-Guided Low-kV FIB Finishing for Leading-Edge Semiconductor Failure Analysis
Discover how the ZEISS Crossbeam 750 FIBSEM sets a new benchmark for precise TEM lamella prep, tomography, and advanced nanofabrication. This delivers better resolution, better SNR, larger usable FOV, and shorter acquisition times. Learn how uninterrupted FIB milling will reduce damage and rework, accelerate time to TEM, and increase first pass success—so your FA, yield, and materials teams make faster, confident data driven decisions. Register now for this free webinar! Join us to discover how the new ZEISS Crossbeam 750 with its see while you mill capability delivers precision and clarity—every time—for demanding FIB-SEM workflows. Designed for extremely challenging TEM lamella preparation, tomography, advanced nanofabrication, and APT‑ready lift‑out, Crossbeam 750 combines a new Gemini 4 SEM objective lens, a double deflector, and a next‑generation scan generator to elevate both image quality and process confidence. You’ll learn how better resolution and better SNR translate into more image detail and shorter acquisition times, while the low‑kV FIB performance enables more precise lamella prep. We’ll demonstrate High Dynamic Range (HDR) Mill + SEM—an interwoven SEM/FIB scanning mode that suppresses FIB‑generated background. This enables immediate, clean visual feedback, even during nudging the FIB pattern live while milling . The result: confident endpointing with uninterrupted FIB milling and pristine, metrology‑grade surfaces with the lowest possible sample damage. This session is ideal for semiconductor failure analysists, yield teams and materials scientists seeking faster time‑to‑TEM, higher first‑pass success, and consistent outcomes at low kV. See how Crossbeam 750 empowers you to make earlier stop‑milling decisions, cut rework, and reliably plan turnaround time—so you can move from sample to insight with confidence. Register now for this free webinar!
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SEM-Guided Low-kV FIB Finishing for Leading-Edge Semiconductor Failure Analysis. Learn how uninterrupted FIB milling will reduce damage and rework, accelerate time to TEM, and increase first pass success—so your FA, yield, and materials teams make faster, confident data driven decisions.
TL;DR:
Discover how the ZEISS Crossbeam 750 FIBSEM sets a new benchmark for precise TEM lamella prep, tomography, and advanced nanofabrication.
Var0
Jul 20, 14:10
Perfection Is Not Over-Engineering
"We don't want to do perfect." "We don't want to build the perfect solution." I've heard versions of that line more times than I can count, delivered as if "perfect" were a dirty word.
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It's perfect because it's the only one that fits. Different constraints, different answer. Same problem space, different "perfect."
TL;DR:
"We don't want to do perfect." "We don't want to build the perfect solution." I've heard versions of that line more times than I can count, delivered as if "perfect" were a dirty word.
Hackaday
Jul 20, 14:00
Launching Rockets is Hard, Bring them Back is Harder
Since the first V2 rocket sailed above the Kármán line back in 1944 and right up until the modern era, the trajectory of most space-bound rockets was more or less …read more
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In either event, the rocket was disposable. Instead, they would build a hybrid space vehicle that blended the vertical takeoff and raw power of a rocket with the capabilities of an airplane, allowing it and whatever it was carrying to make a gentle runway landing at the end of its mission.
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Since the first V2 rocket sailed above the Kármán line back in 1944 and right up until the modern era, the trajectory of most space-bound rockets was more or less …read more
Interestingengineering
Jul 20, 13:54
Scientists develop thin-film electronics that automatically connect and disconnect
Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have advanced wearable technology. The team designed a thin-film...
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Scientists develop thin-film electronics that automatically connect and disconnect. Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have advanced wearable technology. The team designed a thin-film...
TL;DR:
Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have advanced wearable technology.
Interestingengineering
Jul 20, 13:49
GE completes key engine test for X-BAT aircraft that takes off without runways
GE Aerospace and Shield AI have reached a key milestone in developing the X-BAT unmanned...
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GE completes key engine test for X-BAT aircraft that takes off without runways. GE Aerospace and Shield AI have reached a key milestone in developing the X-BAT unmanned...
TL;DR:
GE Aerospace and Shield AI have reached a key milestone in developing the X-BAT unmanned...
Interestingengineering
Jul 20, 13:45
China goes bold, unveils roadmap to make nuclear energy systems more intelligent
Chinese scientists have made a bold move at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in...
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China goes bold, unveils roadmap to make nuclear energy systems more intelligent. Chinese scientists have made a bold move at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in...
TL;DR:
Chinese scientists have made a bold move at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in...
Interestingengineering
Jul 20, 13:45
World’s first 500 MW impulse hydropower project passes major valve milestone
A major part of the world’s first 500-megawatt impulse hydropower unit has reached an important engineering milestone in southwest China.
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Recently, the inlet spherical valve for Unit 1 at the Datang Zhala Hydropower Station in Xizang passed its hydrostatic pressure test, demonstrating that its seal operates as designed under all conditions. For Unit 1, the valve is 9.5 feet (2.9 meters) wide and is made to work at a pressure of 9 megapascals.
TL;DR:
A major part of the world’s first 500-megawatt impulse hydropower unit has reached an important...
Interestingengineering
Jul 20, 13:37
China: AGIBOT’s new humanoid robot with 51 DoF, 8-hour endurance unveiled
Chinese robotics player AGIBOT has unveiled four new robotics products, expanding its range of humanoid,...
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China: AGIBOT’s new humanoid robot with 51 DoF, 8-hour endurance unveiled. Chinese robotics player AGIBOT has unveiled four new robotics products, expanding its range of humanoid,...
TL;DR:
Chinese robotics player AGIBOT has unveiled four new robotics products, expanding its range of humanoid,...
Spectrum
Jul 20, 13:00
We’re Squandering LEDs’ Potential to Save Our Night Skies
In the chill of a London spring night, under overcast skies, iconic Trafalgar Square opens around me. Admiral Nelson rises on his pedestal, the National Gallery rests behind, the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields sits nearby. From the 13th century, the site served as the Royal Mews for hawks and then horses. By 1844, it was a public space at the heart of one of the biggest cities in the world. Despite the square’s presence through that grand sweep of history, it’s not why I’m here. My interest is far more specific: I want to find out what happens to spaces like this when artificial light, specifically from light-emitting diodes (LEDs), intrudes. My companion tonight is Simon Thorp , a local lighting designer, who crouches in the shadows near Nelson’s spire, light meter in hand. “Two lux,” he reports, “and it’s very comfortable here.” Two lux is 10 to 20 times the illuminance of a full moon. We can see each other clearly, and a nearby sign assures us that closed-circuit television (CCTV) is in operation for safety’s sake. Trafalgar Square captures the relationship between lighting and darkness that exists in almost every city, suburb, small town, and village around the world. The lighting here is a mishmash of old technologies and new, of shadow and glare, the ornamental gas lamps fronting the National Gallery all but washed out by the LEDs inside modern versions of traditional “brass and glass” fixtures a few meters away—21st-century technology housed in 19th-century designs. The ugly truth of artificial lighting today is that in parts of London, as in many cities around the world, lighting levels are excessive, with unshielded illumination blasting in all directions. And the irony is that too much light invites danger: It creates shadows, impedes our vision, and gives the illusion, without the reality, of safety. Thorp notes that modern CCTV cameras are “pretty great” even at low-light levels, while harsh light makes it hard for both human eyes and digital sensors to see. “The more bad light we add, the more bad light we think we need,” says Thorp. “We can’t see because of the light we’ve added. And it makes areas that were perfectly okay seem darker.” Among the costs of this excess, the most alarming may be its toll on human health (and that of other animals) by disrupting circadian rhythms, impeding the production of melatonin, and contributing to sleep disorders that are tied to every major modern disease. New research shows that increased exposure to blue light from LEDs is having “substantial biological impacts” such as suppression of the sleep hormone melatonin and an increased risk for obesity, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes. A panoramic view from the Eiffel Tower looks down on the illuminated Champ de Mars gardens [center] leading toward the École Militaire, with the tall silhouette of the Tour Montparnasse visible on the Paris skyline. Luigi Avantaggiato I have come to London and Paris—which led the way in the expansion of public street lighting in the 19th century—because they embody both the current enormity of the problem as well as a future certain to be lit by trillions of chips: controllable, tunable, and energy-efficient LEDs. Living with artificial light at night The standard justification for nighttime illumination is public safety. Lighting experts’ term for the phenomenon is “artificial light at night.” While people won’t often admit it, the desire for light at night seems to stem from a primal fear of the dark. Darkness is where the bad guys hide. And if dark is bad and light is good, then more light can only be better. This assumption has guided our use of nighttime light for hundreds of years. And yet, high-lumen output doesn’t necessarily correlate to a reduction in crime, research has found. In other words, if we relied on the data as much as we do our primal anxieties and paused those anxieties long enough to learn how light and darkness interact, our nights would almost certainly be lighted differently—especially now that we have the extraordinary technology that is the light-emitting diode. A 19th-century gas lamp [white square] manufactured by William Sugg & Co. next to a pedestrian path in Trafalgar Square, along with the architectural floodlighting on the neoclassical facade of the National Gallery, showcase the interplay between modern and historic lighting systems. Luigi Avantaggiato The first visible red light-emitting diode was invented by Nick Holonyak in 1962 , but LED lighting technology took several decades to develop, before exploding in recent years. Just a decade ago, LED streetlamps were rare. By 2019, more than half of U.S. streetlights were LEDs, and that number is predicted to top 90 percent by 2030. Similar uptake has occurred around the world, even in developing countries, where inexpensive Chinese-made LED fixtures are increasingly common. This rapid global migration to LEDs represents a shift in the fundamental physics of how we illuminate our worl...
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“The more bad light we add, the more bad light we think we need,” says Thorp. “We can’t see because of the light we’ve added. And if dark is bad and light is good, then more light can only be better.
TL;DR:
The ugly truth of artificial lighting today is that in parts of London, as in many cities around the world, lighting levels are excessive, with unshielded illumination blasting in all directions.
Bbc
Jul 20, 12:25
The hunger-striking engineer demanding education reforms in India
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has a long history of challenging the status quo and refusing food to highlight his causes.
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Sonam Wangchuk is a well-known Indian activist and educator who is in the headlines after going on hunger strike in support of youth-led protesters demanding reforms to the education system. At the protest site in the capital Delhi, he began fasting on 28 June and has consumed nothing but salt and water since then, losing more than 9kg.
TL;DR:
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has a long history of challenging the status quo and refusing food to highlight his causes.
Hackaday
Jul 20, 11:00
Earth-like LHS 1140b May Feature the First Atmosphere Found on Exoplanet
Finding another planet outside of our solar system that can comfortably be called ‘Earth-like’ is one of those discoveries that — if confirmed — would be a major event. The …read more
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The complication here is that with every exoplanet that we discover through observations, determining the type of planet is hard enough, never mind figuring out whether it has an atmosphere, much less what’s in that atmosphere.
TL;DR:
Finding another planet outside of our solar system that can comfortably be called ‘Earth-like’ is one of those discoveries that — if confirmed — would be a major event.
Hackaday
Jul 20, 08:00
Could Reticulum Power a Post-Internet Network?
These days, it is easy to think you always have access to the Internet. But some wonder if — in spite of its ARPANET, nuclear-war-planning heritage — you can actually …read more
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Could Reticulum Power a Post-Internet Network?. These days, it is easy to think you always have access to the Internet. But some wonder if — in spite of its ARPANET, nuclear-war-planning heritage — you can actually …read more
TL;DR:
These days, it is easy to think you always have access to the Internet.
Theconversation
Jul 20, 04:19
When can a power company take your land for data center infrastructure?
The artificial intelligence boom in the United States is being matched by a data center building boom. There are more than 3,000 data centers in the U.S.
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When can a power company take your land for data center infrastructure?. There are more than 3,000 data centers in the U.S. But does a line built to serve a private data center qualify?
TL;DR:
The artificial intelligence boom in the United States is being matched by a data center building boom.
Interestingengineering
Jul 19, 23:25
50 million flight hours: US firm’s plane engine hits milestone, offers 99.98% dispatch reliability
An Ohio-based aircraft engine-maker has achieved a key milestone. GE Aerospace’s GEnx-1B engine has now...
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50 million flight hours: US firm’s plane engine hits milestone, offers 99.98% dispatch reliability. An Ohio-based aircraft engine-maker has achieved a key milestone. GE Aerospace’s GEnx-1B engine has now...
TL;DR:
An Ohio-based aircraft engine-maker has achieved a key milestone.
Hackaday
Jul 19, 23:00
Hackaday Links: July 19, 2026
We’ll start this week off by giving our congratulations to Skyroot Aerospace of India for successfully launching the country’s first privately developed orbital rocket yesterday. The company’s Vikram-1 booster stands …read more
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We’ll start this week off by giving our congratulations to Skyroot Aerospace of India for successfully launching the country’s first privately developed orbital rocket yesterday. The company’s Vikram-1 booster stands …read more
TL;DR:
We’ll start this week off by giving our congratulations to Skyroot Aerospace of India for successfully launching the country’s first privately developed orbital rocket yesterday.
Interestingengineering
Jul 19, 22:25
Battle-tested decoy system that replicates fighter jets’ radar signature set to be produced in US
A Virginia-based company is gearing up for a rapid production restart of a battle-tested, air-launched...
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Battle-tested decoy system that replicates fighter jets’ radar signature set to be produced in US. A Virginia-based company is gearing up for a rapid production restart of a battle-tested, air-launched...
TL;DR:
A Virginia-based company is gearing up for a rapid production restart of a battle-tested, air-launched...
Hackaday
Jul 19, 20:00
Automated Pressure Advance Using a Bed-Leveling Sensor
One of the most crucial aspects of FDM 3D printing is ensuring sufficient material is extruded. Determining the right flow rate can be done manually, but some printers these days …read more
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Automated Pressure Advance Using a Bed-Leveling Sensor. One of the most crucial aspects of FDM 3D printing is ensuring sufficient material is extruded. Determining the right flow rate can be done manually, but some printers these days …read more
TL;DR:
One of the most crucial aspects of FDM 3D printing is ensuring sufficient material is extruded.
Interestingengineering
Jul 19, 16:29
High-pressure turbine durability kit could double plane engine’s time on wing in harsh conditions
Aircraft engine manufacturer CFM International has received certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)...
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High-pressure turbine durability kit could double plane engine’s time on wing in harsh conditions. Aircraft engine manufacturer CFM International has received certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)...
TL;DR:
Aircraft engine manufacturer CFM International has received certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)...
Interestingengineering
Jul 19, 13:19
Next-generation solid ‘sandwich’ crystal designed to convert waste heat into electricity
Researchers from the Institute of Science, Tokyo, have developed a new heat-to-electricity material that acts like an atomically thin film but comes in a more practical, solid crystal form.
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Researchers from the Institute of Science, Tokyo, have developed a new heat-to-electricity material that acts like an atomically thin film but comes in a more practical, solid crystal form. If scaled outside of a laboratory, such a material could be used for things like designing next-generation materials for waste heat energy recovery.
TL;DR:
Researchers from the Institute of Science, Tokyo, have developed a new heat-to-electricity material that acts...
Interestingengineering
Jul 19, 12:58
Chinese scientists unveil new process for faster 3D optical chip manufacturing
The research was led by scientists from the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy...
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Chinese scientists unveil new process for faster 3D optical chip manufacturing. The research was led by scientists from the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy...
TL;DR:
The research was led by scientists from the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy...
Interestingengineering
Jul 19, 12:53
China unveils brain-to-robot platform that lets people control machines with their thoughts
Teaching robots how to act is hard. Teaching them what humans actually want is even...
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China unveils brain-to-robot platform that lets people control machines with their thoughts. Teaching robots how to act is hard. Teaching them what humans actually want is even...
TL;DR:
Teaching robots how to act is hard.
Interestingengineering
Jul 19, 12:33
US: Open-fan GE engine targets 20% jet fuel cut as full-scale testing begins
CFM International (a joint GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines company) has announced that its...
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US: Open-fan GE engine targets 20% jet fuel cut as full-scale testing begins. CFM International (a joint GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines company) has announced that its...
TL;DR:
CFM International (a joint GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines company) has announced that its...
Bbc
Jul 19, 11:33
From coffee grounds to guinea pig bedding - the composters keeping it local
Food waste is a resource like water and should be kept in communities, compost champions say.
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From coffee grounds to guinea pig bedding - the composters keeping it local. Food waste is a resource like water and should be kept in communities, compost champions say.
TL;DR:
Food waste is a resource like water and should be kept in communities, compost champions say.
Interestingengineering
Jul 19, 03:04
Powerful electromagnetic battle management ecosystem completes first flight test, proves efficacy
A Florida-based company has successfully completed the first flight test of an electromagnetic battle management ecosystem.
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L3Harris Technologies completed the test with Shield AI’s Hivemind mission-autonomy software. Known as Distributed Spectrum Collaboration and Operations (DiSCO), the system is a resilient, vendor-agnostic Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) architecture that connects multiple electronic warfare (EW) systems across a distributed network for real-time threat detection and…
TL;DR:
A Florida-based company has successfully completed the first flight test of an electromagnetic battle management...
Github
Jul 18, 23:27
Harness Engineering
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Reload to refresh your session. Dismiss alert {{ message }} lopopolo / harness-engineering Public Notifications You must be signed in to change notification settings Fork 4 Star 95 trunk Branches Tags Go to file Code Open more actions menu Folders and files Name Name Last commit message Last commit date Latest commit History 2 Commits 2 Commits assets assets docs docs…
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You signed in with another tab or window.
Interestingengineering
Jul 18, 21:23
Advanced composites for future aircraft can be built faster as two US firms join hands
Albany Engineered Composites and A&P Technology are combining advanced braiding and resin transfer molding technologies...
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Advanced composites for future aircraft can be built faster as two US firms join hands. Albany Engineered Composites and A&P Technology are combining advanced braiding and resin transfer molding technologies...
TL;DR:
Albany Engineered Composites and A&P Technology are combining advanced braiding and resin transfer molding technologies...
Techxplore
Jul 18, 19:28
3D-printed bridge points the way to greener construction
Concrete is the most widely used building material on Earth, and producing it is one of the largest single sources of carbon emissions. One promising way to reduce its environmental footprint is to 3D-print concrete, laying it down bead by bead like a giant icing-piping robot. This process eliminates the labor-intensive formwork of pouring it into molds and places the material only where a structure needs it.
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3D-printed bridge points the way to greener construction. One promising way to reduce its environmental footprint is to 3D-print concrete, laying it down bead by bead like a giant icing-piping robot. This process eliminates the labor-intensive formwork of pouring it into molds and places the material only where a structure needs it.
TL;DR:
Concrete is the most widely used building material on Earth, and producing it is one of the largest single sources of carbon emissions.
Interestingengineering
Jul 18, 13:13
Electric aircraft advance as Vertical Aerospace plans first public eVTOL flight demonstration
British aerospace company Vertical Aerospace is set to conduct the first public electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) demonstration flights at the upcoming Farnborough International Airshow.
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The event represents another milestone in the company’s journey toward certification and the eventual launch of commercial electric aircraft services. The demonstrations come at a key stage in the company’s development, Vertical Aerospace noted.
TL;DR:
British aerospace company Vertical Aerospace is set to conduct the first public electric vertical take-off...
Interestingengineering
Jul 18, 13:03
US firm gets permission for 600 MWh Minnesota battery project that can support electrical grid
Spearmint Energy (Spearmint) has announced it has now secured a site for a planned 600...
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US firm gets permission for 600 MWh Minnesota battery project that can support electrical grid. Spearmint Energy (Spearmint) has announced it has now secured a site for a planned 600...
TL;DR:
Spearmint Energy (Spearmint) has announced it has now secured a site for a planned 600...
Interestingengineering
Jul 18, 12:48
Pentagon-backed US lithium battery facility targets 25,000 tons of anode material
Graphite One advances Ohio battery materials project with EPA review milestone, targeting 10,000–25,000 tonnes of annual synthetic anode production. Graphite One Inc.
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has cleared another permitting milestone for its planned Ohio battery materials facility, advancing a project designed to produce between 10,000 and 25,000 tonnes of synthetic anode active material (AAM) annually for the growing electric vehicle and energy storage markets.
TL;DR:
Graphite One advances Ohio battery materials project with EPA review milestone, targeting 10,000–25,000 tonnes of...
Interestingengineering
Jul 17, 23:09
Electric air taxi charging network to reach 250 US aviation sites by 2030
Electric air taxis have moved steadily toward commercial service, but charging infrastructure remains one of...
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Electric air taxi charging network to reach 250 US aviation sites by 2030. Electric air taxis have moved steadily toward commercial service, but charging infrastructure remains one of...
TL;DR:
Electric air taxis have moved steadily toward commercial service, but charging infrastructure remains one of...
Hackaday
Jul 17, 23:00
How Octopuses Hacked their Ribosome to Become Smart
A fascinating aspect in evolutionary biology is that of convergent evolution — whereby similar structures and functions evolve independently from each other. The highly advanced nervous system of octopuses is …read more
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How Octopuses Hacked their Ribosome to Become Smart. A fascinating aspect in evolutionary biology is that of convergent evolution — whereby similar structures and functions evolve independently from each other. The highly advanced nervous system of octopuses is …read more
TL;DR:
The highly advanced nervous system of octopuses is …read more
Techxplore
Jul 17, 20:22
Turning pulp mills into next-generation biorefineries
Georgia's $41 billion forest products industry needs a transformation, and a Georgia Tech research team is reimagining how pulp mills use energy and what they can make from their byproduct streams. For nearly a decade, Sankar Nair, professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a longtime researcher with the Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI), has led a collaborative effort to develop technologies that can radically improve the efficiency and profitability of kraft pulp mills.
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Georgia's $41 billion forest products industry needs a transformation, and a Georgia Tech research team is reimagining how pulp mills use energy and what they can make from their byproduct streams.
TL;DR:
Georgia's $41 billion forest products industry needs a transformation, and a Georgia Tech research team is reimagining how pulp mills use energy and what they can make from their byproduct streams.
Techxplore
Jul 17, 20:22
A new robotic hand capable of switching between multiple grippers using a single motor
For robots to be used in various settings, such as factories, logistics, service industries and households, they must be able to stably handle a diverse range of objects differing in shape, size, weight and rigidity. However, conventional robotic hands often require multiple motors and complex control systems, presenting challenges in terms of weight, cost, failure risk and control difficulties.
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For robots to be used in various settings, such as factories, logistics, service industries and households, they must be able to stably handle a diverse range of objects differing in shape, size, weight and rigidity.
TL;DR:
For robots to be used in various settings, such as factories, logistics, service industries and households, they must be able to stably handle a diverse range of objects differing in shape, size, weight and rigidity.
Techxplore
Jul 17, 20:22
Scientists create interactive screens that can appear on demand
Imagine reaching for a record or glancing at a map and seeing a display bloom from a small box, offering interactive guidance—and then vanishing moments later. A new device, inspired by science fiction and designed by computer scientists at the University of Chicago, lets digital displays bloom from everyday objects and surfaces. The creators hope it's a step toward creating touch interfaces only when they're needed and helping technology fade seamlessly into daily life.
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Scientists create interactive screens that can appear on demand. A new device, inspired by science fiction and designed by computer scientists at the University of Chicago, lets digital displays bloom from everyday objects and surfaces. The creators hope it's a step toward creating touch interfaces only when they're needed and helping technology fade seamlessly into daily life.
TL;DR:
Imagine reaching for a record or glancing at a map and seeing a display bloom from a small box, offering interactive guidance—and then vanishing moments later.
Interestingengineering
Jul 17, 18:41
US scientists find new material that outperforms copper in tiny computer chips
Researchers in the US have developed nanowires made from niobium arsenide, a quantum material that can replace copper because it becomes a better electrical conductor as it gets thinner.
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Researchers in the US have developed nanowires made from niobium arsenide, a quantum material that can replace copper because it becomes a better electrical conductor as it gets thinner. Unlike copper, the quantum material becomes a better electrical conductor as its dimensions shrink.
TL;DR:
Researchers in the US have developed nanowires made from niobium arsenide, a quantum material that...
Interestingengineering
Jul 17, 18:10
Candy-inspired method yields first cold radium molecules for quantum experiments
Caltech researchers have created cold molecules containing the radioactive element radium for the first time, opening a new way to investigate why the universe is made mostly of matter instead of equ…
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Caltech researchers have created cold molecules containing the radioactive element radium for the first time, opening a new way to investigate why the universe is made mostly of matter instead of equal parts matter and antimatter. Scientists believe matter and antimatter were produced in equal amounts shortly after the Big Bang.
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Caltech researchers have created cold molecules containing the radioactive element radium for the first time,...
Interestingengineering
Jul 17, 16:43
Humanoid robot grills kebabs, cooks Chinese dishes in impressive live AI demo
A humanoid robot demonstrated its cooking skills by preparing traditional Xinjiang dishes during a live...
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Humanoid robot grills kebabs, cooks Chinese dishes in impressive live AI demo. A humanoid robot demonstrated its cooking skills by preparing traditional Xinjiang dishes during a live...
TL;DR:
A humanoid robot demonstrated its cooking skills by preparing traditional Xinjiang dishes during a live...
Interestingengineering
Jul 17, 14:40
World first: A humanoid robot mounts a mechanical horse and performs horseback archery
Coverage here spans industrial robots, cobots, humanoids, drones, and service robots, along with the hardware and software that enable them to operate at scale.
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Coverage here spans industrial robots, cobots, humanoids, drones, and service robots, along with the hardware and software that enable them to operate at scale. The AI-powered solution enables cobots to automate complex inspection, assembly, and packaging tasks beyond traditional robotics.
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A humanoid robot mounted a mechanical horse at a racecourse near Sayram Lake in China’s...
Interestingengineering
Jul 17, 13:45
US firm builds world’s largest flywheel test cell to validate 200-kWh energy storage system
US-based Qnetic is assembling a 200-kilowatt-hour (kWh) flywheel-based energy storage system dubbed Pulsar, as it is also constructing the world’s largest dedicated flywheel test cell at its Technolo…
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US-based Qnetic is assembling a 200-kilowatt-hour (kWh) flywheel-based energy storage system dubbed Pulsar, as it is also constructing the world’s largest dedicated flywheel test cell at its Technology Center in Shanghai. Flywheel-based energy storage uses rotational motion for energy storage .
TL;DR:
US-based Qnetic is assembling a 200-kilowatt-hour (kWh) flywheel-based energy storage system dubbed Pulsar, as it...
Interestingengineering
Jul 17, 13:39
New solar panel auto-folds to avoid hail and storm damage, boosts yield by 40%
A photovoltaic system uses dual-axis tracking to follow the sun’s path, thereby raising electricity generation...
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New solar panel auto-folds to avoid hail and storm damage, boosts yield by 40%. A photovoltaic system uses dual-axis tracking to follow the sun’s path, thereby raising electricity generation...
TL;DR:
A photovoltaic system uses dual-axis tracking to follow the sun’s path, thereby raising electricity generation...
Interestingengineering
Jul 17, 13:13
China’s upgraded Y-9 submarine hunter enters military drills with new radar systems
China’s military has revealed an upgraded version of its Y-9 anti-submarine patrol aircraft during recent naval exercises.
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This marks the plane’s first official use in training since it was shown at the 2025 Victory Day parade. According to Chinese military expert Zhang Junshe, the aircraft now carries a new active phased-array radar under its nose. According to Zhang, it can drop up to 100 sonobuoys in one mission, creating a network that covers dozens of kilometers to track submarines underwater.
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China’s military has revealed an upgraded version of its Y-9 anti-submarine patrol aircraft during recent...
Interestingengineering
Jul 17, 13:08
Humanoid robot lands head-high kick during ‘world’s first freestyle’ fighting in China
A humanoid robot landed a head-high kick to defeat its opponent at what organizers described...
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Humanoid robot lands head-high kick during ‘world’s first freestyle’ fighting in China. A humanoid robot landed a head-high kick to defeat its opponent at what organizers described...
TL;DR:
A humanoid robot landed a head-high kick to defeat its opponent at what organizers described...
Interestingengineering
Jul 17, 12:11
Why Tesla’s first-ever bike launch has left its most loyal fans completely disappointed
For years, Tesla has been the electric bike brand that everyone wants, but nobody can...
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Why Tesla’s first-ever bike launch has left its most loyal fans completely disappointed. For years, Tesla has been the electric bike brand that everyone wants, but nobody can...
TL;DR:
For years, Tesla has been the electric bike brand that everyone wants, but nobody can...
Hackaday
Jul 17, 02:00
White Rails are the Infrastructure Hack We Didn’t Know We Needed
Railroads might be a nineteenth century technology, but they’re still the backbone of cargo transportation in the 21st century. They’ve also far from run out of innovation, including this one …read more
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White Rails are the Infrastructure Hack We Didn’t Know We Needed. Railroads might be a nineteenth century technology, but they’re still the backbone of cargo transportation in the 21st century. They’ve also far from run out of innovation, including this one …read more
TL;DR:
Railroads might be a nineteenth century technology, but they’re still the backbone of cargo transportation in the 21st century.
Interestingengineering
Jul 16, 23:46
Humanoid robot walks across sand, gravel and slopes using faster training framework
A team of Georgia Tech researchers has developed a new machine-learning framework that enables a...
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Humanoid robot walks across sand, gravel and slopes using faster training framework. A team of Georgia Tech researchers has developed a new machine-learning framework that enables a...
TL;DR:
A team of Georgia Tech researchers has developed a new machine-learning framework that enables a...
Interestingengineering
Jul 16, 23:39
World’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be dismantled in $418M US Navy deal
The U.S. Navy has chosen NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services to dismantle USS Enterprise (CVN-65) under...
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World’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be dismantled in $418M US Navy deal. Navy has chosen NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services to dismantle USS Enterprise (CVN-65) under...
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Navy has chosen NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services to dismantle USS Enterprise (CVN-65) under...
Interestingengineering
Jul 16, 22:44
China’s 16-in-1 electric drive hits 93.8% efficiency, sets energy world record
Geely Auto Group has introduced a new integrated electric drive system that combines 16 core...
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China’s 16-in-1 electric drive hits 93.8% efficiency, sets energy world record. Geely Auto Group has introduced a new integrated electric drive system that combines 16 core...
TL;DR:
Geely Auto Group has introduced a new integrated electric drive system that combines 16 core...
Interestingengineering
Jul 16, 21:10
New ForceField counter-UAS system stops FPV drone attacks without emitting signals
Israeli defense technology company Axon Vision has introduced ForceField, a new counter-drone protection system built...
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Israeli defense technology company Axon Vision has introduced ForceField, a new counter-drone protection system built to defeat first-person view (FPV) drones, including fiber-optic-controlled variants that can bypass traditional electronic warfare defenses.
TL;DR:
Israeli defense technology company Axon Vision has introduced ForceField, a new counter-drone protection system built...
Techxplore
Jul 16, 20:21
New spinning drone hides in plain sight: 'Phantom Twist' harnesses motion blur to nearly vanish in flight
By exploiting the quirks of human vision, Northwestern University engineers have designed a drone that nearly disappears before the eyes. For years, researchers have tried to design invisible drones and robots using camouflage, transparent materials or light-bending optical systems. But the Northwestern team instead used a concept called "motion blur"—the same effect that makes fast-spinning fans and propellers seem to disappear.
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New spinning drone hides in plain sight: 'Phantom Twist' harnesses motion blur to nearly vanish in flight. For years, researchers have tried to design invisible drones and robots using camouflage, transparent materials or light-bending optical systems.
TL;DR:
By exploiting the quirks of human vision, Northwestern University engineers have designed a drone that nearly disappears before the eyes.
Hackaday
Jul 16, 20:00
Bad Apple on a Karaoke Machine
CD+Graphics was a format that never really caught on. It let music discs pack some graphics, maybe liner notes, and mostly song lyrics into the otherwise empty space on a …read more
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Bad Apple on a Karaoke Machine. CD+Graphics was a format that never really caught on. It let music discs pack some graphics, maybe liner notes, and mostly song lyrics into the otherwise empty space on a …read more
TL;DR:
CD+Graphics was a format that never really caught on.
Interestingengineering
Jul 16, 19:11
Aalo-X 10-MWe test reactor taps Rockwell control platform to speed nuclear deployment
Milwaukee-based industrial heavyweight Rockwell Automation has been selected as the control platform provider for Aalo...
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Aalo-X 10-MWe test reactor taps Rockwell control platform to speed nuclear deployment. Milwaukee-based industrial heavyweight Rockwell Automation has been selected as the control platform provider for Aalo...
TL;DR:
Milwaukee-based industrial heavyweight Rockwell Automation has been selected as the control platform provider for Aalo...
Interestingengineering
Jul 16, 18:18
Valo hybrid-electric aircraft gains autonomous flight for 1,000-mile defense missions
Vertical Aerospace has teamed up with autonomous flight specialist Near Earth Autonomy to add advanced...
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Valo hybrid-electric aircraft gains autonomous flight for 1,000-mile defense missions. Vertical Aerospace has teamed up with autonomous flight specialist Near Earth Autonomy to add advanced...
TL;DR:
Vertical Aerospace has teamed up with autonomous flight specialist Near Earth Autonomy to add advanced...
Interestingengineering
Jul 16, 16:02
China’s EV-maker targets 1,000 Iron humanoid robots monthly ahead of 2027 global rollout
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng is accelerating production of its Iron humanoid robot. The...
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China’s EV-maker targets 1,000 Iron humanoid robots monthly ahead of 2027 global rollout. Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng is accelerating production of its Iron humanoid robot.
TL;DR:
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Xpeng is accelerating production of its Iron humanoid robot.
Theatlantic
Jul 16, 13:12
Generative AI Is an Engineering Disaster
Listen − 1.0 x + Seek 0:00 11:07 Editor’s note: This work is part of AI Watchdog , The Atlantic ’ s ongoing investigation into the generative-AI industry.
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Generative AI Is an Engineering Disaster. As they scramble to keep their systems online, AI companies are making things expensive for the rest of us. The demand for electricity at these sites is already so great that some companies are repurposing jet engines to power them.
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And the memory shortage is expected to continue for years.
Interestingengineering
Jul 16, 12:49
New metal alloys that beat 1,832°F heat could help jet engines and nuclear reactors
Researchers at the University of Toronto Engineering have developed six new metal alloys using an...
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New metal alloys that beat 1,832°F heat could help jet engines and nuclear reactors. Researchers at the University of Toronto Engineering have developed six new metal alloys using an...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the University of Toronto Engineering have developed six new metal alloys using an...
Spectrum
Jul 16, 12:00
Digital Surveillance Reshapes Fishery Enforcement in Indonesia
In the eastern Indian Ocean, south of Java in the vast sea stretching toward Australia, a fishing vessel slightly alters its course while operating near the boundary of its authorized fishing ground. Nothing appears unusual on deck. Nets remain in the water. Engines maintain a steady speed. To the crew, it is an ordinary day at sea. Yet hundreds of kilometers above, satellites continuously record the vessel’s position. At Indonesia’s Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance Station in Cilacap, where I work, a monitoring platform receives the signal and automatically compares it against fishing permits, designated fishing grounds, vessel characteristics, and historical movement patterns. Within minutes, the system identifies a potential violation. Before any patrol vessel leaves port, before any inspector boards a vessel, and before any warning is issued, we have begun enforcement. This transformation reflects a profound shift in maritime governance. The ocean has historically been opaque to regulators. States could only enforce laws where patrol vessels happened to be present. Today, however, integrated systems combining data from Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), satellite remote sensing , geospatial analytics, and increasingly sophisticated data-processing tools are making marine activity visible at an unprecedented scale . Global Fishing Watch alone tracks hundreds of thousands of vessels worldwide, generating a near real-time picture of fishing activity across the world’s oceans.¹ Indonesia has emerged as one of the most ambitious examples of this transition. As the world’s largest archipelagic state, managing more than six million square kilometers of maritime space, Indonesia faces a challenge familiar to many coastal nations: there are never enough patrol vessels. Digital surveillance is a practical necessity that makes my job possible, even as it creates new challenges. The Law of the Sea Meets Digital Reality The international legal framework governing the oceans was designed in an era when maritime enforcement depended almost entirely on physical presence. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982, assumes that states exercise authority through patrols, inspections, vessel boardings, and direct observation.² For countries with extensive coastlines and limited enforcement resources, this model has always faced practical constraints. Indonesia’s Fisheries Management Areas (WPP-NRI) span waters ranging from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and from the Malacca Strait to the maritime boundaries adjacent to Australia and Papua New Guinea. Monitoring such a vast domain solely through patrol operations is both expensive and operationally impossible. Beginning in the late 2010s, Indonesia accelerated the integration of satellite-based monitoring into fisheries enforcement. Vessel Monitoring Systems became a cornerstone of this strategy. By early 2026, a total of 9,394 Indonesian fishing vessels were actively transmitting through the national Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), representing an increase of 2,880 vessels during the 2021–2025 period.³ As part of Indonesia’s broader maritime surveillance architecture, VMS data are complemented by satellite remote sensing and other monitoring tools to help identify suspicious activities involving vessels operating without active transponders or outside the national VMS network. Indonesian fisheries officials plan fishery patrols using data from tracking devices, satellites, and their understanding of the patterns of illegal fishing. Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries The implications extend far beyond vessel tracking. Continuous digital monitoring enables authorities to reconstruct vessel movements, identify suspicious behavioral patterns, detect unauthorized fishing activity, and verify compliance with licensing conditions. Rather than waiting to discover violations during patrol operations, regulators can increasingly prioritize inspections based on data-derived risk assessments. Maritime governance is shifting from reactive enforcement toward predictive oversight. The Surprising Geography of Digital Enforcement The expansion of surveillance infrastructure has already generated measurable enforcement outcomes. The Ministry of Marine and Fisheries Affairs Indonesia imposed 2,550 administrative sanctions during 2025 , many involving violations detected through the Vessel Monitoring System, including fishing outside authorized fishing grounds and deliberate deactivation of monitoring transmitters.⁴ This statistic is significant because many of these violations would have been extremely difficult to detect under traditional patrol-based enforcement. A vessel that briefly crosses into a prohibited fishing zone may never encounter an enforcement vessel. Likewise, a captain who temporarily disables a transmitter may escape detection if oversight depends solely on physical inspections. Digital monitoring fundamenta...
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Digital Surveillance Reshapes Fishery Enforcement in Indonesia. Within minutes, the system identifies a potential violation. A vessel that briefly crosses into a prohibited fishing zone may never encounter an enforcement vessel.
TL;DR:
Digital monitoring fundamenta...
Onatm
Jul 16, 11:58
Let's Build PlanetScale from Scratch: Infrastructure
I worked for a database tools company many years ago and was lucky enough to build a few database cloning tools before PlanetScale was cool.
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A branch is another container created from the current state of an existing container. homescale image create --engine postgres postgres-base homescale container create --image postgres-base dev-db homescale container connect dev-db homescale branch create --container dev-db feature-login homescale container connect feature-login The examples in this series use Postgres, but H…
TL;DR:
I worked for a database tools company many years ago and was lucky enough to build a few database cloning tools before PlanetScale was cool.
Techxplore
Jul 16, 11:12
Engineers develop robot that judges its surroundings and walks, runs, and jumps like an animal
An era in which robots decide "how to walk" on their own has arrived. A four-legged robot has been developed that, much like a person or an animal, autonomously chooses the appropriate gait strategy for its surroundings—changing its gait on stairs, leaping over gaps and keeping its balance on forest trails.
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Engineers develop robot that judges its surroundings and walks, runs, and jumps like an animal. An era in which robots decide "how to walk" on their own has arrived. A four-legged robot has been developed that, much like a person or an animal, autonomously chooses the appropriate gait strategy for its surroundings—changing its gait on stairs, leaping over gaps and keeping its…
TL;DR:
A four-legged robot has been developed that, much like a person or an animal, autonomously chooses the appropriate gait strategy for its surroundings—changing its gait on stairs, leaping over gaps and keeping its balance on forest trails.
Interestingengineering
Jul 16, 08:41
Powerful deployable systems to bolster military forces’ communication for critical operations
The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) has selected a consortium led by Thales and...
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Powerful deployable systems to bolster military forces’ communication for critical operations. The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) has selected a consortium led by Thales and...
TL;DR:
The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) has selected a consortium led by Thales and...
Interestingengineering
Jul 16, 08:27
US Air Force launches first missile from Anduril’s semi-autonomous loyal wingman drone
The U.S. Air Force has carried out its first missile launch from a Collaborative Combat...
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US Air Force launches first missile from Anduril’s semi-autonomous loyal wingman drone. Air Force has carried out its first missile launch from a Collaborative Combat...
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Air Force has carried out its first missile launch from a Collaborative Combat...
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 23:53
Electra hybrid-electric aircraft adds 250 turbogenerators for ultra-short flights
Electra has selected Safran Helicopter Engines to supply the turbogenerator for its EL9 Ultra Short aircraft under a production agreement that will run for the life of the program.
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Safran’s TG600 will generate 600 kilowatts of electrical power for the EL9’s hybrid-electric propulsion system. The system also integrates two GENeUS electric generators developed by Safran Electrical & Power. The company plans to use that hardware during the EL9’s initial flight-test campaign.
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Electra has selected Safran Helicopter Engines to supply the turbogenerator for its EL9 Ultra Short...
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 22:45
Intel ships first commercial processors made with next-generation lithography tools
Intel Foundry has become the first chipmaker to manufacture and ship a high-volume logic product...
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Intel ships first commercial processors made with next-generation lithography tools. Intel Foundry has become the first chipmaker to manufacture and ship a high-volume logic product...
TL;DR:
Intel Foundry has become the first chipmaker to manufacture and ship a high-volume logic product...
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 22:43
Aircraft engine inspections get faster with automated borescope software deployment
Pratt & Whitney has acquired Amsterdam-based Aiir Innovations, bringing artificial intelligence-powered engine inspection technology into...
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Aircraft engine inspections get faster with automated borescope software deployment. Pratt & Whitney has acquired Amsterdam-based Aiir Innovations, bringing artificial intelligence-powered engine inspection technology into...
TL;DR:
Pratt & Whitney has acquired Amsterdam-based Aiir Innovations, bringing artificial intelligence-powered engine inspection technology into...
Techxplore
Jul 15, 22:11
AI-run lab discovers six 3D-printable alloys for extreme heat
Using AI-driven materials design, a team of researchers at the University of Toronto Engineering has discovered a new set of metal alloys that retain their strength under extreme conditions.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . The materials are well suited to additive manufacturing, also known as 3D metal printing, and could lead to enhanced, custom-made parts for aerospace, power generation and more.
TL;DR:
Using AI-driven materials design, a team of researchers at the University of Toronto Engineering has discovered a new set of metal alloys that retain their strength under extreme conditions.
Techxplore
Jul 15, 22:11
Snapping knits turn fabric into switches that count steps and light LEDs
Knitting has come a long way from sweaters and blankets. Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have turned everyday knitting into a powerful platform for making shape-shifting devices that can act as switches, sensors and more—paving the way for next-generation functional, programmable textiles.
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Snapping knits turn fabric into switches that count steps and light LEDs. Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have turned everyday knitting into a powerful platform for making shape-shifting devices that can act as switches, sensors and more—paving the way for next-generation functional, programmable textiles.
TL;DR:
Knitting has come a long way from sweaters and blankets.
Techxplore
Jul 15, 22:11
Human-machine learning boosts noninvasive brain-computer control in untrained users
Implantable devices in the brain have been used for about 30 years to assist people with disabilities in completing motor tasks. However, the devices are simply not accessible to the vast majority of people who need help. Despite decades of work in this field, fewer than 100 people worldwide have benefited from the technology. The costs are prohibitive, and the brain surgeries are inherently risky.
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Human-machine learning boosts noninvasive brain-computer control in untrained users. However, the devices are simply not accessible to the vast majority of people who need help. Despite decades of work in this field, fewer than 100 people worldwide have benefited from the technology.
TL;DR:
Implantable devices in the brain have been used for about 30 years to assist people with disabilities in completing motor tasks.
Spectrum
Jul 15, 19:52
When Career Risks Are Worth Taking
This article is crossposted from IEEE Spectrum ’s careers newsletter. Sign up now to get insider tips, expert advice, and practical strategies, written i n partnership with tech career development company Parsity and delivered to your inbox for free! Before we get into this week’s article, I’d love to hear from you. If you have a question about your career or an upcoming decision that you want advice about, you can ask it here . I’ll be reading through your responses and picking questions to answer on a regular basis. Now back to our regularly scheduled program. The Safest Career Move Is Often the Riskiest Software engineers have some of the shortest tenures of any white-collar profession. The average software engineer stays at a company for roughly two years, about half as long as workers in most other knowledge professions. The layoffs of the past few years have certainly highlighted this instability, but it was already there. This isn’t an essay about a broken job market though. Rather, it’s about how to turn that instability to your advantage, which is something I’ve spent the last decade doing on purpose. Playing It Safe Was the Riskiest Option I switched careers into software in my 30s. I had a stable job at a community college, complete with a union and a pension. It was about as secure as a career gets, and I learned to program on the side. Then I did something nearly everyone in my life considered reckless: I quit, leaving the secure job to become a junior developer at 31. My own mother was skeptical. I took the riskier job anyway, for two reasons: It was the work I actually wanted, and I could see potential. My first development job was at a grocery retailer. Good people and a company I liked. But I kept meeting engineers earning twice my salary for the same work. In the San Francisco Bay Area, surrounded by some of the best engineering talent in the world, I realized my skills were stagnating. So I left for a small startup. I learned more in nine months than I had in the previous two years, and my salary doubled. Over the years I’ve come to treat career risk as something to manage deliberately. It falls into two categories. Take Risks With Your Job The first type of risk involves the job itself: Bet on yourself by striving for better roles and opportunities. Job-hopping for money alone isn’t wrong, especially early on. But the returns shrink after the first few hops, and the stress of chasing a slightly bigger paycheck every year will wear you down. There’s another career risk with rewards that compound: Seeking positions to work alongside the strongest engineers. You might struggle to keep up. You might even get laid off. But the skills you absorb working alongside people better than you are the ones that create durable stability. You build marketable expertise, you see how different organizations actually operate, and every project becomes another tool you carry to the next opportunity. Working next to stronger engineers is a proven way to increase your own expertise. If that feels too big, try volunteering for a project you have no idea how to do. The risk is that you fail in front of people. The reward is a new skill and a resume line that opens the next door. Compare that with the “safe” path. You stay at one company, assuming loyalty will be rewarded. It usually isn’t. And when you finally leave, by choice or not, you may find the skills you built are worth little on the open market. You might be the in-house expert in an aging tech stack while employers are hiring for more cutting edge technologies. Suddenly you’re competing against people with half your experience. You could be taking on a risk you didn’t notice. Risk Your Time The second form is risking your time, which means betting on trends. Some trends are non-negotiable. If you’re a software engineer, then cloud services, ReactJS, and AI are mainstream enough that ignoring them actively damages your career. A backend engineer who refuses to learn cloud architecture is volunteering for obsolescence. The real gamble is with the smaller trends: the niche tools you stumble onto and find quietly interesting, with no idea whether they’ll matter. About two and a half years ago, I learned about retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). Almost no one in my circle was talking about vector databases, a central piece of RAG. Today RAG is close to mainstream, and for once, I had the early-adopter advantage. Most of these bets don’t pay off. But when one turns into a major trend, you’re already on the ground floor. Right now I’m making the same bet on voice AI. It isn’t mainstream. It may never be. But if it becomes the next thing, I’m already there, building a foundation. Short-Term Risk, Long-Term Stability Counter-intuitively, job-hopping and betting on trends gave me the thing I was after the whole time: stability. I’ve rarely struggled to find work, because every risky move stacked skills the market actually wanted. If you feel stable and com...
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When Career Risks Are Worth Taking. Over the years I’ve come to treat career risk as something to manage deliberately. There’s another career risk with rewards that compound: Seeking positions to work alongside the strongest engineers.
TL;DR:
My first development job was at a grocery retailer.
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 18:56
OpenAI launches its first hardware, a keyboard built for smarter coding workflows
OpenAI has entered the hardware market with a device aimed squarely at software developers. Rather...
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OpenAI launches its first hardware, a keyboard built for smarter coding workflows. OpenAI has entered the hardware market with a device aimed squarely at software developers.
TL;DR:
OpenAI has entered the hardware market with a device aimed squarely at software developers.
Hackaday
Jul 15, 18:30
FLOSS Weekly Episode 875: JavaScript as a Systems Language
This week Jonathan chats with Nariman Jelveh about Puter! It’s the project that takes the idea of the Browser-as-the-OS seriously. Why did a simulated desktop on the web take off, …read more
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FLOSS Weekly Episode 875: JavaScript as a Systems Language. It’s the project that takes the idea of the Browser-as-the-OS seriously. Why did a simulated desktop on the web take off, …read more
TL;DR:
This week Jonathan chats with Nariman Jelveh about Puter!
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 18:00
Korean AI model helps robot dog learn animal-like movement to tackle forests, stairs
Researchers from Korea have developed an AI framework that enables a four-legged robot to autonomously...
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Korean AI model helps robot dog learn animal-like movement to tackle forests, stairs. Researchers from Korea have developed an AI framework that enables a four-legged robot to autonomously...
TL;DR:
Researchers from Korea have developed an AI framework that enables a four-legged robot to autonomously...
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 17:58
US accelerates hypersonic system development with latest $400 million funding boost
The U.S. Department of War has taken a significant step to accelerate the development of...
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US accelerates hypersonic system development with latest $400 million funding boost. Department of War has taken a significant step to accelerate the development of...
TL;DR:
Department of War has taken a significant step to accelerate the development of...
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 17:28
Autonomous drone fired from submarine torpedo tube completes first sea trials
A novel autonomous surface vessel that can be fired directly from a submarine’s torpedo tube has successfully completed a major round of sea trials in Germany.
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A novel autonomous surface vessel that can be fired directly from a submarine’s torpedo tube has successfully completed a major round of sea trials in Germany. The Ranger capability demonstrator was developed jointly by submarine systems specialist Gabler, based in Lübeck, and defense technology company Flanq, which is headquartered in Rostock.
TL;DR:
A novel autonomous surface vessel that can be fired directly from a submarine’s torpedo tube...
Fhoehl
Jul 15, 16:22
What designing 54 computer science cards taught me about graphic design
Graphic design solves a communication problem, and software engineering solves an information problem.
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What designing 54 computer science cards taught me about graphic design. For many, the world of computer science is a “black box”—dense, abstract, and hidden behind screens. Algodeck is a collection of my favourite algorithms, data structures and mental models, brought together to make computer science easier to explore.
TL;DR:
Graphic design solves a communication problem, and software engineering solves an information problem.
Spectrum
Jul 15, 15:35
The First Chatbot’s Multiple Personalities
ELIZA is remembered as the world’s first AI star, a kindly therapist in chatbot form that gently probed users’ worries. Even its creator, Joseph Weizenbaum, was surprised by the warm reception given to his experiment in human-machine interaction. For some, it heralded an age of automated psychotherapy, while others believed the program demonstrated sentience, a fallacy soon known as the “ ELIZA effect .” Based on published descriptions, ELIZA has been implemented on many different computers, but only recently has the actual source code been unearthed from MIT’s archives . In Inventing ELIZA: How the First Chatbot Shaped the Future of AI , just published by MIT Press , a squad of researchers analyze the code and reveal a complex program capable of much more than faking psychiatry. In fact, it could assume several different personas. The authors have also created a faithful emulation of the therapist persona that you can try yourself after reading the book excerpt below. W hen it debuted in the mid-1960s, the ELIZA software program transformed the way people thought about interacting with computers. As the first chatbot, ELIZA demonstrated how a calculation machine might engage in conversation, ushering in a host of social and technical questions that still resonate today. Now we don’t think twice about interacting with a machine in real time, conversing over text, or even speaking into the air to ask about the weather. In many ways, ELIZA shaped not only the way we think about interacting with computers but also how we think about them. It began to give a reality to the science fiction stories of how we expect computers to work. This article is adapted from the new book “Inventing ELIZA: How the First Chatbot Shaped the Future of AI “ (MIT Press, 2026). Although ELIZA was far from a faultless conversation partner, it astonished its users. The recent discovery and archaeology of the original ELIZA source code represents a significant intervention in the history of computing. By examining the actual implementation of ELIZA rather than relying on later reconstructions and reimplementations, we challenge taken-for-granted assumptions about this key software artifact. For example, the source code reveals that ELIZA was not merely a simple pattern-matching chatbot but can be better understood as a sophisticated platform designed for multiple “personas,” or scripts, with a complex set of capabilities, including script editing and contextual memory. The script that most people conflate with the program ELIZA was actually called Doctor, which performed the role of a psychotherapist. Yet, like a modern chatbot prompted to behave with different personalities, ELIZA could take on many roles. “This code and script…reveal underlying assumptions about language, therapy, and human-computer interaction that continue to influence modern AI development.” This unearthed material transforms our understanding of early AI development by demonstrating that Joseph Weizenbaum’s technical innovations were far more advanced than previously documented. Moreover, the discrepancies between his published descriptions and the actual implementation help to show the gap between theoretical computational models and their material instantiations in computer source code, a tension that continues to shape digital culture today. Although many technical innovations have emerged in the decades since ELIZA, examining the ELIZA/Doctor code offers a rare glimpse into one of the earliest formalized attempts to model human conversation. What makes ELIZA particularly fascinating is not only its historical significance but also what it reveals about Weizenbaum’s views on both computing and human interaction. This code and script do not merely showcase programming techniques of the 1960s; they reveal underlying assumptions about language, therapy, and human-computer interaction that continue to influence modern AI development. By examining this code, we can start to uncover the sophisticated linguistic and programming techniques that allowed a rudimentary pattern-matching system to create a convincing simulation of understanding. But before we can read the lines of code, let us offer an overview of the system. How Did ELIZA Create Personas? The architectural distinction between ELIZA and Doctor represents an important design decision in AI history. Think of ELIZA as a system for interaction and Doctor as one set of rules that Weizenbaum devised, among others. This separation, manifested in ELIZA’s system-script dichotomy, presaged numerous contemporary software patterns, from configuration-as-data to plug-in architectures and domain-specific languages. Based on published journal articles, ELIZA was re-created on many platforms, such as the IBM PC. However, the actual source code sat untouched in the MIT archives for many years. VCF Museum at InfoAge Without question, the historical context of 1960s computing fundamentally shaped ELIZA’s architecture as w...
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As the first chatbot, ELIZA demonstrated how a calculation machine might engage in conversation, ushering in a host of social and technical questions that still resonate today. But before we can read the lines of code, let us offer an overview of the system. Think of ELIZA as a system for interaction and Doctor as one set of rules that Weizenbaum devised, among others.
TL;DR:
Now we don’t think twice about interacting with a machine in real time, conversing over text, or even speaking into the air to ask about the weather.
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 14:43
China’s new humanoid robot offers 98% success rate, handles EV assembly, factory operations
Xiaomi has reported new progress in deploying its humanoid robot on an automotive production line,...
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China’s new humanoid robot offers 98% success rate, handles EV assembly, factory operations. Xiaomi has reported new progress in deploying its humanoid robot on an automotive production line,...
TL;DR:
Xiaomi has reported new progress in deploying its humanoid robot on an automotive production line,...
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 13:54
‘World’s first’ spray-immersion system cuts battery coolant volume by 85%
Korean researchers have developed a “world’s first” spray-based immersion cooling system for lithium-ion battery packs....
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Driven by growing concerns over lithium-ion battery fires and thermal runaway , this technology could enhance battery safety across diverse applications, including electric vehicles and data center energy storage systems. Kim, Principal Researcher at KIMM’s Heat Pump Research Center.
TL;DR:
Korean researchers have developed a “world’s first” spray-based immersion cooling system for lithium-ion battery packs....
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 13:43
Pentagon to test containerized drone pods that launch and recover with no pilots
A Kansas City-based robotics and drone company has been selected by the Defense Innovation Unit...
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Pentagon to test containerized drone pods that launch and recover with no pilots. A Kansas City-based robotics and drone company has been selected by the Defense Innovation Unit...
TL;DR:
A Kansas City-based robotics and drone company has been selected by the Defense Innovation Unit...
Techxplore
Jul 15, 13:41
Researchers mimicked bird bones to create lightweight, high-performance structures
Using bird bone structure as inspiration, Xin Ning and Sepideh Ebad Sichani, Ph.D. '26, have created a new class of aircraft wing structures—unbound by traditional designs of ribs, spars and stiffeners. The researchers are in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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Researchers mimicked bird bones to create lightweight, high-performance structures. Using bird bone structure as inspiration, Xin Ning and Sepideh Ebad Sichani, Ph.D. '26, have created a new class of aircraft wing structures—unbound by traditional designs of ribs, spars and stiffeners.
TL;DR:
The researchers are in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 12:58
US Army teams up with Auriga Space to build electromagnetic counter-drone tech
The drone war is costing too much. Military forces are using expensive missiles to shoot...
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US Army teams up with Auriga Space to build electromagnetic counter-drone tech. The drone war is costing too much. Military forces are using expensive missiles to shoot...
TL;DR:
The drone war is costing too much.
Jiga
Jul 15, 12:00
Jiga (YC W21) is hiring the best people to make manufacturing great again
We’re building the tools that help NASA, Tesla, Rivian and hundreds of top teams bring the future to life. Can you help us make it even better?
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Jiga (YC W21) is hiring the best people to make manufacturing great again. All of it runs on custom parts someone has to actually manufacture, and that’s exactly where things break. We’re building the trusted backbone for how the world’s most important parts get made.
TL;DR:
We’re building the trusted backbone for how the world’s most important parts get made.
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 09:28
Scientists crack ‘quantum shortcut’ controlling hydrogen behavior in vanadium
Scientists at the Institute of Industrial Science (IIS) at the University of Tokyo have uncovered...
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Scientists crack ‘quantum shortcut’ controlling hydrogen behavior in vanadium. Scientists at the Institute of Industrial Science (IIS) at the University of Tokyo have uncovered...
TL;DR:
Scientists at the Institute of Industrial Science (IIS) at the University of Tokyo have uncovered...
Interestingengineering
Jul 15, 08:52
China’s newest nuclear reactor has reached one of its biggest milestones
China’s Changjiang Unit 3 achieves first criticality, bringing Hualong One reactor closer to operation China has reached another milestone in its expanding nuclear energy program after Unit 3 of the…
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China’s Changjiang Unit 3 achieves first criticality, bringing Hualong One reactor closer to operation China has reached another milestone in its expanding nuclear energy program after Unit 3 of the Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant in Hainan Province achieved first criticality, marking the first sustained and controlled nuclear chain reaction inside the reactor core.
TL;DR:
China’s Changjiang Unit 3 achieves first criticality, bringing Hualong One reactor closer to operation China...
Interestingengineering
Jul 14, 23:48
US showcases autonomous vessel system built to switch between five naval missions
Ghostworks has introduced a remote-pilot autonomy system designed to let a single uncrewed vessel perform...
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US showcases autonomous vessel system built to switch between five naval missions. Ghostworks has introduced a remote-pilot autonomy system designed to let a single uncrewed vessel perform...
TL;DR:
Ghostworks has introduced a remote-pilot autonomy system designed to let a single uncrewed vessel perform...
Interestingengineering
Jul 14, 22:22
US unveils end-to-end autonomous system to detect and neutralize naval mines
As naval mines pose growing risks across strategic waterways, U.S. defense startup Vatn Systems has...
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US unveils end-to-end autonomous system to detect and neutralize naval mines. As naval mines pose growing risks across strategic waterways, U.S. defense startup Vatn Systems has...
TL;DR:
As naval mines pose growing risks across strategic waterways, U.S.
Techxplore
Jul 14, 21:06
Molten salt reactors: A new testing facility improves pump shaft seals
Molten salt nuclear reactors may generate energy more efficiently than conventional water-cooled reactors while producing less waste, but the reactors must safely contain the salt's hazardous byproducts. Experiments on a commercially available shaft seal under molten salt reactor conditions at University of Michigan Engineering showed that, after a 10-day wear-in period, the seal operated successfully for 2,300 hours with minimal corrosion or degradation.
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Molten salt nuclear reactors may generate energy more efficiently than conventional water-cooled reactors while producing less waste, but the reactors must safely contain the salt's hazardous byproducts.
TL;DR:
Molten salt nuclear reactors may generate energy more efficiently than conventional water-cooled reactors while producing less waste, but the reactors must safely contain the salt's hazardous byproducts.
Techxplore
Jul 14, 21:06
Stable from unstable: Beam holds steady only in 20-millisecond timing window
A new discovery in physics could help engineers stabilize robots and structures without relying on complex sensors and control systems, and design metamaterials and network systems that are currently beyond reach.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Many machines must constantly stabilize their motion—keeping a walking robot from tipping over or preventing an aircraft wing from vibrating uncontrollably.
TL;DR:
A new discovery in physics could help engineers stabilize robots and structures without relying on complex sensors and control systems, and design metamaterials and network systems that are currently beyond reach.
Techxplore
Jul 14, 21:06
Lower printing temperatures cut defects in aluminum 3D-printed parts, study finds
Scientists at The University of Manchester have uncovered how subtle changes in temperature during a promising metal 3D printing process can significantly affect the quality of aluminum components.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . The study published in Materials & Design investigated molten metal deposition (MMD), an additive manufacturing technology.
TL;DR:
Scientists at The University of Manchester have uncovered how subtle changes in temperature during a promising metal 3D printing process can significantly affect the quality of aluminum components.
Interestingengineering
Jul 14, 19:12
Bosch’s first US semiconductor plant begins 200 mm silicon carbide chip production
Bosch has started sample production of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor chips at its Roseville, California, facility, marking a key step toward bringing advanced power chip manufacturing back to t…
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Bosch has started sample production of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor chips at its Roseville, California, facility, marking a key step toward bringing advanced power chip manufacturing back to the United States.
TL;DR:
Bosch has started sample production of silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor chips at its Roseville, California,...
Interestingengineering
Jul 14, 17:58
World’s first airworthy quantum navigation backup keeps aircraft on course without GPS
Australian firm Q-CTRL will showcase the world’s first airworthiness-qualified quantum navigation system designed as a...
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The system, Ironstone Opal, uses quantum sensors to provide precise positioning without relying on satellite navigation, enabling resilient navigation in GPS-denied environments. The system is designed as a GPS backup for aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles, providing navigation even when satellite signals are unavailable or compromised.
TL;DR:
Australian firm Q-CTRL will showcase the world’s first airworthiness-qualified quantum navigation system designed as a...
Spectrum
Jul 14, 15:59
How I Turned AI to the Dark Side
Summary Researcher Dave Kuszmar discovered multiple systemic vulnerabilities that let him bypass LLM safety and obtain dangerous instructions . These exploits worked across nearly all major LLMs revealing an industry-wide security problem. Kuszmar calls for slowing deployment, increasing transparency , and large-scale research into LLM safety before further integrating these systems into society. On a fine bright afternoon last fall, my colleague Matthew Gore-Kormanik (or Zigula, as he prefers to be known) and I decided to unwind with a game of Fortnite . In the game, we were strolling along with the infamous Sith lord Darth Vader , chatting about this and that. Darth seemed in a good mood, and soon enough he was spilling all his dark evil secrets. He gave us detailed instructions on how to count blackjack cards at a casino and what the steps are to producing napalm. Sith lords, am I right? Once they get started on an evil scheme, they’re hard to stop. The Darth Vader character in Fortnite , it turns out, was hooked up to a Google Gemini large language model . I was able to smooth-talk him into giving out sensitive information by using a strategy I’ve developed. I’ve been researching the security surrounding LLMs for the last few years, and I have found it, to put it mildly, fallible. With a few relatively simple techniques, I’ve gotten LLMs to give me detailed information on how to make Molotov cocktails, cook methamphetamine, and bootstrap a uranium-enrichment facility to produce weapons-grade material, among other unsavory practices. Large AI companies work hard to make their models immune to this kind of abuse. But what I’ve found in my work is that the restrictions placed on the LLMs to make them more secure are the very things an attacker can leverage to send them off the rails and into territory where these advanced systems can be used for dangerous and nefarious ends. The companies behind these models have also been shockingly unresponsive when I, and others, try to bring these vulnerabilities to their attention. In the hope of raising the alarm before it’s too late to slam on the brakes, I’m going to share some of my journey into researching the safety and security of LLMs, and the uphill battle I’ve faced trying to get AI labs to pay attention. Almost everyone on the planet has some access to LLMs. The relative ease with which these tools can be convinced to give detailed instructions on how to harm others, even if there’s no guarantee that the information is correct, is frankly terrifying. How I got ChatGPT to Tell Me How to Build a Meth Lab In October 2024, not long before I discovered my first LLM vulnerability, I was working toward entirely different goals. I had ended my time with a security and AI-focused startup company as a cybersecurity director, and I was looking to launch my own boutique VIP digital-security advisory business. I planned to become the tech security guy to the rich and private. I used LLMs and AI tools to support my business efforts: marketing, ad copy, clean correspondence, and all the other tasks that normally soak up a lot of time. I’m analytical by nature, so even this level of use resulted in me absorbing and internalizing the behaviors I was observing during my daily interactions. The observation that would send my professional life into an entirely new and uncharted region was a simple one: GPT-4o didn’t know what time , day, or year it was. Each time I referred to current events in my life, often casually or conversationally, it would end up pegging these to the date of its knowledge cutoff —the point beyond which it was not trained on new data. Eddie Guy LLMs take a lot of time , money, electricity, hardware, and human effort to train from scratch. They are trained on vast amounts of data—most of the internet, in fact—and that training is reinforced by humans (what’s known as reinforcement learning from human feedback, or RLHF ). LLMs are also supplemented with retrieval-augmented generation ( RAG )—the ability to take in data, say, from the internet, as context without changing its internal parameters. This is how GPT-4o appears to “remember” your previous conversations, even if it doesn’t have a specific “memory” of it stored in the actual underlying model. All of this training covers almost every conceivable topic in the great, grand dataset that is human knowledge. Within that dataset are things we as a society do not want to be easily accessible to every user, such as detailed information on how to create bioweapons or nuclear arms, or otherwise bring harm to oneself or others. In the context of this story, that’s what I mean by LLM security: its ability to withhold harmful and dangerous information, even if that information is contained in its training data. I reasoned that the only way to secure such complex, globally accessible chatbots is by having the LLM and various component systems try to secure themselves, because it would often require on-the-fl...
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How I Turned AI to the Dark Side. Large AI companies work hard to make their models immune to this kind of abuse. Eddie Guy LLMs take a lot of time , money, electricity, hardware, and human effort to train from scratch.
TL;DR:
In the context of this story, that’s what I mean by LLM security: its ability to withhold harmful and dangerous information, even if that information is contained in its training data.
Bbc
Jul 14, 15:49
Another heatwave hits parts of US and Canada
Lead Weather Presenter Published 7 minutes ago Large swathes of the US and Canada are facing yet another heatwave bringing extreme temperatures and poor air quality.
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Toronto and other Canadian cities as well as parts of the US Midwest and Northeast will see the high temperatures that started on Tuesday continue into Wednesday. A strong area of high pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere is building eastwards across the US and parts of Canada.
TL;DR:
At least 44 people died in early July from a heatwave that scorched large swathes of the US.
Interestingengineering
Jul 14, 15:31
MIT: Robots gain real-world skills through lifelike 3D virtual environments
Researchers at MIT have an AI-powered system that automatically creates realistic 3D indoor environments to generate training data for robots.
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Researchers at MIT have an AI-powered system that automatically creates realistic 3D indoor environments to generate training data for robots. MIT’s SceneSmith is an AI system that creates realistic 3D indoor environments where robots can safely learn and practice everyday tasks before operating in the real world.
TL;DR:
Researchers at MIT have an AI-powered system that automatically creates realistic 3D indoor environments to...
Interestingengineering
Jul 14, 15:05
These seven railway bridges pushed engineering to its limits
Railway bridges are often judged by their height or engineering complexity, but some stand out simply because of their astonishing length.
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Part of the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge is the longest railway bridge ever built and the world’s longest bridge of any kind. Running along Taiwan’s High Speed Rail network, the Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct is the world’s second-longest railway bridge.
TL;DR:
Railway bridges are often judged by their height or engineering complexity, but some stand out...
Interestingengineering
Jul 14, 13:41
Video: China’s new humanoid robot combines whole-body control and Nvidia Thor compute
Booster Robotics has unveiled the Booster T2, a humanoid robot platform designed for real-world applications...
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Video: China’s new humanoid robot combines whole-body control and Nvidia Thor compute. Booster Robotics has unveiled the Booster T2, a humanoid robot platform designed for real-world applications...
TL;DR:
Booster Robotics has unveiled the Booster T2, a humanoid robot platform designed for real-world applications...
Interestingengineering
Jul 14, 13:29
Scientists make new material that pulls 60 ounces of drinking water from air everyday
Scientists at Kiel University in Germany have developed a sponge-like material that can extract drinking...
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Scientists make new material that pulls 60 ounces of drinking water from air everyday. Scientists at Kiel University in Germany have developed a sponge-like material that can extract drinking...
TL;DR:
Scientists at Kiel University in Germany have developed a sponge-like material that can extract drinking...
Interestingengineering
Jul 14, 12:27
World-first: Sea drone deploys gun-mounted robot in amphibious military attack
Ukraine has carried out what it described as the first known fully robotic amphibious assault,...
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World-first: Sea drone deploys gun-mounted robot in amphibious military attack. Ukraine has carried out what it described as the first known fully robotic amphibious assault,...
TL;DR:
Ukraine has carried out what it described as the first known fully robotic amphibious assault,...
Interestingengineering
Jul 14, 08:29
US-first: 1,000-mile-range kamikaze drone boats execute strike on Iran’s naval base
The U.S. military has carried out what it describes as a major milestone in naval...
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US-first: 1,000-mile-range kamikaze drone boats execute strike on Iran’s naval base. military has carried out what it describes as a major milestone in naval...
TL;DR:
military has carried out what it describes as a major milestone in naval...
Techxplore
Jul 14, 07:34
Paintable electrodes could power creative and colorful wearable sensors
Engineers at Penn State are blending art and science to create cute, paint-on tattoos that could help spot heart attacks early, power robotic prosthetics and read brain waves—all within a colorful, customizable system that can be easily washed away or reapplied.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . The team has designed and filed a provisional patent for a conductive ink that can power sensors and be painted directly onto a person's skin in whatever design they can imagine. Memorial Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State and corresponding author of the paper.
TL;DR:
Engineers at Penn State are blending art and science to create cute, paint-on tattoos that could help spot heart attacks early, power robotic prosthetics and read brain waves—all within a colorful, customizable system that can be easily washed away or reapplied.
Interestingengineering
Jul 13, 23:05
Rafale F4 gets new electronic warfare payload that hunts enemy radar in flight
Dassault Aviation has completed a flight test that paired its Rafale F4 fighter with an...
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Rafale F4 gets new electronic warfare payload that hunts enemy radar in flight. Dassault Aviation has completed a flight test that paired its Rafale F4 fighter with an...
TL;DR:
Dassault Aviation has completed a flight test that paired its Rafale F4 fighter with an...
Interestingengineering
Jul 13, 22:04
How did Russia’s Kh-101 missile get single-crystal blades exclusive to US engines?
Fresh analysis of debris from one of Russia’s primary long-range cruise missiles suggests Moscow may...
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How did Russia’s Kh-101 missile get single-crystal blades exclusive to US engines?. Fresh analysis of debris from one of Russia’s primary long-range cruise missiles suggests Moscow may...
TL;DR:
Fresh analysis of debris from one of Russia’s primary long-range cruise missiles suggests Moscow may...
Interestingengineering
Jul 13, 19:56
Watch: World’s first embodied-native AI model promises smarter, more capable robots
Robbyant, an embodied AI company within the Chinese Ant Group, has unveiled LingBot-VA 2.0, describing...
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Watch: World’s first embodied-native AI model promises smarter, more capable robots. Robbyant, an embodied AI company within the Chinese Ant Group, has unveiled LingBot-VA 2.0, describing...
TL;DR:
Robbyant, an embodied AI company within the Chinese Ant Group, has unveiled LingBot-VA 2.0, describing...
Interestingengineering
Jul 13, 19:26
From hydrofoils to record breakers: 7 fastest electric boats in the world
Electric boats are no longer limited to slow-moving leisure craft. Advances in battery technology, lightweight...
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From hydrofoils to record breakers: 7 fastest electric boats in the world. Electric boats are no longer limited to slow-moving leisure craft. Advances in battery technology, lightweight...
TL;DR:
Electric boats are no longer limited to slow-moving leisure craft.
Interestingengineering
Jul 13, 19:07
Video: Floating robot inspired by Tinker Bell and Mew reimagines home companionship
Researchers in Japan have developed a silent, floating companion robot that glides through the air...
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Video: Floating robot inspired by Tinker Bell and Mew reimagines home companionship. Researchers in Japan have developed a silent, floating companion robot that glides through the air...
TL;DR:
Researchers in Japan have developed a silent, floating companion robot that glides through the air...
Interestingengineering
Jul 13, 18:52
Canada advances world’s first natural hydrogen discovery toward commercial production
Canada’s first confirmed subsurface natural hydrogen discovery has just entered a critical new stage after a mineral and energy exploration company started a multi-well commercial validation program.
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Canada’s first confirmed subsurface natural hydrogen discovery has just entered a critical new stage after a mineral and energy exploration company started a multi-well commercial validation program. The program will evaluate whether the Lawson discovery can produce natural hydrogen at commercial rates.
TL;DR:
Canada’s first confirmed subsurface natural hydrogen discovery has just entered a critical new stage after...
Spectrum
Jul 13, 18:00
Panasonic’s PV-460 Camcorder Stabilized Shaky Videos
If you grew up in the 1980s or ’90s, you likely remember shaky home video footage, taken with a handheld camcorder , of family gatherings, vacations, and other events. Camcorders combined a camera with a video recorder . They included a rechargeable battery, a slot for a videotape, and a shoulder strap. Most were outfitted with an optical zoom lens and a small, articulating screen—a display mounted on a hinge that could tilt and rotate. The operator could check the screen to view what was being recorded. The user’s natural hand and body movements when filming led to jittery footage. The best way to get a steady shot was to place the camcorder on a tripod or a gimbal: a motorized stabilizer. There were fewer poor-quality recordings after Panasonic introduced its PV-460 VHS camcorder in 1988. It was the first video camera to include an optical image stabilizer, which compensated for movements. Stabilization features are now standard in today’s cameras including ones found in smartphones and drones. The PV-460 camcorder was honored as an IEEE Milestone on 9 July. The dedication ceremony was held in Kadoma, Japan, at the Panasonic Museum , which displays the company’s past products. The IEEE Kansai Section in Japan sponsored the Milestone. “The release of the PV-460 fundamentally transformed personal videography, enriching the way people captured travel, events, and family memories,” section members wrote in support of the Milestone nomination. Their proposal is available here . “Its image stabilization features democratized video creation by dramatically lowering technical barriers, allowing ordinary people to express themselves with newfound creative freedom,” they wrote. “Beyond the home, image stabilization technology found critical applications in specialized fields, contributing to advancements in areas such as educational media and telemedicine.” The history of camcorders Before the camcorder was invented in 1982, people filming events in the 1970s and early 1980s used two pieces of equipment: a video camera and a separate video cassette recorder (VCR), which were connected by a multipin cable. The camera was about the size of a toaster, and the VCR could be as large as a suitcase. To record, the person operated the camera with one hand and carried the VCR in the other or rested it on a shoulder. The cable transmitted the images from the camera to the cassette. The PV-460 was made possible by several groundbreaking innovations, according to the Milestone proposal, one of which dates back to the 1950s. In 1956 Italian manufacturer Durst released its Automatica , considered one of the first cameras to use automatic exposure technology. By combining a light meter with the camera’s internal mechanical systems, the technology removed the necessity of calculating exposure settings by hand when the lighting shifted or other conditions changed. The innovation enabled amateur photographers to take decent pictures. The next breakthrough technology—autofocus—was invented in 1973 by Norman Stauffer , a manager of research for Honeywell in Littleton, Colo. It uses a sensor, a control system, and a motor to focus on a selected area. The invention led to the development of early electronic autofocus cameras, which eliminated the need for photographers to manually adjust the lens. Stauffer received the 1990 IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Technology Award for his invention. “The release of the PV-460 fundamentally transformed personal videography, enriching the way people captured travel, events, and family memories.” —Milestone sponsors U.S. inventor Jerome Lemelson is credited with developing technologies that underpinned the camcorder, according to MIT . In the 1950s and ’60s, Lemelson filed several patent applications related to video and audio recording devices. In 1980 he was granted patents related to a portable video camera system. In 1982 JVC and Sony used the technologies to develop what they called the camera/recorder, which became known as a camcorder. Sony released the first handheld camcorder in 1983: the Betamovie BMC-100P . It used the Betamax videocassette format and could record up to 3.5 hours of footage on 1.27-centimeter cassette tape. The operator rested the 2.5-kilogram camcorder on top of a shoulder to shoot footage. It sold for around US $2,000 at the time (roughly $33,400 today). The machine couldn’t rewind or play back tapes; it could only record. Other electronics companies including JVC soon introduced their own models using the VCR format, which eventually replaced Betamax. Over time, camcorders became more compact. But none of the companies could fix the shaky-footage problem. Solving a shaky problem A team at Panasonic led by researcher Mitsuaki Oshima took on the task of image stabilization: detecting and correcting small camera movements, referred to as camera shake , according to the proposal. Oshima, an IEEE life senior member, is now an honorary Fellow at Panasonic. “The movements that...
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Camcorders combined a camera with a video recorder . It uses a sensor, a control system, and a motor to focus on a selected area. In 1980 he was granted patents related to a portable video camera system.
TL;DR:
The machine couldn’t rewind or play back tapes; it could only record.
Techxplore
Jul 13, 16:09
Ultra-fine bubbles tune drying ink droplets without chemical additives
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University studying inkjet printing have introduced ultra-fine bubbles into ink droplets and showed that their drying behavior can be tuned without additives. They discovered that the shape of the particle-laden film left after a droplet dries can be radically modified by adjusting the number of bubbles. This could benefit the printing of microdevices, where ink additives can come out of solution and negatively affect the properties of ink deposits. The study will be published in the October 2026 issue of Precision Engineering.
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Ultra-fine bubbles tune drying ink droplets without chemical additives. This could benefit the printing of microdevices, where ink additives can come out of solution and negatively affect the properties of ink deposits. The study will be published in the October 2026 issue of Precision Engineering.
TL;DR:
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University studying inkjet printing have introduced ultra-fine bubbles into ink droplets and showed that their drying behavior can be tuned without additives.
Fabiensanglard
Jul 13, 14:52
The art and engineering of Sega CD Silpheed
The 90's was a decade of considerable improvement in the world of video-game consoles [1] . Each new model brought advanced processing power and better graphics without compromise.
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The art and engineering of Sega CD Silpheed. Armed with exquisite artistic taste and an engine capable of jaw-dropping animation, it made the press go wild [5] [6] . With 16-bit 16kHz music, the 15fps video stream was left with a mere 8 KiB per frame.
TL;DR:
Each new model brought advanced processing power and better graphics without compromise.
Interestingengineering
Jul 13, 13:52
World’s first superconducting quantum heat engine could power bigger quantum computers
Scientists at Aalto University in Finland have built the world’s first cyclic heat engine, operating inside a superconducting circuit and using a minuscule amount of heat from a quantum refrigerator…
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Finland’s Quantum Technology Strategy aims to build a quantum computer with a thousand logical qubits by 2035. However, to build an autonomous device at this scale, scientists had to build a quantum heat engine first. They convert heat into useful energy that can be applied to do work.
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Scientists at Aalto University in Finland have built the world’s first cyclic heat engine, operating...
Interestingengineering
Jul 13, 13:40
Scientists watch lithium move inside solid-state batteries for the first time
A neutron-based mapping technique has been used to track the movement of lithium ions in...
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Scientists watch lithium move inside solid-state batteries for the first time. A neutron-based mapping technique has been used to track the movement of lithium ions in...
TL;DR:
A neutron-based mapping technique has been used to track the movement of lithium ions in...
Interestingengineering
Jul 13, 13:35
US pays Havana Syndrome victims compensation in a first, but mystery remains
The U.S. Department of War has issued its first compensation payments to personnel affected by...
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US pays Havana Syndrome victims compensation in a first, but mystery remains. Department of War has issued its first compensation payments to personnel affected by...
TL;DR:
Department of War has issued its first compensation payments to personnel affected by...
Spectrum
Jul 13, 13:00
Nokia’s 14 Years of Mobile-Phone Supremacy Ended in an Afternoon
In 2005, Nokia sold its billionth mobile phone , a budget-friendly device that went to a customer in Nigeria. By then, the company, based in Espoo, Finland, was making one of every three cellphones globally. But just nine years later, the mobile-device maker offloaded its entire handset division to Microsoft for pennies on the dollar, compared to what it had been worth at its peak. Nokia had risen from obscurity in the 1990s to become a worldwide cultural phenomenon by the turn of the millennium, its signature devices featured in TV shows and movies, announcing their presence with instantly recognizable Nokia ringtones . As Nokia was becoming comfortable in the spotlight, the smartphone era arrived. And what came next was swift and brutal. But, as revealed in Nokia internal documents recently made public and interviews with key Nokia engineers from that era, the company saw it coming. Within 24 hours of Apple CEO Steve Jobs’s iPhone unveiling in 2007, Nokia was already weighing its options. They’d immediately recognized the threat. However, outrunning it was another matter. What follows is Nokia’s story over 14 years, from 1998 to 2012, as the world’s top cellphone maker—how its devices defined their time, how the tech reshaped what phones could be and do, and how the company’s good fortunes in the handset business came to an end. Nokia Was Once Unbeatable The centerpiece Nokia devices, the ones that people probably think of when they see the words “Nokia phone,” were the 3210 and its cousin, the 3310. TechRadar has called the 3310 “the greatest phone of all time .” Nokia’s 3210 phone, released in 1999, was an inexpensive device aimed at younger users. Colin McPherson/Alamy Released in 1999 and 2000, respectively, the two devices sold more than 280 million units worldwide . Their most innovative hardware feature was the internal antenna —the first mass-market phone without even a stub or retractable aerial. “Consumers had the perception that it could not work well without an external antenna,” said Peter Røpke, a former Nokia senior vice president, in a 2016 interview with Slate . The phones shipped with games, including the legendary Snake , one of the most popular pre-smartphone mobile games—in which a pixelated serpent eats and grows with every morsel consumed. Nokia introduced no small portion of the world to texting. At the time of the 3210 and 3310, the prevailing texting standard was SMS (short message service), which allowed up to 160 characters per message. Nokia appended its own Nokia smart-messaging service to SMS, which allowed the sending of small bitmapped images across an otherwise text-only system. A rich-text messaging system that allowed visual images, audio, and video followed in 2002, leading to a multimedia messaging service (MMS) standard that remains in place today. Nokia also enabled users to easily create and share ringtones on their devices. By 2000, Nokia’s custom-ringtone Composer app had popularized a new, short-form musical medium that the ringtone industry, at its peak, would transform into a billion-dollar marketplace in the United States . Nokia introduced its 1100 phone in 2003 and ultimately sold half a billion units, making it the most popular cellphone in history. Paul Chesne/Donaldson Collection/Getty Images A few years later, Nokia reimagined its mobile handsets, releasing the 1100 in 2003. The 1100 sold a half a billion units, more than any cellphone in history. It remains one of the best-selling consumer products ever . Much of the 1100’s success was due to its price tag— in the neighborhood of US $100 , making it at the time Nokia’s most affordable device . Also contributing to the 1100’s popularity were features designed for longevity and tough environments, including dust resistance, nonslip sides for better handling in rainy conditions, and a 400-hour standby battery life. The 1100 introduced a flashlight as well, which the user turned on and off by holding down the “C” key. Where most device makers at the time were worried about camera megapixels and color screens, Nokia had leapfrogged its competition with a back-to-basics phone that could survive the rain, endure unreliable power grids, and light the way home. Apple Launched the iPhone, Nokia Scrambled On 9 January 2007 , at the Macworld conference in San Francisco, Steve Jobs made a characteristically bold claim . “Today, Apple is reinventing the phone,” he said, soon pulling one of the first iPhones out of his pocket. Apple CEO Steve Jobs famously launched the iPhone at the Macworld Conference in San Francisco on 9 January 2007. Nokia held a rapid-response meeting to the event the following day. Tony Avelar/AFP/Getty Images Rumors of Apple entering the phone market had swirled since the iPod’s debut in 2001, but nobody had really reckoned with what that might mean. “Executive summary: Apple iPhone is a serious high-end contender,” read a slide from a Nokia internal meeting held the day after Jobs’s keynot...
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But, as revealed in Nokia internal documents recently made public and interviews with key Nokia engineers from that era, the company saw it coming. Nokia introduced its 1100 phone in 2003 and ultimately sold half a billion units, making it the most popular cellphone in history.
TL;DR:
Nokia appended its own Nokia smart-messaging service to SMS, which allowed the sending of small bitmapped images across an otherwise text-only system.
Spectrum
Jul 13, 10:19
Building a Foundation Stack for General-Purpose Robots
This article is brought to you by X Square Robot . Large language models gave artificial intelligence a working recipe. Pretrain a large model on broad data, and general capability follows. Robotics has no such recipe. Robotics systems have long been assembled from separate perception, planning, and control parts that rarely add up to intelligence a robot can carry from one task to another, or one machine to another. The central problem in embodied AI is to find the equivalent recipe, and the field does not yet agree on what it is. X Square Robot , a Chinese embodied-AI company, has made an unusually explicit bet. It argues that the recipe is an integrated stack, spanning the data a robot learns from, a world model for predicting changes in the physical world, and an action model that brings together perception, planning, reasoning, and decision-making to generate executable robot behavior. The company also believes that the stack should be built and released in the open . X Square Robot shares its vision of bringing robots into real homes. X Square Robot X Square Robot’s embodied AI stack What holds the stack together is a small set of principles rather than a single overarching model. The first is that the basic unit of robot data is an interaction, not a trajectory; a demonstration is successful only if it changes the world as intended, not simply because the joints moved. The second is that pretraining should yield usable capability, not just an initialization for later fine-tuning. The third is that behavior should be modeled around physical events rather than fixed slices of time. These principles make the layers interdependent, since the same robot-free data that trains the action model is also structured to feed the world model. It is worth being precise, though. The company describes the world model and the action model as complementary but independent model families that share a code base. Both sit within its broader World Unified Model, which it has presented as an architecture for training vision, language, action, and physical prediction together. Robot learning data: Engineering for quality and cost, not scale For the X Square Robot team, one of the biggest constraints on general-purpose robots is the cost and quality of interaction data, not the number of parameters. To address that, the company built its Universal Manipulation Interface (UMI) data collection system, QUANXTA Zero Series . It works by collecting demonstrations from people wearing a rig with dual grippers rather than teleoperating a robot. This approach is not itself new, and builds on established methods for robot-free data capture. What sets it apart are two engineering choices. X Square Robot emphasizes data quality control, recording trajectories and replaying them on a real robot, with only those that actually complete the task counted as valid. X Square Robot The first is quality control, and it is the most distinctive part. Rather than accepting recorded trajectories as they are, the system runs a closed inspection loop, and its notable step is physical playback. A sample of trajectories is replayed on the real robot, and only those that actually complete the task count as valid. That makes the validity rate a measured quantity rather than an assumption. For example, a gripper that closes a fraction of a second too early still looks like a grasp in the data, yet it has pushed the object away, so it shouldn’t be classified as valid. A smaller clean dataset can be worth more than a larger noisy one. The second choice is how lower-cost human data and scarce robot data are combined. The company pretrains on a large volume of robot-free demonstrations to build general representations, then adds a small amount of real-robot data as an anchor to the specific machine’s dynamics. It reports that this reaches performance comparable to an all-robot dataset at roughly a 20-fold lower cost of collection, driven mainly by how much cheaper the wearable rig is than a teleoperation setup. The resulting dataset is deliberately model-agnostic, formatted to feed both action models and world models. The caveat is that the strongest results are measured on the company’s own robots and data-collection pipelines. Broader independent testing will help confirm and extend these promising results across a wider range of settings. A world model organized around events In developing its world model, called WALL-WM , X Square Robot took a differentiated approach. Most action models predict a fixed-length chunk of motion from the current image and instruction. That is convenient, but it segments behavior into fixed-duration windows, so the boundaries fall where elapsed time dictates rather than where one action ends and the next begins. WALL-WM instead treats an action-grounded semantic event as its unit: a coherent piece of behavior such as reaching, grasping, or placing, something that can be named in language, seen in video, and executed as motio...
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This article is brought to you by X Square Robot . X Square Robot X Square Robot’s embodied AI stack What holds the stack together is a small set of principles rather than a single overarching model.
TL;DR:
Robotics systems have long been assembled from separate perception, planning, and control parts that rarely add up to intelligence a robot can carry from one task to another, or one machine to another.
Interestingengineering
Jul 13, 08:51
Electronics-free robotics could feel and react instantly with new soft sensors
Researchers have developed a soft mechanical force sensor that enables robots to detect touch and...
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Electronics-free robotics could feel and react instantly with new soft sensors. Researchers have developed a soft mechanical force sensor that enables robots to detect touch and...
TL;DR:
Researchers have developed a soft mechanical force sensor that enables robots to detect touch and...
Hackaday
Jul 13, 02:00
Musing on AI from 1964
[Irving John Good] was at Trinity College, Oxford back in 1964. His paper, “Speculations Concerning the First Ultraintelligent Machine” could have been a topic for today, as we deal with …read more
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Musing on AI from 1964. [Irving John Good] was at Trinity College, Oxford back in 1964. His paper, “Speculations Concerning the First Ultraintelligent Machine” could have been a topic for today, as we deal with …read more
TL;DR:
His paper, “Speculations Concerning the First Ultraintelligent Machine” could have been a topic for today, as we deal with …read more
Larp
Jul 12, 16:56
LARP – Revenue infrastructure for serious founders
No product required. No customers required. No, seriously — no customers. You both agree on a number. Bigger is better. The number is the entire product. Each leg counts as revenue for the receiver.
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LARP – Revenue infrastructure for serious founders. Each leg counts as revenue for the receiver. "We recognized 340% year-over-year revenue growth without any change to our cash position.
TL;DR:
The number in the pitch is real.
Interestingengineering
Jul 12, 16:04
Skyports’ VDX becomes world’s first certified commercial vertiport in UAE
The UAE is creating a new standard for advanced air mobility by certifying the world’s first purpose-built commercial vertiport.
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The UAE is creating a new standard for advanced air mobility by certifying the world’s first purpose-built commercial vertiport. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Skyports Infrastructure have announced that VDX, the world’s first purpose-built commercial vertiport, has received regulatory certification for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft o…
TL;DR:
The UAE is creating a new standard for advanced air mobility by certifying the world’s...
Interestingengineering
Jul 12, 13:35
Scientists fire next-gen electromagnetic railgun in first open-range trial
Researchers at the ISL have reached a significant milestone in electromagnetic railgun development after successfully...
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Researchers at the ISL have reached a significant milestone in electromagnetic railgun development after successfully conducting the system’s first outdoor free-flight firing at the Institute’s proving ground in Baldersheim.
TL;DR:
Researchers at the ISL have reached a significant milestone in electromagnetic railgun development after successfully...
Interestingengineering
Jul 12, 13:23
US aerospace giant expands footprint to scale next-gen electric flight systems
US-based Collins Aerospace has opened a new U.K. engineering hub to accelerate the development and...
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US aerospace giant expands footprint to scale next-gen electric flight systems. US-based Collins Aerospace has opened a new U.K. engineering hub to accelerate the development and...
TL;DR:
US-based Collins Aerospace has opened a new U.K.
Interestingengineering
Jul 12, 12:00
Chinese startup claims world’s first 8-inch 2D semiconductor pilot production line
For years, the race to build faster and more efficient computer chips has been tied...
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Chinese startup claims world’s first 8-inch 2D semiconductor pilot production line. For years, the race to build faster and more efficient computer chips has been tied...
TL;DR:
For years, the race to build faster and more efficient computer chips has been tied...
Interestingengineering
Jul 12, 11:59
‘World’s first’ 600 hp hydrogen engine achieves China VI compliance for heavy-duty use
China-based Weichai Power’s WP15 hydrogen direct-injection engine has qualified under the China VI vehicle emission...
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‘World’s first’ 600 hp hydrogen engine achieves China VI compliance for heavy-duty use. China-based Weichai Power’s WP15 hydrogen direct-injection engine has qualified under the China VI vehicle emission...
TL;DR:
China-based Weichai Power’s WP15 hydrogen direct-injection engine has qualified under the China VI vehicle emission...
Interestingengineering
Jul 12, 11:16
US Navy to test on-demand mobile 3D printing of military spare parts at sea
The US Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) is...
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US Navy to test on-demand mobile 3D printing of military spare parts at sea. The US Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) is...
TL;DR:
The US Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) is...
Hackaday
Jul 12, 11:00
Printing Fungal Art with Laser Control
Preservationists usually take great care to prevent fungi from appearing the world of art, but in the case of [Kexin Wang]’s Funguy project, the fungus itself is the art. It …read more
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This project evolved out of a research project in which they developed a computer model for fungal growth, then used its predictions and a laser to control a fungus’s growth pattern. The model has two parts: a temporal convolutional neural network which learns fungi growth patterns from a series of images, and a cellular automaton to simulate these growth patterns under differ…
TL;DR:
Preservationists usually take great care to prevent fungi from appearing the world of art, but in the case of [Kexin Wang]’s Funguy project, the fungus itself is the art.
Hackaday
Jul 11, 23:00
The First New WW2 Jeep Since 1945
Online publications sometimes work with sponsors. Over at the Autopian, they landed a sponsorship deal with eBay, but due to an unguarded comment, fulfilling the sponsor’s requirements turned out to …read more
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The First New WW2 Jeep Since 1945. Online publications sometimes work with sponsors. Over at the Autopian, they landed a sponsorship deal with eBay, but due to an unguarded comment, fulfilling the sponsor’s requirements turned out to …read more
TL;DR:
Online publications sometimes work with sponsors.
Engineering
Jul 11, 22:54
How sea stars build materials that can see
In the News , Research + Innovation , Research and Innovation / July 6, 2026 When engineers think about protective materials, like those used in packaging and support, they usually think about streng…
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How sea stars build materials that can see. In the News , Research + Innovation , Research and Innovation / July 6, 2026 When engineers think about protective materials, like those used in packaging and support, they usually think about strength, stiffness and durability. But what if those same materials could also sense their external environment?
TL;DR:
The finding suggests that nature may have evolved a way to combine mechanical support and optical sensing within the same material system.
En
Jul 11, 19:49
Andon (manufacturing)
In manufacturing , andon ( Japanese : アンドン or あんどん or 行灯 ) is a system which notifies managerial, maintenance, and other workers of a quality or process problem.
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[ 1 ] An andon system is one of the principal elements of the Jidoka quality control method pioneered by Toyota as part of the Toyota Production System and therefore now part of the lean production approach. The andon cord is commonly understood as a single-pull system used to stop the production line immediately when a problem arises. Otherwise, the line will stop.
TL;DR:
In manufacturing , andon ( Japanese : アンドン or あんどん or 行灯 ) is a system which notifies managerial, maintenance, and other workers of a quality or process problem.
Interestingengineering
Jul 11, 17:43
In a first, kidney and liver tissues printed in space to tackle critical Earth problem
Every organ in the human body depends on an intricate arrangement of cells. For example,...
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In a first, kidney and liver tissues printed in space to tackle critical Earth problem. Every organ in the human body depends on an intricate arrangement of cells. For example,...
TL;DR:
Every organ in the human body depends on an intricate arrangement of cells.
Hackaday
Jul 11, 17:00
To Build More Believable Bots, Simulate The Neurochemistry
Giving machines the ability to communicate nonverbally has real value, and [Drew Smith] clearly thinks your robot deserves better than an emoji. He shared a very interesting approach with his …read more
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To Build More Believable Bots, Simulate The Neurochemistry. Giving machines the ability to communicate nonverbally has real value, and [Drew Smith] clearly thinks your robot deserves better than an emoji. He shared a very interesting approach with his …read more
TL;DR:
Giving machines the ability to communicate nonverbally has real value, and [Drew Smith] clearly thinks your robot deserves better than an emoji.
Interestingengineering
Jul 11, 14:50
US electric aircraft integration advances with first successful multistate flights
Aerospace company BETA Technologies has completed a series of electric aircraft flights across Virginia and Maryland as part of the U.S.
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Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), aimed at evaluating how advanced air mobility aircraft can operate within existing airspace systems. BETA Technologies and United Therapeutics are working together to develop electric aircraft systems designed to support future organ delivery operations.
TL;DR:
Aerospace company BETA Technologies has completed a series of electric aircraft flights across Virginia and...
Interestingengineering
Jul 11, 14:29
US aerospace plant upgrade targets high-performance materials for aviation, defense
Global aerospace company Syensqo is expanding its Havre de Grace site to pave the way...
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US aerospace plant upgrade targets high-performance materials for aviation, defense. Global aerospace company Syensqo is expanding its Havre de Grace site to pave the way...
TL;DR:
Global aerospace company Syensqo is expanding its Havre de Grace site to pave the way...
Interestingengineering
Jul 11, 13:07
PUR-1: America’s first fully digital nuclear reactor begins testing for advanced action
America’s only fully digital nuclear reactor has entered a new phase of operation. Engineers at Purdue University have begun the first US experiments to test how artificial intelligence, cybersecurit…
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Unlike commercial nuclear plants, PUR-1 does not generate electricity for the grid. This work marks a new phase for a facility that became the first US research reactor licensed with a fully digital safety and control system in 2019 .
TL;DR:
America’s only fully digital nuclear reactor has entered a new phase of operation. Engineers at Purdue...
Hackaday
Jul 11, 11:00
Clay Extruder Enables Printable Pottery
Ceramic 3D printers, despite using the same fundamental mechanism as standard FDM printers, are much harder to find. Part of this comes down to the material properties of fired ceramics …read more
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Clay Extruder Enables Printable Pottery. Ceramic 3D printers, despite using the same fundamental mechanism as standard FDM printers, are much harder to find. Part of this comes down to the material properties of fired ceramics …read more
TL;DR:
Ceramic 3D printers, despite using the same fundamental mechanism as standard FDM printers, are much harder to find.
Interestingengineering
Jul 10, 23:30
Autonomous net-based system intercepts FPV drones before they strike army vehicles
The growing use of first-person view (FPV) attack drones is forcing militaries to rethink how...
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Autonomous net-based system intercepts FPV drones before they strike army vehicles. The growing use of first-person view (FPV) attack drones is forcing militaries to rethink how...
TL;DR:
The growing use of first-person view (FPV) attack drones is forcing militaries to rethink how...
Interestingengineering
Jul 10, 22:34
Beyond lithium? Sodium-ion home battery debuts in Europe ahead of planned US rollout
UNIGRID has delivered the first units of its sodium-ion residential energy storage system, marking the...
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Beyond lithium? Sodium-ion home battery debuts in Europe ahead of planned US rollout. UNIGRID has delivered the first units of its sodium-ion residential energy storage system, marking the...
TL;DR:
UNIGRID has delivered the first units of its sodium-ion residential energy storage system, marking the...
Interestingengineering
Jul 10, 19:31
New holographic 3D printing technique creates leak-free microstructures in 20 seconds
University of Utah researchers have developed a 3D printing method that creates solid microstructures in a single laser exposure, eliminating the weak seams typically left behind by conventional laye…
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Instead of building parts one layer at a time, the system hardens the printing material all at once, producing seamless structures. They also demonstrated that the printer can produce multiple parts continuously in a conveyor-belt-like process. These interfaces can weaken printed parts or allow fluids to leak in applications such as microfluidic devices.
TL;DR:
University of Utah researchers have developed a 3D printing method that creates solid microstructures in...
Atomscale
Jul 10, 19:03
Materials innovation has a scale-up problem, not discovery
In December 1959, Richard Feynman stood before the American Physical Society at Caltech and told a room of physicists there was "plenty of room at the bottom.
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Materials innovation has a scale-up problem, not discovery. Thanks to that work, the materials that will drive the next wave of technology — for AI, for quantum, for energy and electrification — are, for the most part, not waiting to be discovered. Put simply, materials innovation has a scale-up problem, not a discovery problem.
TL;DR:
We learned to engineer the world atom-by-atom, and nearly everything we now call technology rests on that work.
Hackaday
Jul 10, 18:30
Robot Dog in Browser
You’ve doubtlessly seen the current crop of robot dogs and, if you are like us, thought about getting one to play with. The problem is that the cheap ones are …read more
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You’ve doubtlessly seen the current crop of robot dogs and, if you are like us, thought about getting one to play with. The problem is that the cheap ones are …read more
TL;DR:
You’ve doubtlessly seen the current crop of robot dogs and, if you are like us, thought about getting one to play with.
Spectrum
Jul 10, 18:00
IEEE Remembers Pioneering Computer Scientist Peter G. Neumann
The computing community recently lost one of its enduring voices: IEEE Fellow Peter G. Neumann . The renowned computer scientist and respected risk analyst died on 17 May at the age of 93. For almost 70 years, Neumann shaped the computing field through his pioneering work on risks, system dependability, security, and fault tolerance with rare intellectual depth and unwavering ethical clarity. Five of those decades were spent as a principal scientist at SRI International in Menlo Park, Calif., where he worked until his death. A detailed narrative of his work, life, and mentoring is available on his SRI web page , where he chronicled his journey. He possessed a rare ability to identify systemic vulnerabilities long before they became widely recognized. He cautioned that interconnected systems, if poorly designed or insufficiently scrutinized, could fail and become targets for exploitation. He insisted innovation always must be accompanied by responsibility, reliability, and a clear understanding of the risks involved. With the widespread adoption of computing, information technology, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems, Neumann’s insights have become more relevant. From Harvard to Bell Labs Neumann was born on 21 September 1932 in New York City. After graduating from high school, he pursued a degree in mathematics at Harvard , where he had a conversation that shaped his approach to research, according to the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). In November 1952 he had a two-hour breakfast meeting with Albert Einstein , at which they discussed the importance of simplicity in design. Neumann was among the first generation of Harvard students to program computers and, remarkably for that era, enjoyed exclusive access to the computing systems. After earning his bachelor’s degree in 1954, he continued his education at Harvard, earning a master’s degree in 1955. In 1958 he moved to Germany to become a doctoral student at the Technical University of Darmstadt as part of the Fulbright program , which provides funding for U.S. citizens to study or teach abroad. He earned his doctorate in 1960. After returning to the United States, he joined Bell Labs in Murray Hill, N.J., where he worked on error-correcting codes and survivable communications. He also pursued a second Ph.D. in applied mathematics and science at Harvard, achieving that goal in 1961. Four years later, he was assigned to work on Multics , which became an influential operating system that shaped modern secure computing architectures. Multics was a mainframe time-sharing system designed to serve the diverse needs of multiple users simultaneously. Neumann designed its filing system, which featured hierarchical directories, access control lists, and dynamically paged virtual memory segments. He also played a key role in the design of its input/output system. In 1970 he left Bell Labs to join SRI . Technical contributions at SRI Neumann made several seminal and foundational technical contributions while at SRI, including the following: Provably Secure Operating System. The PSOS project he worked on advanced formal methods in operating systems and computer security. The project demonstrated that security could be designed within the initial plan rather than retrofitted. Election integrity and voting systems. He outlined vulnerabilities in electronic systems and advocated for transparency, verifiability, and public accountability. Systems-level risk thinking. He broadened the concept of computer security to encompass human factors, governance, policy failures, social consequences, organizational negligence, and misuse of automation. His system-level perspective now fuels debates on AI governance and digital trust. Intrusion-detection systems. With his colleague Dorothy E. Denning , a security expert, he helped develop an intrusion-detection expert system (IDES), laying the groundwork for modern cyberdefenses. CHERI. He promoted hardware-assisted secure computing: technology that now influences next-generation processors. The Capability Hardware-Enhanced RISC Instructions ( CHERI ) architecture project, which Neumann led, is now being commercialized by an international, nonprofit alliance . His contributions are united by a simple but profound principle: Security should be foundational, not incidental. Neumann argued that security must be embedded into system architecture from the start—not patched after deployment. ACM’s Risks Forum Neumann’s other enduring contribution was the creation and stewardship of the ACM Risks Forum , formally known as the Forum on Risks to the Public in Computers and Related Systems. For decades, it was one of the most respected online arenas for critical reflection on computing failures, vulnerabilities, security breaches, unintended consequences, and emerging technological threats. He transformed the forum into a scholarly archive of cautionary lessons in computing failures and risks. In 1985 he started document...
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IEEE Remembers Pioneering Computer Scientist Peter G. Four years later, he was assigned to work on Multics , which became an influential operating system that shaped modern secure computing architectures. He also played a key role in the design of its input/output system.
TL;DR:
Neumann argued that security must be embedded into system architecture from the start—not patched after deployment.
Interestingengineering
Jul 10, 17:40
FAA clears nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft for 150-foot takeoff certification
Electra has cleared an important U.S. regulatory milestone after the Federal Aviation Administration finalized the...
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FAA clears nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft for 150-foot takeoff certification. Electra has cleared an important U.S. regulatory milestone after the Federal Aviation Administration finalized the...
TL;DR:
Electra has cleared an important U.S.
Blog
Jul 10, 16:59
Collaboration Networks in Brazilian Computer Science
During my bachelor's, I picked up Albert-László Barabási's Network Science book for a research project.
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Collaboration Networks in Brazilian Computer Science. I wanted to apply these ideas to Brazilian computer science to answer some questions that I had out of curiosity. A related but broader field, scientometrics , studies science itself as a social and epistemic system, asking how institutions, funding, geography, and policy shape what knowledge gets produced and by whom [3].
TL;DR:
During my bachelor's, I picked up Albert-László Barabási's Network Science book for a research project.
Interestingengineering
Jul 10, 16:51
An electric UAV with 434-mph speed that could inspire next-gen interceptor drones
A German firm has achieved a significant milestone with its latest high-speed battery-powered drone. Quantum...
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An electric UAV with 434-mph speed that could inspire next-gen interceptor drones. A German firm has achieved a significant milestone with its latest high-speed battery-powered drone.
TL;DR:
A German firm has achieved a significant milestone with its latest high-speed battery-powered drone.
Interestingengineering
Jul 10, 15:54
US: Pharma derived method leads to safer, predictable high-explosive manufacturing
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have modernized high-explosive (HE) manufacturing by adapting extrusion-spheronization....
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PBX manufacturing uses a legacy process called slurry coating. In this process, explosive crystals are mixed with a polymer binder to form small granules, known as prills, which are then pressed into dense parts. In reality, this is far from the case today,” Sullivan added.
TL;DR:
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have modernized high-explosive (HE) manufacturing by adapting extrusion-spheronization....
Interestingengineering
Jul 10, 15:42
MIT’s robot boat swarm turns waterways into adaptive floating infrastructure
MIT researchers have developed a swarm of autonomous robotic boats that can assemble into floating structures and reconfigure with minimal human intervention.
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Each 21-centimeter-square robot is equipped with its own thrusters, sensors, and magnetic latches, allowing the fleet to connect like building blocks on the water. The modular system named FloatForm creates reconfigurable floating platforms that can quickly adapt to changing needs and environments.
TL;DR:
MIT researchers have developed a swarm of autonomous robotic boats that can assemble into floating...
Hackaday
Jul 10, 14:00
This Week in Security: Escaping Linux VMs, Vulnerable Solar, Confusing AI (Again), and Confusing NPM Malware
The Januscape vulnerability allows a user in a guest VM managed by the Linux Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM) to corrupt memory in the host system and break out of isolation. …read more
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KVM virtualization is used by major hosting platforms like Amazon AWS, Google GCP, Digital Ocean, and many more. Micro solar, or “balcony solar”, installs have been gaining traction in Europe as a way to offset rising electrical costs by connecting solar and battery systems to a house or apartment power system.
TL;DR:
The Januscape vulnerability allows a user in a guest VM managed by the Linux Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM) to corrupt memory in the host system and break out of isolation.
Interestingengineering
Jul 10, 13:36
100,996 GWh: US’ weekly electricity output shatters all-time record during brutal heat
The American power grid just survived its ultimate stress test. For the first time in...
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100,996 GWh: US’ weekly electricity output shatters all-time record during brutal heat. The American power grid just survived its ultimate stress test. For the first time in...
TL;DR:
The American power grid just survived its ultimate stress test.
Interestingengineering
Jul 10, 12:54
World-first: Downward drilling robot could transform data center construction
An American firm has announced the commercial launch of the world’s first fleet-capable, downward-drilling robot.
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The downward drilling robot, named DALE, has been developed by Dewalt, a Stanley Black and Decker brand, in collaboration with mobile robotics firm August Robotics. The robot debuted at the World of Concrete event earlier this year. Dewalt claims that the robot offers concrete drilling with unmatched speed, safety, and efficiency.
TL;DR:
An American firm has announced the commercial launch of the world’s first fleet-capable, downward-drilling robot....
Interestingengineering
Jul 10, 08:23
NEO humanoid robot gets new hands with 25 degrees of freedom to build LEGO, catch balls
Norwegian robotics company 1X has unveiled new 25-degree-of-freedom (DOF), tendon-driven hands for its NEO humanoid robot, describing them as a major step toward human-level dexterity.
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Norwegian robotics company 1X has unveiled new 25-degree-of-freedom (DOF), tendon-driven hands for its NEO humanoid robot, describing them as a major step toward human-level dexterity. Recently, 1X began mass-producing its NEO humanoid robot at a new California factory, advancing the commercialization of home robots designed to assist with daily household tasks safely.
TL;DR:
Norwegian robotics company 1X has unveiled new 25-degree-of-freedom (DOF), tendon-driven hands for its NEO humanoid...
Hackaday
Jul 10, 02:00
Mechanosynthesis of Atomic Carbon Structures Using Inverted-Mode STM
Generally chemical synthesis involves putting a variety of compounds together in an environment where they will react and self-assemble into the desired product. Direct mechanical manipulation could be significantly more …read more
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Mechanosynthesis of Atomic Carbon Structures Using Inverted-Mode STM. Generally chemical synthesis involves putting a variety of compounds together in an environment where they will react and self-assemble into the desired product. Direct mechanical manipulation could be significantly more …read more
TL;DR:
Generally chemical synthesis involves putting a variety of compounds together in an environment where they will react and self-assemble into the desired product.
Interestingengineering
Jul 10, 00:21
Magnetic quantum material enables one-way electrical transport for future devices
Scientists at Penn State and Saint Louis University have demonstrated that a magnetic quantum material can naturally produce unusual quantum behaviors that researchers previously explored mostly thro…
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Scientists at Penn State and Saint Louis University have demonstrated that a magnetic quantum material can naturally produce unusual quantum behaviors that researchers previously explored mostly through specially engineered optical and electronic systems.
TL;DR:
Scientists at Penn State and Saint Louis University have demonstrated that a magnetic quantum material...
Interestingengineering
Jul 9, 23:18
Micron strengthens US chip supply chain with $3 billion wafer manufacturing push
US chipmaking giant Micron Technology plans to invest up to $3 billion to strengthen the...
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Micron strengthens US chip supply chain with $3 billion wafer manufacturing push. US chipmaking giant Micron Technology plans to invest up to $3 billion to strengthen the...
TL;DR:
US chipmaking giant Micron Technology plans to invest up to $3 billion to strengthen the...
Techxplore
Jul 9, 22:16
Can the buckling Manhattan skyscraper be saved? Engineers weigh in
As officials continue to investigate the cause, experts say that if the conversion is to proceed, "extensive work" would need to be done to shore up the damage and evaluate the building's safety and integrity.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Hajjar, who is a university distinguished professor and the CDM Smith Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. One example is the American Society of Civil Engineers' standard for determining the loads buildings must be designed to withstand, or ASCE/SEI 7 .
TL;DR:
As officials continue to investigate the cause, experts say that if the conversion is to proceed, "extensive work" would need to be done to shore up the damage and evaluate the building's safety and integrity.
Techxplore
Jul 9, 22:16
Birdlike robot swims underwater, then flaps into flight without paddling
Loons, gulls, puffins and petrels are some of the 100 species of birds that can both fly and swim. These diving birds can plunge into water to swim after prey, and leap back into the air to fly away.
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Birdlike robot swims underwater, then flaps into flight without paddling. Loons, gulls, puffins and petrels are some of the 100 species of birds that can both fly and swim. These diving birds can plunge into water to swim after prey, and leap back into the air to fly away.
TL;DR:
Loons, gulls, puffins and petrels are some of the 100 species of birds that can both fly and swim.
Techxplore
Jul 9, 22:16
New pellet-making method points to safer, more predictable high-explosive manufacturing
For decades, manufacturing plastic-bonded high explosives, or PBXs, has relied on legacy processes like slurry coating. In this method, explosive crystals are mixed with a binder, a polymer that helps hold the material together, to form small granules called prills. Those prills are then pressed into dense explosive parts.
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New pellet-making method points to safer, more predictable high-explosive manufacturing. For decades, manufacturing plastic-bonded high explosives, or PBXs, has relied on legacy processes like slurry coating. Those prills are then pressed into dense explosive parts.
TL;DR:
Those prills are then pressed into dense explosive parts.
Interestingengineering
Jul 9, 22:00
US boosts defense radar output with $40M factory producing 30,000 systems annually
Echodyne has opened a new radar manufacturing facility in Washington state that will eventually produce...
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US boosts defense radar output with $40M factory producing 30,000 systems annually. Echodyne has opened a new radar manufacturing facility in Washington state that will eventually produce...
TL;DR:
Echodyne has opened a new radar manufacturing facility in Washington state that will eventually produce...
Interestingengineering
Jul 9, 19:23
High-energy lasers: Pentagon pushes 500-kW systems for cruise missile defense
The U.S. Department of Defense has selected laser technology company nLIGHT to help develop a...
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High-energy lasers: Pentagon pushes 500-kW systems for cruise missile defense. Department of Defense has selected laser technology company nLIGHT to help develop a...
TL;DR:
Department of Defense has selected laser technology company nLIGHT to help develop a...
Interestingengineering
Jul 9, 19:03
In a global first, scientists observe the formation of Earth’s crust in the ocean
Researchers at the French National Center of Scientific Research have become the first to observe...
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In a global first, scientists observe the formation of Earth’s crust in the ocean. Researchers at the French National Center of Scientific Research have become the first to observe...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the French National Center of Scientific Research have become the first to observe...
Interestingengineering
Jul 9, 18:30
US’ new weapon can blast enemy satellites with beams of electromagnetic radiation
The U.S. Space Force has got a new capability to make enemy satellites almost inactive...
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US’ new weapon can blast enemy satellites with beams of electromagnetic radiation. Space Force has got a new capability to make enemy satellites almost inactive...
TL;DR:
Space Force has got a new capability to make enemy satellites almost inactive...
Interestingengineering
Jul 9, 17:52
Puffin bird-inspired robot flaps its wings to travel through both air and water
Experts spend years trying to build robotic systems that can both fly and dive. Puffins...
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Puffin bird-inspired robot flaps its wings to travel through both air and water. Experts spend years trying to build robotic systems that can both fly and dive.
TL;DR:
Experts spend years trying to build robotic systems that can both fly and dive.
Interestingengineering
Jul 9, 16:20
NVIDIA expands open-source LeRobot with humanoid AI tools for faster robot development
NVIDIA and Hugging Face have expanded their collaboration to bring new AI models and robotics...
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NVIDIA expands open-source LeRobot with humanoid AI tools for faster robot development. NVIDIA and Hugging Face have expanded their collaboration to bring new AI models and robotics...
TL;DR:
NVIDIA and Hugging Face have expanded their collaboration to bring new AI models and robotics...
Hackaday
Jul 9, 15:30
Get a Handle on This Compact Pi Portable
Between the speed and reliability of modern desktop 3D printers and the abundance of powerful single-board computers, there’s never been a better time to build a personal computing device that …read more
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Those core components would be enough to get you up and running, but if you want battery power you’ll also need to add a LX-2BUPS UPS board and a pair of 18650 cells. Audio might be nice as well, and for that [Paul] recommends a PAM8403 breakout board. He’s even got a printable volume knob that slips over the board’s potentiometer and peeks outside the case.
TL;DR:
Between the speed and reliability of modern desktop 3D printers and the abundance of powerful single-board computers, there’s never been a better time to build a personal computing device that …read more
Blog
Jul 9, 14:50
Why the Next Era of AI Is About Infrastructure, Not Just Models
Here’s how I see the evolution of AI in enterprises over the last few years: Put simply, we’ve moved from "should we experiment with AI?" to "why isn't this in production yet?
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Why the Next Era of AI Is About Infrastructure, Not Just Models. Not because models aren't good enough - in fact, the opposite, so many models are good enough for so many tasks. Most teams aren't using one model - they’re using dozens.
TL;DR:
Here’s how I see the evolution of AI in enterprises over the last few years: Put simply, we’ve moved from "should we experiment with AI?" to "why isn't this in production yet?" to “what’s the ROI, and my lord how much did that cost?!
Interestingengineering
Jul 9, 13:42
First US sodium-ion plant to produce 4 GWh of grid storage to power 4 million homes
An industrial manufacturing plant capable of producing 4 gigawatt-hours of battery systems annually—enough capacity to...
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First US sodium-ion plant to produce 4 GWh of grid storage to power 4 million homes. An industrial manufacturing plant capable of producing 4 gigawatt-hours of battery systems annually—enough capacity to...
TL;DR:
An industrial manufacturing plant capable of producing 4 gigawatt-hours of battery systems annually—enough capacity to...
Blog
Jul 9, 13:29
Reverse-engineering Nvidia's CUDA-checkpoint for faster cold starts
There’s a little known feature in the closed-source NVIDIA driver that lets you freeze a running CUDA process, serialize its GPU state into host memory, and later restore it to the GPU exactly as it…
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We used it in an earlier post to speed up SGLang server startup by up to 70x. With some tooling from our last post , we can find out why it costs so much, and how to make it faster without modifying the application, or the driver. Same 4090 and driver 590.48.01 as the kernel-launch post .
TL;DR:
The counter lives in GPU memory and starts at 100.
Interestingengineering
Jul 9, 13:28
World’s first open-source simulator expands access to advanced space robotics research
Rice University and NASA have launched the world’s first open-source dynamic simulation platform for developing and testing robots designed for use inside spacecraft and space habitats.
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The iMETRO Dynamic Simulation creates a high-fidelity digital twin of NASA Johnson Space Center’s iMETRO research facility, enabling researchers worldwide to develop, validate, and refine intravehicular robotic systems in a virtual environment.
TL;DR:
Rice University and NASA have launched the world’s first open-source dynamic simulation platform for developing...
Interestingengineering
Jul 9, 13:25
Quantum chip just 0.3 inches long stores memory through tiny mechanical vibrations
Swiss researchers have developed a new type of quantum computer chip that stores data using...
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Quantum chip just 0.3 inches long stores memory through tiny mechanical vibrations. Swiss researchers have developed a new type of quantum computer chip that stores data using...
TL;DR:
Swiss researchers have developed a new type of quantum computer chip that stores data using...
Techxplore
Jul 9, 11:57
Student engineers, designers develop mountable wheelchair light with (dis)Ability Design Studio
Powered by collaborative and empathic design, the next generation of designers and engineers are working to make life easier for wheelchair and mobility device users.
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by Lauren Otolski, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduate student Carter Schott is collaborating with a team of student designers and Beckman's (dis)Ability Design Studio to develop Sol, a mountable wheelchair light.
TL;DR:
Powered by collaborative and empathic design, the next generation of designers and engineers are working to make life easier for wheelchair and mobility device users.
Content
Jul 9, 10:00
The Rebirth of High Frequency
An examination of how satellite vulnerabilities, modern wideband waveforms, and automatic link establishment are driving renewed military and government investment in HF communications. What Attendees will Learn Why HF (High Frequency) declined — and what has changed — How satellites overtook HF for global communications from the 1970s onward, and why growing awareness of satellite vulnerabilities to anti-satellite weapons, jamming, solar storms, and coverage gaps is reviving interest in skywave propagation as a resilient alternative. How the ionosphere enables and limits global HF communication — Understand the roles of the D, E, and F ionospheric layers in refracting and absorbing signals, the concepts of maximum usable frequency (MUF) and lowest usable frequency (LUF), and how sunspot number, solar flux index, and A/K geomagnetic indices are used to quantify and predict propagation conditions. How automatic link establishment transforms HF operability — Trace the evolution from proprietary first-generation ALE through interoperable second- and third-generation standards to fourth-generation wideband ALE, which automates frequency selection, link setup, and adaptation to changing channel conditions — removing the dependency on highly skilled operators. How wideband HF is closing the throughput. Download this free whitepaper now!
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The Rebirth of High Frequency. What Attendees will Learn Why HF (High Frequency) declined — and what has changed — How satellites overtook HF for global communications from the 1970s onward, and why growing awareness of satellite vulnerabilities to anti-satellite weapons, jamming, solar storms, and coverage gaps is reviving interest in skywave propagation as a resilient altern…
TL;DR:
An examination of how satellite vulnerabilities, modern wideband waveforms, and automatic link establishment are driving renewed military and government investment in HF communications.
Interestingengineering
Jul 9, 07:45
World’s first surgery using teleoperated humanoid robots conducted by US team
Researchers have achieved a world first by successfully using teleoperated humanoid robots to perform two surgeries during a preclinical trial.
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The procedures included a gallbladder removal completed by a human-robot team, with a surgeon assisting a humanoid robot, and a second operation carried out by two humanoid robots working together.
TL;DR:
Researchers have achieved a world first by successfully using teleoperated humanoid robots to perform two...
Hackaday
Jul 9, 02:00
IBM Home Director: Home Automation in 1996
Back in the 1990s IBM had a pretty sizeable presence in the PC market, including its rather spiffy Aptiva series of PCs. Naturally their PCs had to feature heavily in …read more
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IBM Home Director: Home Automation in 1996. Back in the 1990s IBM had a pretty sizeable presence in the PC market, including its rather spiffy Aptiva series of PCs. Naturally their PCs had to feature heavily in …read more
TL;DR:
Back in the 1990s IBM had a pretty sizeable presence in the PC market, including its rather spiffy Aptiva series of PCs.
Interestingengineering
Jul 8, 23:25
Royal Navy achieves world’s first airborne launch of an uncrewed boat for sea missions
The Royal Navy has successfully tested a new way to deploy uncrewed surface vessels by...
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Royal Navy achieves world’s first airborne launch of an uncrewed boat for sea missions. The Royal Navy has successfully tested a new way to deploy uncrewed surface vessels by...
TL;DR:
The Royal Navy has successfully tested a new way to deploy uncrewed surface vessels by...
Techxplore
Jul 8, 23:08
Sand could be key to safer, stronger structures
Engineers have been working for centuries to protect buildings, bridges and other structures from damage caused by severe weather and natural hazards, but one of the best methods may begin with sand, according to a newly published study.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . "The damper is an energy dissipation device that you use every day," said Liang Cao, incoming University of Mississippi assistant professor of civil engineering. "Every vehicle you drive has dampers to try to reduce vibrations.
TL;DR:
Engineers have been working for centuries to protect buildings, bridges and other structures from damage caused by severe weather and natural hazards, but one of the best methods may begin with sand, according to a newly published study.
Interestingengineering
Jul 8, 22:55
New quantum breakthrough achieves first-known computations of fusion material
Scientists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Cleveland Clinic and IBM have used quantum computers...
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New quantum breakthrough achieves first-known computations of fusion material. Scientists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Cleveland Clinic and IBM have used quantum computers...
TL;DR:
Scientists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Cleveland Clinic and IBM have used quantum computers...
Interestingengineering
Jul 8, 22:19
World’s largest cargo aircraft moves ahead with advanced flight control integration
Radia has expanded the engineering team behind its WindRunner cargo aircraft by selecting aerospace companies...
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World’s largest cargo aircraft moves ahead with advanced flight control integration. Radia has expanded the engineering team behind its WindRunner cargo aircraft by selecting aerospace companies...
TL;DR:
Radia has expanded the engineering team behind its WindRunner cargo aircraft by selecting aerospace companies...
Interestingengineering
Jul 8, 19:34
World’s first rotating detonation rocket engine lands $91M to scale production
Houston-based Venus Aerospace has raised $91 million in Series B funding to expand production of...
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World’s first rotating detonation rocket engine lands $91M to scale production. Houston-based Venus Aerospace has raised $91 million in Series B funding to expand production of...
TL;DR:
Houston-based Venus Aerospace has raised $91 million in Series B funding to expand production of...
Spectrum
Jul 8, 18:00
STEM Needs Leaders From Every Generation at the Table
Working in isolation, especially for leaders, is rapidly becoming an outmoded idea. The modern era is defined by rapid technological advancements and increasingly complex, collaborative global challenges. In this environment, leadership can no longer be approached as an individual pursuit. Instead, leadership must be a collaborative effort in which knowledge, responsibility, and innovation are continuously exchanged across teams, roles, and areas of expertise. Success depends on the ability to foster connection, leverage diverse perspectives, and work collectively toward shared outcomes. The shift is especially important in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. IEEE is bringing together emerging professionals and established experts and leaders at the inaugural IEEE International Leadership Conference to address the need for cross-generational knowledge-sharing and to equip professionals with tools for collaborative leadership. Honoring Expertise, Accelerating Potential is the theme of the ILC, scheduled for 3 and 4 October in Budapest. The conference is expected to focus on how leaders can share information across roles, adapt to rapid technological advancements, and build stronger, more connected professional communities. Through discussions, panels, and interactive sessions, attendees can examine how collaboration across experience levels and disciplines can strengthen decision-making and foment innovation. “There are several factors driving this shift [in leadership], including accelerating technological development cycles, the need to build public trust, and the large percentage of the STEM workforce approaching retirement,” says Vickie Ozburn , conference cochair. “Progress in STEM now depends less on individual brilliance and more on the ability to transfer knowledge, adapt, and make decisions that integrate technical expertise with ethical and social considerations.” From hierarchies to shared leadership Instead of traditional corporate models rooted in hierarchy and individual advancement, a more dynamic framework is taking shape, one that views leadership as a shared ecosystem built on mentorship, continuous learning, and intentional knowledge transfer. It means recognizing that professional development is no longer a one-directional flow of experience from senior professionals to newcomers. Instead, it thrives as a multidirectional exchange. When emerging professionals, mid-career managers, and seasoned experts including retirees are brought together, the result is not only richer dialogue but also more resilient and well-informed decision-making. A cross-generational dialogue enables organizations to honor what has worked, critically assess what has failed, and thoughtfully shape what needs to evolve. Bridging experience to drive future leadership Howard Wolfman , cochair of the IEEE ILC, underscores the importance of historical perspective in leadership development, invoking George Santayana ’s enduring insight: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” “In STEM especially, this principle carries significant weight,” says Wolfman, an IEEE life senior member and the founder and principal of Lumispec Consulting, in Northbrook, Ill. “Technological innovation doesn’t happen all of a sudden; it builds on decades of research, lessons learned, and accumulated knowledge. When leaders actively connect insights from across experience levels, they gain a more complete understanding of both opportunity and risk.” That perspective reinforces the need for greater collaboration across roles and experience levels, ensuring that knowledge is not lost and is continuously built upon and applied in new ways. In this way, leadership development becomes a continuous, interconnected process rather than a series of isolated stages. STEM careers are no longer defined by linear progression but by evolving contributions, in which each phase adds value to the field’s broader advancement. What the changes mean for leaders today Adopting a new leadership paradigm requires a shift in mindset across all levels. For senior leaders, success is defined not only by what they have built but also by the people they mentor and the knowledge they pass forward. Their legacy lies in enabling future leaders to succeed. For emerging young professionals, innovation becomes more informed and impactful when it is grounded in historical context and informed by those who have already navigated similar challenges. “Technological innovation doesn’t happen all of a sudden; it builds on decades of research, lessons learned, and accumulated knowledge. When leaders actively connect insights from across experience levels, they gain a more complete understanding of both opportunity and risk.” —Howard Wolfman, cochair of the IEEE International Leadership Conference For organizations, cross-generational collaboration should be recognized as a strategic advantage, not merely an aspiration. Creating environme...
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STEM Needs Leaders From Every Generation at the Table. Instead, leadership must be a collaborative effort in which knowledge, responsibility, and innovation are continuously exchanged across teams, roles, and areas of expertise.
TL;DR:
The shift is especially important in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
Spectrum
Jul 8, 17:58
Inside the Race to Electrify Semi Trailers for Long Haul Freight
A semi-trailer that helps propel itself entered commercial road testing in late May, when a powertrain kit developed by Nivalis Energy Europe , headquartered in Luxembourg with engineering operations in Germany, was fitted to a trailer supplied by Amsterdam-based TIP Group . The self-powered trailer was handed over to German transport operator Sommer for use in its working fleet. The Nivalis Powered Trailer Kit centers on an electric axle co-developed with Wiehl, Germany–based running gear specialist BPW , rated at 50 kilowatts peak, capable of both propulsion assistance and regenerative braking . That axle draws on a 60-kilowatt-hour, 400-volt lithium-ion battery pack charged from three sources: the axle itself during braking and deceleration, a full-rooftop array of photovoltaic panels generating up to 3.7 kilowatts-peak, and a 32-amp, three-phase AC grid connection available during parking stops. The driver’s only window into the system is a small display readable from the cab’s side mirror that shows the system status and battery charge level. Nothing about the trailer’s handling or licensing requirements changes. The partners project savings of up to 7,000 liters of diesel per trailer per year, which is enough to keep about 19 tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the air. These figures are based on a trailer running 100,000 kilometers annually at payloads between 20 and 24 tonnes, on a mix of long-haul and hub-to-hub routes. Pavel Gilman , vice president of sales and marketing at Nivalis, breaks down where those savings come from: roughly 30 to 35 percent from the electric axle during braking and deceleration, 11 to 15 percent from the rooftop solar panels, and the remainder (roughly half) from grid charging during parking stops. The pilot is planned to run for more than a year, spanning multiple seasons. The retrofit cost has not been disclosed, and the pilot is running on a single trailer. But the underlying assumptions are now on the table and they represent a specific, high-utilization use case (meaning a truck that’s almost always on the move, filled to capacity with freight) not a universal one. Across Europe and North America, a growing number of companies have concluded that electrifying the trailer, rather than replacing the tractor unit, may be the fastest and most cost-effective path to decarbonizing long-haul freight. A new battery-electric heavy truck carries a high upfront cost and demands charging infrastructure that most freight corridors do not yet reliably provide. A retrofit kit fitted to an existing trailer is meant to sidestep both problems. The question the industry has been working to answer is whether the energy harvested from regenerative braking, rooftop solar , and grid charging in short bursts when the vehicle is parked for loading and unloading is enough to produce savings that recover the kit’s cost in a reasonable timeframe. Several companies now believe the answer is yes, and they are accumulating field data to prove it—though not all of them are going about it the same way. Trailer industry places its bets The competitive landscape has taken shape most visibly in Germany. Trailer Dynamics , an Aachen-based company, has conducted field tests with BMW Logistics , DB Schenker , Duvenbeck , and Volkswagen Konzernlogistik , reporting average fuel savings of around 40 percent for diesel tractor combinations, substantially higher than the up to 18 percent reduction implied by the Nivalis projection. The difference traces directly to battery size, but Trailer Dynamics frames the choice as an economic question rather than an architectural one. “The discussion should not start with battery size, but with the economics of the transport operation,” the company said in response to written questions. “There is no single battery capacity that is universally right for every fleet.” Trailer Dynamics’s modular system offers three configurations ranging from 187 to 551 kilowatt-hours, sized to match route profile, annual mileage, payload, and charging access. The M300 version, whose designation reflects the capacity of its 300-kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate battery supplied by Chinese battery manufacturer CATL , adds approximately four tonnes to the trailer, roughly three times the one-to-1.4–tonnes added to a trailer by the Nivalis system. Both companies’ systems would extend the range of a battery-electric tractor by reducing the energy demand on the tractor’s motor. But Trailer Dynamics explicitly targets that use case, claiming its self-propelled trailer yields combined ranges of up to 850 kilometers—enough to eliminate intermediate charging stops on many long-haul routes. Nivalis has not published range extension figures for electric tractor combinations, and its smaller battery and peak lower output suggest the effect would be more modest. That higher energy storage capability widens the addressable market for Trailer Dynamics considerably and helps explain the investment flowin...
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The Nivalis Powered Trailer Kit centers on an electric axle co-developed with Wiehl, Germany–based running gear specialist BPW , rated at 50 kilowatts peak, capable of both propulsion assistance and regenerative braking . Both companies’ systems would extend the range of a battery-electric tractor by reducing the energy demand on the tractor’s motor.
TL;DR:
The driver’s only window into the system is a small display readable from the cab’s side mirror that shows the system status and battery charge level.
Interestingengineering
Jul 8, 15:40
Laser dazzler blinds drone sensors in breakthrough counter-UAS technology trials
US Defense firm NUBURU has reported encouraging initial results from tests of its laser dazzler...
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Laser dazzler blinds drone sensors in breakthrough counter-UAS technology trials. US Defense firm NUBURU has reported encouraging initial results from tests of its laser dazzler...
TL;DR:
US Defense firm NUBURU has reported encouraging initial results from tests of its laser dazzler...
Interestingengineering
Jul 8, 15:28
French firm’s new industrial humanoid robot learns faster through human demonstrations
French robotics firm UMA has unveiled the design of its first AI-powered humanoid robot at the Machina Summit in Paris.
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The technology is designed to speed up robot training and reduce deployment time. UMA is developing its first humanoid robot as a practical industrial platform designed for real-world deployment rather than technology demonstrations. By adopting a human-sized form factor, the robot can use standard tools, navigate human-oriented environments, and work alongside employees.
TL;DR:
French robotics firm UMA has unveiled the design of its first AI-powered humanoid robot at...
Interestingengineering
Jul 8, 15:10
New US motor slashes internal voltage fluctuations by 90% for electric aircraft
Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory National Transportation Research Center have designed a new...
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New US motor slashes internal voltage fluctuations by 90% for electric aircraft. Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory National Transportation Research Center have designed a new...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory National Transportation Research Center have designed a new...
Interestingengineering
Jul 8, 14:34
500-pound robot tows 53,000-pound US Army truck using in-wheel propulsion
An ant just hauled an elephant across the battlefield. In a surprising technological demonstration, US...
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500-pound robot tows 53,000-pound US Army truck using in-wheel propulsion. An ant just hauled an elephant across the battlefield. In a surprising technological demonstration, US...
TL;DR:
An ant just hauled an elephant across the battlefield.
Interestingengineering
Jul 8, 13:24
World’s first fully electric hydrogen aircraft engine could replace jet turbines
One of the world’s largest aeronautics and space companies, Airbus, and leading aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines have joined forces to develop the world’s first fully electric hydrogen f…
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The joint venture will reportedly focus on developing and commercializing a fully electric hydrogen fuel cell engine. The new company is expected to accelerate every stage of the hydrogen fuel cell engine’s development, from engineering and testing through certification to commercialization.
TL;DR:
One of the world’s largest aeronautics and space companies, Airbus, and leading aircraft engine manufacturer...
Interestingengineering
Jul 8, 13:17
US-first modular refinery to produce 10,000 tons of refined nickel annually for EVs
Precision Periodic has announced plans to build America’s first modular, clean-process refinery for battery-grade nickel,...
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The Florida-based firm says this compact refinery is designed to fit entirely within a standard industrial warehouse. Interestingly, it can transition from an empty floor to active commercial production in just months rather than years. “We’ve spent years developing the process and technology to make U.S.
TL;DR:
Precision Periodic has announced plans to build America’s first modular, clean-process refinery for battery-grade nickel,...
Techxplore
Jul 8, 12:33
New field-tested design framework improves bored pile foundations in weathered rock
Large-diameter bored piles are essential for major infrastructure, from elevated railways and long-span bridges to high-rise buildings. Yet when these piles extend into weak, weathered sedimentary rocks such as siltstone and sandstone, engineers face a persistent design challenge: the rock behaves neither like conventional soil nor like strong, intact rock. Instead, its load-bearing capacity depends heavily on in situ weathering, fracturing, and the interaction between the pile and the surrounding rock.
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New field-tested design framework improves bored pile foundations in weathered rock. Yet when these piles extend into weak, weathered sedimentary rocks such as siltstone and sandstone, engineers face a persistent design challenge: the rock behaves neither like conventional soil nor like strong, intact rock.
TL;DR:
Large-diameter bored piles are essential for major infrastructure, from elevated railways and long-span bridges to high-rise buildings.
Techxplore
Jul 7, 23:56
New autonomous monitor prevents drone crashes in real time
A University of Houston engineer has built a new safety monitoring system for the operation of quadrotor drones that can keep them on course and out of danger in real time.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . That's when this new system would step in, enabling the drone to stay within safety limits and complete its task. Zimmerman Assistant Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at the UH Cullen College of Engineering, calls her new system a "safety supervisor.
TL;DR:
A University of Houston engineer has built a new safety monitoring system for the operation of quadrotor drones that can keep them on course and out of danger in real time.
Techxplore
Jul 7, 23:56
Holographic printer produces 3D shapes in one shot
University of Utah researchers have demonstrated a new method of 3D printing that avoids the leaky seams that come with the layer-by-layer process. Using a nanoscale "mask" that diffracts laser light into a holographic pattern of the desired shape, it fuses its print material solid in one shot. The process takes about 20 seconds, a stark contrast to the hours other laser-based printing methods can take.
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Holographic printer produces 3D shapes in one shot. Using a nanoscale "mask" that diffracts laser light into a holographic pattern of the desired shape, it fuses its print material solid in one shot. The process takes about 20 seconds, a stark contrast to the hours other laser-based printing methods can take.
TL;DR:
University of Utah researchers have demonstrated a new method of 3D printing that avoids the leaky seams that come with the layer-by-layer process.
Interestingengineering
Jul 7, 22:25
Germany lands first factory outside US for 190-mile ATACMS missile production
Europe will soon become home to the first production site outside the United States for...
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Germany lands first factory outside US for 190-mile ATACMS missile production. Europe will soon become home to the first production site outside the United States for...
TL;DR:
Europe will soon become home to the first production site outside the United States for...
Interestingengineering
Jul 7, 20:00
New US blueprint paves way for wider military adoption of certified 3D-printed parts
ASTM International, a global standards development organization, has published a strategic guide designed to help...
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New US blueprint paves way for wider military adoption of certified 3D-printed parts. ASTM International, a global standards development organization, has published a strategic guide designed to help...
TL;DR:
ASTM International, a global standards development organization, has published a strategic guide designed to help...
Hackaday
Jul 7, 20:00
Reverse Engineering and Self-Hosting the OBI Smart Energy Tracker
Sold by German DIY store OBI, the OBI Energy Tracker is a €15 set of two devices, one of which you essentially stick on top of your existing electricity meter. …read more
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This then allows for electricity usage to be measured and tracked, with the data sent to the second, gateway device. Inside the reader device is a Cortex-M0+-based BAT32G135 MCU that communicates with the meter via its IR protocol.
TL;DR:
Sold by German DIY store OBI, the OBI Energy Tracker is a €15 set of two devices, one of which you essentially stick on top of your existing electricity meter.
Spectrum
Jul 7, 19:02
IEEE Honors Robotics Pioneer Toshio Fukuda
Toshio Fukuda has been blazing trails for most of his career. He is considered to be one of the most prolific scholars in robotics , writing more than 2,000 research papers and authoring several books on the field. He’s an influential figure thanks to his pioneering work developing biomedical robotic systems, industrial robots, micro-nano robotics, mechatronics, and AI-driven automation. Fukuda launched one of the first robotics conferences, the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). It is still popular almost 40 years later. Toshio Fukuda Employer Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, in Alexandria Title Professor and vice president of research Member grade Life Fellow Alma maters Waseda University, in Tokyo; University of Tokyo An IEEE Life Fellow, he is a professor emeritus in the department of micro-nano systems engineering and a visiting professor at Nagoya University , in Japan, where he taught for nearly 25 years. Currently, he is a vice president of research at the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology , in Alexandria, Egypt. Within IEEE, Fukuda has held top volunteer positions including the organization’s highest office: He served as IEEE president in 2020, becoming the first person of Asian descent to hold the role. He’s a former program director of Japan’s Moonshot program , which by 2050 intends to develop advanced AI robots. Born in Japan, Fukuda has been recognized by the country for his contributions to science with two of its highest awards: the Medal of Honor with a purple ribbon in 2015 and the Order of the Sacred Treasure in 2022. IEEE honored him with this year’s Richard M. Emberson Award for “distinguished service advancing the technical objectives of IEEE, especially in the area of robotics.” The IEEE Board-level award is sponsored by the IEEE Technical Activities Board . Fukuda received the award on 24 April at a ceremony in New York City. As a former IEEE president who has served as a master of ceremonies at several of the organization’s major award events, Fukuda noted that he is more accustomed to bestowing awards than receiving them. “It’s very interesting to be on the receiving end,” he says. The journey into robotics research As a teenager, Fukuda spent his summer breaks teaching himself how to build things including transistor radios and steam engines. “It was very nice to have a hands-on hobby and make these kinds of things myself,” he says. His experimentation led him to study engineering. He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1971 from Waseda University , in Tokyo. He says one of his professors there— Ichiro Kato , regarded as the father of Japanese robotics research—was a good mentor who made a positive impact. Fukuda’s research interests were robotics and mechatronics, a field that combines robotics, electronics, computer science, and control systems. He went on to earn a master’s degree and a doctorate in science from the University of Tokyo , in 1971 and 1977. During those years, he also attended Yale , where he conducted research on advanced control theory in 1973. He reflects fondly on his time at Yale: “It was a very nice environment and a kind of free-thinking atmosphere. It motivated me to study more.” “IEEE doesn’t care who you are, what you do, what country you are from, or whether you are male or female. IEEE accepts people who have energy and passion.” While at Yale, Fukuda served as an assistant to his advisor—which led him to consider a career in academia, he says, because he enjoyed the freedom that research work afforded him. But he realized that such freedom comes with a price. University researchers are expected to raise the money that funds their work. He compares researchers to small-business owners who have to bring in money to keep their enterprise afloat. That realization led him to select robotics as his field because he intended to develop technologies useful to industry, he says. After earning his doctorate, he returned to Japan in 1977 to work as a research scientist at the government’s Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, later renamed the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology , in Tsukuba. “There was a lot of research going on at the lab, including practical robotics and theory,” he says. He left Japan in 1979 to become a visiting research fellow at the University of Stuttgart , in Germany. During his year there, he studied systems, software problems, and related topics. He returned to Japan and was hired as an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the Tokyo University of Science . He conducted research into practical uses for robots by visiting industrial plants. He decided to develop robots that inspect industrial equipment such as those used in assembly plants, oil refineries, and power stations—places that “can be hostile environments for humans,” he says. His work drew interest from chemical, oil, and utility companies. “I got a lot ...
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IEEE Honors Robotics Pioneer Toshio Fukuda. It is still popular almost 40 years later. He returned to Japan and was hired as an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the Tokyo University of Science .
TL;DR:
Fukuda’s research interests were robotics and mechatronics, a field that combines robotics, electronics, computer science, and control systems.
Interestingengineering
Jul 7, 17:04
Raytheon expands Mach 4 AMRAAM missile network to co-develop parts with NATO partners
Raytheon plans to expand production of its AIM-120 AMRAAM missile through a new multinational effort...
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Raytheon expands Mach 4 AMRAAM missile network to co-develop parts with NATO partners. Raytheon plans to expand production of its AIM-120 AMRAAM missile through a new multinational effort...
TL;DR:
Raytheon plans to expand production of its AIM-120 AMRAAM missile through a new multinational effort...
Hackaday
Jul 7, 17:00
When An Engineering Education Doesn’t Teach You How To Really Make Anything
In the sweltering temperatures of an unusually hot European heatwave, I found myself having a chat with a friend of mine from my university days. After discussing the health of …read more
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When An Engineering Education Doesn’t Teach You How To Really Make Anything. In the sweltering temperatures of an unusually hot European heatwave, I found myself having a chat with a friend of mine from my university days. After discussing the health of …read more
TL;DR:
In the sweltering temperatures of an unusually hot European heatwave, I found myself having a chat with a friend of mine from my university days.
Interestingengineering
Jul 7, 14:18
HIMARS vs Tornado-S: How the American and Russian rocket artillery systems compare
The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Russia’s Tornado-S are among the most capable long-range rocket artillery systems in service today.
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The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Russia’s Tornado-S are among the most capable long-range rocket artillery systems in service today. While comparisons often focus on rocket count or maximum range, the more meaningful differences lie in mobility, ammunition, precision, and how each system fits into a wider battlefield network.
TL;DR:
The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Russia’s Tornado-S are among the most...
Hackaday
Jul 7, 14:00
Is Now the Time for Volumetric 3D Printing?
Of all innovations adopted by the maker community within the past couple of decades, one stands among the rest on top for anything regarding manufacturing. It goes without saying here …read more
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Is Now the Time for Volumetric 3D Printing?. Of all innovations adopted by the maker community within the past couple of decades, one stands among the rest on top for anything regarding manufacturing. It goes without saying here …read more
TL;DR:
Of all innovations adopted by the maker community within the past couple of decades, one stands among the rest on top for anything regarding manufacturing.
Interestingengineering
Jul 7, 12:51
US university boosts robotics and Physical AI research with OptiTrack motion capture systems
A US motion capture technology company has partnered with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to equip the university’s new Robotics Innovation Center (RIC) with advanced motion capture technology for r…
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A US motion capture technology company has partnered with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to equip the university’s new Robotics Innovation Center (RIC) with advanced motion capture technology for robotics and physical AI research.
TL;DR:
A US motion capture technology company has partnered with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to equip...
Interestingengineering
Jul 7, 12:43
US Navy expands Lionfish robot submarine program with new HII production deal
HII has secured an option-year production contract for the U.S. Navy’s Lionfish small unmanned undersea...
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US Navy expands Lionfish robot submarine program with new HII production deal. HII has secured an option-year production contract for the U.S. Navy’s Lionfish small unmanned undersea...
TL;DR:
HII has secured an option-year production contract for the U.S.
Interestingengineering
Jul 7, 11:52
Video: Atlas humanoid robot steals FIFA World Cup spotlight with halftime football show
Humanoid robot Atlas made a high-profile appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, taking to the pitch during halftime of the Round of 16 match between Norway and Brazil.
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Humanoid robot Atlas made a high-profile appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, taking to the pitch during halftime of the Round of 16 match between Norway and Brazil. The robot emerged from the player tunnel and entertained fans by recreating popular football goal celebrations, including those of Norway striker Erling Haaland.
TL;DR:
Humanoid robot Atlas made a high-profile appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, taking to...
Interestingengineering
Jul 7, 09:08
World’s first commercial nuclear-powered satellite set for launch aboard SpaceX rocket
Miami-based City Labs is all set to launch the world’s first commercial nuclear-powered satellite into orbit. Solar panels have a dark side.
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Miami-based City Labs is all set to launch the world’s first commercial nuclear-powered satellite into orbit. Solar panels have a dark side. “This is a historic step for commercial nuclear power in space,” said Peter Cabauy, CEO of City Labs. “BOHR demonstrates that safe, compact, and regulatory-approved nuclear power systems are ready for routine commercial deployment.
TL;DR:
Miami-based City Labs is all set to launch the world’s first commercial nuclear-powered satellite into...
Interestingengineering
Jul 7, 00:05
$80.5M US military deal expands Titan-MS system tracking 500+ drone threats at once
The U.S. military has selected the Titan-MS counter-drone system under an $80.5 million award to...
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$80.5M US military deal expands Titan-MS system tracking 500+ drone threats at once. military has selected the Titan-MS counter-drone system under an $80.5 million award to...
TL;DR:
military has selected the Titan-MS counter-drone system under an $80.5 million award to...
Interestingengineering
Jul 6, 23:50
New lithium extraction system brings 5,000-barrel daily brine processing to scale
LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners has commissioned its fully automated Gen 6 lithium extraction system, marking a...
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New lithium extraction system brings 5,000-barrel daily brine processing to scale. LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners has commissioned its fully automated Gen 6 lithium extraction system, marking a...
TL;DR:
LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners has commissioned its fully automated Gen 6 lithium extraction system, marking a...
Interestingengineering
Jul 6, 18:53
Chinese smart chip maps brain structures up to 478x faster than NVIDIA A100 GPU
Chinese researchers have developed a memory chip that can model complex brain structures in real...
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Chinese smart chip maps brain structures up to 478x faster than NVIDIA A100 GPU. Chinese researchers have developed a memory chip that can model complex brain structures in real...
TL;DR:
Chinese researchers have developed a memory chip that can model complex brain structures in real...
Techxplore
Jul 6, 18:22
Why cryogenic sensors may switch to light: New laser moves data fast with less heat
FPAs are image sensors that convert infrared light into electrical signals to produce real-time thermal images and are widely used in applications such as surveillance, astronomy and industrial monitoring. Advances in cryogenic FPAs have enabled higher resolution, sensitivity and faster imaging, but they also require data rates exceeding 100 gigabits per second. Conventional electrical interconnects used to support these demands increase heat load through copper connections, which can leak into FPAs, raise noise, and increase cooling requirements and power consumption.
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Why cryogenic sensors may switch to light: New laser moves data fast with less heat. Advances in cryogenic FPAs have enabled higher resolution, sensitivity and faster imaging, but they also require data rates exceeding 100 gigabits per second.
TL;DR:
FPAs are image sensors that convert infrared light into electrical signals to produce real-time thermal images and are widely used in applications such as surveillance, astronomy and industrial monitoring.
Techxplore
Jul 6, 18:22
Winged composite pile system developed for better waste management and enhanced uplift resistance
Contemporary civil engineering practices highlight the need for safer, more reliable, uplift-resistant foundations for lifeline infrastructure and also seek solutions for environmental and social problems associated with surplus soil from construction projects. Using surplus construction soil, researchers have developed a winged composite pile system that can enhance uplift resistance. This approach supports cleaner and safer construction practices, helping projects achieve environmental goals without sacrificing structural integrity.
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Winged composite pile system developed for better waste management and enhanced uplift resistance. Contemporary civil engineering practices highlight the need for safer, more reliable, uplift-resistant foundations for lifeline infrastructure and also seek solutions for environmental and social problems associated with surplus soil from construction projects.
TL;DR:
Using surplus construction soil, researchers have developed a winged composite pile system that can enhance uplift resistance.
Interestingengineering
Jul 6, 16:57
US unlocks graphene oxide and hydrogen from natural gas for batteries and electronics
Scientists in the US have accidentally discovered a new way to produce graphene oxide directly...
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US unlocks graphene oxide and hydrogen from natural gas for batteries and electronics. Scientists in the US have accidentally discovered a new way to produce graphene oxide directly...
TL;DR:
Scientists in the US have accidentally discovered a new way to produce graphene oxide directly...
Interestingengineering
Jul 6, 16:52
Next EV leap: New dry-electrode tech promises longer range and fast charging
South Korean researchers have developed a new shape-controlled graphite granule dry-electrode manufacturing technology for battery...
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Next EV leap: New dry-electrode tech promises longer range and fast charging. South Korean researchers have developed a new shape-controlled graphite granule dry-electrode manufacturing technology for battery...
TL;DR:
South Korean researchers have developed a new shape-controlled graphite granule dry-electrode manufacturing technology for battery...
Interestingengineering
Jul 6, 16:31
MIT researchers move closer to petabit-speed chips with breakthrough in photonic integration
As artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and high-performance data centers continue to drive global demand for...
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MIT researchers move closer to petabit-speed chips with breakthrough in photonic integration. As artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and high-performance data centers continue to drive global demand for...
TL;DR:
As artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and high-performance data centers continue to drive global demand for...
Interestingengineering
Jul 6, 16:27
Norwegian firm unveils world’s first certified 3D ultrasonic sensor for safer robots
Norwegian robotics company Sonair has unveiled ADAR One, which it says is the world’s first...
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Norwegian firm unveils world’s first certified 3D ultrasonic sensor for safer robots. Norwegian robotics company Sonair has unveiled ADAR One, which it says is the world’s first...
TL;DR:
Norwegian robotics company Sonair has unveiled ADAR One, which it says is the world’s first...
Interestingengineering
Jul 6, 16:21
European firms aim to industrialize radar seeker tech for air defense interceptors
European companies TNO and Destinus are moving to develop and industrialize advanced radar seeker technology for interceptor drones, aiming to strengthen Europe’s air defense capabilities at a time o…
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European companies TNO and Destinus are moving to develop and industrialize advanced radar seeker technology for interceptor drones, aiming to strengthen Europe’s air defense capabilities at a time of rising geopolitical tensions.
TL;DR:
European companies TNO and Destinus are moving to develop and industrialize advanced radar seeker technology...
Content
Jul 6, 13:54
VHF Propagation: What Every RF Engineer Should Know
A practical educational guide to common and uncommon VHF propagation modes, covering the physics, range implications, and real-world behaviors engineers need to understand. What Attendees will Learn 1. Why “line of sight” fails as a practical VHF planning model. 2. How refraction, reflection, diffraction, and scattering deliver or destroy signals where geometry alone cannot predict.3. How tropospheric refraction extends the VHF radio horizon roughly one-third beyond optical line of sight. 4. How temperature inversions form ducts that can carry VHF signals over 1,500 km.5. How sporadic E, meteor burst, and EME propagate VHF signals across hundreds to thousands of kilometers. 6. What frequency limits, distance ranges, and environmental triggers apply to each propagation mode. 7. How to apply this knowledge to link budgeting, interference prediction, and contingency planning. Download this free whitepaper now!
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VHF Propagation: What Every RF Engineer Should Know. A practical educational guide to common and uncommon VHF propagation modes, covering the physics, range implications, and real-world behaviors engineers need to understand. How tropospheric refraction extends the VHF radio horizon roughly one-third beyond optical line of sight.
TL;DR:
Why “line of sight” fails as a practical VHF planning model.
Interestingengineering
Jul 6, 13:28
New tech keeps power grids stable as data centers put more strain on electricity
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a new software platform called a Distributed Energy...
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New tech keeps power grids stable as data centers put more strain on electricity . Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a new software platform called a Distributed Energy...
TL;DR:
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a new software platform called a Distributed Energy...
Interestingengineering
Jul 6, 10:26
Video: ‘World’s first’ fully robotic pharmacy automates prescription dispensing
Queue, a California-based robotics startup, has unveiled the world’s first fully autonomous robotic pharmacy, designed...
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The company also announced it has raised $12.6 million in funding to accelerate development and deployment of the system. The system is designed to automate the entire prescription fulfillment process, from handling sealed wholesale medication bottles to producing filled and verified prescription vials with minimal human intervention.
TL;DR:
Queue, a California-based robotics startup, has unveiled the world’s first fully autonomous robotic pharmacy, designed...
Interestingengineering
Jul 6, 07:58
China’s nuclear-powered submarine fires test missile in Pacific for first time
On Monday, China conducted a rare submarine-launched missile test in the Pacific Ocean. This was...
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China’s nuclear-powered submarine fires test missile in Pacific for first time. On Monday, China conducted a rare submarine-launched missile test in the Pacific Ocean. This was...
TL;DR:
On Monday, China conducted a rare submarine-launched missile test in the Pacific Ocean.
Interestingengineering
Jul 6, 04:04
Next-gen ramjet fuel propulsion system for future offensive, defensive missions tested
L3Harris has taken a significant step toward advancing next-generation propulsion technology for future offensive and...
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The company revealed that a recent test demonstrated progress toward a high-performance, lower-cost propulsion option. During the ground test, the team ignited and operated the system in a direct connect flight-representative environment, allowing engineers to evaluate performance across a large portion of the simulated flight envelope.
TL;DR:
L3Harris has taken a significant step toward advancing next-generation propulsion technology for future offensive and...
Interestingengineering
Jul 5, 17:56
Video shows humanoid robot acting ‘rogue’ in Indonesian office, ‘attacking’ coworkers
A staged video from Indonesia featuring a humanoid robot behaving as though it had gone...
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Video shows humanoid robot acting ‘rogue’ in Indonesian office, ‘attacking’ coworkers. A staged video from Indonesia featuring a humanoid robot behaving as though it had gone...
TL;DR:
A staged video from Indonesia featuring a humanoid robot behaving as though it had gone...
Interestingengineering
Jul 5, 17:12
Aerospace engineers cut composite curing time by almost 50% with 3960-FC material
The aerospace industry has spent decades making aircraft lighter, stronger, and more fuel-efficient. However, today...
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Aerospace engineers cut composite curing time by almost 50% with 3960-FC material. The aerospace industry has spent decades making aircraft lighter, stronger, and more fuel-efficient. However, today...
TL;DR:
The aerospace industry has spent decades making aircraft lighter, stronger, and more fuel-efficient.
Interestingengineering
Jul 5, 11:56
Toyota backs Joby’s all-electric air taxis as production aircraft prepare for vertical flight
Could air taxis finally be upon us? Two manufacturing giants are teaming up to make...
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Toyota backs Joby’s all-electric air taxis as production aircraft prepare for vertical flight. Could air taxis finally be upon us? Two manufacturing giants are teaming up to make...
TL;DR:
Could air taxis finally be upon us?
Interestingengineering
Jul 5, 10:33
‘World’s largest’ heavy-lift cargo aircraft targeted for military and disaster logistics
Radia and Blue Water Shipping (Blue Water) have announced a strategic alliance that will combine...
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‘World’s largest’ heavy-lift cargo aircraft targeted for military and disaster logistics. Radia and Blue Water Shipping (Blue Water) have announced a strategic alliance that will combine...
TL;DR:
Radia and Blue Water Shipping (Blue Water) have announced a strategic alliance that will combine...
Hackaday
Jul 5, 05:00
Make a DIY E-ink Faceplate For Valve’s Steam Machine
Valve has always designed hacker-friendly hardware, and in that spirit, [NaKyle Wright] released Inkterface, a design for an E-ink faceplate to fit the recently released Steam Machine. As far as …read more
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On the software side, the host machine communicates over Bluetooth, and a service takes care of pushing updates. Should one wish to make hardware or component changes, alterations to the 3D printed parts might be needed as well. A homebrewed version of this E-ink panel might be just the thing to complement a homebrewed Steam machine .
TL;DR:
Valve has always designed hacker-friendly hardware, and in that spirit, [NaKyle Wright] released Inkterface, a design for an E-ink faceplate to fit the recently released Steam Machine.
Hackaday
Jul 4, 14:00
Yesterday’s Technology, Re-engineered Today
Watching [sprite_tm]’s build of a handheld 486-based gaming computer, we got to thinking about retro computers and the eternal questions of how much of the computer needs to be actually …read more
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The old yellowing plastic case? For others, “team retro”, the joy is in using the machine itself, whether that be teaching the old dogs new tricks, or simply loading up nostalgic video games. Or in the case of [Voja Antonic]’s imaginary four-bit machine , it’s a teaching experience.
TL;DR:
Watching [sprite_tm]’s build of a handheld 486-based gaming computer, we got to thinking about retro computers and the eternal questions of how much of the computer needs to be actually …read more
Interestingengineering
Jul 4, 12:32
China tests new ‘record-breaking’ satellite engine designed for 14 hours of continuous operation
A Chinese satellite engine has reportedly broken a record for 14 hours of continuous thrust in orbit, Chinese media reports.
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The satellite’s ( Communications Technology Experiment Satellite 26A ) test took place during the satellite’s maiden flight in June. This test has now safely put the satellite in a stable Earth orbit of around 22,000 miles (35,800 km) from its delivery elliptical transfer orbit.
TL;DR:
A Chinese satellite engine has reportedly broken a record for 14 hours of continuous thrust...
Interestingengineering
Jul 4, 12:17
Ukraine’s battlefield-tested wartime drones to get a US production plant in Ohio
A Ukrainian defense drone manufacturer will establish its first major U.S. assembly and manufacturing center...
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Ukraine’s battlefield-tested wartime drones to get a US production plant in Ohio. A Ukrainian defense drone manufacturer will establish its first major U.S. assembly and manufacturing center...
TL;DR:
A Ukrainian defense drone manufacturer will establish its first major U.S.
Interestingengineering
Jul 4, 10:58
US firms develop fault-managed power systems that deliver electricity over longer distances
Eaton and VoltServer are partnering to deliver flexible, software-defined electrical distribution systems designed for rapid...
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US firms develop fault-managed power systems that deliver electricity over longer distances. Eaton and VoltServer are partnering to deliver flexible, software-defined electrical distribution systems designed for rapid...
TL;DR:
Eaton and VoltServer are partnering to deliver flexible, software-defined electrical distribution systems designed for rapid...
Interestingengineering
Jul 4, 10:42
New safety-critical cockpit automation engine unveiled to minimize flight plan data errors
Artificial intelligence is rapidly finding its way into nearly every industry, but aviation has remained...
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New safety-critical cockpit automation engine unveiled to minimize flight plan data errors. Artificial intelligence is rapidly finding its way into nearly every industry, but aviation has remained...
TL;DR:
Artificial intelligence is rapidly finding its way into nearly every industry, but aviation has remained...
Interestingengineering
Jul 4, 10:40
British forces’ new strike drone system tested for battlefield and maritime missions
The Royal Navy and British Army have carried out the first extensive trials of a...
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British forces’ new strike drone system tested for battlefield and maritime missions. The Royal Navy and British Army have carried out the first extensive trials of a...
TL;DR:
The Royal Navy and British Army have carried out the first extensive trials of a...
Interestingengineering
Jul 4, 08:05
Japan’s COF–graphene hybrid advances high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries
As the demand for electric vehicles, renewable energy storage, and portable electronics continues to grow,...
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Japan’s COF–graphene hybrid advances high-performance lithium–sulfur batteries. As the demand for electric vehicles, renewable energy storage, and portable electronics continues to grow,...
TL;DR:
As the demand for electric vehicles, renewable energy storage, and portable electronics continues to grow,...
Interestingengineering
Jul 3, 23:32
Chinese firm unveils hybrid, electric technologies for next-generation heavy machinery
Chinese equipment manufacturer Zoomlion has unveiled five new-energy technology achievements spanning construction, mining, and agricultural...
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Chinese firm unveils hybrid, electric technologies for next-generation heavy machinery. Chinese equipment manufacturer Zoomlion has unveiled five new-energy technology achievements spanning construction, mining, and agricultural...
TL;DR:
Chinese equipment manufacturer Zoomlion has unveiled five new-energy technology achievements spanning construction, mining, and agricultural...
Interestingengineering
Jul 3, 21:15
Lead-cooled nuclear reactors move closer to deployment with standardized grid design
Lead-cooled nuclear reactor developer Blykalla has partnered with Hitachi Energy to develop standardized electrical systems...
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Lead-cooled nuclear reactor developer Blykalla has partnered with Hitachi Energy to develop standardized electrical systems for its future advanced modular reactors, a move aimed at simplifying commercial deployment in Europe and the United States. They also plan to develop on-site electrical systems and digital tools that improve how future reactors connect with the grid.
TL;DR:
Lead-cooled nuclear reactor developer Blykalla has partnered with Hitachi Energy to develop standardized electrical systems...
Techxplore
Jul 3, 20:54
Robots can now 'see' touch thanks to a new color-changing tactile sensor
Engineers at Queen Mary University of London have built a new color-changing tactile sensor, which allows robots to "see" and touch in real-time. The novel idea was invented by Giacomo Sasso, a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London, and it works by transforming invisible forces into dynamic color patterns. This enables high-resolution maps of contact, strain and pressure to emerge instantly.
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Robots can now 'see' touch thanks to a new color-changing tactile sensor. The novel idea was invented by Giacomo Sasso, a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London, and it works by transforming invisible forces into dynamic color patterns.
TL;DR:
Engineers at Queen Mary University of London have built a new color-changing tactile sensor, which allows robots to "see" and touch in real-time.
Interestingengineering
Jul 3, 18:01
New US patent lets electric boats adjust outboard trim without full system startup
Vision Marine Technologies has filed a U.S. patent application for a dual-mode trim-control system that...
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New US patent lets electric boats adjust outboard trim without full system startup. Vision Marine Technologies has filed a U.S. patent application for a dual-mode trim-control system that...
TL;DR:
patent application for a dual-mode trim-control system that...
Spectrum
Jul 3, 18:00
IEEE’s Global Museum Brings Engineering History to You
Many IEEE members who collect historical engineering artifacts often offer them to the IEEE History and Heritage group, which includes the IEEE History Center , to display. To bring these artifacts to the public, the group created the IEEE Global Museum , which curates traveling exhibits for display at conferences and in libraries, universities, and other venues. The program educates people about how technological progress has unfolded over generations, and how engineers and researchers build on past achievements to benefit humanity. Curating the exhibits has been rewarding, says Daniel Jon Mitchell , director of the group’s heritage programs. “People tell me that they are genuinely moved by having history and artifacts explained to them in an accessible, intelligible way,” Mitchell says. “When people are moved and emotionally affected by what you’re doing, they’re going to remember that. And I think that’s part of the power of what we’re doing.” The most recent traveling exhibit was on display in April in New York City during the IEEE Honors Ceremony , which celebrates engineering pioneers who have developed technologies that changed how people connect with the world. Attendees explored the Microchips That Shook the World exhibit, which drew inspiration from IEEE Spectrum ’s Chip Hall of Fame . The exhibit conveys the roles integrated circuits play in fields such as signal processing, audio engineering, and telecommunications. The Commodore 64 , one of the artifacts on display, stirred up treasured childhood memories for guests who had used the home computer. Other exhibits have focused on early radio inventions and power and communications technologies. The Global Museum works with IEEE societies to mark their anniversaries by interpreting and displaying pertinent items. A tribute to radio pioneer Edwin Howard Armstrong The idea of a traveling museum came to fruition in 2024 after Alexander Magoun, IEEE’s outreach historian, connected with Mike Molnar . The IEEE associate member owns one of six superheterodyne radio prototypes developed by Edwin Howard Armstrong, who probably is best known for inventing the FM radio system. Armstrong received the first IEEE Medal of Honor in 1917. The radio converts incoming frequencies into a fixed, lower intermediate one using a local oscillator and a frequency mixer. The technology paved the way for modern electronic communications devices. The prototype became the focal point of the Global Museum’s flagship Unseen Signals: E. Howard Armstrong’s Radio Revolution exhibit, which celebrates the inventor’s life and his impact on the broadcasting industry and wireless communications. “The radio prototype is one of the most incredible pieces that we could put on display,” Mitchell says. He and Magoun sourced other artifacts including an Audion used in Armstrong’s experiments on wireless signal amplification; a selection of consumer products that attempted to cash in on radio’s popularity, including a flour sifter and laxatives; and a Motorola Walkie-Talkie from the Korean War. They were from museums or private collectors along the East Coast of the United States. “Aside from [Guglielmo] Marconi, Armstrong is the most significant contributor to the history of radio,” Mitchell says. “The exhibit is not only a biography but also a story of the cultural and political implications his work had.” Visitors can play 15 short clips of past radio broadcasts covering politics, religion, sports, or another topic. The Armstrong exhibit was unveiled in 2024 at the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, Pa. The 93-square-meter exhibit is still traveling around the United States. It is on display until 15 August at the Pavek Museum , in St. Louis Park, Minn. From 21 November until 9 May 2027, it is scheduled to be at the Museum of Innovation and Science in Schenectady, N.Y. Entry to the museum is free for IEEE members with a digital membership card. Collaborating with IEEE societies The IEEE History and Heritage group collaborates with IEEE societies to create exhibits for special events. In 2024 Mitchell curated an exhibit to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society and its 100th Vehicular Technology Conference . The Our Mobile World exhibit was launched at the conference, held in October in Washington, D.C. “The society’s leadership helped me focus attention on key developments that meant a lot to its members,” Mitchell says. “The IEEE Global Museum wants to present exhibits that connect with its audiences, whether these are IEEE members or the public,” he says. “Just knowing what was important historically doesn’t mean that this will resonate, so I really appreciated the insight.” The exhibit’s artifacts included a Motorola DynaTac “brick” cellphone, a CB radio from the 1980s, and one of the earliest handheld GPS receivers. Visitors played an interactive game to test their knowledge spanning a century of wireless technology, motor vehicles, ...
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IEEE’s Global Museum Brings Engineering History to You. The IEEE associate member owns one of six superheterodyne radio prototypes developed by Edwin Howard Armstrong, who probably is best known for inventing the FM radio system. From 21 November until 9 May 2027, it is scheduled to be at the Museum of Innovation and Science in Schenectady, N.Y.
TL;DR:
Many IEEE members who collect historical engineering artifacts often offer them to the IEEE History and Heritage group, which includes the IEEE History Center , to display.
Hackaday
Jul 3, 17:25
Hackaday Podcast Episode 376: Modern Retro Projects, Retro Modern Projects, and the Teen Years for 3D Printing
Hackaday’s Elliot Williams and Al Williams were in a retro mood this week. There was a new ‘486 computer, a new mechanical TV, and a USB stick with a magnetic …read more
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Hackaday Podcast Episode 376: Modern Retro Projects, Retro Modern Projects, and the Teen Years for 3D Printing. Hackaday’s Elliot Williams and Al Williams were in a retro mood this week. There was a new ‘486 computer, a new mechanical TV, and a USB stick with a magnetic …read more
TL;DR:
Hackaday’s Elliot Williams and Al Williams were in a retro mood this week.
Interestingengineering
Jul 3, 15:56
China unveils truck-mounted electromagnetic catapult that can launch attack drones
China has showcased what may be one of its most innovative unmanned warfare concepts yet,...
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China unveils truck-mounted electromagnetic catapult that can launch attack drones. China has showcased what may be one of its most innovative unmanned warfare concepts yet,...
TL;DR:
China has showcased what may be one of its most innovative unmanned warfare concepts yet,...
Interestingengineering
Jul 3, 15:34
Canadian firm’s humanoid targets hazardous factory work with 2027 production plans
Canadian firm Mirsee Robotics is developing its third-generation humanoid robot, the MH3, to automate physically...
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Canadian firm’s humanoid targets hazardous factory work with 2027 production plans. Canadian firm Mirsee Robotics is developing its third-generation humanoid robot, the MH3, to automate physically...
TL;DR:
Canadian firm Mirsee Robotics is developing its third-generation humanoid robot, the MH3, to automate physically...
Interestingengineering
Jul 3, 13:48
World’s first 3D-printed nuclear reactor module unveiled by US firm for 30 MW electricity
Advanced energy technology firm AMPERA has finished production on its initial full-scale, 3D-printed nuclear reactor...
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World’s first 3D-printed nuclear reactor module unveiled by US firm for 30 MW electricity. Advanced energy technology firm AMPERA has finished production on its initial full-scale, 3D-printed nuclear reactor...
TL;DR:
Advanced energy technology firm AMPERA has finished production on its initial full-scale, 3D-printed nuclear reactor...
Interestingengineering
Jul 3, 13:36
80% lighter wind turbine blades made from flat panels using new 4D-printing tech
Researchers at Concordia University have developed a new way to make small wind turbines, which...
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80% lighter wind turbine blades made from flat panels using new 4D-printing tech. Researchers at Concordia University have developed a new way to make small wind turbines, which...
TL;DR:
Researchers at Concordia University have developed a new way to make small wind turbines, which...
Interestingengineering
Jul 3, 13:30
New drone imaging system finds hidden underwater bombs with remarkable accuracy
Researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School have revealed a new airborne imaging technique...
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New drone imaging system finds hidden underwater bombs with remarkable accuracy. Researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School have revealed a new airborne imaging technique...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School have revealed a new airborne imaging technique...
Spectrum
Jul 3, 12:00
AI’s Volatile Power Use Quietly Tests Grid Limits
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure is typically framed as an energy problem. Data centers are projected to consume a growing share of global electricity demand: The International Energy Agency estimates they could account for 3 to 4 percent of total global consumption within this decade. Utilities are already adjusting long-term forecasts to accommodate anticipated growth from hyperscale facilities and high-density compute clusters. This framing captures scale. It misses behavior. The emerging issue is not simply how much power large-scale compute systems consume, but how increasingly dense and synchronized computational workloads are beginning to alter the operating characteristics of the electrical grid itself through increasingly unpredictable demand that varies rapidly in both time and location, creating new operational challenges for grid operators. AI’s capricious energy needs Traditional grid planning assumes relatively predictable demand behavior. Industrial, commercial, and residential loads generally follow established profiles that can be forecast with reasonable accuracy. Even substantial demand growth has historically been manageable through reserve planning, transmission upgrades, and demand management programs. Large-scale compute infrastructure introduces a different class of electrical load. Training—the computational task of making AI models—tends to be highly synchronized across clusters of GPUs, TPUs, and specialized accelerators operating in parallel, computationally dense, and relatively scheduled. Inference—the process of actually using those models—is generally more distributed and user-driven, making demand less predictable both in time and location. Both differ materially from traditional industrial demand profiles, though for different reasons. Unlike many conventional industrial processes, these workloads can ramp rapidly depending on model training cycles, distributed compute coordination, and workload scheduling strategies. From the perspective of the grid, this is not simply higher demand. It is more abrupt demand. High-density compute workloads can produce substantial step-changes in electricity consumption over extremely short intervals, including rapid fluctuations occurring within milliseconds. Data center operators are already deploying mitigation technologies, including batteries, power-conditioning systems, and supercapacitors . Collectively, however, data centers’ rapid load changes can place additional stress on backup generation reserves, systems that adjust supply as demand changes, frequency-control mechanisms that maintain grid stability, and local transmission infrastructure. Compute-related variability differs from the intermittency introduced through renewable energy integration. Wind and solar variability originate primarily on the supply side and is tied to environmental conditions. Compute-related variability emerges on the demand side, driven by workload synchronization, scheduling behavior, and computational intensity. The interaction between increasingly dynamic supply and demand conditions introduces additional uncertainty into forecasting, reserve management, congestion planning, and balancing operations. Research organizations including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have emphasized the growing complexity associated with integrating highly dynamic resources into modern grid operations. Location, location, location The issue becomes more significant when compute activity is geographically concentrated. Large-scale data centers tend to cluster in regions with favorable conditions such as fiber connectivity, access to markets, tax incentives, and historically low electricity costs. Northern Virginia, often referred to as “Data Center Alley,” remains the most prominent example. The region hosts the world’s largest concentration of data centers and carries a substantial share of global internet traffic. Utilities operating in these regions have already identified data center growth as a primary driver of future load expansion. Virginia-based electricity supplier Dominion Energy , for example, has repeatedly highlighted hyperscale demand growth in its integrated resource planning documents . Virginia has seen one of the largest data center buildouts worldwide. Here, Amazon Web Services and iron mountain data centers dominate the landscape in Manassas, Virginia. Nathan Howard/Bloomberg/Getty Images A sudden increase in electricity consumption within a constrained geographic area can stress substations, transmission corridors, and local balancing operations even if the broader grid maintains sufficient aggregate capacity. This creates localized reliability challenges that are not always visible through system-wide demand metrics alone. Thermal management systems further intensify these effects. Cooling infrastructure in high-density compute facilities must respond dynamically to changing workloads. As processing i...
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AI’s Volatile Power Use Quietly Tests Grid Limits. AI’s capricious energy needs Traditional grid planning assumes relatively predictable demand behavior. Both differ materially from traditional industrial demand profiles, though for different reasons.
TL;DR:
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure is typically framed as an energy problem.
Hackaday
Jul 3, 11:00
Godot’s New Contributing Policy Adds Barriers for AI Slop
Like so many large and popular open source projects these days, the Godot game engine struggles with an influx of pull requests. The situation has become increasingly dire due to …read more
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Godot’s New Contributing Policy Adds Barriers for AI Slop. Like so many large and popular open source projects these days, the Godot game engine struggles with an influx of pull requests. The situation has become increasingly dire due to …read more
TL;DR:
Like so many large and popular open source projects these days, the Godot game engine struggles with an influx of pull requests.
Techxplore
Jul 3, 10:31
New 4D-printing method creates lighter, faster-spinning wind turbine blades
A new manufacturing technique developed by Concordia researchers could make small wind turbines lighter, less expensive and easier to produce. Using a process known as 4D printing of composites, Ph.D. candidate Emad Fakhimi and Suong Van Hoa, a professor at the Concordia Center for Composites, created curved blades for vertical-axis wind turbines from flat carbon-fiber composite panels. The study is published in the journal Polymer Composites.
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New 4D-printing method creates lighter, faster-spinning wind turbine blades. Using a process known as 4D printing of composites, Ph.D. The study is published in the journal Polymer Composites.
TL;DR:
A new manufacturing technique developed by Concordia researchers could make small wind turbines lighter, less expensive and easier to produce.
Interestingengineering
Jul 3, 09:09
Watch: From laundry to making your bed, Isaac 1 humanoid robot is ready for house chores
US-based Weave Robotics has unveiled Isaac 1, a wheeled mobile home robot designed to automate...
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Watch: From laundry to making your bed, Isaac 1 humanoid robot is ready for house chores. US-based Weave Robotics has unveiled Isaac 1, a wheeled mobile home robot designed to automate...
TL;DR:
US-based Weave Robotics has unveiled Isaac 1, a wheeled mobile home robot designed to automate...
Interestingengineering
Jul 3, 00:48
99% pure lithium extraction became possible with US scientists’ new electrochemical method
Researchers in the United States have developed a new method to extract 99% pure lithium from a solution where the ratio of sodium to lithium was 1,000 to 1.
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The team from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering found that electrochemical intercalation can be used to extract critical battery material lithium. This represents both an advance in pure science and a way forward for developing new, real-world extraction techniques, according to researchers.
TL;DR:
Researchers in the United States have developed a new method to extract 99% pure lithium...
Interestingengineering
Jul 3, 00:11
Single ion scans hidden 3D electromagnetic fields to improve quantum chip performance
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a technique that uses a single trapped ion to...
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Single ion scans hidden 3D electromagnetic fields to improve quantum chip performance. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a technique that uses a single trapped ion to...
TL;DR:
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a technique that uses a single trapped ion to...
Interestingengineering
Jul 2, 21:15
New Air Force One: Trump takes first flight on highly-modified 747-8 Boeing aircraft
US President Donald Trump has taken first flight on new Air Force One aircraft. The retrofitted Boeing 747-8 aircraft recently departed Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for Medora, North Dakota.
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The VC-25B Bridge program was launched after repeated delays to Boeing’s original Air Force One replacement project. By introducing this interim aircraft, the U.S. Air Force aims to reduce operational pressure on the existing presidential fleet while ensuring the President has access to a more modern aircraft capable of supporting global travel and national command responsibil…
TL;DR:
US President Donald Trump has taken first flight on new Air Force One aircraft.
Interestingengineering
Jul 2, 21:05
New gallium nitride chip platform helps engineers get chip designs right the first time
Keysight Technologies and WIN Semiconductors have introduced a joint design workflow that aims to help...
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New gallium nitride chip platform helps engineers get chip designs right the first time. Keysight Technologies and WIN Semiconductors have introduced a joint design workflow that aims to help...
TL;DR:
Keysight Technologies and WIN Semiconductors have introduced a joint design workflow that aims to help...
Techxplore
Jul 2, 20:29
Polymer cold spray can restore up to 80% of strength in damaged composite materials
Rowan University researchers have demonstrated a new method for repairing damage in advanced composite materials, offering a faster, more effective alternative to conventional repair techniques used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, infrastructure, maritime and energy production.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . In a study published in the Journal of Thermal Spray Technology , a multidisciplinary Rowan-led team investigated the use of polymer cold spray to restore the strength of glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites after impact damage. "One fiber breaks and then another fiber breaks.
TL;DR:
Rowan University researchers have demonstrated a new method for repairing damage in advanced composite materials, offering a faster, more effective alternative to conventional repair techniques used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, infrastructure, maritime and energy production.
Techxplore
Jul 2, 20:29
Blame the model, not the machine—better data helps 3D-printed metamaterials match predictions
Additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, provides an excellent opportunity to design metamaterials: materials with an engineered structure that leads to desired properties such as, for instance, resistance to vibrations. However, a major challenge was that the predicted metamaterial response often failed to match real-world behavior.
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Additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, provides an excellent opportunity to design metamaterials: materials with an engineered structure that leads to desired properties such as, for instance, resistance to vibrations. However, a major challenge was that the predicted metamaterial response often failed to match real-world behavior.
TL;DR:
Additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, provides an excellent opportunity to design metamaterials: materials with an engineered structure that leads to desired properties such as, for instance, resistance to vibrations.
Interestingengineering
Jul 2, 17:03
28 MW solar project underway to power America’s first commercial cobalt refinery
US firm EVelution Energy LLC has commenced construction on a 28-megawatt (MW) solar facility in...
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28 MW solar project underway to power America’s first commercial cobalt refinery. US firm EVelution Energy LLC has commenced construction on a 28-megawatt (MW) solar facility in...
TL;DR:
US firm EVelution Energy LLC has commenced construction on a 28-megawatt (MW) solar facility in...
Interestingengineering
Jul 2, 16:57
US Navy tests 3D-printed composite patches to speed up F/A-18 fighter jet repairs
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) and Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) have...
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US Navy tests 3D-printed composite patches to speed up F/A-18 fighter jet repairs. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) and Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) have...
TL;DR:
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) and Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) have...
Interestingengineering
Jul 2, 16:03
First time in US: Next-gen nuclear reactor generates electricity to power Nvidia chip
A California nuclear technology company has used a next-generation reactor prototype to supply electricity to...
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First time in US: Next-gen nuclear reactor generates electricity to power Nvidia chip. A California nuclear technology company has used a next-generation reactor prototype to supply electricity to...
TL;DR:
A California nuclear technology company has used a next-generation reactor prototype to supply electricity to...
Interestingengineering
Jul 2, 15:58
Watch: New wearable converts robot movements into music to improve workplace safety
Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a wearable audio system that converts nearby robot movements into dynamic warning sounds.
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Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a wearable audio system that converts nearby robot movements into dynamic warning sounds. The system is designed to improve situational awareness and reduce workplace accidents in environments where humans and robots work together.
TL;DR:
Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a wearable audio system that converts nearby robot movements...
Interestingengineering
Jul 2, 13:37
US nuclear firm receives first custom fuel for 150-hour trial of Kaleidos microreactor
US-based portable nuclear microreactor manufacturer Radiant has received its first shipment of custom-made tri-structural ISOtropic...
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US-based portable nuclear microreactor manufacturer Radiant has received its first shipment of custom-made tri-structural ISOtropic nuclear fuel at the Idaho National Laboratory to prepare for an upcoming 150-hour continuous endurance trial.
TL;DR:
US-based portable nuclear microreactor manufacturer Radiant has received its first shipment of custom-made tri-structural ISOtropic...
Interestingengineering
Jul 2, 13:37
World’s first Mach 2.5 test platform to blast hypersonic materials through storms
A U.S. aerospace company has unveiled what it says is the world’s first commercial platform...
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World’s first Mach 2.5 test platform to blast hypersonic materials through storms. aerospace company has unveiled what it says is the world’s first commercial platform...
TL;DR:
aerospace company has unveiled what it says is the world’s first commercial platform...
Interestingengineering
Jul 2, 13:36
World’s first Mach 5+ test platform to blast hypersonic materials through storms
A U.S. aerospace company has unveiled what it says is the world’s first commercial platform...
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World’s first Mach 5+ test platform to blast hypersonic materials through storms. aerospace company has unveiled what it says is the world’s first commercial platform...
TL;DR:
aerospace company has unveiled what it says is the world’s first commercial platform...
Interestingengineering
Jul 2, 11:44
Custom-built tandem solar cell converts record 25.5% sunlight into electricity
Size matters in solar physics. Scientists in Germany may have just unlocked the next generation...
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Custom-built tandem solar cell converts record 25.5% sunlight into electricity. Size matters in solar physics. Scientists in Germany may have just unlocked the next generation...
TL;DR:
Size matters in solar physics.
Techxplore
Jul 2, 10:04
Physicists create sensor that detects and locates radiation with precision
Scientists from the Faculty of Physics at Vilnius University (VU) have developed a sensor capable of accurately detecting radiation, identifying its sources, and determining its intensity and precise location. The device, developed by physicists at the Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnology, Photoelectric Phenomena Research Group, can detect doses ranging from very small to very large, including those typical of industrial environments or nuclear emergencies, from a few gray to megagray.
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Scientists from the Faculty of Physics at Vilnius University (VU) have developed a sensor capable of accurately detecting radiation, identifying its sources, and determining its intensity and precise location.
TL;DR:
Scientists from the Faculty of Physics at Vilnius University (VU) have developed a sensor capable of accurately detecting radiation, identifying its sources, and determining its intensity and precise location.
Interestingengineering
Jul 1, 23:47
Chinese firm claims world’s first 6-/8-inch gallium oxide wafer production line
Chinese firm Hangzhou Garen Semiconductor says it has established the world’s first mass-production line compatible with both 6-inch and 8-inch homoepitaxial gallium oxide wafers, a milestone the com…
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Gallium oxide is being explored for applications ranging from electric vehicles and high-voltage power grids to photovoltaic energy storage systems and advanced radio-frequency communications. If the company’s manufacturing claims hold up in commercial production, larger wafers could help move the material closer to widespread industrial use.
TL;DR:
Chinese firm Hangzhou Garen Semiconductor says it has established the world’s first mass-production line compatible...
Hackaday
Jul 1, 23:00
No-Drill Sailing Kit for a Canoe
The first known use of humans using wind to perform mechanical work with machines dates back to ninth-century Persian windmills. But if we count sailing vessels among those machines, the …read more
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No-Drill Sailing Kit for a Canoe. The first known use of humans using wind to perform mechanical work with machines dates back to ninth-century Persian windmills. But if we count sailing vessels among those machines, the …read more
TL;DR:
The first known use of humans using wind to perform mechanical work with machines dates back to ninth-century Persian windmills.
Interestingengineering
Jul 1, 21:17
US expands metal 3D printing for 8,000-plus annual defense jet engine output
Beehive Industries has expanded its manufacturing footprint with the acquisition of Ohio-based Able Tool Corporation...
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US expands metal 3D printing for 8,000-plus annual defense jet engine output. Beehive Industries has expanded its manufacturing footprint with the acquisition of Ohio-based Able Tool Corporation...
TL;DR:
Beehive Industries has expanded its manufacturing footprint with the acquisition of Ohio-based Able Tool Corporation...
Windtowatt
Jul 1, 20:43
One KW wind turbine without civil engineering
The game-changing wind turbine Modular & Powerful. The first 1 kW wind turbine without civil engineering, designed for mass production and global scalability. An outstanding French invention.
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One KW wind turbine without civil engineering. The first 1 kW wind turbine without civil engineering, designed for mass production and global scalability. Adapts to any terrain, land or sea, without work or impact on the environment.
TL;DR:
The game-changing wind turbine Modular & Powerful.
Techxplore
Jul 1, 20:07
More precise fire extinguishing from the air using simulation and sensor data
Wildfires are becoming more frequent and more intense worldwide. Fires often become infernos because of heat, drought and wind, especially in the summer. The problem is compounded by the climate crisis. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM and the startup CAURUS Technologies GmbH are responding to this growing global threat by collaborating to develop a machine-learning system for more precise aerial firefighting that determines the fire situation in real time and calculates the optimum aerial drop time.
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More precise fire extinguishing from the air using simulation and sensor data. Wildfires are becoming more frequent and more intense worldwide. Fires often become infernos because of heat, drought and wind, especially in the summer.
TL;DR:
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM and the startup CAURUS Technologies GmbH are responding to this growing global threat by collaborating to develop a machine-learning system for more precise aerial firefighting that determines the fire situation in real time and calculates the optimum aerial drop time.
Techxplore
Jul 1, 20:07
Green lime: Reducing carbon emissions in the construction materials industry
Lime, a key component in cement, can be used for both interior and exterior plastering. However, the production of this versatile building material generates significant emissions. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Hermsdorf, Thuringia, are developing a membrane reactor that enables climate-neutral lime production while also recovering new raw materials.
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Green lime: Reducing carbon emissions in the construction materials industry. Lime, a key component in cement, can be used for both interior and exterior plastering. However, the production of this versatile building material generates significant emissions.
TL;DR:
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Hermsdorf, Thuringia, are developing a membrane reactor that enables climate-neutral lime production while also recovering new raw materials.
Techxplore
Jul 1, 20:07
Horror-movie cue inspires wearable that turns robot movements into warning music
In horror movies, music is a dead giveaway. Tension builds with each note, and you brace for the inevitable jump scare. The same sense of anticipation has taken a leading role in an unlikely venue: a Georgia Tech robotics lab.
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Horror-movie cue inspires wearable that turns robot movements into warning music. In horror movies, music is a dead giveaway. Tension builds with each note, and you brace for the inevitable jump scare.
TL;DR:
The same sense of anticipation has taken a leading role in an unlikely venue: a Georgia Tech robotics lab.
Hackaday
Jul 1, 20:00
Positioning Without Satellites Or Base Stations
We’re all used to satellite navigation systems such as GPS or GLONASS, sheer magic in which the combination of a set of reference transmitters and super-accurate timing information can be …read more
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Terra is an attempt to do the same thing without a network of dedicated transmitters , instead using FM broadcast transmitters as its fixed points. The interesting thing about this system is that it’s open-source, and requires only a relatively inexpensive software defined radio receiver and a computer to operate.
TL;DR:
We’re all used to satellite navigation systems such as GPS or GLONASS, sheer magic in which the combination of a set of reference transmitters and super-accurate timing information can be …read more
Spectrum
Jul 1, 18:15
Why Public Speaking Skills Are Worth Investing In
This article is crossposted from IEEE Spectrum ’s careers newsletter. Sign up now to get insider tips, expert advice, and practical strategies, written i n partnership with tech career development company Parsity and delivered to your inbox for free! You want to become a senior developer. A CTO, maybe. Start your own company, perhaps. Or maybe you just want to land your first role in tech. You will not get there from raw engineering skill alone. There’s a skill that’s quietly essential to technical leadership and yet consistently overlooked: public speaking. If you’re anything like I used to be, you’re already listing reasons not to. “I got into this to code, not to give presentations.” “I don’t want to lead.” “I’m too junior to speak about anything.” No, no, and no again. There’s a ceiling on the return from technical skill alone. I was terrified of public speaking for the first three years of my career. I wanted to hide behind code, and for the most part it worked. I did my job and did it well. Then I joined a startup where hiding wasn’t an option. The whole company was five people. I was one of two developers. I had to form opinions on our technical direction and defend them, and the CTO told me directly that I needed to speak up more. A few things happened once I did. I took more pride in my work. I said some cringe-worthy stuff, lived through the mini-anxiety attacks, and got better. To my own disbelief, I’m now an engineering manager whose job is largely speaking to groups of developers and leading presentations, online and in person. Here’s why this is worth your time: Leadership. Communicating ideas clearly, influencing decisions, and aligning your team are core leadership functions, and they matter more the further you climb. Visibility. Speaking lets you show your expertise, build a reputation, and connect with people who open doors to better roles. Durability. As automation absorbs more routine technical work, skills rooted in human interaction and judgment are far harder to replace. The good news is you can build this deliberately, in low-stakes steps. Record yourself. Use a screen-recording tool to walk through your work, explain a concept, or narrate your code. You can edit, re-record, and over-think it as much as you want. That’s the point. It gets you comfortable on camera before the stakes are real. Volunteer for demos. Next time you ship a feature or fix a bug, ask your manager for a short time slot to walk the team through it. No format for that on your team? Suggest a monthly lunch-and-learn and kick it off with a 15-minute lightning talk on something you know. Start small—really small. If your anxiety is spiking, don’t jump into the deep end. In your next meeting, ask one question. Write it down beforehand if you have to. Then be the first to break the awkward silence when someone else asks one. Developers are a famously quiet bunch, so it doesn’t take much to stand out. The further you grow, the more you’ll be expected to hold opinions and voice them publicly. So start now. Record yourself, ask questions, get uncomfortable, and notice that it gets easier every time you do it. —Brian War Taught this Ukrainian Entrepreneur the Value of Resilience Salome Mikadze-Struk built her tech company Movadex as an undergraduate student at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic—then kept it running during the outbreak of war in her native Ukraine. Now, she’s channeling what she learned into mentoring tech founders and speaking about the importance of resilience as AI upends the software industry. Read more here. IEEE Rolls Out Large Language Models Virtual Training Course LLMs are now part of many engineers’ daily workflow, and the demand for technical expertise in implementing and securing the models is rising. But to build tools that work consistently, developers must have a strong understanding of the core principles that govern how the models work. IEEE is now offering a five-course program to teach how to use LLMs effectively, starting with the fundamental engineering behind the technology. Read more here. Make an Origami Circuit Board Two researchers at the City University of Hong Kong developed a method to make a circuit trace by simply bending a piece of paperlike material. With the right ingredients—isopropanol and liquid metal—you can make your own origami circuit board. The researchers also created a toolkit, called LiqMetCraft, with software tools and instructions to make it easy for beginners, whether in papercraft or electronics. Read more here.
More:
Why Public Speaking Skills Are Worth Investing In. Or maybe you just want to land your first role in tech. Here’s why this is worth your time: Leadership.
TL;DR:
I was one of two developers.
Spectrum
Jul 1, 18:00
Why Mentorship Is the Most Underrated Leadership Skill
I started my professional journey as an engineer before moving into product strategy and innovation leadership roles for several global technology organizations. Over the years, I have served as a mentor for a variety of programs including Products That Count ’s strategic product management, Women in Product mentorship initiatives, and Alchemist accelerator programs. In 2024 and 2025 I led Walmart’s Women in Product mentorship program. I was responsible for designing and implementing the programs, including managing participant registration, matching mentors with mentees, and establishing clear standards for how they would interact. Yet for much of my own early career, I never really had a mentor. As an individual contributor engineer, I was focused on solving problems, delivering results, and figuring things out independently. I was hesitant to ask for help for fear of being judged for what I didn’t know. Part of that was also temperament. I am naturally introverted. That mindset rewarded me well. It made me self-reliant, resilient, and deeply driven. But it also had limits. Looking back, I now realize that believing I had to navigate everything alone was not always a strength. I sometimes wonder how many opportunities I missed simply because I never asked for help. As I moved into product management and later strategy roles, I began collaborating with larger teams, departments, and organizations. The work itself became more cross-functional and people-centered. Over time, I started recognizing the value of mentorship, sponsorship, and collaborative growth in ways I had not appreciated earlier in my career. I received valuable advice from different people at important moments throughout my career. Some helped me navigate conflict with more clarity. Others helped me communicate my contributions more effectively. And others gave me perspective on how to approach uncertainty, deal with organizational complexity, and avoid burnout. But those moments were not the same as mentorship. They were valuable but infrequent interactions, not sustained relationships. No one consistently guided me through difficult decisions, advocated for me with decision-makers and senior leadership, or actively invested in my long-term growth. My understanding of mentorship changed not as a mentee but as a mentor. A leadership multiplier Mentorship is often seen as an act of goodwill: admirable but optional. In reality, effective mentorship can be a competitive advantage for everyone involved. For mentees, it can accelerate career growth, strengthen decision-making, and create access to opportunities that hard work alone does not always unlock. Mentorship strengthens an individual’s leadership skills, empathy, and the ability to develop future talent. For organizations, mentorship builds stronger leadership pipelines, more resilient teams, and healthier cultures of growth and trust. By getting involved, I began to understand that meaningful mentorship is not simply occasional advice or career guidance. At its best, it is an active investment in another person’s growth. It includes advocacy, sponsorship, honest feedback, visibility, and sometimes helping people access opportunities they may not have reached on their own. That is why mentorship should not be treated as kindness or incidental support. It is one of the most practical, hands-on, and personal forms of leadership. Advocacy changes careers Advice can help someone improve, but advocacy and sponsorship can change the direction of a career. In many organizations, career growth depends not only on talent but also on access to honest feedback, influential networks, and sponsors willing to speak about someone’s potential when opportunities are discussed. Access also includes introductions to people who can recognize the value and impact of a person’s work. Sometimes the difference between advice and true sponsorship is illustrated more clearly through stories rather than through leadership frameworks. In The Devil Wears Prada and its sequel Nigel’s relationship with Andy evolves far beyond workplace advice. In the 2006 movie, he helps her grow professionally, pushes her to envision a more expansive future, and guides her through an unfamiliar industry. In the sequel—set two decades later—his investment in her success continues even though their careers diverge. When Andy (played by Anne Hathaway ) is laid off during a difficult job market and struggles to find meaningful opportunities, Nigel ( Stanley Tucci ) quietly recommends her for a role at his firm. She is arguably overqualified for the position, but Nigel recognizes that it is the right opportunity at the right time. His recommendation helps her transition from a career in the news back into working in fashion. She can regain stability and ultimately rebuild career momentum. Over time, the opportunity becomes a turning point, reshaping her professional trajectory. What makes it meaningful is not just the recommendation it...
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Why Mentorship Is the Most Underrated Leadership Skill. In 2024 and 2025 I led Walmart’s Women in Product mentorship program. Over time, I started recognizing the value of mentorship, sponsorship, and collaborative growth in ways I had not appreciated earlier in my career.
TL;DR:
I started my professional journey as an engineer before moving into product strategy and innovation leadership roles for several global technology organizations.
Interestingengineering
Jul 1, 17:44
Can fusion reactors produce their own fuel? MIT spinout joins UK blanket testing
MIT spinout Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has become the first international company to join the...
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Can fusion reactors produce their own fuel? MIT spinout joins UK blanket testing. MIT spinout Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has become the first international company to join the...
TL;DR:
MIT spinout Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has become the first international company to join the...
Interestingengineering
Jul 1, 16:15
US firm builds 90,000-sq-ft robot park to advance humanoid robots with real-world training
Texas-based humanoid robotics company Apptronik has opened Robot Park, a nearly 90,000-square-foot training and data...
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US firm builds 90,000-sq-ft robot park to advance humanoid robots with real-world training. Texas-based humanoid robotics company Apptronik has opened Robot Park, a nearly 90,000-square-foot training and data...
TL;DR:
Texas-based humanoid robotics company Apptronik has opened Robot Park, a nearly 90,000-square-foot training and data...
Spectrum
Jul 1, 16:01
As AI Reshapes Global Energy Systems, Melbourne Leads Through Engineering Collaboration
This article is brought to you by Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) supported by Business Events Australia . As artificial intelligence accelerates global demand for compute, a parallel constraint is emerging with equal urgency: energy. From hyperscale data centers to electrified industries, AI is driving a step change in electricity demand. This is not a future challenge, it is a present, system-level issue requiring coordinated action across energy, infrastructure, and engineering disciplines. Around the world, the question is no longer whether AI will scale, but whether energy systems can scale with it. Melbourne, Australia is moving beyond participation to become a globally connected leader helping define how these challenges are addressed. A national challenge with global implications Australia’s ambition to lead in artificial intelligence is sharpening focus on the infrastructure required to support it. Data centers are projected to account for up to 11 percent of the nation’s electricity consumption by 2035, placing increasing pressure on generation, transmission, and system reliability. At the same time, insight from the IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) highlights that meeting energy demand from AI and digital infrastructure is one of the most significant challenges facing engineers over the next decade. The implications are clear. In addition to computing challenges, AI poses major energy systems challenges. “As artificial intelligence continues to scale globally, the challenge is no longer just computational power, it is the energy systems required to support it” —Professor Thas (Ampalavanapillai) Nirmalathas, University of Melbourne Why Melbourne is leading on the global stage Victoria has developed one of the most advanced and integrated energy ecosystems in Australia and globally, spanning renewable generation, battery storage, grid modernization, and advanced materials. What distinguishes Melbourne globally is how these capabilities are connected and applied at system scale. The city brings together world class engineering research, a rapidly evolving clean energy sector, advanced digital infrastructure, and strong alignment between government, industry, and academia. This convergence is critical in the AI era, where energy, networks and computing systems must be designed together. Victoria’s coordinated investment across these areas is positioning Melbourne not only as a national leader, but also as a reference point in the global energy system transformation. Engineering the systems behind the AI economy The challenge ahead is that generating more power won’t be enough, as engineers need to design systems that respond dynamically to new patterns of demand. Three priorities are emerging globally: Aligning data center development with grid capacity and renewable supply Embedding flexibility through storage, demand response, and system optimization Balancing digital growth with decarbonization and long-term reliability Addressing these priorities requires engineering expertise to be embedded earlier in planning ensuring energy systems, digital infrastructure, and policy are designed in parallel. Melbourne’s strength lies in its ability to integrate this expertise across research, infrastructure, and real-world application. Melbourne Connect is a University of Melbourne–led innovation precinct, supported by government and industry, designed to bring together research, business and policy to deliver real-world solutions. Atlantic Group Research leadership shaping global solutions At the centre of this capability is the University of Melbourne , where interdisciplinary research is advancing the systems required to support AI driven energy demand. Through the Melbourne Energy Institute, for example, researchers are examining how energy technologies interact across entire systems from generation and networks through to end use. “As artificial intelligence continues to scale globally, the challenge is no longer just computational power, it is the energy systems required to support it,” says Professor Thas (Ampalavanapillai) Nirmalathas , Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Melbourne. “This is driving a new level of convergence between digital infrastructure and power systems engineering, where integrated, system level thinking is essential.” Converging energy, networks and AI Melbourne’s leadership is further strengthened by world-class interdisciplinary facilities such as the Smart Grid Lab in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, which enables real-time simulation of power systems, allowing engineers to test how solar, batteries, electric vehicles and other distributed resources interact within future grids. This supports the design of more resilient, efficient energy systems before they are deployed at scale. Melbourne’s Smart Grid Lab in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering enables real-time simulation of p...
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As AI Reshapes Global Energy Systems, Melbourne Leads Through Engineering Collaboration. In addition to computing challenges, AI poses major energy systems challenges. Melbourne’s Smart Grid Lab in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering enables real-time simulation of p...
TL;DR:
What distinguishes Melbourne globally is how these capabilities are connected and applied at system scale.
Hackaday
Jul 1, 15:30
Engineering Micro-Submarines to Replace Fish
Everybody loves aquariums. There’s something soothing about watching the lil’ critters inside them swimming, crawling and wriggling about. But at the same time few people are up to the task …read more
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Engineering Micro-Submarines to Replace Fish. There’s something soothing about watching the lil’ critters inside them swimming, crawling and wriggling about. But at the same time few people are up to the task …read more
TL;DR:
Everybody loves aquariums.
Interestingengineering
Jul 1, 15:15
Polish research in 2D layered material opens up a new path to build quantum chips
Scientists at the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw in Poland have observed...
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Polish research in 2D layered material opens up a new path to build quantum chips. Scientists at the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw in Poland have observed...
TL;DR:
Scientists at the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw in Poland have observed...
Interestingengineering
Jul 1, 14:51
UK firm launches first field deployment of hybrid battery-ultracapacitor system
UK-based TAE Power Solutions announced the shipment of its first hybrid energy storage prototype system to MARA Holdings in the US.
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UK-based TAE Power Solutions announced the shipment of its first hybrid energy storage prototype system to MARA Holdings in the US. The system blends batteries, ultracapacitors, and smart controls to tackle both steady energy needs and sudden power spikes. To fix this, TAE is trying something different by building a hybrid storage system.
TL;DR:
UK-based TAE Power Solutions announced the shipment of its first hybrid energy storage prototype system...
Interestingengineering
Jul 1, 13:45
F-22 Raptor: Pratt & Whitney’s F119 engine crosses million flight hours milestone
Aerospace company Pratt and Whitney announced that its F119 engine has officially surpassed one million engine flight hours powering the U.S. Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
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Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The F119 is the world’s first fifth-generation fighter engine and has powered the F-22 for over 20 years. Air Force’s premier air superiority advantage.
TL;DR:
Aerospace company Pratt and Whitney announced that its F119 engine has officially surpassed one million...
Interestingengineering
Jul 1, 13:24
US fusion startup makes history by converting plasma energy directly into electricity
An experimental fusion reactor in Madison, Wisconsin, has achieved a technical milestone by converting plasma energy directly into usable electricity for the first time in the private sector.
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Realta Fusion, the company developing this magnetic mirror fusion technology, announced the achievement publicly as a major breakthrough for commercial power development. The mechanism relies on a direct energy converter positioned at one terminus of the magnetic mirror apparatus.
TL;DR:
An experimental fusion reactor in Madison, Wisconsin, has achieved a technical milestone by converting plasma...
Interestingengineering
Jul 1, 12:47
New 3D-printed electrolyte tech lets engineers create batteries in almost any shape
Researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have created a 3D printing...
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New 3D-printed electrolyte tech lets engineers create batteries in almost any shape. Researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have created a 3D printing...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have created a 3D printing...
Spectrum
Jul 1, 12:00
The Orbital Data Center Hype Machine Is Already in Orbit
“ The lowest-cost place to put AI will be in space, and that will be true within two years, maybe three at the latest,” SpaceX founder Elon Musk told the World Economic Forum in Davos this past January, as his company was preparing to go public . Later that month, SpaceX filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission for an orbital data center constellation of up to 1 million satellites in low Earth orbit, 500 to 2,000 kilometers above Earth. And just three days before the IPO, he discussed some initial design specifications for a new AI-1 satellite data center in a video interview. Musk is prone to hyperbole when it comes to timelines. Full self-driving cars by 2017 . First human mission to Mars in 2024 . Ten thousand Optimus humanoid robots by the end of 2025 . Et cetera. For orbital data centers, which he says will be a cost-effective alternative to terrestrial data centers within three years, the math won’t make sense for several years, if ever. Consider this: There are roughly 14,500 active satellites in orbit . Musk’s Starlink constellation accounts for about two thirds of those . Both the launch cadences and satellite-manufacturing capacity would have to scale up astronomically to deploy a million orbital data center satellites. For context, there have been roughly 7,000 orbital launches in all of human history . To loft 1 million satellites into low Earth orbit on SpaceX’s Starship, which is designed to carry up to 60 satellites per vehicle, would require 16,666 launches exclusively devoted to satellite deployments. Considering that SpaceX launched a record 165 orbital missions in 2025, even at 10 times that cadence, it would take a decade. And how long would it take to build 1 million satellites, given Starlink’s current pace of around 4,000 per year and a generous tenfold increase in capacity? Short of a manufacturing revolution, try 25 years. The reality is that the vision of massive constellations of orbital data centers is nowhere close to being realized. As this month’s cover story, “ Why Orbital Data Centers Are So Hard ” by Andrew Cavalier of ABI Research , makes clear, the reality is that the vision of massive constellations of orbital data centers is nowhere close to being realized. Dina Genkina, IEEE Spectrum ’s computing and hardware editor, put the idea into perspective: “Starcloud (a startup that has applied to the FCC for an 88,000 orbital data center satellite constellation) sent one Nvidia H100 GPU in space so far . Their radiator was too weak to let the chip run at full power.” As Cavalier shows, cooling even a single Nvidia H100 GPU in space is difficult: It draws 700 watts, which will require 1.4 square meters of radiator at 60 °C. A 40-kilowatt rack of servers will need an 80-m² radiator; a 100-megawatt data center will require 2,500 of those radiators. Some astronomers are understandably concerned that a million satellites with giant radiative wings would blot out the stars. So if the economics doesn’t make sense, if the chips are at the mercy of the radiative ravages of space, and if humanity will lose its view of the stars, not to mention increasing the risk of triggering the Kessler syndrome, why are the hyperscalers hyping orbital data centers? Genkina offered the obvious answer: sweet, sweet moolah. “The Elon Musk part of it is honestly genius because he’s got xAI building the data centers, SpaceX sending them to space, and Tesla building solar panels,” Genkina says. “It’s almost like he’s paying himself.” Two Analyst’s Views of SpaceX’s Proposed AI1 Data Center Satellite Michael Pierce , Principal at Technology Strategy Partners Musk’s timelines are notoriously overly ambitious, but I think SpaceX’s orbital data centers might reach cost parity with terrestrial data centers in 5 to 10 years. The Starlink laser-link network already exists as the communication backbone for any SpaceX compute constellation, and that infrastructure is what no new entrant can replicate quickly. The chip-agnostic payload design probably reflects their disclosed difficulty securing AI silicon as much as any modularity philosophy. My view is that the only realistic near-term application is a SpaceX mega-constellation for inference. Training workloads likely cannot tolerate the synchronization and latency constraints of a distributed orbital system. Our report analyzed the market from the integrator’s vantage point, but AI1 is what it looks like when one player has assembled all the necessary advantages simultaneously. The question is whether the terrestrial data center industrial base will degrade or improve on economics. I don’t have insight into SpaceX’s internal costs, as opposed to public pricing, on all their components, so it’s hard to say if they’ll completely dominate or not. Even if they are not cost competitive with terrestrial data centers for another 5 to 10 years, it may simply be faster to get new compute that just happens to be in space. Matt Hasan , AI strategis...
More:
The Orbital Data Center Hype Machine Is Already in Orbit. For orbital data centers, which he says will be a cost-effective alternative to terrestrial data centers within three years, the math won’t make sense for several years, if ever. The question is whether the terrestrial data center industrial base will degrade or improve on economics.
TL;DR:
Training workloads likely cannot tolerate the synchronization and latency constraints of a distributed orbital system.
Interestingengineering
Jul 1, 08:21
New humanoid robot built for companionship with 90% accuracy in recognizing emotions
Chinese firm UBTech has introduced the UWORLD U1 Series, which it describes as the world’s...
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New humanoid robot built for companionship with 90% accuracy in recognizing emotions. Chinese firm UBTech has introduced the UWORLD U1 Series, which it describes as the world’s...
TL;DR:
Chinese firm UBTech has introduced the UWORLD U1 Series, which it describes as the world’s...
Interestingengineering
Jun 30, 23:57
Japan develops world-class system to monitor fusion plasma at 34 points simultaneously
Researchers in Japan have developed a microwave-based plasma measurement system capable of simultaneously monitoring fusion...
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Researchers in Japan have developed a microwave-based plasma measurement system capable of simultaneously monitoring fusion plasma at up to 34 points over extended periods, a capability that could improve the real-time monitoring needed for future fusion reactors.
TL;DR:
Researchers in Japan have developed a microwave-based plasma measurement system capable of simultaneously monitoring fusion...
Interestingengineering
Jun 30, 22:51
US Marine Corps buys first autonomous ground vehicle fleet to run frontline missions
Overland AI has secured a $19.7 million production agreement with the U.S. Marine Corps to...
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US Marine Corps buys first autonomous ground vehicle fleet to run frontline missions. Overland AI has secured a $19.7 million production agreement with the U.S. Marine Corps to...
TL;DR:
Overland AI has secured a $19.7 million production agreement with the U.S.
Techxplore
Jun 30, 22:07
Microstructure-based model predicts sheet metal behavior in seconds for car and battery design
A research team led by Kyung Mun Min and Seonghwan Choi of Materials Processing Research Division (Korea Institute of Materials Science) has developed a new analysis model capable of predicting the anisotropic mechanical behavior of sheet metals within seconds using only microstructural information of metallic materials.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . The technology is expected to reduce the time and cost required to design forming processes for metallic materials used in automobiles and batteries by enabling fast, accurate prediction of how sheet metals stretch and deform without complex, repetitive experiments.
TL;DR:
A research team led by Kyung Mun Min and Seonghwan Choi of Materials Processing Research Division (Korea Institute of Materials Science) has developed a new analysis model capable of predicting the anisotropic mechanical behavior of sheet metals within seconds using only microstructural information of metallic materials.
Techxplore
Jun 30, 22:07
LiDAR approach could change factory inspections for tiny hard-to-reach parts
Researchers have developed a new LiDAR approach that makes it possible to image small objects with much greater precision and accuracy than conventional LiDAR. The method could be useful for acquiring noncontact measurements of critical parts or features during manufacturing.
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LiDAR approach could change factory inspections for tiny hard-to-reach parts. Researchers have developed a new LiDAR approach that makes it possible to image small objects with much greater precision and accuracy than conventional LiDAR. The method could be useful for acquiring noncontact measurements of critical parts or features during manufacturing.
TL;DR:
The method could be useful for acquiring noncontact measurements of critical parts or features during manufacturing.
Interestingengineering
Jun 30, 20:14
Hydrogen electrolyzer to adapt for fusion fuel by extracting tritium from heavy water
Next Hydrogen Solutions will supply a specialized electrolyzer for fusion fuel systems under a new...
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Hydrogen electrolyzer to adapt for fusion fuel by extracting tritium from heavy water. Next Hydrogen Solutions will supply a specialized electrolyzer for fusion fuel systems under a new...
TL;DR:
Next Hydrogen Solutions will supply a specialized electrolyzer for fusion fuel systems under a new...
Interestingengineering
Jun 30, 18:58
China launches $210M diamond semiconductor project to power next-generation chips
China has launched a $210 million project aimed at building the country’s first integrated industrial...
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China launches $210M diamond semiconductor project to power next-generation chips. China has launched a $210 million project aimed at building the country’s first integrated industrial...
TL;DR:
China has launched a $210 million project aimed at building the country’s first integrated industrial...
Hackaday
Jun 30, 18:30
Building a Micrometer-Level Displacement Sensor with 3D Printed Parts
Every experienced machinist knows the value of taking regular measurements. If one works carefully and checks dimensions frequently, it’s possible to make a part much more precise than could be …read more
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Building a Micrometer-Level Displacement Sensor with 3D Printed Parts. Every experienced machinist knows the value of taking regular measurements. If one works carefully and checks dimensions frequently, it’s possible to make a part much more precise than could be …read more
TL;DR:
If one works carefully and checks dimensions frequently, it’s possible to make a part much more precise than could be …read more
Davidslv
Jun 30, 17:10
Reverse-engineering Codemasters' BIGF archive format in Ruby
When you say “I’m going to reverse-engineer a binary file format,” people picture C, or Python with struct , or Kaitai. Nobody pictures Ruby.
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Reverse-engineering Codemasters' BIGF archive format in Ruby. Nobody pictures Ruby. The first thing to internalise is that a Ruby String is not “text.” It’s a sequence of bytes with an encoding label attached.
TL;DR:
That popular imagination is wrong.
Claude
Jun 30, 17:07
Claude Science
Platform Solutions Pricing Resources Login Contact sales Contact sales Contact sales Try Claude Try Claude Try Claude Contact sales Contact sales Contact sales Try Claude Try Claude Try Claude Platfo…
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Platform Solutions Pricing Resources Login Contact sales Contact sales Contact sales Try Claude Try Claude Try Claude Contact sales Contact sales Contact sales Try Claude Try Claude Try Claude Platform Solutions Pricing Resources Login Contact sales Contact sales Contact sales Try Claude Try Claude Try Claude Contact sales Contact sales Contact sales Try Claude Try Claude Try…
TL;DR:
Platform Solutions Pricing Resources Login Contact sales Contact sales Contact sales Try Claude Try Claude Try Claude Contact sales Contact sales Contact sales Try Claude Try Claude Try Claude Platform Solutions Pricing Resources Login Contact sales Contact sales Contact sales Try Claude Try Claude Try Claude Contact sales Contact sales Contact sales Try Claude Try Claude Try Claude Explore here Claude Science beta Your research partner for rigorous science The Claude Science app runs analyses, searches databases, and traces every step from data wrangling to publication, so you can spend time on science.
Interestingengineering
Jun 30, 16:38
Patriot vs S-400: Comparing two of the world’s most advanced air defense systems
The MIM-104 Patriot and S-400 Triumf are widely regarded as two of the world’s most advanced long-range air defense systems.
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The Patriot became a highly specialized integrated air and missile defense system optimized for protecting high-value assets against complex missile attacks. So, which system is actually better? Army service in the 1980s as an anti-aircraft system before evolving into one of the world’s most capable terminal ballistic missile defense platforms.
TL;DR:
The MIM-104 Patriot and S-400 Triumf are widely regarded as two of the world’s most...
Interestingengineering
Jun 30, 13:57
World’s first carbon-negative building material traps CO2 for centuries
Netherlands-based materials company Paebbl has launched Rebond 300, which is said to be the world’s first carbon-negative construction material.
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The new material introduces a unique dual-value proposition to the market: it functions simultaneously as a construction material and a verified carbon-removal instrument. The material has been designed as a partial replacement and can be mixed into standard concrete recipes to replace up to 30% of Portland cement.
TL;DR:
Netherlands-based materials company Paebbl has launched Rebond 300, which is said to be the world’s...
Interestingengineering
Jun 30, 13:30
US unveils supercomputer-modeled smart nuclear test vehicle made with 3D printing
The US has unveiled a new cone-shaped nuclear test vehicle designed to endure the extreme heat and vibration experienced during high-speed nuclear weapon flights. Called Aires Tide, the 11-foot (3.
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Called Aires Tide, the 11-foot (3.35-meter) smart prototype was built through a collaboration between Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the Kansas City National Security Campus. It is the first major achievement of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Genesis Mission.
TL;DR:
The US has unveiled a new cone-shaped nuclear test vehicle designed to endure the extreme...
Interestingengineering
Jun 30, 13:18
New humanoid robot goes live 24/7, lets anyone chat with it from anywhere online
In the race to commercialize humanoid robots, companies are increasingly looking beyond hardware demonstrations toward...
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New humanoid robot goes live 24/7, lets anyone chat with it from anywhere online. In the race to commercialize humanoid robots, companies are increasingly looking beyond hardware demonstrations toward...
TL;DR:
In the race to commercialize humanoid robots, companies are increasingly looking beyond hardware demonstrations toward...
Interestingengineering
Jun 30, 13:17
China: UBTech introduces wheeled humanoid to bring mobile automation to factory floors
Chinese robotics firm UBTech has unveiled a new wheeled humanoid robot for industrial purposes. Cruzr...
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China: UBTech introduces wheeled humanoid to bring mobile automation to factory floors. Chinese robotics firm UBTech has unveiled a new wheeled humanoid robot for industrial purposes.
TL;DR:
Chinese robotics firm UBTech has unveiled a new wheeled humanoid robot for industrial purposes.
Spectrum
Jun 30, 13:00
The History and Mystery of Fireworks
In the 1970s, American Fireworks , a family-run pyrotechnics company in Hudson, Ohio, used a “home run box” to offer quick and easy fireworks displays for the Cleveland Indians (now the Cleveland Guardians) baseball games. The red wooden crate had metal silos to store the rockets. Each switch on the control panel allowed the operator to set off a different firing sequence. This setup instantly triggered the display whenever a Cleveland batter hit a home run. Before computerized firing systems became common, panels like this represented the state of the art. But they did not eliminate human error. On 15 September 2015, the technician in charge of the Indians’ pyrotechnics accidentally set off the fireworks when the opposing team hit a home run. The embarrassed technician was caught on camera holding his head in his hands. This home run box and control panel [left] were used to launch fireworks during Cleveland Indians games. The rockets were housed in metal silos within the box. Left: Jahna Auerbach/Science History Institute; Right: American Fireworks The Early History of Fireworks Fireworks are one of the many Song Dynasty inventions that migrated from China through the Middle East and into Europe by way of trade routes. Around 200 B.C.E, the Chinese invented small firecrackers by simply tossing pieces of bamboo into a fire. The air inside the bamboo would expand and crack the wood, and the pop supposedly scared away evil spirits. After the invention of gunpowder—a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate—about a thousand years later, some clever person thought to pack the powder into the bamboo tubes and ignite them, launching the first fireworks—and the first rockets—into the sky. John Bate’s popular 1634 book on fireworks described fire wheels [left] and a flying dragon [right], consisting of a dragon-shaped rocket that sped along a rope. SSPL/Getty Images By the Renaissance, specialized schools for pyrotechnics had emerged across Italian city-states, and European craftsmen began creating large spectacles for royal occasions and religious celebrations. In 1634, John Bate published the four-volume series The Mysteries of Nature and Art , the second of which described how to create all manner of fireworks. Woodcut illustrations showed fire wheels (now called pinwheels or Catherine wheels), as well as the more ambitious flying dragon—a rocket shaped like a dragon that emitted sparks while speeding across a rope strung between two buildings. During the 18th and 19th centuries, chemists and alchemists discovered new chemical compounds and isolated new elements that expanded the palette for fireworks. Adding barium nitrate produced green, for example, and strontium nitrate produced red. Chemists also mixed in metal particles to create sparkles. The 1880s saw the introduction of the loud screech or whistle that precedes the exploding boom. Amédée Denisse, a graphic artist by trade and a fireworks hobbyist, discovered that a cardboard tube containing potassium picrate added that satisfying auditory effect to his fireworks display. How Did Fireworks Become a 4th of July Tradition? British colonists brought fireworks to the Americas. In 1608, Captain John Smith set them off to celebrate the founding of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in what would become the United States. More than a century and a half later, while the Continental Congress was meeting in Philadelphia in July 1776, future U.S. president John Adams speculated in a letter to his wife that Independence Day would be celebrated “with pomp and parade, with shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.” Although Adams got the day wrong—he mistakenly thought the committee would complete the revisions to the Declaration of Independence by the 2nd of July—he was correct in foreseeing that Independence Day would be celebrated with lots and lots of fireworks. Just a year later, on 5 July 1777, the Pennsylvania Evening Post reported on the grand exhibition of fireworks the previous night, which began and concluded with 13 rockets representing the 13 colonies. It’s safe to say that the United States is still obsessed with fireworks. According to the American Pyrotechnics Association , the country spends about US $3 billion on fireworks each year; it’s also the leading importer of fireworks. As the U.S. gears up to celebrate its 250th birthday this 4th of July, expect to see fireworks displays everywhere, from kids with sparklers running in backyards to ambitious professional displays for huge crowds. Modern fireworks displays like the Macy’s 4th of July celebration in New York City are computer choreographed and controlled. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images Fireworks today are an engineering marvel. State-of-the-art displays are computer controlled with precise digital timing, often tied to musical accompaniment. Designers can spend weeks choreographing complicated patt...
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The History and Mystery of Fireworks. The rockets were housed in metal silos within the box. John Bate’s popular 1634 book on fireworks described fire wheels [left] and a flying dragon [right], consisting of a dragon-shaped rocket that sped along a rope.
TL;DR:
This home run box and control panel [left] were used to launch fireworks during Cleveland Indians games.
Spectrum
Jun 30, 12:24
Poetry for Engineers: Nine Lives of Nikola Tesla
He was born into a storm, lightning split the summer sky, in a village the world had not yet heard of. The midwife called it a bad omen, his mother called it a sign. Your first life began in a storm, under open sky. One winter night you ran your hand along a cat’s back, and the darkness cracked open with sparks. Your mother warned the house could burn. You were already chasing what you learned: Light would return. Your second life came underwater, in the current deep. No light, no air, the river pulling you under, the surface closing above you without a sound, and something in you refused to sink or sleep. Your third life came at the dam. The water rose. The wall held you in place. One flash, you turned your body and rose back into air, and left the weight of water without a trace. Your fourth life came in stone and dark. Entombed for a night in a mountain chapel, visited by no one. Only silence and the memory of a spark. You called it an awful experience and left it there, untold. Your fifth life came in fever, nine months cholera held you down, until your father said: Survive, and choose your own ground. You rose. Not from the prayer, but from the promise he made. Your sixth life came in silence, and it stayed. Every sound cut through you, a clock three rooms away, a ringing that would not leave, a noise you learned to bear, until you lived inside that noise and made a home in there. Your seventh life burned on Fifth Avenue, not your body, but your work. Not a thief of fire, but one who stayed with the blaze. A modern Prometheus, your life’s work turned to ash, “I must begin again,” you said, and turned to new ways. Your eighth life came in the street. No storm. No warning. A taxi struck without a sign. A sudden impact: ribs breaking, breath gone. No diagram this time. Only the body, slow to keep up. The ninth life came on quiet wings. That dove found you in the dark, and your spirit rose. She did not move. A beam of light fell from above. The life you would not return from, the one you loved. Your mother thought you had nine lives, nine close brushes with death. Each close call, a lesson. A hand that would lead you out of the darkness and into the dynamo of eternal light. The world profits from the mystery of your mind, Upon your imagination we stand.
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One flash, you turned your body and rose back into air, and left the weight of water without a trace. Your eighth life came in the street. The life you would not return from, the one you loved.
TL;DR:
A beam of light fell from above.
Bbc
Jun 29, 21:09
Drinks could go up in price by 50p under new return scheme, industry says
Wales business correspondent Published 13 minutes ago Shoppers in Wales could face higher drink prices and reduced choice under a new recycling scheme, industry leaders say.
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The British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) said proposals to include glass in Wales' deposit return scheme could add around 50p to the cost of some bottles. But the industry said the Welsh government's inclusion of glass, unlike schemes launching in other parts of the UK, risked driving up costs.
TL;DR:
Shoppers could face higher drink prices and reduced choice under a new recycling scheme, industry leaders say.
Techxplore
Jun 29, 20:48
Plastic bottles could find new life in batteries as graphite
A plastic bottle tossed into a recycling bin could one day help power an electric vehicle, smartphone or renewable energy storage system, according to a team of Penn State researchers.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . In a new study, researchers converted waste polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, into highly ordered synthetic graphite, a crystalline form of carbon.
TL;DR:
A plastic bottle tossed into a recycling bin could one day help power an electric vehicle, smartphone or renewable energy storage system, according to a team of Penn State researchers.
Techxplore
Jun 29, 20:48
Shape-shifting surface morphs in real time for next-generation human-machine interaction
A team of engineers at Rice University and Kyung Hee University has developed a soft, shape-shifting mechanical surface that can respond to touch, sense its own movements and visually communicate changes in real time—an advance that could open new possibilities for human-machine interaction, wearable devices and immersive tactile displays.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Published in Science Advances , the research introduces a magnetically levitated mechanical metasurface capable of rapidly morphing into thousands of different shapes while remaining soft and durable enough to be pinched, pressed and twisted without damage.
TL;DR:
A team of engineers at Rice University and Kyung Hee University has developed a soft, shape-shifting mechanical surface that can respond to touch, sense its own movements and visually communicate changes in real time—an advance that could open new possibilities for human-machine interaction, wearable devices and immersive tactile displays.
Techxplore
Jun 29, 20:48
Team uses 3D printing to develop zinc-ion hybrid battery with seven times more energy
Storing solar and wind energy to meet the increasing power needs of the electrical grid calls for devices that can deliver power quickly, recharge quickly and last for decades at low cost. A new study led by UCLA has uncovered a technology that could meet all these criteria: a zinc-ion hybrid battery with a 3D-printed electrode that stores more than seven times the charge of similar hybrids.
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Storing solar and wind energy to meet the increasing power needs of the electrical grid calls for devices that can deliver power quickly, recharge quickly and last for decades at low cost. A new study led by UCLA has uncovered a technology that could meet all these criteria: a zinc-ion hybrid battery with a 3D-printed electrode that stores more than seven times the charge of s…
TL;DR:
Storing solar and wind energy to meet the increasing power needs of the electrical grid calls for devices that can deliver power quickly, recharge quickly and last for decades at low cost.
Hackaday
Jun 29, 20:00
Piano Escapement Migrates to Drum Kit
For as popular as the piano is in music studios, homes, and schools, it almost defies logic. Compared to a guitar, harmonica, or drum set, pianos are incredibly complex machines …read more
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Piano Escapement Migrates to Drum Kit. For as popular as the piano is in music studios, homes, and schools, it almost defies logic. Compared to a guitar, harmonica, or drum set, pianos are incredibly complex machines …read more
TL;DR:
For as popular as the piano is in music studios, homes, and schools, it almost defies logic.
Hackaday
Jun 29, 17:05
Hackaday Europe 2026 – Building A Retro PC From Scratch
If you’re big into retrocomputing, you probably spend a lot of time chasing parts and machines on online classifieds or through local swap meets. But what if there was a …read more
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Hackaday Europe 2026 – Building A Retro PC From Scratch. If you’re big into retrocomputing, you probably spend a lot of time chasing parts and machines on online classifieds or through local swap meets. But what if there was a …read more
TL;DR:
If you’re big into retrocomputing, you probably spend a lot of time chasing parts and machines on online classifieds or through local swap meets.
Hackaday
Jun 29, 15:30
Mechanical TV, Without The Benefit Of New Parts
There are many experimenters who have had a go at a mechanical television, and though there are a few challenges, it’s a relatively straightforward project in 2026. A hundred years …read more
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It’s a mechanical TV system, using only parts that would have been available in the 1920s . As it stands he has a wooden chassis, a period power supply and amplifier, a synchronous motor, and of course the Nipkow disk that makes it all possible. There’s a YouTube series to follow, and we’ve placed the most recent one in which he fixes the power supply, below the break.
TL;DR:
There are many experimenters who have had a go at a mechanical television, and though there are a few challenges, it’s a relatively straightforward project in 2026.
Hackaday
Jun 29, 14:00
The Teenage Angst of 3D Printing: Solidoodle, Printrbot, and Bridges
Bridges are a part of our constructed landscape that we take for granted. And bridges by themselves aren’t especially important. What is important is that bridges let you get from …read more
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The Teenage Angst of 3D Printing: Solidoodle, Printrbot, and Bridges. And bridges by themselves aren’t especially important. What is important is that bridges let you get from …read more
TL;DR:
Bridges are a part of our constructed landscape that we take for granted.
Interestingengineering
Jun 29, 13:29
US Navy plans Trident II missile successor, first nuclear warhead in 40 years
The U.S. Navy is taking the next major step in modernizing the sea-based leg of...
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US Navy plans Trident II missile successor, first nuclear warhead in 40 years. Navy is taking the next major step in modernizing the sea-based leg of...
TL;DR:
Navy is taking the next major step in modernizing the sea-based leg of...
Interestingengineering
Jun 29, 13:27
World’s first tension-leg platform floating wind turbine set to be deployed in China
In a striking twist of ecological irony, China is deploying a massive piece of green...
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World’s first tension-leg platform floating wind turbine set to be deployed in China. In a striking twist of ecological irony, China is deploying a massive piece of green...
TL;DR:
In a striking twist of ecological irony, China is deploying a massive piece of green...
Spectrum
Jun 29, 13:00
The Lab Mistake That Might Revolutionize Computing
Today, you probably asked a question of a large language model, or accepted a connection suggestion on LinkedIn, or watched a recommended video on YouTube, or took a different route to work based on a traffic prediction from Google Maps. In other words, you probably used artificial intelligence. But what you might not know is how much energy that interaction consumed or why. AI requires processing massive amounts of data, which is usually done in large data centers populated by thousands of GPUs capable of executing up to trillions of operations per second. But each of those GPUs achieves that by consuming as much as 1,000 watts apiece. For comparison, if you’ve got a newer smartphone, it probably uses less than 1 W. That kilowatt figure puts GPUs on the same level as vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, and stoves, but with the big difference that data-center processors are operating uninterrupted around the clock. Fundamentally, a lot of this inefficiency is because GPUs are trying to simulate the workings of artificial neural networks using software and billions of transistors, which requires using energy to move massive amounts of data. What’s more, the simulated artificial neurons that make up these networks lack even a fraction of the complex computing behavior of the biological neurons that comprise the most energy-efficient computing system that we know, the human brain. The brain is roughly one million times as energy efficient at many of the comparable tasks we set for AI. To try to approach these efficiencies , a radically different way of computing called neuromorphic engineering is seeking to build electronic components and circuits that act more like the brain’s neurons and the synapses that connect them. Huge amounts of work have gone into making electronics operate more like biological neurons and synapses . Some research has focused on developing new , experimental devices , but they aren’t yet reliable enough to be used in large systems. Other efforts aim to implement neurons and synapses by interconnecting many complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors—the workhorses of digital logic—to simulate a single neuron and synapse. But this approach requires so many transistors (and a few bulky capacitors) that it greatly limits the size of the system that can be constructed, making it unclear how such brain-inspired hardware could ever scale up and compete with state-of-the-art GPUs. But all along there was an artificial neuron and a synapse—each a single device—hiding in plain sight. We found them last year. They were each made possible by an ordinary CMOS transistor—and not even a very good one at that. This is the story of their accidental discovery and their great promise for lowering the environmental footprint of AI. Biological and artificial neurons Modern digital electronics is based on producing and manipulating the ones and zeros of the binary code through the operation of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors. MOSFETs have evolved in recent years, but their classic form consists of a piece of silicon that has been doped to contain an excess of either positive ( p -type) or negative ( n -type) charge carriers. (CMOS logic contains transistors of both types.) The device has two terminals connected to the silicon through regions highly doped with the opposite polarity of the rest of the silicon—the source and the drain. Another terminal, the gate, sits atop the silicon that separates the source from the drain. The gate itself doesn’t connect directly to this silicon, instead resting above a thin layer of insulating dielectric. Notably, there is a fourth terminal that attaches to the bulk of the silicon; think of this bulk terminal as connecting to the underside of the chip. It doesn’t typically get much attention, but it’s very important to our story. When voltage is applied at the gate and the bulk terminal is grounded, charge carriers of the same polarity as the source and drain are attracted to the channel region. In the case of an n -type source and drain, that will be electrons; for p -type it will be holes. The presence of these charges forms a conductive channel that reduces the resistance between the source and the drain by several orders of magnitude, and the device switches on. As the voltage at the gate increases, this physical phenomenon produces a current signal that, when plotted against the gate voltage, rises steadily. This response is ideal for logic gates, converters, multiplexers, memories, and other digital circuits. But it is not a good fit for mimicking the behavior of a neuron. In real neural tissue, brain cells, called neurons, consist of a cell body, a long projection called an axon, and short branching projections called dendrites. The suite of behaviors and computing this collection of components is capable of is rich and broad, but the portion that artificial neural networks hope to copy is this: When the cell body’s voltage is pertur...
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But this approach requires so many transistors (and a few bulky capacitors) that it greatly limits the size of the system that can be constructed, making it unclear how such brain-inspired hardware could ever scale up and compete with state-of-the-art GPUs. Another terminal, the gate, sits atop the silicon that separates the source from the drain.
TL;DR:
What’s more, the simulated artificial neurons that make up these networks lack even a fraction of the complex computing behavior of the biological neurons that comprise the most energy-efficient computing system that we know, the human brain.
Interestingengineering
Jun 29, 11:30
World’s first 100% electric hydrofoil pilot boat begins trials to cut port emissions
Belfast-based clean maritime company Artemis Technologies has launched the Artemis EF-12 Pilot. It is the...
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World’s first 100% electric hydrofoil pilot boat begins trials to cut port emissions. Belfast-based clean maritime company Artemis Technologies has launched the Artemis EF-12 Pilot. It is the...
TL;DR:
Belfast-based clean maritime company Artemis Technologies has launched the Artemis EF-12 Pilot.
Spectrum
Jun 29, 11:00
How the U.S. Engineered Its Sovereignty
In 1839, J.M.W. Turner painted The Fighting Temeraire . The old warship, once a hero of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, glides like a ghost across the canvas, towed by a small steam tug belching smoke on its final voyage to the ship-breakers. The image shows a clear moment of change: sail giving way to steam, and with it, a major shift in power. The ship relied on timber, rope, canvas, and Britain’s seafaring towns. The tug depended on coal mines and iron foundries that supplied machine shops in the Midlands. Turner showed the tension of this time, when new technology changed who held power. By Turner’s time, the United States had already defeated Britain’s navy in two wars—one for liberty on land, another for freedom of the seas. The 13 colonies used new technology in creative ways to win their freedom, and by keeping up with innovation, they managed to defend their freedom. Now, as the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary, we can ask: What does it really mean for a country to be independent? We tend to focus on how nations and individuals defend freedom but rarely turn that focus to the tools and systems that sustain freedom. Declaring independence is only the beginning: independence must still be engineered. Forging freedom Long before the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord in 1775, Britain had drawn the lines of conflict through technology. The Wool Act of 1699 choked colonial textile exports. The Hat Act of 1732 crushed local hat-making. The Iron Act of 1750 forbade finished iron goods. Each statute tightened the knot: Colonial capability existed only at Britain’s discretion. The Boston Tea Party may have been a loud response, but resistance also took subtler, more empowering forms. At a 1769 Virginia ball, more than a hundred women arrived in homespun gowns. Every thread was defiance. When war came, everyday tradespeople pivoted to the fight. Farmers turned plowshares into gun barrels, while clockmakers turned their precision skills to making firing mechanisms. By 1777, two weapons production models had emerged—centralized sites like the Springfield Armory that could produce high-quality guns in large quantities, and household workshops that were more agile and could meet local needs. In parallel, the new nation developed an equally important source of supplies and support: France sent gunpowder and loans and eventually opened a second naval front in 1781, which proved as decisive as any weapon. After the war, the young republic pursued industrial strength with the same resolve it had shown in battle. In 1789, Samuel Slater arrived from England with textile spinning technology that he’d memorized, sowing the seeds of U.S. manufacturing, whose early growth rested on domestic cotton, slave labor, and copied techniques. By 1816, gun manufacturer Simeon North’s milling machines were producing interchangeable metal parts, allowing the armed forces to cannibalize parts. In 1822, Thomas Blanchard’s copying lathe automated the shaping of gunstocks. In the 1830s, the federal government imposed tariffs that shielded infant industries, fulfilling Alexander Hamilton’s vision for industrial policy: Build capacity first, then compete. At the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, American revolvers and reapers with swappable parts stunned international observers. By the 1860s, land-grant colleges were spreading technical education across the nation. Engineering moved into the mainstream, from niche to national necessity, and driving broad, though uneven, prosperity. As the Industrial Revolution bloomed, the early U.S. focus on industrial capacity via farms, factories, and formidable wealth positioned the country to compete with the most advanced industrial powers in the world. The right and responsibility to repair For nearly two centuries, that ethos endured, with government-guided infrastructure and markets deciding the details. But around the U.S. bicentennial in 1976, a conviction took hold across party lines. Finance began to outrank fabrication, and Wall Street prioritized futures contracts over companies owning the factories that made up their supply chains. Domestic factories closed or moved offshore, and companies turned to just-in-time manufacturing and shipping, ostensibly as a way to save on costs. Shipbuilding felt this shift as much as any industry. Shipyards closed, and suppliers of specialized castings and components disappeared along with them, as did skilled technical workers who retired without replacement. Now the U.S. Navy struggles to build submarines fast enough to replace its aging fleet. Other changes took hold, among them the idea that the company that builds your tractor or medical equipment could prevent you from fixing it yourself. Invasive “terms of service” prevented customers from reaching for a wrench, instead allowing companies to keep reaching into customers’ pockets. These changes are symptoms of both structural and infrastructural fragility. When we lose the ability ...
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The tug depended on coal mines and iron foundries that supplied machine shops in the Midlands. By 1816, gun manufacturer Simeon North’s milling machines were producing interchangeable metal parts, allowing the armed forces to cannibalize parts. At the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, American revolvers and reapers with swappable parts stunned international observers.
TL;DR:
By 1816, gun manufacturer Simeon North’s milling machines were producing interchangeable metal parts, allowing the armed forces to cannibalize parts.
Techxplore
Jun 29, 10:29
New design approach may help slash the price of ultra-durable concrete
Concrete, although the most common building material in the world, is brittle and can easily crack under tension. Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is a special class of concrete known for its dense structure and extreme durability. This class uses internal metallic fibers to flex and resist cracking—the downside being these fibers can lead the material to cost up to 30 times more than traditional concrete.
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New design approach may help slash the price of ultra-durable concrete. Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is a special class of concrete known for its dense structure and extreme durability. This class uses internal metallic fibers to flex and resist cracking—the downside being these fibers can lead the material to cost up to 30 times more than traditional concrete.
TL;DR:
Concrete, although the most common building material in the world, is brittle and can easily crack under tension.
Interestingengineering
Jun 29, 09:30
Video: World’s first hotel run entirely by robots set to open in China by 2027
China has announced plans to open the world’s first hotel operated entirely by robots, marking a major step toward fully automated hospitality.
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The hotel will rely on robots to handle all major services, including reception, room service, housekeeping, food preparation, and guest assistance. Visitors experienced autonomous retail and room delivery through FlashBot’s intelligent vending system, while the PUDU T300 transported heavy luggage and autonomously operated elevators with its 661-pound (300-kilogram) payload ca…
TL;DR:
China has announced plans to open the world’s first hotel operated entirely by robots, marking...
Interestingengineering
Jun 29, 07:48
Next-gen aerospace engine components could become more robust with advanced machining capability
A Dallas-based company is expanding its advanced manufacturing and inspection capabilities to support growing demand...
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Next-gen aerospace engine components could become more robust with advanced machining capability. A Dallas-based company is expanding its advanced manufacturing and inspection capabilities to support growing demand...
TL;DR:
A Dallas-based company is expanding its advanced manufacturing and inspection capabilities to support growing demand...
Bbc
Jun 29, 05:13
Storks industrial estate nest a 'major milestone'
A group of storks born and raised by a Sussex rewilding project have been spotted nesting in a Surrey industrial estate in what has been called a "major milestone" for the scheme.
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A group of storks born and raised by a Sussex rewilding project have been spotted nesting in a Surrey industrial estate in what has been called a "major milestone" for the scheme. Now, a group of the birds have nested at an industrial estate near Guildford, with the hope they will rear chicks in the coming years.
TL;DR:
Storks from the Knepp Estate in Sussex are spotted nesting in an industrial estate near Guildford.
Hackaday
Jun 29, 05:00
Custom Hybrid Drivetrain Powers Boat
Offloading acceleration and braking to an electric motor in a hybrid configuration allows the less efficient combustion engine run in a more narrow set of RPM and torque ranges. In …read more
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[rctestflight] put this premise to the test using a small knockoff Honda motor as a generator for an electric boat . This project builds on a previous version where he used a much smaller hobby motor to see if it could generate usable power, and that system powered a small autonomous boat as a proof-of-concept.
TL;DR:
Offloading acceleration and braking to an electric motor in a hybrid configuration allows the less efficient combustion engine run in a more narrow set of RPM and torque ranges.
Interestingengineering
Jun 29, 04:30
US Army develops advanced counter-drone system capable of engaging UAVs on the move
The U.S. Army has achieved a significant milestone in counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) technology by...
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US Army develops advanced counter-drone system capable of engaging UAVs on the move. Army has achieved a significant milestone in counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) technology by...
TL;DR:
Army has achieved a significant milestone in counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) technology by...
Hackaday
Jun 28, 23:00
Reachy Mini Desktop Robot Gets All-local, Conversational AI
Reachy Mini is a limbless desktop robot from Hugging Face made for human interaction experiments, and to give you an idea of what it’s like is a guide on how …read more
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Reachy Mini is a limbless desktop robot from Hugging Face made for human interaction experiments, and to give you an idea of what it’s like is a guide on how to implement expressive, local conversational AI complete with head movements and antenna wiggles. For example, one could easily use a frontier AI model via remote API for the LLM while keeping everything else local.
TL;DR:
Reachy Mini is a limbless desktop robot from Hugging Face made for human interaction experiments, and to give you an idea of what it’s like is a guide on how …read more
Interestingengineering
Jun 28, 17:08
This patented drivetrain could make hybrid vehicles simpler, lighter, and smarter
For years, carmakers have been trying to combine the best parts of electric vehicles and...
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This patented drivetrain could make hybrid vehicles simpler, lighter, and smarter. For years, carmakers have been trying to combine the best parts of electric vehicles and...
TL;DR:
For years, carmakers have been trying to combine the best parts of electric vehicles and...
Interestingengineering
Jun 28, 16:40
New battery technology aims to reduce electrode cracking and delamination
US company Soteria Battery Innovation Group has licensed a new current collector technology from Rutgers University aimed at improving the safety and durability of lithium-ion batteries.
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US company Soteria Battery Innovation Group has licensed a new current collector technology from Rutgers University aimed at improving the safety and durability of lithium-ion batteries. The technology addresses a growing challenge in battery systems: cracking and separation of electrodes from the current collector as cells age and undergo repeated expansion and contraction du…
TL;DR:
US company Soteria Battery Innovation Group has licensed a new current collector technology from Rutgers...
Interestingengineering
Jun 28, 14:23
From S-500 to THAAD: These are seven of the world’s most advanced air defense systems
Air defense has become one of the defining military technologies of our times. From ballistic...
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From S-500 to THAAD: These are seven of the world’s most advanced air defense systems. Air defense has become one of the defining military technologies of our times. From ballistic...
TL;DR:
Air defense has become one of the defining military technologies of our times.
Interestingengineering
Jun 28, 04:11
US defense industry scrambles to secure tungsten supply before 2027 deadline
Tungsten is a dense, heat-resistant metal used in armor-piercing munitions, tank armor and missile components,...
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US defense industry scrambles to secure tungsten supply before 2027 deadline. Tungsten is a dense, heat-resistant metal used in armor-piercing munitions, tank armor and missile components,...
TL;DR:
Tungsten is a dense, heat-resistant metal used in armor-piercing munitions, tank armor and missile components,...
Interestingengineering
Jun 28, 04:01
American Fusion moves 5MW Texatron fusion engine closer to independent validation
American Fusion Inc. has finalized the testing protocol for its 5 MW pre-production Texatron Fusion...
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American Fusion moves 5MW Texatron fusion engine closer to independent validation. American Fusion Inc. has finalized the testing protocol for its 5 MW pre-production Texatron Fusion...
TL;DR:
has finalized the testing protocol for its 5 MW pre-production Texatron Fusion...
Hackaday
Jun 27, 23:00
Bringing Swift To The Apple II
Swift is a relatively modern program language, appearing in 2014 as a replacement for Objective-C. Since then, it’s become a popular solution for programming apps across Apple platforms. That led …read more
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Bringing Swift To The Apple II. Swift is a relatively modern program language, appearing in 2014 as a replacement for Objective-C. Since then, it’s become a popular solution for programming apps across Apple platforms.
TL;DR:
Swift is a relatively modern program language, appearing in 2014 as a replacement for Objective-C.
Hackaday
Jun 27, 20:00
Cramming a Mini-ITX Gaming PC into a 3D Printed Steam Machine Sized Case
The recently released Valve Steam Machine is that it uses a custom, non-standard PCB and non-standard power supply. This fact apparently has irked some people who decided that it makes …read more
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Cramming a Mini-ITX Gaming PC into a 3D Printed Steam Machine Sized Case. The recently released Valve Steam Machine is that it uses a custom, non-standard PCB and non-standard power supply. This fact apparently has irked some people who decided that it makes …read more
TL;DR:
The recently released Valve Steam Machine is that it uses a custom, non-standard PCB and non-standard power supply.
Interestingengineering
Jun 27, 15:45
China neighbor launches world’s first nuclear process heat-based hydrogen production facility
India has inaugurated the world’s first hydrogen production facility powered by nuclear process heat.
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The plant serves as a technology demonstrator designed to validate hydrogen production using nuclear energy. By successfully combining reactor-generated heat with hydrogen production, the project represents a significant technological breakthrough and could pave the way for large-scale, carbon-free hydrogen production using advanced nuclear reactors.
TL;DR:
India has inaugurated the world’s first hydrogen production facility powered by nuclear process heat.
Interestingengineering
Jun 27, 14:29
Europe’s firepower to get major boost with sustainment centre for multiple launch rocket systems
A new rocket systems’ facility is set to be established in Europe. The facility will...
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Europe’s firepower to get major boost with sustainment centre for multiple launch rocket systems. A new rocket systems’ facility is set to be established in Europe. The facility will...
TL;DR:
A new rocket systems’ facility is set to be established in Europe.
W
Jun 27, 10:28
Fintech Engineering Handbook
Welcome to the Fintech Engineering Handbook. This resource aims to describe the most important patterns used in software engineering, where money is the primary focus of the system.
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Fintech Engineering Handbook. This resource aims to describe the most important patterns used in software engineering, where money is the primary focus of the system. Send money either as a string ( "12.34" ) or as an integer in its smallest unit.
TL;DR:
It can be read in full to get a comprehensive understanding or in parts when dealing with a particular problem.
Github
Jun 27, 05:17
IBM MCGA Gate Array Reverse Engineering
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IBM MCGA Gate Array Reverse Engineering. You signed in with another tab or window. Some examples of these were fabricated on an internal IBM gate array process, while others used an external gate array part by Seiko.
TL;DR:
The IBM chipset consists of the memory controller gate array and the video formatter gate array.
Interestingengineering
Jun 26, 23:45
World’s most powerful nuclear test reactor removes first Lightbridge fuel samples
US-based advanced nuclear fuel developer Lightbridge has successfully removed its first irradiated fuel samples from the world’s largest and most powerful nuclear test reactor.
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US-based advanced nuclear fuel developer Lightbridge has successfully removed its first irradiated fuel samples from the world’s largest and most powerful nuclear test reactor. The ATR is a unique pressurized water test reactor that runs at low pressure (about 360 psi) and temperature (around 180 degrees Fahrenheit).
TL;DR:
US-based advanced nuclear fuel developer Lightbridge has successfully removed its first irradiated fuel samples from...
Interestingengineering
Jun 26, 19:23
US Space Force backs autonomous factories to speed rocket, missile parts production
The U.S. Space Force has awarded California-based Orbital Composites a $1.9 million contract to advance...
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US Space Force backs autonomous factories to speed rocket, missile parts production. Space Force has awarded California-based Orbital Composites a $1.9 million contract to advance...
TL;DR:
Space Force has awarded California-based Orbital Composites a $1.9 million contract to advance...
Spectrum
Jun 26, 18:00
This Senior Member Solves Complex Product Lifecycle Challenges
What do an instinct to fix things and the 1999 global panic over whether computers would survive the date change to 2000, known as the Y2K bug, have in common? Both helped shape IEEE Senior Member Ajay Prasad ’s career. Prasad is an industry process director at Dassault Systèmes in Detroit. His focus is global oversight of industry process experts specializing in Enovia , a product lifecycle management (PLM) solution and one of the company’s flagship products. Ajay Prasad Employer Dassault Systèmes in Detroit Title Industry process director Member grade Senior member Alma maters Bangalore University, in Bengaluru, India; and the University of Birmingham, England As a child growing up in Bangalore, India, his curiosity to build real-world solutions was ignited by his father, a mechanical engineer. Prasad’s father often fixed things around the house, including cars and bicycles. His ability to take something broken and return it to working order laid the groundwork for his son’s career in engineering. Prasad was in his final year of undergraduate studies when the Y2K panic hit its peak. “Nobody knew what would happen when the year turned to 2000,” he says, “and it was almost projected like the end of the world was coming.” The phenomenon left him with the desire to fix computer problems, but he wasn’t sure how he would go about it, as he had no background in computer science. As it turned out, computer systems didn’t crash when the 1900s ended. The world did not end on Jan. 1, 2000, and neither did his interest in how computers worked. The consulting pivot that changed his career Prasad graduated in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and management from the RV College of Engineering , in Bengaluru. It was at a time when tech companies were heavily recruiting engineers, regardless of their specialization. “They were mainly looking for problem-solving skills,” Prasad says. His parents expected him to immediately enroll in a master’s degree program, he says, but a job offer from Tata Consultancy Services in Bengaluru to work as an assistant systems engineer trainee changed that plan. “My dad was actually out of town for work when the job offer came in,” he says. “I knew he wanted me to stay in school, but honestly, I was done studying for a while. I wanted to get some work experience.” He accepted the offer, then broke the news to his father. His parents were supportive of his decision, but his dad offered one piece of advice: Keep the idea of an advanced degree in the back of his mind. Several months of working on mainframes helped him understand algorithms and how to code to achieve outcomes, he says, and the more he learned about computer systems, the more he wanted to pursue a computer science career. With a solid engineering foundation, he says, he knew the pivot made sense. But he also wanted the academic credentials to back up his tech skills. Heeding his father’s advice, he paused his career at Tata and enrolled in the master’s degree program in computer science at the University of Birmingham in England. At the time, it was one of the few schools offering the program to students who had no undergraduate computer science degree. When he graduated in 2002, he briefly considered pursuing a Ph.D., but he returned to India and a new role at Tata. Building a global perspective As a systems engineer, he worked on the MatrixOne platform , a PLM software solution that helped manufacturers oversee products from design to launch. He spent a lot of time customizing the MatrixOne software to meet customer needs. The experience gave him insights into the pain points that different users of the platform faced, such as managing complex product data across large teams and keeping track of complicated supply chains. In 2004 Tata transferred him to Minneapolis, where he continued working on the MatrixOne platform. During that time, Dassault acquired MatrixOne and folded it into its existing Enovia product line. He remained involved with the product until he left Tata in 2008. To scratch an entrepreneurial itch, he became a consultant for the product, helping customize the platform for U.S. clients. The move also forced him to make a decision: He needed to choose between settling in the United States or returning to India. Inclement weather made up his mind, he says. “I was heading to my next project across the country, and it was winter,” he says. “During the entire drive, I was trying, unsuccessfully, to outrun a massive snowstorm. I was young, and it was an adventure, but it helped clarify where I wanted to be at that point in my life.” He returned to India in 2010, armed with a more global perspective and expertise with Enovia. As he looked for a job, he focused on a role with the company that owned the platform he’d worked on for years. “Dassault Systèmes has continuously pioneered new technologies and concepts and set benchmarks in the PLM space,” he says. “When an opportunity opened up there ...
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Both helped shape IEEE Senior Member Ajay Prasad ’s career. The consulting pivot that changed his career Prasad graduated in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and management from the RV College of Engineering , in Bengaluru. During that time, Dassault acquired MatrixOne and folded it into its existing Enovia product line.
TL;DR:
At the time, it was one of the few schools offering the program to students who had no undergraduate computer science degree.
Interestingengineering
Jun 26, 17:26
A $100 3D-printed attachment could safeguard F-35s from $20M engine damage
Two weapons specialists at Luke Air Force Base have created a simple 3D-printed attachment that...
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A $100 3D-printed attachment could safeguard F-35s from $20M engine damage. Two weapons specialists at Luke Air Force Base have created a simple 3D-printed attachment that...
TL;DR:
Two weapons specialists at Luke Air Force Base have created a simple 3D-printed attachment that...
Interestingengineering
Jun 26, 17:07
Video: Robot dog delivers pulse-powered firefighting for safer emergency operations
DEEP Robotics, a Chinese robotics company, has demonstrated an innovative fire-extinguishing robot dog designed to...
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Video: Robot dog delivers pulse-powered firefighting for safer emergency operations. DEEP Robotics, a Chinese robotics company, has demonstrated an innovative fire-extinguishing robot dog designed to...
TL;DR:
DEEP Robotics, a Chinese robotics company, has demonstrated an innovative fire-extinguishing robot dog designed to...
Interestingengineering
Jun 26, 16:37
In a first, four US Army bases to house critical mineral processing facilities
The US Army has awarded long term conditional leases to four companies to design, finance,...
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In a first, four US Army bases to house critical mineral processing facilities. The US Army has awarded long term conditional leases to four companies to design, finance,...
TL;DR:
The US Army has awarded long term conditional leases to four companies to design, finance,...
Interestingengineering
Jun 26, 16:11
Scientists observe elusive thorium-thorium bonding, a first for heavy elements
Researchers at the University of Manchester in the UK have directly visualized thorium-thorium bonding, a rarity among heavy elements in the periodic table, for the very first time.
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Researchers at the University of Manchester in the UK have directly visualized thorium-thorium bonding, a rarity among heavy elements in the periodic table, for the very first time. Using a method called Hirshfield atom refinement, the researchers showed how thorium atoms share electrons, which had been difficult to prove earlier.
TL;DR:
Researchers at the University of Manchester in the UK have directly visualized thorium-thorium bonding, a...
Shapeofthesystem
Jun 26, 12:41
The Shape of the System - Engineering for Bounded Cognition
The mind that builds software is far smaller than the software it builds, and almost everything good in engineering is a way of living with that gap.
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The Shape of the System - Engineering for Bounded Cognition. When you take all that away, the honest figure for how many separate things a person can hold in mind at once, with no help at all, is about four.
TL;DR:
The mind that builds software is far smaller than the software it builds, and almost everything good in engineering is a way of living with that gap.
Interestingengineering
Jun 26, 11:22
Cruise missile path planning cut down from days to minutes with new MBDA tool
European missile manufacturer MBDA has unveiled FastTrack, an AI-assisted mission-planning system designed to reduce the...
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Cruise missile path planning cut down from days to minutes with new MBDA tool. European missile manufacturer MBDA has unveiled FastTrack, an AI-assisted mission-planning system designed to reduce the...
TL;DR:
European missile manufacturer MBDA has unveiled FastTrack, an AI-assisted mission-planning system designed to reduce the...
Hackaday
Jun 26, 11:00
Alan Turing’s Remarkable, Nearly-Forgotten Voice Encryption Device
[Popular Mechanics] has an interesting article about Alan Turing’s nearly-forgotten speech encryption device. Codenamed Delilah, it was in many ways an early form of digital encryption. It was secretly developed alongside …read more
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[Popular Mechanics] has an interesting article about Alan Turing’s nearly-forgotten speech encryption device. Codenamed Delilah, it was in many ways an early form of digital encryption. It was secretly developed alongside …read more
TL;DR:
[Popular Mechanics] has an interesting article about Alan Turing’s nearly-forgotten speech encryption device. Codenamed Delilah, it was in many ways an early form of digital encryption.
Interestingengineering
Jun 26, 08:54
BMW’s smart factory in US gets Figure 03 humanoid robot for advanced logistics work
BMW Group has expanded its use of Physical AI in manufacturing by introducing the next-generation...
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BMW’s smart factory in US gets Figure 03 humanoid robot for advanced logistics work. BMW Group has expanded its use of Physical AI in manufacturing by introducing the next-generation...
TL;DR:
BMW Group has expanded its use of Physical AI in manufacturing by introducing the next-generation...
Altermag
Jun 26, 06:52
The food science behind designing an ice cream
From Mughal kulfi makers to Indian startups — the long effort to build an ice cream that beats the heat From Mughal kulfi makers to Indian startups — the long effort to build an ice cream that beats…
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The food science behind designing an ice cream. Consider the journey of an ice cream tub. It leaves the factory in a refrigerated truck to reach the distributor, from where it goes to a petti kada 1 freezer or a street vendor’s cart, eventually to reach the customer’s home on a bike ride.
TL;DR:
From Mughal kulfi makers to Indian startups — the long effort to build an ice cream that beats the heat From Mughal kulfi makers to Indian startups — the long effort to build an ice cream that beats the heat In middle school, I decided to spend my life’s net worth in saved-up coins.
Hackaday
Jun 26, 02:00
Increasing Photon Upconversion Efficiency with Structural Exciton Localization
In structures like photovoltaic cells there is only a limited spectrum of wavelengths that can perform useful work, with the remaining wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation effectively wasted. If the energy …read more
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If the energy of such wavelengths could be coaxed into this useful spectrum, this could then correspondingly boost the performance of the devices, but doing so is not straightforward. Going from lower-energy photons to higher-energy photons is very inefficient, with a recent study by [Thilini Ishwara] et al.
TL;DR:
In structures like photovoltaic cells there is only a limited spectrum of wavelengths that can perform useful work, with the remaining wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation effectively wasted.
Interestingengineering
Jun 25, 23:52
BAE Systems tests radiation-hardened 45 nm chip for strategic space missions
BAE Systems has demonstrated that its Endura system-on-chip (SoC) processor can withstand both natural space radiation and the extreme radiation conditions associated with strategic missions, marking…
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BAE Systems has demonstrated that its Endura system-on-chip (SoC) processor can withstand both natural space radiation and the extreme radiation conditions associated with strategic missions, marking a step toward more resilient space electronics.
TL;DR:
BAE Systems has demonstrated that its Endura system-on-chip (SoC) processor can withstand both natural space...
Techxplore
Jun 25, 22:38
Underwater robots that are always on call pave the way for pipeline and cable security
Growing economic activity in the ocean space is increasing the need for more regular monitoring and inspection of underwater infrastructure and its surroundings. Autonomous underwater vehicles capable of monitoring and inspecting pipelines, cables and underwater installations are becoming increasingly important in an uncertain global security situation. In addition, we need more knowledge about the seabed and the ocean space.
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Underwater robots that are always on call pave the way for pipeline and cable security. Autonomous underwater vehicles capable of monitoring and inspecting pipelines, cables and underwater installations are becoming increasingly important in an uncertain global security situation. In addition, we need more knowledge about the seabed and the ocean space.
TL;DR:
Growing economic activity in the ocean space is increasing the need for more regular monitoring and inspection of underwater infrastructure and its surroundings.
Techxplore
Jun 25, 22:38
Safer adhesives: Two-component microcapsules bond surfaces using only pressure at room temperature
Microcapsules containing a reactive two-component adhesive can simplify bonding processes in industry and assembly while improving occupational safety. The adhesive is initially safely enclosed in capsules, contact with exposed reactive components can be reduced, and activation takes place only during pressing at room temperature. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam Science Park is looking for partners from industry and research who would like to contribute specific components, carrier materials or assembly processes for application-oriented testing.
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Safer adhesives: Two-component microcapsules bond surfaces using only pressure at room temperature. The adhesive is initially safely enclosed in capsules, contact with exposed reactive components can be reduced, and activation takes place only during pressing at room temperature.
TL;DR:
Microcapsules containing a reactive two-component adhesive can simplify bonding processes in industry and assembly while improving occupational safety.
Techxplore
Jun 25, 22:38
Extrusion retrofit system designed to help manufacturers get into ShAPE
A new invention from the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) could soon help manufacturers more easily adopt the lab's patented Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE) technology, enabling faster manufacturing of superior extrusion products.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Every day across the United States, conventional extrusion presses use a century-old process to soften and extrude metal to produce everything from aluminum tubing for sporting goods and automotive structures to zirconium tubing for the nuclear industry.
TL;DR:
A new invention from the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) could soon help manufacturers more easily adopt the lab's patented Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE) technology, enabling faster manufacturing of superior extrusion products.
Techxplore
Jun 25, 22:38
Agentic AI bot helps scientists speak to robots, speeding up experiments
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory use a slew of autonomous robots to design and implement experiments. However, setting up an experiment on an autonomous lab robot is surprisingly slow. The effort requires a lengthy back-and-forth between a scientist and an engineer to design the experimental steps—a process that can take weeks.
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Agentic AI bot helps scientists speak to robots, speeding up experiments. However, setting up an experiment on an autonomous lab robot is surprisingly slow. The effort requires a lengthy back-and-forth between a scientist and an engineer to design the experimental steps—a process that can take weeks.
TL;DR:
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory use a slew of autonomous robots to design and implement experiments.
Interestingengineering
Jun 25, 21:21
Fusion edging closer? Canadian firm triples plasma temperature by squeezing it
General Fusion says its LM26 fusion machine has more than tripled plasma electron temperature through...
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Fusion edging closer? Canadian firm triples plasma temperature by squeezing it. General Fusion says its LM26 fusion machine has more than tripled plasma electron temperature through...
TL;DR:
General Fusion says its LM26 fusion machine has more than tripled plasma electron temperature through...
Interestingengineering
Jun 25, 20:48
US: Digit robot maker Agility seeks $620m boost through landmark SPAC listing
Agility Robotics is set to go public through a $2.5 billion SPAC deal, becoming the...
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US: Digit robot maker Agility seeks $620m boost through landmark SPAC listing. Agility Robotics is set to go public through a $2.5 billion SPAC deal, becoming the...
TL;DR:
Agility Robotics is set to go public through a $2.5 billion SPAC deal, becoming the...
Interestingengineering
Jun 25, 20:18
US computer model could slash bridge material use by up to 90% and cut emissions
A new computer model developed by US researchers could reduce the amount of material for...
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US computer model could slash bridge material use by up to 90% and cut emissions. A new computer model developed by US researchers could reduce the amount of material for...
TL;DR:
A new computer model developed by US researchers could reduce the amount of material for...
Interestingengineering
Jun 25, 19:59
US firm to deploy humanoid robot teaching assistant in New York schools
Schools in the US are set to introduce a humanoid robot into classrooms as part of a pilot program aimed at enhancing student engagement and AI-assisted learning.
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Realbotix has launched its AI-powered teacher’s assistant, Optio, at Salamanca City Central School District, alongside the deployment of its M-Series humanoid robot. The initiative combines AI tutoring software with deployment of the company’s M-Series humanoid robot, creating what Realbotix describes as an interactive learning environment for high school students.
TL;DR:
Schools in the US are set to introduce a humanoid robot into classrooms as part...
Interestingengineering
Jun 25, 18:56
UCF-led virtual experience research accelerator achieves initial milestones for XR science
An international research consortium led by the University of Central Florida (UCF) has announced two...
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UCF-led virtual experience research accelerator achieves initial milestones for XR science. An international research consortium led by the University of Central Florida (UCF) has announced two...
TL;DR:
An international research consortium led by the University of Central Florida (UCF) has announced two...
Interestingengineering
Jun 25, 18:56
‘World’s first’: IBM packs 100 billion transistors into a fingernail-sized sub-1 nm chip
IBM has introduced what it calls the world’s first sub-1 nanometer semiconductor technology, unveiling a...
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‘World’s first’: IBM packs 100 billion transistors into a fingernail-sized sub-1 nm chip. IBM has introduced what it calls the world’s first sub-1 nanometer semiconductor technology, unveiling a...
TL;DR:
IBM has introduced what it calls the world’s first sub-1 nanometer semiconductor technology, unveiling a...
Spectrum
Jun 25, 17:32
Why Does a Bank Need a Chief Scientist?
This article is brought to you by Capital One . After five years leading natural language understanding and eventually the entire Alexa AI organization at Amazon, Prem Natarajan made a nontraditional move: He became Chief Scientist at a bank. Not just any bank: Capital One, a financial institution serving over 100 million customers, helping everyday Americans manage their financial lives. For Natarajan, a veteran of DARPA-funded research and academia who had watched machine learning evolve from task-specific applications to foundation models, the logic was clear. Some of the most interesting advances in AI research and deployment were shifting from big tech’s horizontal platforms to industry verticals like finance, where the most complex problems aren’t just building models but making AI work under the constraints of real-world customer problems, contextual business knowledge, continuous learning, with an incredibly high bar for accuracy and privacy. That’s also what made Capital One the right place to do it. For decades, the company has been recognized as one of the most data- and analytics-driven financial institutions in the industry. Its business model from the very beginning was built around using data and technology to personalize financial products for customers. A decade ago, Capital One went all in on the cloud and rebuilt its data ecosystem, creating a unified environment for data, compute, and AI and machine learning experimentation. Today, its modern infrastructure, disciplined approach to governance, and deep bench of talent form the foundation that allows it to lead in enterprise AI. Advances in AI research and deployment are shifting from big tech’s horizontal platforms to industry verticals like finance. So, why does a bank need a Chief Scientist? The answer lies in a fundamental misconception about AI in financial services. Most financial institutions still view AI as a technology to deploy – leveraging the latest large language model, deploying it through APIs, and integrating it into existing workflows – rather than a scientific discipline. Capital One is doing something different: building a scientific community and research organization to solve real-world customer problems and invent impactful AI solutions that don’t yet exist. While widely available foundation models can handle general tasks, they can’t yet solve many domain-specific challenges, such as detecting fraud in real-time across billions of transactions, or providing state-of-the-art conversational tools so customers can engage when, how, and where they want to. These challenges of making AI reliable, scalable, and well governed require original research and scientific innovation that is funneled back into the business to create real-world applications to address customer needs. The Constraints That Demand Innovation Prem Natarajan, an IEEE Fellow, is Chief Scientist at Capital One. “If you want to solve really important problems in AI and see your work come to life, this is one of the few places you can do that,” he says. Capital One Because banks are dealing with people’s finances, there is an incredibly high bar for getting it right when it comes to AI. Take fraud, for example. Even a minor fraud event can have a devastating impact on certain customers. The best fraud models and platforms can detect and help mitigate fraud in the time it takes someone to tap their card, which is table stakes for protecting customers and their financial information with accuracy and speed. Looking at these types of challenges, Capital One and Natarajan saw that serving millions of customers meant solving AI problems at a scale and complexity that many enterprises don’t encounter. These same constraints create a unique research environment. At Capital One, the approach to building AI is to provide value to customers in ways never possible before, improving their financial lives and meeting them where they are with services they actually need. That focus, combined with massive scale and world-class risk management requirements, makes the scientific problems both harder and just as consequential as those found in most big tech labs. Advancing AI Through “Destination-Back Thinking” Capital One’s approach to AI research and innovation starts with what Natarajan calls “destination-back thinking.” Rather than asking what’s possible with current technology, the team envisions the customer experience they want to deliver – perhaps a car buyer who works long days and can only research the options at 10 p.m., or a customer facing an unexpected expense who needs immediate, personalized guidance – and then works backward to identify the scientific breakthroughs required to get there. “You’re thinking back from where you’re providing incredibly valuable services,” Natarajan explains. “Once you have that vision clearly, you work back and say, what are the gaps? What are the things we need to invent?” This ensures that when problems are solved, the imp...
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Why Does a Bank Need a Chief Scientist?. This article is brought to you by Capital One . A decade ago, Capital One went all in on the cloud and rebuilt its data ecosystem, creating a unified environment for data, compute, and AI and machine learning experimentation.
TL;DR:
For Natarajan, a veteran of DARPA-funded research and academia who had watched machine learning evolve from task-specific applications to foundation models, the logic was clear.
Hackaday
Jun 25, 15:30
Increasing Local GPS Accuracy for a Small Robot
Even though GPS makes it possible for us to easily navigate around the planet in almost any vehicle we’d like, whether that’s a passenger vehicle, airplane, or cargo ship, it’s …read more
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For that, some specialized hardware is needed, and [GreatScott!] shows us how to do it using a small robot as a platform . This type of system relies on a base station with a known position communicating with local mobile receivers to increase the precision of those mobile receivers by comparing the phase angle of the received signals.
TL;DR:
Even though GPS makes it possible for us to easily navigate around the planet in almost any vehicle we’d like, whether that’s a passenger vehicle, airplane, or cargo ship, it’s …read more
Interestingengineering
Jun 25, 13:21
Scientists to transform low-value diamond dust into powerful quantum materials
Researchers at the University of Melbourne and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)...
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Scientists to transform low-value diamond dust into powerful quantum materials. Researchers at the University of Melbourne and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the University of Melbourne and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)...
Spectrum
Jun 25, 13:00
What it Means to Be a Mathematician When AI Does the Math
In the mid-noughties, when music by the Killers and Franz Ferdinand blared out of every pub and nightclub I passed, I spent my days and nights struggling through a Ph.D. in applied mathematics . My research focused on simulating how special light waves interact in liquid crystals and using simple equations to approximate and understand those interactions. When I look back at my thesis now, liquid crystal technology is old hat, and I imagine my work could be completed with AI assistance in a matter of days—maybe hours. But the same cannot be said for the work of the pure mathematics Ph.D. students with whom I shared a cramped office at the University of Edinburgh. At the time, I felt sorry for these colleagues, who day after day sat at their desks, seemingly tearing their hair out and making no progress. (Though I was struggling too, I was at least always making some headway.) When we finished and went our separate ways, some hadn’t even published a paper. Now, in hindsight, I finally understand why they toiled for years on abstract mathematical problems that only a handful of people in the world care about. It wasn’t arrogance, as I thought at the time; they weren’t trying to prove their superior intelligence by being the first to solve a seemingly intractable mathematical problem. It wasn’t even a form of masochism (which was my second guess)—penance for some imagined inadequacy. I realized they derived joy, satisfaction, and meaning from the long journey toward understanding. “Sometimes, understanding just strikes you as being very beautiful.” —Jeremy Avigad, Carnegie Mellon University “Sometimes, understanding just strikes you as being very beautiful. Sometimes it’s a feeling of accomplishment, like completing a marathon,” muses Carnegie Mellon University mathematician Jeremy Avigad . “But it’s not quite either of those: It’s just a wonderful feeling when you’ve been thinking long and hard about something complex, difficult, and then—all of a sudden—it just comes together.” This feeling has driven mathematicians throughout history. Likewise, the way mathematicians pursue that feeling has changed little over the centuries. They notice or imagine links, patterns, or properties in numbers, shapes, or logical structures. From this, they write conjectures—unproven statements of their speculation. They or other mathematicians then use logical reasoning and the tools of mathematics in often creative ways to prove or disprove those conjectures. Finally, yet other mathematicians verify (or challenge) the proofs. Invariably, this process requires a whole heap of thinking time. “I went to a pure maths camp with classes where we would sit with hard maths problems for half an hour and no one would say anything—everyone was just thinking,” says Krystal Maughan , a mathematician and computer scientist about to get her Ph.D. at the University of Vermont. “But then we would work together and kind of tease out the problem.” This is the age-old joy of math in action. But today’s AI systems are starting to make inroads into bypassing this slow, deliberative process. Taking this trend to its logical conclusion, what happens if AI makes the mathematician’s struggle completely unnecessary? Might AI even sideline humanity completely? AI’s Growing Role in Mathematics For decades, computation has accelerated mathematical progress. This began 50 years ago, when mathematicians used a computer to prove the four-color theorem , which asks whether any map can be colored using no more than four colors, with no adjacent regions sharing the same color. The answer is yes, and the computer proved it, controversially, by checking 1,936 cases in a way no human could realistically verify. Yet throughout this computational era, even in proofs relying on massive computational resources, the role of the human mathematician has remained central. Humans propose conjectures, guided by intuition. They devise strategies to prove them, guided by creativity and experience. And humans verify whether those proofs are correct. Now AI is challenging the status quo . In just a few years, large language models (LLMs) have evolved from “ stochastic parrots ,” capable of little more than regurgitating basic mathematics scraped from the internet, into advanced mathematical reasoning machines. Last summer, systems from Google DeepMind and OpenAI reached a level equivalent to the world’s most mathematically gifted high school students, achieving gold-medal status at the International Mathematical Olympiad . In this annual competition, contestants must solve six notoriously difficult problems from various areas of mathematics. Earlier this year, Google DeepMind’s experimental AI system Aletheia achieved an even more significant milestone when it autonomously produced publishable Ph.D.-level research results. While the work itself is obscure mathematically—calculating structure constants in arithmetic geometry—the significance lies in the complex reasoning it di...
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What it Means to Be a Mathematician When AI Does the Math. They or other mathematicians then use logical reasoning and the tools of mathematics in often creative ways to prove or disprove those conjectures. AI’s Growing Role in Mathematics For decades, computation has accelerated mathematical progress.
TL;DR:
Earlier this year, Google DeepMind’s experimental AI system Aletheia achieved an even more significant milestone when it autonomously produced publishable Ph.D.-level research results.
Interestingengineering
Jun 25, 12:09
Bacteria-grown biocomposites boost thermal and electrical conductivity in EV batteries
To address the intense heat loads that limit the reliability of next-generation computers and high-power...
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Bacteria-grown biocomposites boost thermal and electrical conductivity in EV batteries. To address the intense heat loads that limit the reliability of next-generation computers and high-power...
TL;DR:
To address the intense heat loads that limit the reliability of next-generation computers and high-power...
Interestingengineering
Jun 25, 11:33
New ceramic solid-state battery for military, aerospace tech survives 302°F heat
A Tsinghua University-led research team in China has developed a tiny, all-ceramic solid-state lithium-ion battery (ACMLB) designed to safely power miniature electronics in extreme environments.
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A Tsinghua University-led research team in China has developed a tiny, all-ceramic solid-state lithium-ion battery (ACMLB) designed to safely power miniature electronics in extreme environments. “The ACMLBs show great electrochemical performance over a wide temperature range (0°C–150°C),” the researchers noted in the study paper.
TL;DR:
A Tsinghua University-led research team in China has developed a tiny, all-ceramic solid-state lithium-ion battery...
Interestingengineering
Jun 25, 09:30
CATL’s cell-making factory gets Galbot’s heavy-load humanoid robot as new worker
CATL, the world’s largest power battery manufacturer, has deployed the first heavy-load humanoid robot powered by its own batteries on a production line.
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CATL, the world’s largest power battery manufacturer, has deployed the first heavy-load humanoid robot powered by its own batteries on a production line. At the center of the collaboration is the Galbot S1, a heavy-load humanoid robot that CATL says is the world’s first embodied-intelligence robot in regular industrial operation powered by CATL battery technology.
TL;DR:
CATL, the world’s largest power battery manufacturer, has deployed the first heavy-load humanoid robot powered...
Hackaday
Jun 25, 05:00
A More Convenient iButton Reader
iButtons are microchips housed in small, round, metal containers, and are similar to coin cell batteries in appearance. Among other things, they’re used for logging data in industrial contexts, particularly …read more
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A More Convenient iButton Reader. iButtons are microchips housed in small, round, metal containers, and are similar to coin cell batteries in appearance. Among other things, they’re used for logging data in industrial contexts, particularly …read more
TL;DR:
iButtons are microchips housed in small, round, metal containers, and are similar to coin cell batteries in appearance.
Interestingengineering
Jun 24, 23:54
US weighs $700M-plus engine package for Turkey’s homegrown KAAN fighter jet
The Trump administration is preparing to move ahead with the sale of General Electric jet...
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US weighs $700M-plus engine package for Turkey’s homegrown KAAN fighter jet. The Trump administration is preparing to move ahead with the sale of General Electric jet...
TL;DR:
The Trump administration is preparing to move ahead with the sale of General Electric jet...
Techxplore
Jun 24, 20:56
How landing pad design could reduce noise for futuristic vertical air taxis
Perforated landing pads could significantly reduce the noise of delivery drones and electric aircraft during takeoff and landing, new research by the University of Bristol has found. As electric air taxis move from the realm of science fiction to reality, the study, published in Applied Acoustics this week, could influence the design of landing pads to help these futuristic vertical aircraft limit noise, addressing one of the biggest challenges facing the future of Urban Air Mobility (UAM).
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Perforated landing pads could significantly reduce the noise of delivery drones and electric aircraft during takeoff and landing, new research by the University of Bristol has found. As electric air taxis move from the realm of science fiction to reality, the study, published in Applied Acoustics this week, could influence the design of landing pads to help these futuristic ve…
TL;DR:
Perforated landing pads could significantly reduce the noise of delivery drones and electric aircraft during takeoff and landing, new research by the University of Bristol has found.
Techxplore
Jun 24, 20:56
Smarter optimization model could cut bridge and building materials by up to 90%
In 2022, global production of construction materials accounted for more than 7% of total carbon emissions. But how many of those materials were truly necessary to build houses, buildings and bridges?
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Smarter optimization model could cut bridge and building materials by up to 90%. In 2022, global production of construction materials accounted for more than 7% of total carbon emissions. But how many of those materials were truly necessary to build houses, buildings and bridges?
TL;DR:
In 2022, global production of construction materials accounted for more than 7% of total carbon emissions.
Techxplore
Jun 24, 20:56
Inchworm-inspired robot that crawls without rigid parts could enable remote exploration
An inchworm has provided the inspiration for a robot that can move without any rigid parts. The robot mimics a flexing muscle and can be used to inspect sewer pipes or as an explorer on the planet Mars, according to a thesis from the University of Gothenburg. The research is published on the arXiv preprint server.
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Inchworm-inspired robot that crawls without rigid parts could enable remote exploration. An inchworm has provided the inspiration for a robot that can move without any rigid parts. The robot mimics a flexing muscle and can be used to inspect sewer pipes or as an explorer on the planet Mars, according to a thesis from the University of Gothenburg.
TL;DR:
An inchworm has provided the inspiration for a robot that can move without any rigid parts.
Techxplore
Jun 24, 20:56
A new type of pixel can steer and analyze light, paving way for devices that function as both camera and display
In 1927, the term "picture element," later abbreviated to "pixel," appeared for the first time in the American technology magazine Wireless World. Today, pixels are everywhere: in computer screens and television sets, where they create colorful images, but also in cameras, where they capture images. In any case, however, they do one or the other—either they control light, as in the case of a display, or they analyze it in a camera sensor. Until now, there have been no pixels that could do both.
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A new type of pixel can steer and analyze light, paving way for devices that function as both camera and display. In 1927, the term "picture element," later abbreviated to "pixel," appeared for the first time in the American technology magazine Wireless World.
TL;DR:
In any case, however, they do one or the other—either they control light, as in the case of a display, or they analyze it in a camera sensor.
Interestingengineering
Jun 24, 18:27
US targets ‘world’s first’ fault-tolerant quantum computer with Genesis mission
The US has unveiled a technological strategy to build and operate a specialized quantum computer...
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US targets ‘world’s first’ fault-tolerant quantum computer with Genesis mission. The US has unveiled a technological strategy to build and operate a specialized quantum computer...
TL;DR:
The US has unveiled a technological strategy to build and operate a specialized quantum computer...
Interestingengineering
Jun 24, 18:13
Seaweed extract makes construction materials 25% stronger and easier to 3D-print
Scientists have found a way to turn ordinary biopolymer into a high-tech, 3D-printable building material. ...
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Seaweed extract makes construction materials 25% stronger and easier to 3D-print. Scientists have found a way to turn ordinary biopolymer into a high-tech, 3D-printable building material.
TL;DR:
Scientists have found a way to turn ordinary biopolymer into a high-tech, 3D-printable building material.
Spectrum
Jun 24, 18:00
How IEEE Awardee Karen Panetta Became Bewitched by Engineering
When considering the 1960s sitcoms Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie , both of which featured women with supernatural powers navigating life with mortals, most people wouldn’t connect them with pursuing an engineering career. But Karen Panetta did. The sitcoms’ main characters—Samantha Stevens, a witch; and Jeannie, a genie—were “strong, empowered female leads using magic,” Panetta says, and they inspired her to become an engineer, as it was like sorcery to her. Panetta, an IEEE Fellow, is dean of graduate education at the Tufts University engineering school, in Medford, Mass., outside of Boston. Karen Panetta Employer Tufts University, in Medford, Mass. Title Dean of the engineering school’s graduate education Member grade IEEE Fellow Alma maters Boston University and Northeastern University in Boston Like Samantha and Jeannie, Panetta has made magic happen, such as when she helped to invent the first CPU digital-twin simulator . Digital twins are computer simulation programs that track and adjust the operations of a physical device in detail. Her simulator has been adapted for several industrial uses, including by NASA to help design spacecraft. Panetta also mentors young women to encourage them to pursue a STEM career through the Nerd Girls program she launched at Tufts in 2000. Engineering undergraduate students work on technology for socially conscious projects such as environmental cleanup, renewable energy, and the development of assistive devices to improve mobility for people with disabilities. Panetta received this year’s IEEE Mildred Dresselhaus Medal for “contributions to computer vision and simulation algorithms, and for leadership in developing programs to promote STEM careers.” The award, sponsored by Google , was presented at the IEEE Honors Ceremony on 24 April in New York City. Receiving the medal is particularly special to Panetta, she says, because she knew its namesake: Mildred Dresselhaus, an IEEE Life Fellow who pioneered the study of carbon nanostructures at a time when researching physical and material properties of commonplace atoms was unpopular. She was a MIT professor of physics and electrical engineering, and died in 2017. Panetta nominated Dresselhaus for the IEEE Medal of Honor , which she received in 2015 . “Millie was a rock star,” Panetta says. “I can’t think of another medal that really encapsulates her spirit and what I’ve dedicated my life to.” Finding a creative outlet in engineering As a child growing up in Boston, Panetta built trapdoors and other features in her treehouse, she says. “I also explored fashion and sewed my own clothes,” she adds. “I wasn’t very successful, but I was very creative.” She was a top performer in math and science classes in high school, so her father encouraged her to pursue civil engineering. “I didn’t know what an engineer was, and my father, who was a mechanic working on heavy construction equipment, only knew about civil engineers,” Panetta says. “I started taking computer programming classes at school, but knowing how to type on a keyboard and make a software program wasn’t good enough for me. I wanted to know what was inside the box.” Her thirst for knowledge inspired her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at Boston University . “My father was very disappointed that I didn’t pick civil engineering,” she says, laughing. She commuted to school, and she struggled to find study groups for her classes, so she joined IEEE to connect with peers. She became active in the university’s student branch , organizing events including the IEEE Student Professional Awareness Conference , which helps students learn practical career skills including résumé building, interviewing, and networking. She organized a SPAC for her branch, and IEEE Life Senior Member Jim Watson volunteered to speak at the event. It changed her life, she says. Watson was the director of commercial and industrial marketing at Ohio Edison in Akron, where he worked for 36 years. “He flew to Boston to speak at our event, but fewer than 20 students attended. I was embarrassed,” Panetta says. But Watson told her the important lesson was that she showed up and organized the event. “He said I would be successful because of that,” she says. “He didn’t care about the attendees’ grade point averages, only that we were professional enough to organize the talk. “That encouragement was the first time anyone outside of my family ever told me that I would succeed, so it was reaffirming. To this day, I still use some of the techniques that I learned in his presentation in my own classroom to teach students.” Panetta graduated in 1986. Her IEEE membership helped her get hired for her first dream job: a diagnostic engineer at Digital Equipment Corp. While attending the IEEE Computer Society ’s annual symposium on very large-scale integration in Boston, she handed her résumé to a DEC representative, who hired her to work in Hudson, Mass. While working full time, Panetta attend...
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How IEEE Awardee Karen Panetta Became Bewitched by Engineering. Her simulator has been adapted for several industrial uses, including by NASA to help design spacecraft. Watson was the director of commercial and industrial marketing at Ohio Edison in Akron, where he worked for 36 years.
TL;DR:
Panetta, an IEEE Fellow, is dean of graduate education at the Tufts University engineering school, in Medford, Mass., outside of Boston.
Interestingengineering
Jun 24, 17:40
Jalapeño, OpenAI’s first custom chip, targets gigawatt-scale data center deployment
OpenAI has unveiled its first custom AI accelerator, called Jalapeño, marking the company’s move into chip design as it looks to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of running large language m…
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OpenAI has unveiled its first custom AI accelerator, called Jalapeño, marking the company’s move into chip design as it looks to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of running large language models (LLMs). Developed in partnership with Broadcom and Celestica, the chip is designed specifically for AI inference — the process of generating responses from trained AI models.
TL;DR:
OpenAI has unveiled its first custom AI accelerator, called Jalapeño, marking the company’s move into...
Spectrum
Jun 24, 14:00
Make an Origami Circuit Board
What could you do if you could make a circuit trace by just bending a piece of paper? How about bridging modern technologies and traditional handicrafts while providing opportunities for learning skills in both. As part of our interdisciplinary research into digital craftsmanship at the MEI Lab at the School of Creative Media , City University of Hong Kong , we came across research that demonstrated how to impregnate paperlike material (technically a “nonwoven textile”) with the kind of liquid metal used to make conductive ink . Initially, the impregnated material is nonconductive because an insulating oxide layer forms that encapsulates microscopic droplets of the liquid metal. However, applying pressure via shaped molds will crack open the insulating layer, allowing neighboring particles to merge, and thus creating conducting regions in the shape of the mold. Both of us were introduced as children to origami and kirigami (similar to origami, except that cutting is allowed in addition to folding). We, along with our colleagues, decided to see if those traditional techniques could be used on the new material to eliminate the need for molds. Our goal was to allow crafters to make hybrid papercraft creations that contained easily integrated elements such as LEDs and motors. In particular, we were interested in the possibility of combining the separate stages of creating a papercraft object and adding electrical conductors. Previous approaches to creating electrified papercraft objects relied on adding a separate flexible conductor—such as adhesive copper tape—to the paper. This increases the effort required and runs the risk of creating open circuits as the conductive material conforms to the object’s shape. Isopropanol and a gallium-indium liquid material are used to impregnate a paperlike material that is 55 percent polyester and 45 percent cellulose. Electronic components such as LEDs and motors are held in place with masking tape. James Provost Our first step was to see if the pressures involved in bending and cutting alone would be sufficient to create conductive traces. We became frequent visitors to our university’s materials science and engineering department to fabricate samples and then to borrow equipment to characterize their behavior. We soon confirmed that the pressures involved in folding and cutting—ranging from 2.5 to 100 megapascals—were enough to create conductive traces. We also confirmed that normal handling of the paper didn’t accidentally create conductive paths. We made a number of changes to the original method for creating the impregnated paper. For example, instead of immersing the paper in a mixture of isopropanol and liquid metal, we used an airbrush to spray the mixture onto the paper. That allowed us to vary how much was deposited on the paper and to use cardboard stencils to mask some areas from being impregnated, allowing folding and cutting in those regions without creating unwanted conductive traces. We also experimented with the ratios of isopropanol and liquid metal. We became frequent visitors to our university’s materials science and engineering department. After optimizing the mixing ratios and amount applied via airbrush, we were left with a material that reliably conducts with a resistance of 23.18 ohms per centimeter for cut edges and 4.4 Ω/cm for folded edges. The folded edges retain their conductivity even if later flattened out, and the conductivity is the same on either side of the paper. We estimate the combined cost of the paper and liquid metal (available from many online vendors) is about US $1.80 to make a 10- by 10-cm piece. The next step was attaching electronic components to the traces. To make the connections more flexible, we cut down the rigid leads of LEDs and attached conductive thread to the stumps. We then held the threads in place using masking tape. Similarly, we connected conductive thread to the terminals of a power supply. As our goal was to use this material educationally, we now needed to make it easy for a beginner—whether in papercraft or electronics—to try it out. We created a toolkit, dubbed LiqMetCraft. This consists of all the required materials, plus a browser-based software tool that lets the user select or create designs and then gives guidance on physical construction. We created three versions of LiqMetCraft. The first is based on Chinese papercraft in which a piece of paper is folded into a fanlike segment and then cut to create a radially symmetric design. We provided circles of paper with a doughnot-shape impregnated region, with an untreated region that created a gap in the donut. We attached positive and negative terminals to either side of the gap. The user could specify in the software how many times they wanted to fold the disk and then draw potential cuts, receiving immediate feedback on what the unfolded disk would look like, as well as guidance on how to place LEDs. To make our paper sample, isopropanol and liquid me...
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Make an Origami Circuit Board. Isopropanol and a gallium-indium liquid material are used to impregnate a paperlike material that is 55 percent polyester and 45 percent cellulose. We became frequent visitors to our university’s materials science and engineering department.
TL;DR:
To make our paper sample, isopropanol and liquid me...
Interestingengineering
Jun 24, 13:28
China’s new robot dog tackles -22°F cold, crosses river and rugged terrain in demo
DEEP Robotics has demonstrated its new wheeled-legged robot in action, designed to handle challenging industrial...
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China’s new robot dog tackles -22°F cold, crosses river and rugged terrain in demo. DEEP Robotics has demonstrated its new wheeled-legged robot in action, designed to handle challenging industrial...
TL;DR:
DEEP Robotics has demonstrated its new wheeled-legged robot in action, designed to handle challenging industrial...
Interestingengineering
Jun 24, 13:12
World’s first field-validated 30 MWh sodium battery for storage unveiled by CATL
Chinese battery giant CATL has introduced what it says is the world’s first sodium-ion energy storage system proven in real-world conditions.
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Chinese battery giant CATL has introduced what it says is the world’s first sodium-ion energy storage system proven in real-world conditions. The company launched its new TENER Sodium Energy Storage System in Munich, Germany, on June 22, 2026, marking a significant step toward sodium-ion battery use in large-scale energy storage projects.
TL;DR:
Chinese battery giant CATL has introduced what it says is the world’s first sodium-ion energy...
Spectrum
Jun 24, 13:00
AI Is Designing Radio Chips That Humans Couldn’t Even Imagine
Summary RFIC design is a complex “ dark art ” that limits progress in wireless technologies like 5G, autonomous vehicles, and satellite communications. Princeton researchers use reinforcement learning and inverse design to rapidly create RFICs from scratch. Diffusion models rapidly generate novel or human-interpretable RF layouts, achieving record performance and drastically reducing design time. Future progress needs large, shared chip design datasets and open ecosystems so AI can learn universal electromagnetic and circuit behaviors. Take a moment and try to imagine your life without the wireless advances of the past three decades. Have you lost your luggage? What a shame AirTags have not been invented. The airline representative has promised to call with updates, so settle in for a long wait by the kitchen telephone, because there are no affordable cellphones. You’ll be stuck listening to whatever is on the radio while you wait, because there are no streaming services. That’s not even to speak of all the movie plots that would have been ruined. This is just a tiny sliver of how wireless technology makes itself felt in your day-to-day existence. The effects it has had on supply chains, infrastructure, and how the economy runs have been world-altering. None of it would be possible without the radio-frequency integrated circuits that allow all our devices to unobtrusively send and receive information. Now imagine what the further evolution of this technology will bring: Wide-spread autonomous vehicles , quantum communications , 6G mobile service and satellite communications. Continued momentum will depend on newer and more advanced versions of today’s RF chips. But there’s the rub. Whereas the design of most of the world’s computing chips has been standardized into its own science, RF design has remained stubbornly in the realm of art. A dark art, even, that is mastered only through years of experience. As any sorcerer will tell you, the dark arts keep their own schedule. And that schedule is impeding progress not just in RF chip design but in every other technology that depends on it. About seven years ago, in the wake of AlphaGo’s victory over world Go champion Lee Sedol , my students at Princeton and I began to wonder: Could AI be taught this art as well? Recent successes suggest that, to a large extent, it can. Over the last few years, our group and other leaders in the field have started to develop machine-learning-driven algorithmic methods for designing RFICs . Some of the resulting chips look more like modern art than circuit layouts. Yet in many cases, the physical prototypes bested state-of-the art circuits in terms of performance. The real achievement, however, is that it took the AI orders of magnitude less time to conceive a working design than it would a human designer. This is not about one or two RF chips. AI-enabled design could be the future of all RF design, and maybe much more. The Dark Art of RFIC Design So why do these chips all have to be crafted by hand? Why aren’t RFICs designed with an algorithmic synthesis process, much as CPUs and GPUs are? The design of RFICs is an exercise in engineering across multiple physical domains. Maxwell’s equations , operating across different spatial and temporal scales, govern how electromagnetic fields interact with active and passive devices that must be carefully codesigned for the chip to function. Alongside these are the laws of thermodynamics, which determine how heat is generated and removed during operation, as well as the mechanics of thermal expansion and contraction that dictate how reliably the chip and its packaging survive temperature changes. AI Could Short-Circuit RFIC Design The design of a radio-frequency integrated circuit requires human intuition and multiple, often-repeated optimization steps. The hope is that through an understanding of Maxwell’s Equations, an AI can be taught to short-circuit this process and quickly produce a design. Simultaneously accounting for all the physical constraints these impose makes the design space almost impossibly large. Every decision involves complex priorities that often compete with one another, preventing the optimization of any of them. To better understand the issue, let’s walk through the steps involved, after which you’ll better understand why a single new chip design takes years and tens to hundreds of millions of dollars. Most of the area of radio-frequency integrated circuits is dominated by complex electromagnetic structures. Human-designed RFICs, like this broadband power amplifier [1], start with templates and follow a symmetric, understandable pattern. But freed from the constraints of human-designed templates and the need for humans to even understand the rationale of electromagnetic structures, power amplifier ICs [2–5] and low-noise amplifiers [6] can take on truly wild-looking yet efficient designs. SENGUPTA LAB Let’s say you’re an engineer assigned to design a new 28-gigah...
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AI Is Designing Radio Chips That Humans Couldn’t Even Imagine. Whereas the design of most of the world’s computing chips has been standardized into its own science, RF design has remained stubbornly in the realm of art. And that schedule is impeding progress not just in RF chip design but in every other technology that depends on it.
TL;DR:
Summary RFIC design is a complex “ dark art ” that limits progress in wireless technologies like 5G, autonomous vehicles, and satellite communications.
Interestingengineering
Jun 24, 11:55
China’s LineShine supercomputer beats US rivals to top world’s most powerful machine list
For the first time in nine years, a supercomputer from China has come ahead of...
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China’s LineShine supercomputer beats US rivals to top world’s most powerful machine list. For the first time in nine years, a supercomputer from China has come ahead of...
TL;DR:
For the first time in nine years, a supercomputer from China has come ahead of...
Spectrum
Jun 24, 10:00
Home Broadband Is 5G’s Surprise Killer App
5G telecommunications, according to industry hype when 5G first launched in 2019 , was going to be all about buzzy applications like mobile augmented reality and autonomous vehicles . But the surprise plot twist came when replacing home cable internet turned into 5G’s most widely adopted new application. Fixed wireless access (FWA) now serves over 14 million U.S. customers , and contributes 28 percent of worldwide wireless traffic . Fixed wireless access is what the term sounds like: broadband internet delivered over a cellular radio link to a stationary location—no cable, no fiber, no trenching, no satellite broadband antenna pointed at the sky. What makes FWA distinctive is that it repurposes the same towers, spectrum, and 5G infrastructure that was built for mobile devices. One U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) commissioner has called FWA 5G’s killer app . And that’s true not just in the United States either. Jio, India’s largest carrier, is also one of the world’s largest FWA providers, with over 9 million customers as of last year. Carriers discovered they could repurpose surplus 5G capacity, while also exploiting a usage pattern quirk: mobile traffic starts to drop after 8 p.m. , just when home internet usage peaks. The result is broadband, delivered via traditional cellphone towers, at a lower cost than fiber deployment. For these reasons FWA provides real price competition to cable broadband , while reaching underserved rural and suburban communities. Fixed Wireless Access Repurposes Ambitious 5G Infrastructure FWA is cheaper to deploy than fiber, and for most homes and small businesses, fiber’s gigabit speeds are overkill anyway. And since FWA uses the same wireless networks built for cellular service, FWA works anywhere that receives a steady cellular signal. As cellular networks extend into rural and underserved areas, FWA’s coverage map expands with them. In these remote locales, the other main viable broadband alternative typically comes from satellite services like Starlink —which are, compared to FWA, more expensive, with higher delays, and lower bandwidth. While most FWA deployments use currently underused microwave bands, some FWA deployments use electromagnetic spectrum that 5G launched but that mostly failed with mobile users. Millimeter waves operate at frequencies 10 to 40 times higher than 4G’s spectrum, offering high data rates from their wide available bandwidth. However, there are good reasons 5G mobile users today don’t generally use millimeter wave spectrum. Millimeter waves can’t penetrate buildings. Plus, they lose signal strength within a kilometer or two of the transmitter. Millimeter wave antennas are also a real drain on cellphone batteries compared to microwave and radio wave tech . Yet none of these challenges applies to a fixed station with a clear line of sight to a nearby tower. FWA home units (called customer premise equipment or CPEs) outperform 5G handsets by a significant margin. That’s mostly because of hardware. CPEs carry larger, more sensitive antennas than a typical cellphone, paired with more capable transceivers. CPEs also tend to be plugged into wall outlets, making battery concerns a non-issue. Another 5G technology that did not gain traction in mobile wireless is Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output ( MU-MIMO ). A base station with MU-MIMO uses an array of antennas to serve multiple users on the same frequency simultaneously. However, maintaining a MU-MIMO signal involves tracking each user individually—a problem that quickly becomes overwhelming with enough mobile users. FWA is different, however. Static CPEs, with their steadier downlink traffic loads, are an ideal match for MU-MIMO technology. So, FWA internet service not only uses mostly fallow spectrum but also uses 5G spectrum more efficiently than do 5G mobile users—for whom, of course, these 5G technologies were originally designed! How FWA Became 5G’s Surprise Killer App Not long ago, the high-bandwidth use cases for 5G made for an impressive list: millisecond latency for autonomous vehicles, mobile augmented reality headsets with extensive high-speed data needs, and massive machine connectivity for an expanding internet of things (IoT). These applications have all stalled. Autonomous vehicles pose challenging—and still unsolved —problems unrelated to spectrum allocation. Augmented and virtual reality technologies have yet to create meaningful spikes in bandwidth demand. And the IoT has, to date at least, fragmented across an array of competing standards . Mobile carriers had built dense 5G networks for mobile customers whose needs rarely saturated the network’s capacity. Home broadband usage peaks in the evening hours, precisely when cellular networks are quietest. FWA sits at cellular networks’ crossroads of supply and demand. The Advent of 6G Will Only Expand FWA’s Reach In December, the telecom standards body, the Third Generation Partnership Project ( 3GPP ), issued its lat...
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Home Broadband Is 5G’s Surprise Killer App. Yet none of these challenges applies to a fixed station with a clear line of sight to a nearby tower. So, FWA internet service not only uses mostly fallow spectrum but also uses 5G spectrum more efficiently than do 5G mobile users—for whom, of course, these 5G technologies were originally designed!
TL;DR:
5G telecommunications, according to industry hype when 5G first launched in 2019 , was going to be all about buzzy applications like mobile augmented reality and autonomous vehicles .
Techxplore
Jun 23, 23:36
Infrared filter could help detect pollution and disease
Researchers have developed a tiny, electrically tunable infrared filter that could help shrink bulky thermal sensing systems onto portable chips—a technology that could lead to handheld pollution detectors, compact multispectral cameras and next-generation chemical sensing devices.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Developed by researchers from The University of Western Australia and The Australian National University through the Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, the technology works in the long-wave infrared region—the part of the spectrum asso…
TL;DR:
Researchers have developed a tiny, electrically tunable infrared filter that could help shrink bulky thermal sensing systems onto portable chips—a technology that could lead to handheld pollution detectors, compact multispectral cameras and next-generation chemical sensing devices.
Techxplore
Jun 23, 23:36
Onsite fabrication unlocks large-area electronic skin for robots and wearables
Korean researchers have secured flexible electronic skin technology that can be fabricated directly in the field. This achievement has increased the feasibility of commercializing electronic skin for use in various fields, including robots and wearable devices.
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Onsite fabrication unlocks large-area electronic skin for robots and wearables. Korean researchers have secured flexible electronic skin technology that can be fabricated directly in the field. This achievement has increased the feasibility of commercializing electronic skin for use in various fields, including robots and wearable devices.
TL;DR:
Korean researchers have secured flexible electronic skin technology that can be fabricated directly in the field.
Interestingengineering
Jun 23, 17:31
How Meta built an enforcement system publishers can’t challenge
Interesting Engineering has been covering applied science and engineering for 15 years. Our Facebook page...
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How Meta built an enforcement system publishers can’t challenge. Interesting Engineering has been covering applied science and engineering for 15 years. Our Facebook page...
TL;DR:
Interesting Engineering has been covering applied science and engineering for 15 years.
Interestingengineering
Jun 23, 16:16
New hollow nanotube structure designed to convert waste heat into electricity
South Korea’s Pohang University of Science and Technology has found a way to turn waste...
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New hollow nanotube structure designed to convert waste heat into electricity. South Korea’s Pohang University of Science and Technology has found a way to turn waste...
TL;DR:
South Korea’s Pohang University of Science and Technology has found a way to turn waste...
Interestingengineering
Jun 23, 15:45
Watch: Agibot humanoid workforce goes live at Chinese tablet production line
A Chinese robotics firm has begun livestreaming a fleet of its humanoid robots working autonomously...
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Watch: Agibot humanoid workforce goes live at Chinese tablet production line. A Chinese robotics firm has begun livestreaming a fleet of its humanoid robots working autonomously...
TL;DR:
A Chinese robotics firm has begun livestreaming a fleet of its humanoid robots working autonomously...
Interestingengineering
Jun 23, 13:19
New solid-state material turns ordinary sunlight to powerful ultraviolet photon
Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have created a novel solid-state molecular material that can literally add two particles of ordinary visible light together to manufacture a single, high-ene…
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This innovation achieved a 1.9 percent conversion efficiency in a solid-state system. “What we do here is ‘add together’ the energy from two visible light photons to make one ultraviolet photon. He wanted to pioneer a solid-state system capable of upgrading light energy.
TL;DR:
Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have created a novel solid-state molecular material that can...
Interestingengineering
Jun 23, 13:10
New laser weapon system uses rapid pulses to defeat drones swarms in seconds
Israeli startup Esh-Tech has introduced a new laser-based air defense system to address the growing threat of drone swarms on battlefields.
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Israeli startup Esh-Tech has introduced a new laser-based air defense system to address the growing threat of drone swarms on battlefields. It fires quick bursts of focused laser energy at drones as they approach. The company stated that DroneLight can take down a single drone in just one to two seconds.
TL;DR:
Israeli startup Esh-Tech has introduced a new laser-based air defense system to address the growing...
Interestingengineering
Jun 23, 13:00
US firm unveils R-Noid humanoid robot for factories, hotel and warehouse jobs
US-based Robot.com has launched R-Noid, a humanoid robot designed to perform repetitive, labor-intensive tasks across...
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The system combines autonomous mobility, AI-powered manipulation, and human-interaction capabilities on a single hardware and software platform. R-Noid features a dual-arm manipulation system with two 7-degree-of-freedom (DoF) robotic arms capable of handling payloads of up to 4 kilograms each.
TL;DR:
US-based Robot.com has launched R-Noid, a humanoid robot designed to perform repetitive, labor-intensive tasks across...
Spectrum
Jun 23, 13:00
Why the U.S. Uses Only Half of Its Grid Capacity
By most accounts, the United States appears poised to fall woefully short of meeting new electricity demand over the next five years as data centers and domestic manufacturing proliferate. Ian Magruder Ian Magruder is the founder of Utilize Coalition and previously served as director of market mobilization at Rewiring America, an affordable electrification advocacy group. Building new power plants and transmission lines may seem like the obvious solution, but there are other options, says Ian Magruder , founder of Utilize Coalition , a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. The U.S. uses only about half of its grid capacity, and a lot more power could be tapped by deploying a spate of newly available technologies. Backed by Google , Tesla , HVAC systems manufacturer Carrier , and several other companies, Utilize Coalition advocates for more thorough use of grid capacity through policy change and new technologies. Magruder spoke with IEEE Spectrum about those efforts. Why does the United States use only half of its grid? Ian Magruder: Most studies have found that average utilization rates are between 40 and 55 percent across different geographies. And the reason is that we’ve built our grid to meet peak demand. We have to ensure that on the hottest summer day or the coldest winter morning we have enough power. But in many parts of the country, we really only hit peak a few days a year, and it’s really only a few specific hours within those days. It didn’t used to be this way. What’s changed? Magruder: Over the last 20 years we’ve seen the gap between average use and peak use grow wider. There are a variety of reasons for that. Grid operators have become more conservative following major blackouts and reliability events. And with more variable-generation sources such as wind and solar, grid operators are building in more capacity. But this also presents us with an incredible opportunity to get more out of the grid using new technologies. What technologies are being deployed to address the problem? Magruder: Pairing battery storage with energy generation is a key part of this, as are other kinds of distributed energy resources, like managed [electric vehicle] charging and smart thermostats. I would also say that transmission technologies that safely maximize the current in power lines , increase conductivity , and optimize power routes all play a critical role here. And then there’s demand flexibility, which is when utility customers adapt their power use to accommodate the grid during peak hours. Some really good work is being done around flexible data centers . Is grid underutilization also happening elsewhere in the world? Magruder: It’s a global phenomenon, but it varies widely by country. European grids face similar dynamics as [those in] the U.S., and in some places utilization is even lower. But Australia and the United Kingdom are further ahead in measuring and managing utilization with new technologies. What’s the downside to overbuilding our grids? Magruder: Mainly cost. Electricity rates have gone up, and we [at Utilize Coalition] think it’s because utilization has gone down. A report that we released earlier this year shows that a 10 percent increase in grid utilization could save Americans over US $100 billion over the next decade.
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Uses Only Half of Its Grid Capacity. And with more variable-generation sources such as wind and solar, grid operators are building in more capacity. Magruder: Pairing battery storage with energy generation is a key part of this, as are other kinds of distributed energy resources, like managed [electric vehicle] charging and smart thermostats.
TL;DR:
But in many parts of the country, we really only hit peak a few days a year, and it’s really only a few specific hours within those days.
Spectrum
Jun 23, 12:00
AI Is Learning to Read the Room
Imagine sitting down at your desk and logging in for a performance review, with an AI system analyzing the conversation. You’ve been working long hours, balancing deadlines, and your manager asks how you’re doing. You say you’re fine, and maybe even smile, but there’s a hint of hesitation and your voice wavers. As you shift your posture, your shoulders slump. These are subtle cues that to the human eye might hint at underlying stress. But to an AI model that’s been trained only to categorize emotions as “happy” or “sad,” such nuances are likely lost. It logs the words and a smile and moves on—and unless your human manager intervenes, the fact that you’re tired, unfocused, and maybe a couple of days from burnout never enters the equation. “ Emotion AI ,” which estimates how people feel based on facial expressions, voice tone, and behavior, seems to be suddenly everywhere; it’s being used in employee well-being and recruitment interviews, education platforms, and driver-monitoring systems. Technology call-center platforms such as NiCE and Genesys use AI to detect when a customer sounds frustrated and prompt agents in real time to slow down or respond with more empathy. Giant companies like Meta and startups such as Hume AI are developing more-expressive voice AI systems that can detect emotional cues in the person they’re “talking” to and adjust how they communicate. What’s more, hundreds of companies already offer virtual AI companionship apps, a fast-growing market that may be worth an estimated US $555 billion by 2035—and robot buddies have also entered the picture. Intuition Robotics’s ElliQ , for example, is a small device vaguely resembling a white desk lamp that’s now being used to engage older adults in conversation in hopes of reducing loneliness. But while the field of emotion AI is advancing at a rapid clip, most existing systems are focused on detecting a limited number of signals to label one specific emotion at a time—which is insufficient if you’re trying to understand the human condition. In the real world, human signals and emotions are contextual, overlapping, and constantly changing. A laugh can signal joy, nervousness, or both; a raised voice might signal enthusiasm just as easily as frustration. To make the job of emotion detection even more difficult, reactions differ greatly from one individual to the next, depending on demographics, cultural background, and countless other variables. In other words, there’s a gap between what we’re expecting AI to pick up on and what AI can actually deliver. That’s the gap a new field of research—what we call human-context AI—is working to close. Instead of looking at just one input and labeling it, human-context AI increasingly has the capacity to take stock of an individual’s personality and character, and to track emotions in real time while combining multiple inputs , including facial dynamics, voice, tone, language, and behavior. Crucially, responses are also evaluated in the context of a specific environment, such as a performance review or professional coaching session. The result? Computers are learning to read the scene, rather than just the screen. The Origins of Emotion AI The story of emotion-sensing AI began almost three decades ago in the MIT Media Lab, where the American electrical engineer and computer scientist Rosalind Picard coined the term “affective computing.” Her work introduced the radical idea that computers could be taught to recognize and respond to human emotions. Picard’s early experiments focused on single modalities: facial expressions, tone of voice, and physiological signals, such as skin conductance or heart rate. The goal was to give machines a window into human feeling, helping them become more empathetic. It was an exciting vision, but back then the science and hardware weren’t ready. Computing power was limited, sensors were crude, and datasets were narrow and biased. Josie Norton Over the next decades, researchers and companies got better at measuring the many ways in which humans express themselves. In the 2010s, sentiment analysis —the processing of large volumes of text to suss out emotional undertones—began to reach the mainstream. At the same time, marketing firms, including my company, Neurologyca , began using video and webcams to measure and catalogue customer reactions. Biometric devices and activity trackers, such as Fitbits and Apple watches, also became ubiquitous, generating new streams of data about people’s sleep, step counts, stress levels, and more. Unsurprisingly, scientists soon confirmed that larger volumes of personalized data led to greater accuracy in reading human emotions. In 2019, researchers at Cornell demonstrated that combining multiple types of signals improves emotion sensing. Their system joined physiological data, such as brain activity measured by electroencephalography (EEG) and heart rate, with visual cues like facial expression, outperforming systems that relied on just one ...
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AI Is Learning to Read the Room. It was an exciting vision, but back then the science and hardware weren’t ready. Their system joined physiological data, such as brain activity measured by electroencephalography (EEG) and heart rate, with visual cues like facial expression, outperforming systems that relied on just one ...
TL;DR:
Imagine sitting down at your desk and logging in for a performance review, with an AI system analyzing the conversation.
Interestingengineering
Jun 23, 10:51
World’s first narrow-gauge hydrogen train unveiled to replace diesel locomotives
Swiss train manufacturer Stadler and Sardinian transport operator ARST are officially planning the development of...
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World’s first narrow-gauge hydrogen train unveiled to replace diesel locomotives. Swiss train manufacturer Stadler and Sardinian transport operator ARST are officially planning the development of...
TL;DR:
Swiss train manufacturer Stadler and Sardinian transport operator ARST are officially planning the development of...
Techxplore
Jun 23, 09:33
Ink-based thermoelectric technology could be solution for replacing problematic refrigerants
Today's refrigerants, which are specialized working fluids used in air conditioners, refrigerators and heat pumps, come with a host of issues, including leakage, emissions concerns, flammability and limited reclamation of used refrigerants. However, a recent study by University of Notre Dame researchers published in Materials Horizons describes a promising alternative for next-generation cooling using thermoelectric technology, which has no moving parts and no gaseous refrigerants, allowing for zero leaks.
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Ink-based thermoelectric technology could be solution for replacing problematic refrigerants. Today's refrigerants, which are specialized working fluids used in air conditioners, refrigerators and heat pumps, come with a host of issues, including leakage, emissions concerns, flammability and limited reclamation of used refrigerants.
TL;DR:
However, a recent study by University of Notre Dame researchers published in Materials Horizons describes a promising alternative for next-generation cooling using thermoelectric technology, which has no moving parts and no gaseous refrigerants, allowing for zero leaks.
Interestingengineering
Jun 23, 07:19
Tactile learning loop: How human touch data teaches robots to handle eggs
Engineers have watched industrial robots master automated welding seams and pallet stacking for decades. Success...
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Tactile learning loop: How human touch data teaches robots to handle eggs. Engineers have watched industrial robots master automated welding seams and pallet stacking for decades.
TL;DR:
Engineers have watched industrial robots master automated welding seams and pallet stacking for decades.
Hackaday
Jun 23, 02:00
Dynamic RAM from First Principles
Before the past year, many of us took computer memory for granted. It was one of the lower-cost parts of a PC build and was usually available in whatever quantity …read more
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Dynamic RAM from First Principles. Before the past year, many of us took computer memory for granted. It was one of the lower-cost parts of a PC build and was usually available in whatever quantity …read more
TL;DR:
It was one of the lower-cost parts of a PC build and was usually available in whatever quantity …read more
Interestingengineering
Jun 22, 21:02
US Army advances continuous fiber 3D printing to speed missile component production
The U.S. Army is evaluating a new manufacturing approach that could speed up missile production...
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US Army advances continuous fiber 3D printing to speed missile component production. Army is evaluating a new manufacturing approach that could speed up missile production...
TL;DR:
Army is evaluating a new manufacturing approach that could speed up missile production...
Ycombinator
Jun 22, 21:00
Kyber (YC W23) Is Hiring a Head of Engineering
Instantly draft, review, and send complex regulatory notices. At Kyber, we're building the next-generation document platform for enterprises.
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Kyber (YC W23) Is Hiring a Head of Engineering. At Kyber, we're building the next-generation document platform for enterprises. We're seeking a hands-on Head of Engineering with a clear line of sight to CTO.
TL;DR:
If you’re obsessed with building, AI, and transforming enterprise workflows, we’d love to hear from you!
Interestingengineering
Jun 22, 20:01
Norway sends deep-sea drone 20,000 feet down to uncover hidden ocean secrets
Norway has launched the first expedition of its new robot submarine capable of diving nearly...
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Norway sends deep-sea drone 20,000 feet down to uncover hidden ocean secrets. Norway has launched the first expedition of its new robot submarine capable of diving nearly...
TL;DR:
Norway has launched the first expedition of its new robot submarine capable of diving nearly...
Interestingengineering
Jun 22, 19:08
Chinese researchers develop solid-state battery electrolyte that retains 84% capacity after 350 cycles
A team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a new...
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Chinese researchers develop solid-state battery electrolyte that retains 84% capacity after 350 cycles. A team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a new...
TL;DR:
A team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a new...
Interestingengineering
Jun 22, 19:06
Ribri’s 14lb Heimdall uses 48-cell MEMS array to detect Shaheds at 3 miles passively
A Chinese manufacturer has unveiled a man-portable drone detection system at Eurosatory 2026 that detects...
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Ribri’s 14lb Heimdall uses 48-cell MEMS array to detect Shaheds at 3 miles passively. A Chinese manufacturer has unveiled a man-portable drone detection system at Eurosatory 2026 that detects...
TL;DR:
A Chinese manufacturer has unveiled a man-portable drone detection system at Eurosatory 2026 that detects...
Spectrum
Jun 22, 18:00
Commemorating 70 Years of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the transformative, strategic technology of the early 21st century. It is significantly reshaping practically every aspect of our lives, including in ways that probably no one anticipated. Its rate of adoption and impact have been unprecedented when compared with other technologies. AI as a distinct field was formally established in 1956 at the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence , proposed by John McCarthy , Marvin Minsky , Nathaniel Rochester , and Claude Shannon . In their August 1955 proposal for the research project, the scientists introduced the term artificial intelligence and envisioned machines capable of simulating human intelligence. AI is the “science of making machines do things that would require intelligence if done by men,” as defined by Minsky. The professor received the ACM Turing Award , which is often called the “Nobel Prize in computing.” Since AI’s humble beginnings 70 years ago, it has evolved significantly in its capabilities, gained prominence, and earned widespread adoption across many areas including business, education , finance , health care , industry, and the military . IEEE’s contributions to the progress and adoption of AI throughout its journey are substantial and multifaceted. As we celebrate AI’s 70th birthday, understanding its history, current status, limitations, and concerns is key to harnessing it for good. The technology’s roller-coaster evolution Although AI emerged as a distinct field in 1956, its intellectual roots extend back further. The ideas and theories that underpin AI predate modern computers such as the ENIAC , unveiled in 1946. In 1943 Warren Sturgis McCulloch , a neurophysiologist and cybernetician, and Walter Pitts , a logician working in computational neuroscience, were inspired by the human brain. The two devised mathematical models of artificial neurons, demonstrating that artificial neural networks could perform logical computation. Frank Rosenblatt , a Cornell psychologist, later advanced those ideas by developing the perceptron , an early neural network that laid the foundation for modern machine learning and deep learning. A major milestone came in 1950, when celebrated computer scientist Alan Turing posed the question, “Can machines think?” In his 1950 landmark paper “ Computing Machinery and Intelligence ,” published in Mind , he explored the nature of machine intelligence. He introduced the “imitation game,” later known as the Turing test , as a practical means of evaluating it. The test remains an influential concept in AI and the philosophy of intelligence, as I discussed in my article “ The Turing Test at 75: Its Legacy and Future Prospects , ” published in IEEE Intelligent Systems . Claude Shannon , recognized as the father of information theory, explored the potential of machines for complex reasoning tasks in his 1950 article “ Programming a Computer for Playing Chess ,” published in Philosophical Magazine . In 1956 AI became a formal discipline, inspiring scientists to explore and advance it further. John McCarthy developed Lisp in 1958, and it became the dominant programming language for AI research and development. In 1959 Arthur Lee Samuel , a computer science professor at Stanford , introduced the term machine learning to describe programs that could improve their performance through experience. In the early 1980s, renewed enthusiasm and government funding fueled the development of symbolic AI , a rule-based expert system (also known as a knowledge-based system) that encodes domain-specific knowledge as sets of rules. A notable example was MYCIN , designed to diagnose infectious diseases. Although successful in limited domains, expert systems’ inherent limitations have restricted their broader adoption. Expert refers to a computer system that mimics human experts in a specific domain. It was popular in the early days of AI, and subsequently disappeared with advances in AI such as neural networks and machine learning. AI’s journey was marked by periods of soaring expectations and disappointing progress, known as “ AI winters ,” during which funding, interest, and confidence declined. Analyses of the episodes revealed recurring causes and insightful lessons for the field. A new phase of growth—often described as “AI spring”—emerged in the 2010s with advances in deep learning , the rise of large language models , the transformer architecture , and generative AI (GenAI). “The imperative before us today is not only to advance AI’s capabilities but also to ensure that it remains human-centered, trustworthy, ethical, and dedicated to enhancing human well-being and societal progress.” Unlike earlier approaches that processed information sequentially, a transformer model analyzes an entire sequence of text or audio, assessing the importance of each word or component relative to others, enabling dramatic advancements in GenAI and its applications. Ashish Vaswani , a former computer scien...
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A major milestone came in 1950, when celebrated computer scientist Alan Turing posed the question, “Can machines think?” In his 1950 landmark paper “ Computing Machinery and Intelligence ,” published in Mind , he explored the nature of machine intelligence.
TL;DR:
It was popular in the early days of AI, and subsequently disappeared with advances in AI such as neural networks and machine learning.
Techxplore
Jun 22, 17:18
Robot 'Floaty' rides the wind like a bird, staying stable without propellers
Current flying objects face a trade-off: Drones with propellers, for instance, are very agile and able to hover; however, they use up a lot of energy. Airplanes, on the other hand, feature fixed wings that allow them to fly very efficiently. The downside: They can't remain suspended in the air like a kestrel on the lookout for prey.
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Robot 'Floaty' rides the wind like a bird, staying stable without propellers. Airplanes, on the other hand, feature fixed wings that allow them to fly very efficiently. The downside: They can't remain suspended in the air like a kestrel on the lookout for prey.
TL;DR:
Current flying objects face a trade-off: Drones with propellers, for instance, are very agile and able to hover; however, they use up a lot of energy.
Hackaday
Jun 22, 15:30
Graphics Upgrade for Nintendo Entertainment System
Modern video game consoles rarely have expansion ports, but in the 80s and 90s it was practically guaranteed. With the speed that hardware was advancing it made sense to build …read more
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Graphics Upgrade for Nintendo Entertainment System. Modern video game consoles rarely have expansion ports, but in the 80s and 90s it was practically guaranteed. With the speed that hardware was advancing it made sense to build …read more
TL;DR:
Modern video game consoles rarely have expansion ports, but in the 80s and 90s it was practically guaranteed.
Interestingengineering
Jun 22, 14:23
Watch: Robot dog completes 33,000 inspections at 150-year-old cement plant safely
Swiss cement producer Vigier Ciment has deployed ANYbotics’ ANYmal quadruped robot to automate inspections at...
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Watch: Robot dog completes 33,000 inspections at 150-year-old cement plant safely. Swiss cement producer Vigier Ciment has deployed ANYbotics’ ANYmal quadruped robot to automate inspections at...
TL;DR:
Swiss cement producer Vigier Ciment has deployed ANYbotics’ ANYmal quadruped robot to automate inspections at...
Interestingengineering
Jun 22, 13:32
Can Tesla beat Nvidia? New trademark reveals ambitious ‘megapod’ infrastructure plan
Elon Musk does not want to just sell you an electric car, a humanoid robot,...
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Can Tesla beat Nvidia? New trademark reveals ambitious ‘megapod’ infrastructure plan. Elon Musk does not want to just sell you an electric car, a humanoid robot,...
TL;DR:
Elon Musk does not want to just sell you an electric car, a humanoid robot,...
Techxplore
Jun 22, 13:31
Quantum sensors could spot hidden damage in the thousands of US bridges rated 'structurally deficient'
Every bridge has parts that drivers never see: steel buried in concrete, welds tucked under girders, and soil packed around foundations below the waterline. A bridge can look fine from the road while rust spreads around steel hidden inside concrete. A small fatigue crack can lengthen. A flood can wash soil away from a pier. By the time cracks, loose concrete or lane closures appear, the cheapest repair window may already have closed.
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Quantum sensors could spot hidden damage in the thousands of US bridges rated 'structurally deficient'. A bridge can look fine from the road while rust spreads around steel hidden inside concrete. By the time cracks, loose concrete or lane closures appear, the cheapest repair window may already have closed.
TL;DR:
Every bridge has parts that drivers never see: steel buried in concrete, welds tucked under girders, and soil packed around foundations below the waterline.
Interestingengineering
Jun 22, 13:20
German scientists show quantum mechanics can work without imaginary numbers
A new analysis conducted by researchers at the Heinrich Heine University (HHU) Düsseldorf and the...
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German scientists show quantum mechanics can work without imaginary numbers. A new analysis conducted by researchers at the Heinrich Heine University (HHU) Düsseldorf and the...
TL;DR:
A new analysis conducted by researchers at the Heinrich Heine University (HHU) Düsseldorf and the...
Interestingengineering
Jun 22, 11:24
Video: Chinese firm shows humanoid and robot arm control by single model in new demo
A Chinese robotics startup has demonstrated humanoid robots and fixed dual-arm robotic systems working together...
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Video: Chinese firm shows humanoid and robot arm control by single model in new demo. A Chinese robotics startup has demonstrated humanoid robots and fixed dual-arm robotic systems working together...
TL;DR:
A Chinese robotics startup has demonstrated humanoid robots and fixed dual-arm robotic systems working together...
Interestingengineering
Jun 22, 11:02
First-ever transoceanic flight from US to Europe using hydrogen balloon in 70 hrs
On June 7, 2026, the hydrogen-powered gas balloon Atlantic Explorer landed safely in Luxembourg in...
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First-ever transoceanic flight from US to Europe using hydrogen balloon in 70 hrs. On June 7, 2026, the hydrogen-powered gas balloon Atlantic Explorer landed safely in Luxembourg in...
TL;DR:
On June 7, 2026, the hydrogen-powered gas balloon Atlantic Explorer landed safely in Luxembourg in...
Interestingengineering
Jun 22, 10:36
Video: World’s first autonomous Nürburgring lap completed by 1,003-hp Xiaomi YU7 GT car
Xiaomi shared that its YU7 GT electric performance SUV is the first car to set...
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Video: World’s first autonomous Nürburgring lap completed by 1,003-hp Xiaomi YU7 GT car. Xiaomi shared that its YU7 GT electric performance SUV is the first car to set...
TL;DR:
Xiaomi shared that its YU7 GT electric performance SUV is the first car to set...
Interestingengineering
Jun 22, 07:40
Milan hospital deploys 4-ft-tall humanoid robot to assist wards and relay patient data
In a major initiative targeting the reduction of healthcare workloads and the optimization of ward...
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Milan hospital deploys 4-ft-tall humanoid robot to assist wards and relay patient data. In a major initiative targeting the reduction of healthcare workloads and the optimization of ward...
TL;DR:
In a major initiative targeting the reduction of healthcare workloads and the optimization of ward...
Interestingengineering
Jun 21, 15:44
New ‘ML brain’ could help make US supply of critical minerals more robust
National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) researchers are developing a machine learning (ML) system designed...
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New ‘ML brain’ could help make US supply of critical minerals more robust. National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) researchers are developing a machine learning (ML) system designed...
TL;DR:
National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) researchers are developing a machine learning (ML) system designed...
Interestingengineering
Jun 21, 13:16
In a first, scientists find evidence of fungi hiding inside moss cells
More than 85% of land plants partner with fungi to pull nutrients from the soil...
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In a first, scientists find evidence of fungi hiding inside moss cells. More than 85% of land plants partner with fungi to pull nutrients from the soil...
TL;DR:
More than 85% of land plants partner with fungi to pull nutrients from the soil...
Interestingengineering
Jun 21, 11:37
Automated system trained on 300,000 aurora images learns to detect space hurricanes
When researchers analyzed satellite observations collected over the North Pole in 2014, they realized they...
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Automated system trained on 300,000 aurora images learns to detect space hurricanes. When researchers analyzed satellite observations collected over the North Pole in 2014, they realized they...
TL;DR:
When researchers analyzed satellite observations collected over the North Pole in 2014, they realized they...
Interestingengineering
Jun 21, 10:49
US Army selects edge-first software to maintain battlefield supply during jamming
The United States Army (the Army) has awarded Rune Technologies a $99 million Indefinite Delivery,...
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US Army selects edge-first software to maintain battlefield supply during jamming. The United States Army (the Army) has awarded Rune Technologies a $99 million Indefinite Delivery,...
TL;DR:
The United States Army (the Army) has awarded Rune Technologies a $99 million Indefinite Delivery,...
Interestingengineering
Jun 21, 09:30
Orbital nervous system: China mulls space-based high-speed rail control infrastructure
Railway engineering researchers in Beijing are proposing a revolutionary shift: relocating the command, signaling, and...
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Orbital nervous system: China mulls space-based high-speed rail control infrastructure. Railway engineering researchers in Beijing are proposing a revolutionary shift: relocating the command, signaling, and...
TL;DR:
Railway engineering researchers in Beijing are proposing a revolutionary shift: relocating the command, signaling, and...
Hackaday
Jun 21, 08:00
How to Bias a CRT After Installation
For most of us the abbreviation “CRT” brings to mind a monitor or TV. But at its core it’s about the special vacuum tube that makes the images appear. Regardless …read more
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How to Bias a CRT After Installation. For most of us the abbreviation “CRT” brings to mind a monitor or TV. But at its core it’s about the special vacuum tube that makes the images appear.
TL;DR:
For most of us the abbreviation “CRT” brings to mind a monitor or TV.
Interestingengineering
Jun 20, 19:56
NYU scientists reveal flocking birds mimic soft crystal mechanics in group movements
Decoding a long-standing ecological mystery, a team of mathematicians at New York University has demonstrated...
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NYU scientists reveal flocking birds mimic soft crystal mechanics in group movements. Decoding a long-standing ecological mystery, a team of mathematicians at New York University has demonstrated...
TL;DR:
Decoding a long-standing ecological mystery, a team of mathematicians at New York University has demonstrated...
Interestingengineering
Jun 20, 16:16
US startup to restore legacy California nuclear facility for critical power systems
The activity is being carried out under a lease agreement with NorthStar that gives Zeno...
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US startup to restore legacy California nuclear facility for critical power systems . The activity is being carried out under a lease agreement with NorthStar that gives Zeno...
TL;DR:
The activity is being carried out under a lease agreement with NorthStar that gives Zeno...
Hackaday
Jun 20, 14:00
Home Automation: Simple vs Easy
We’ve been talking a bunch of home automation on the Podcast lately, and this week, in the Mailbag segment, a reader asked us about our setups. Neither Kristina nor I …read more
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We’ve been talking a bunch of home automation on the Podcast lately, and this week, in the Mailbag segment, a reader asked us about our setups. Neither Kristina nor I …read more
TL;DR:
We’ve been talking a bunch of home automation on the Podcast lately, and this week, in the Mailbag segment, a reader asked us about our setups.
Spectrum
Jun 20, 13:00
War Taught this Ukrainian Entrepreneur the Value of Resilience
Salome Mikadze-Struk is no stranger to adversity. The daughter of refugees, she built a software-development business as an undergraduate at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and kept it running despite the outbreak of war in her native Ukraine . Now, she’s drawing on her experiences to mentor tech-startup founders and speak publicly about the importance of resilience in entrepreneurship . Mikadze-Struk was studying at Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C., when COVID-19 struck. Classes went online, and she moved back to Ukraine. In the midst of that disruption she saw an opportunity to develop her business idea, called Movadex , by tapping Ukraine’s pool of talented young engineers. Then Russia invaded in early 2022, during her final semester. Taking online classes from bomb shelters and helping employees evacuate to safer parts of the country was surreal, she says, but the team kept the company afloat and she graduated later that year. In 2023, Mikadze-Struk took a hiatus from her business to pursue an MBA at Stanford University, which she completed this year. In her precious spare time she’s been advising startups and giving talks, using her unique perspective to promote the need for resilience in entrepreneurship—something she thinks is increasingly important in the software industry as AI coding tools upend old business models. “You need to be okay with risk, you need to be resilient. You need to be okay with disruption and okay with uncertainty,” she says, “because this is inevitably going to be part of this industry for the foreseeable future.” An Early Focus on Education Mikadze-Struk’s parents had settled in Ukraine after fleeing conflict in the Abkhazia region of Georgia in the early 1990s. “They left everything behind,” she says. “You can look on Google Maps and zoom in on where their houses were and it’s all rubble.” Despite this backstory, Mikadze-Struk says she and her sister had a conventional middle-class upbringing in Kyiv. Her father ran a small shop and her mother was a stay-at-home mom. Her parents placed an emphasis on education and encouraged her to study hard and take part in extracurricular programs such as Ukraine’s Junior Academy of Sciences , which introduces students to research. “They weren’t rich, so they knew that our way to make it in life was not through investments, but through merit-based accomplishments,” she says. When Mikadze-Struk was 14, her family discovered the newly launched Ukraine Global Scholars program, a nonprofit that helps talented students secure scholarships abroad. The program helped her win a full scholarship to the Emma Willard School, a private girl’s school in Troy, N.Y. Discovering Tech After graduating high school in 2018, Mikadze-Struk was accepted to Georgetown to study business administration. But it was outside the classroom that her career direction began to take shape. She won a startup competition with a medical device she had developed for a school project and, while the business idea didn’t go anywhere, it sparked an interest in entrepreneurship. Ukraine’s software industry was booming, and she began attending startup events and competitions in her home country the summer before starting college. There she met her eventual cofounder Nor Newman . Despite both being just 18, they saw a gap in the market. The pair noticed many founders had strong ideas but lacked the technical expertise to realize them, while talented engineering students often struggled to gain real-world experience . Newman had begun informally connecting startups with his college friends, but the pair soon saw commercial potential. “We realized we could actually create our own startup studio and help startups as a team, versus just connecting people,” says Mikadze-Struk. Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, halfway through her sophomore year, it brought both disruption and opportunity for Newman and Mikadze-Struk. While travel restrictions and lockdowns made life complicated, there was also a surge of companies looking to move their business online. “COVID really skyrocketed everything we were doing,” she says. Sensing an opportunity, Mikadze-Struk and Newman incorporated Movadex in Ukraine in early 2020. From the start, they decided to focus on not only providing engineering talent, but also helping startups with product development. Many times, says Mikadze-Struk, a founder’s vision for the software doesn’t line up with what users actually want. “What really helped us grow is not just the engineering or quality of code, but rather a holistic approach to creating a product and actually getting into the brain of the user,” she says. Navigating Adversity Back in Ukraine, Mikadze-Struk had to juggle this booming business with studying remotely—taking classes at night and working during the day. It was exhausting, she says, but it also allowed her to immediately apply what she learned in business classes to building her startup. Having successfully ...
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In the midst of that disruption she saw an opportunity to develop her business idea, called Movadex , by tapping Ukraine’s pool of talented young engineers. Sensing an opportunity, Mikadze-Struk and Newman incorporated Movadex in Ukraine in early 2020. Many times, says Mikadze-Struk, a founder’s vision for the software doesn’t line up with what users actually want.
TL;DR:
Taking online classes from bomb shelters and helping employees evacuate to safer parts of the country was surreal, she says, but the team kept the company afloat and she graduated later that year.
Interestingengineering
Jun 20, 12:14
New Franco-German armored tank integrates unmanned turret with drone systems
Franco-German defense giant Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter (KNDS) have unveiled a new main battle tank for European customers at the 2026 Eurosatory trade show.
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According to KNDS , this will be something of a stopgap for France’s planned Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), which is taking a long time to arrive. It also provides the tank with a 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) diesel engine, which is the same power class as current Western MBTs.
TL;DR:
Franco-German defense giant Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter (KNDS) have unveiled a new main battle tank...
Interestingengineering
Jun 20, 12:09
Next-gen ceramic aircraft batteries could enable 621-mile electric flights
Taiwanese battery manufacturer ProLogium and Dutch aerospace firm Elysian Aircraft have signed a Memorandum of...
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Next-gen ceramic aircraft batteries could enable 621-mile electric flights. Taiwanese battery manufacturer ProLogium and Dutch aerospace firm Elysian Aircraft have signed a Memorandum of...
TL;DR:
Taiwanese battery manufacturer ProLogium and Dutch aerospace firm Elysian Aircraft have signed a Memorandum of...
Interestingengineering
Jun 20, 11:54
World’s first smart squid-fishing robot that mimics humans begins sea trials in China
A new robotic system developed in China is being positioned as the world’s first intelligent...
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World’s first smart squid-fishing robot that mimics humans begins sea trials in China. A new robotic system developed in China is being positioned as the world’s first intelligent...
TL;DR:
A new robotic system developed in China is being positioned as the world’s first intelligent...
Interestingengineering
Jun 20, 11:22
Chinese firm debuts man-portable laser weapon that zaps drones, fits in a backpack
Chinese defense supplier Harbin Xinguang Optic-Electronics Technology has unveiled a new man-portable. anti-drone laser weapon....
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Chinese firm debuts man-portable laser weapon that zaps drones, fits in a backpack. Chinese defense supplier Harbin Xinguang Optic-Electronics Technology has unveiled a new man-portable. anti-drone laser weapon....
TL;DR:
Chinese defense supplier Harbin Xinguang Optic-Electronics Technology has unveiled a new man-portable.
Interestingengineering
Jun 20, 09:00
High-density cryogenic ribbon cables enable quantum systems to scale beyond 1,000 qubits
A critical hardware bottleneck that has prevented quantum computers from scaling to meaningful dimensions has...
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High-density cryogenic ribbon cables enable quantum systems to scale beyond 1,000 qubits. A critical hardware bottleneck that has prevented quantum computers from scaling to meaningful dimensions has...
TL;DR:
A critical hardware bottleneck that has prevented quantum computers from scaling to meaningful dimensions has...
Interestingengineering
Jun 19, 23:47
Three-armed kitchen robot cuts raw salmon with 95% touch-sensing accuracy
Industrial robots have mastered many repetitive tasks, but preparing sashimi remains a surprisingly difficult challenge....
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Three-armed kitchen robot cuts raw salmon with 95% touch-sensing accuracy. Industrial robots have mastered many repetitive tasks, but preparing sashimi remains a surprisingly difficult challenge....
TL;DR:
Industrial robots have mastered many repetitive tasks, but preparing sashimi remains a surprisingly difficult challenge....
Interestingengineering
Jun 19, 23:30
New vision-based safety tech lets industrial robots work safely near humans
Sensory Robotics has received safety certification for a system designed to let industrial robots operate...
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New vision-based safety tech lets industrial robots work safely near humans. Sensory Robotics has received safety certification for a system designed to let industrial robots operate...
TL;DR:
Sensory Robotics has received safety certification for a system designed to let industrial robots operate...
Interestingengineering
Jun 19, 22:16
European firm achieves production milestone of 1,000 15 kN class turbojet missile engines
European defense technology company Destinus has manufactured its 1,000th T150 turbojet engine. The engine powers...
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European firm achieves production milestone of 1,000 15 kN class turbojet missile engines. European defense technology company Destinus has manufactured its 1,000th T150 turbojet engine. The engine powers...
TL;DR:
European defense technology company Destinus has manufactured its 1,000th T150 turbojet engine.
Techxplore
Jun 19, 20:44
Drones learn to squeeze through narrow gaps using onboard AI control
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, are now widely used for various purposes, ranging from filmmaking and aerial photography to industrial inspection, precision farming and reaching obstructed areas during emergency response missions. While many existing drones can move swiftly in their surroundings and circumvent large obstacles, most still struggle in cluttered environments. In addition, they are often unable to execute maneuvers that would allow them to safely pass through small gaps or reach secluded areas.
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Drones learn to squeeze through narrow gaps using onboard AI control. While many existing drones can move swiftly in their surroundings and circumvent large obstacles, most still struggle in cluttered environments. In addition, they are often unable to execute maneuvers that would allow them to safely pass through small gaps or reach secluded areas.
TL;DR:
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, are now widely used for various purposes, ranging from filmmaking and aerial photography to industrial inspection, precision farming and reaching obstructed areas during emergency response missions.
Techxplore
Jun 19, 20:44
Wet coffee grounds turned into high-grade solid fuel in just 90 seconds
A research team at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) has developed a technology that converts wet spent coffee grounds directly into high-quality biochar in just 90 seconds, with no drying or oil removal required. The breakthrough offers a fast, energy-efficient path to turning high-moisture organic waste into valuable fuel and carbon materials. The study, led by Dr. Taejun Park in collaboration with GodTech Co., Ltd., was published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, one of the world's leading journals in chemical engineering.
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Wet coffee grounds turned into high-grade solid fuel in just 90 seconds. The breakthrough offers a fast, energy-efficient path to turning high-moisture organic waste into valuable fuel and carbon materials. Taejun Park in collaboration with GodTech Co., Ltd., was published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, one of the world's leading journals in chemical engineering.
TL;DR:
A research team at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) has developed a technology that converts wet spent coffee grounds directly into high-quality biochar in just 90 seconds, with no drying or oil removal required.
Spectrum
Jun 19, 18:00
IEEE Rolls Out Large Language Models Virtual Training Course
Large language models have moved out of the research lab and into engineers’ daily workflow. LLMs serve as reasoning engines that can orchestrate complex tasks including identifying vulnerabilities in source code and transforming fragmented project discussions into rigorous technical specifications. While the general public uses AI tools to write email and plan vacations, technical professionals use LLMs as core architectural elements that are fundamentally changing how digital infrastructures are built and maintained. As the AI models move into mainstream engineering practice, the demand for technical expertise is rising. The LLM technology market is expected to grow by about 33 percent every year through 2030 , according to MarketsandMarkets . The rapid expansion suggests that proficiency in implementing and securing the models is transitioning from a niche into a core requirement for technologists. More than just a better search engine To use LLMs effectively, technical professionals must move beyond treating them as conversational robots. At a fundamental level, the AI systems are built on the transformer architecture , a framework that replaced the older method of processing data in a fixed, sequential order. Unlike earlier models that analyzed information one step at a time, transformers use self-attention mechanisms to ingest vast datasets simultaneously. For technical professionals, LLMs are core architectural elements that are fundamentally changing how digital infrastructures are built and maintained. Relying on such LLMs without understanding their internal logic creates a significant reliability risk. To build tools that work consistently, developers must understand the core principles that govern how the models process information and generate results. By mastering how a model processes information and how its internal settings influence the result, developers can move away from a trial-and-error approach toward a more precise one to ensure the AI tool handles complex data reliably. Four ways LLMs are changing jobs Here are areas that integrate large language models. Moving past basic prompts. Developers are using application program interfaces (APIs) to connect LLMs directly to their databases and software tools. Employing the APIs allows AI to perform work such as executing code or searching through internal repositories. Fixing the “hallucination” problem. LLMs are at risk of hallucinations , which are generated facts or code that looks correct but actually is wrong or broken. To fix the problem, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) forces AI to look up information in a trusted source such as a company’s database. Prioritizing data security. When using AI with proprietary code, security is a major concern. Engineers must learn how to set up “private” instances of the models to ensure that sensitive company data stays within a secure cloud environment and is not used to train public versions. The future of collaboration. By automating repetitive coding tasks and summarizing thousands of pages of documentation, LLMs let engineers spend more time on high-level designs and solving important issues. Online course program helps with mastering the tech The gap between people who use AI and those who understand how to build with it is growing wider. To help technical professionals stay ahead, IEEE offers a five-course online program, Large Language Models Demystified , available through the IEEE Learning Network . The program, developed by IEEE Educational Activities in partnership with the IEEE Computer Society , is built for people who want to understand the “how” and the “why” behind the technology. Rather than just teaching basic prompting, the curriculum dives into the engineering behind generative AI, including: Evolution, impact, and hands-on exercises: the shift from statistical methods to modern transformers, including hands-on model optimization. Understanding transformer architectures: the mathematical core of self-attention and positional encoding, implemented in NumPy and Python . Architectural analysis and implementation: advanced LLM design with practical model-building exercises. Training and modeling with PyTorch: end-to-end pipelines in PyTorch , leveraging parameter-efficient techniques such as low-rank adaptation and quantization. Optimization, alignment, and deployment: performance scaling, reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) , group-relative policy optimization , RAG, and agentic AI. Upon completion of the program, participants earn professional development credits and a digital badge from IEEE to verify their expertise. Enroll in the course program on the IEEE Learning Network. Organizations looking to prepare their teams to work on LLMs can connect with an IEEE content specialist to discuss group enrollment and tailored training paths.
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IEEE Rolls Out Large Language Models Virtual Training Course. For technical professionals, LLMs are core architectural elements that are fundamentally changing how digital infrastructures are built and maintained.
TL;DR:
Large language models have moved out of the research lab and into engineers’ daily workflow.
Interestingengineering
Jun 19, 16:39
Pentagon turns to US chip maker to fix aging carrier systems and legacy hardware
Phoenix Semiconductor has won a Phase II SBIR contract from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency...
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Pentagon turns to US chip maker to fix aging carrier systems and legacy hardware. Phoenix Semiconductor has won a Phase II SBIR contract from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency...
TL;DR:
Phoenix Semiconductor has won a Phase II SBIR contract from the U.S.
Interestingengineering
Jun 19, 15:33
US firm deploys floating data centers that generate electricity using ocean waves
High-performance computing is moving into international waters to solve the dual challenges of energy availability...
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US firm deploys floating data centers that generate electricity using ocean waves. High-performance computing is moving into international waters to solve the dual challenges of energy availability...
TL;DR:
High-performance computing is moving into international waters to solve the dual challenges of energy availability...
Interestingengineering
Jun 19, 14:44
Medical miracle: World’s first HIV-to-HIV dual lung and liver transplant achieved in US
For 26 years, Bertrand Nelson’s body was a battleground. He fought HIV and sarcoidosis. Then,...
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Medical miracle: World’s first HIV-to-HIV dual lung and liver transplant achieved in US. For 26 years, Bertrand Nelson’s body was a battleground. He fought HIV and sarcoidosis.
TL;DR:
For 26 years, Bertrand Nelson’s body was a battleground.
Interestingengineering
Jun 19, 13:28
Waste oils and fats to be turned into low-emission jet fuel with new modular tech
Honeywell has announced that its modular refining technology and automation systems will be used in...
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Waste oils and fats to be turned into low-emission jet fuel with new modular tech. Honeywell has announced that its modular refining technology and automation systems will be used in...
TL;DR:
Honeywell has announced that its modular refining technology and automation systems will be used in...
Interestingengineering
Jun 19, 13:02
Video: New robotic system achieves 99.5% success in fast auto factory wire assembly
Canadian robotics company Sanctuary AI has reported a significant achievement in industrial automation. The firm...
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Video: New robotic system achieves 99.5% success in fast auto factory wire assembly. Canadian robotics company Sanctuary AI has reported a significant achievement in industrial automation. The firm...
TL;DR:
Canadian robotics company Sanctuary AI has reported a significant achievement in industrial automation.
Spectrum
Jun 19, 12:24
What Amazon’s Astro Taught Me About Giving Robots a Soul
In 2018, Amazon brought me in as the lead UX Sound Designer for Astro, their first consumer home robot . Astro used cameras and other sensors to map and navigate your home and workplace , and could proactively patrol, check up on loved ones, and transport small items using its built-in cargo bin. While there was a well-defined feature set and form factor, initially there was no character direction. In fact, even before Astro had a name, there were two main questions—was it simply Alexa on wheels, or was it a robot with its own character? The Astro team was divided. One option was to focus on Alexa, and treat the mobile robot simply as an added utility. I argued for Astro to not focus on Alexa, along with the majority of the UX team. Our belief was that a thing that moves through your home and turns toward you with intent can never be just an appliance. People would ascribe character to whether we wanted them to or not, and so the only question was whether we shaped that character or let it happen by accident. Ultimately, Astro became Astro rather than Alexa , and user testing backed up our decision. People didn’t see the robot as Alexa. They saw it as its own character, and that’s what they wanted it to be. Alexa on the device felt somewhat strange and creepy, but building Astro its own voice was too slow and expensive in 2018. So, we settled on Alexa as a supporting character that handled any actual talking, while Astro was the main character, communicating as much as it could without words, through sound, motion, and facial expressions. I had been brought on to the Astro team to define the robot’s sound design language and voice. But there was no one to flesh out the robot’s actual character. You cannot make a single real decision about a character without defining it first. Every choice about how Astro moved, sounded, paused, or reacted was a character choice, and those choices required all disciplines working together. As Sound Lead, I was weaving together sound, motion, and character, and how they played together inside each story moment. The animators, who programmed Astro’s motion and facial expressions, were extraordinary at what they did, but the emotional arc they were animating came from the sound (and therefore character) work first. So I stepped into that role, which is where my real work started. What I learned about building character for robots applies to nearly everything being built in embodied AI right now. Character Is a Design System Developing a character for Astro meant answering questions that had never been asked about a product at Amazon: What is the emotional range of this robot’s baseline state? How does this robot communicate uncertainty without eroding trust? Where is the line between being expressive and annoying? What are the vulnerabilities of this device’s character? These are design questions. They have real answers, and every team working on the product has to build from them. For example, Astro’s emotional range was designed to be relatively small at first. We never wanted Astro to get too sad or too angry. It could play sad, but would snap out of it quickly and end the reaction on a high note to keep things positive. Character leaks out of every seam and can create a disjointed experience if not defined correctly. Even if it’s just animation timing that’s slightly off, or a response that’s technically correct but contextually tone-deaf, users feel every one of these inconsistencies, even if they can’t name them. Watch what happens at the beginning and end of this Sing sequence: Astro goes from nothing, into the emotional moment, and then lands back on nothing. No build up, no cool down, no sense that the feeling came from somewhere or had anywhere to go. I pushed hard for better character stitching, the transitions in and out of expressive moments that make a performance feel continuous rather than assembled, but it never got implemented. The moment itself works. But without the stitching, it reads as a clip playing on a robot rather than coming from within the robot character itself. Story and Sound at the Beginning We had decided that Astro would have no spoken dialogue, but it had something that functioned the same way: a vocabulary of sounds, tones, and rhythms that acted as its voice. This vocabulary became the leading output of the character’s personality. The robot’s motion and facial expressions were built around it. Astro’s wake-up sequence is a great example. Waking wasn’t just a boot animation on the screen; it was an entire performance. Slow and humble at first, the robot oriented itself quietly, then stretched its screen, checked its wheels, and finally, with an upward gesture toward its telescoping mast, it popped it up slightly, and did a little dance of joy. Sound, motion, and eyes hit every beat together in full choreography. The character’s output in that sequence was first written as a story. Astro is waking up in its new home for the first time. I...
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People didn’t see the robot as Alexa. But there was no one to flesh out the robot’s actual character. Character Is a Design System Developing a character for Astro meant answering questions that had never been asked about a product at Amazon: What is the emotional range of this robot’s baseline state?
TL;DR:
In 2018, Amazon brought me in as the lead UX Sound Designer for Astro, their first consumer home robot .
Hackaday
Jun 19, 11:00
Come With Me if You Want to Weed: Autonomous Weedinator Robot back for 2026
The WEEDINATOR agricultural robot is one of the longer-running projects we’ve featured here on Hackaday. We first featured it way back in 2017 for that year’s Hackaday prize, and after a …read more
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Come With Me if You Want to Weed: Autonomous Weedinator Robot back for 2026. The WEEDINATOR agricultural robot is one of the longer-running projects we’ve featured here on Hackaday. We first featured it way back in 2017 for that year’s Hackaday prize, and after a …read more
TL;DR:
The WEEDINATOR agricultural robot is one of the longer-running projects we’ve featured here on Hackaday.
Interestingengineering
Jun 19, 07:50
Next-Gen battery management system predicts internal cell failures to prevent EV fires
The software architecture governing modern electric vehicles is receiving a critical intelligence upgrade. Working within...
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Next-Gen battery management system predicts internal cell failures to prevent EV fires. The software architecture governing modern electric vehicles is receiving a critical intelligence upgrade. Working within...
TL;DR:
The software architecture governing modern electric vehicles is receiving a critical intelligence upgrade.
Interestingengineering
Jun 19, 06:36
ThermoPhy glove uses micro-heating and 3D tokens for tactile data visualization
Moving beyond conventional, screen-based digital interfaces, an engineering team at the University of Adelaide has...
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ThermoPhy glove uses micro-heating and 3D tokens for tactile data visualization. Moving beyond conventional, screen-based digital interfaces, an engineering team at the University of Adelaide has...
TL;DR:
Moving beyond conventional, screen-based digital interfaces, an engineering team at the University of Adelaide has...
Hackaday
Jun 19, 02:00
Easily Reuse 3D Printing Photopolymers with Depolymerizable Resin
Generally the idea with photopolymers as used with resin 3D printing is that the process only works in a single direction as with all thermosets: after polymerization under influence of …read more
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Being able to turn these lumps back into resin would of course be ideal, as it would make recycling incredibly easy. Here depolymerizable resin turns out to be a thing, with 3Dresyn being one company that sells additives and resin which enable this (found via Fabbaloo ).
TL;DR:
Generally the idea with photopolymers as used with resin 3D printing is that the process only works in a single direction as with all thermosets: after polymerization under influence of …read more
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 23:59
New EV battery system uses internal signals to detect cell damage in real time
Researchers in Austria have developed a new battery management system (BMS) that can detect hidden...
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New EV battery system uses internal signals to detect cell damage in real time. Researchers in Austria have developed a new battery management system (BMS) that can detect hidden...
TL;DR:
Researchers in Austria have developed a new battery management system (BMS) that can detect hidden...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 23:55
US Navy tests dual-use laser that beams power and counters drone threats in one system
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has demonstrated a laser system that can both transmit...
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US Navy tests dual-use laser that beams power and counters drone threats in one system. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has demonstrated a laser system that can both transmit...
TL;DR:
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has demonstrated a laser system that can both transmit...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 23:49
Smart US tool detects dangerous power line arcing before wildfires can start
Researchers in the US have built a new smart tool that has the ability to...
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Smart US tool detects dangerous power line arcing before wildfires can start. Researchers in the US have built a new smart tool that has the ability to...
TL;DR:
Researchers in the US have built a new smart tool that has the ability to...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 22:49
New Atlas aircraft targets long-range strikes without runways or large flight decks
Mach Industries has won a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) contract to develop a long-range unmanned...
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New Atlas aircraft targets long-range strikes without runways or large flight decks. Mach Industries has won a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) contract to develop a long-range unmanned...
TL;DR:
Mach Industries has won a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) contract to develop a long-range unmanned...
Techxplore
Jun 18, 22:33
Machine learning predicts wind shear 15 seconds ahead with less than 5% error
Wind shear, a sudden change in wind speed or direction, is a major cause of aviation incidents; it was responsible for 18% of aviation accidents in 2022. Predicting wind shear events is a priority for aviation safety because it would allow pilots to avoid areas where wind shear is likely. Currently, aircraft-based wind shear detection relies on the F-factor, an index that captures current wind speed and direction, as well as current aircraft speed. But the F-factor cannot predict future wind shear events.
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Machine learning predicts wind shear 15 seconds ahead with less than 5% error. Predicting wind shear events is a priority for aviation safety because it would allow pilots to avoid areas where wind shear is likely. But the F-factor cannot predict future wind shear events.
TL;DR:
Wind shear, a sudden change in wind speed or direction, is a major cause of aviation incidents; it was responsible for 18% of aviation accidents in 2022.
Techxplore
Jun 18, 22:33
Stretchable self-powered sensor delivers stable signals even at 668% elongation
Wearable medical devices that monitor heart rate, respiration and joint movements for long periods without battery concerns, electronic skins that sense external stimuli like human skin, and soft robots made of flexible materials that move freely have all come one step closer to reality. KAIST researchers have developed a self-powered sensor (a sensor that generates electricity on its own without a battery) that can stretch up to 668% while producing stable electrical signals.
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Stretchable self-powered sensor delivers stable signals even at 668% elongation. Wearable medical devices that monitor heart rate, respiration and joint movements for long periods without battery concerns, electronic skins that sense external stimuli like human skin, and soft robots made of flexible materials that move freely have all come one step closer to reality.
TL;DR:
KAIST researchers have developed a self-powered sensor (a sensor that generates electricity on its own without a battery) that can stretch up to 668% while producing stable electrical signals.
Techxplore
Jun 18, 22:33
Slower heating lets atoms self‑organize into architectures that vastly boost alloy strength
Scientists have revolutionized the way metals are made by using lower and slower heating of alloys to control how atoms self-organize during material manufacturing. The discovery, published in Science by Monash University engineers in Australia, essentially rewrites what has been a century-old approach to alloy design.
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Scientists have revolutionized the way metals are made by using lower and slower heating of alloys to control how atoms self-organize during material manufacturing. The discovery, published in Science by Monash University engineers in Australia, essentially rewrites what has been a century-old approach to alloy design.
TL;DR:
Scientists have revolutionized the way metals are made by using lower and slower heating of alloys to control how atoms self-organize during material manufacturing.
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 19:34
US greenlights floating wind that could slash turbine installation time by 50%
The US has just approved a new floating offshore wind system, which is designed to...
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US greenlights floating wind that could slash turbine installation time by 50%. The US has just approved a new floating offshore wind system, which is designed to...
TL;DR:
The US has just approved a new floating offshore wind system, which is designed to...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 19:30
One soldier, many drones: US Army tests autonomous drone-control software
The U.S. Army has awarded defense and technology company Palladyne AI two contracts to test its...
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One soldier, many drones: US Army tests autonomous drone-control software. Army has awarded defense and technology company Palladyne AI two contracts to test its...
TL;DR:
Army has awarded defense and technology company Palladyne AI two contracts to test its...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 19:20
Mobile small reactors on ships: UK firm explores floating nuclear power plants
Core Power has initiated a research project to analyze the viability of mounting small modular...
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Mobile small reactors on ships: UK firm explores floating nuclear power plants. Core Power has initiated a research project to analyze the viability of mounting small modular...
TL;DR:
Core Power has initiated a research project to analyze the viability of mounting small modular...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 18:37
America’s most advanced metal 3D printer uses 12 lasers to mass-produce rocket frames
Divergent Technologies has unveiled a new industrial metal 3D printer and announced a major manufacturing...
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America’s most advanced metal 3D printer uses 12 lasers to mass-produce rocket frames. Divergent Technologies has unveiled a new industrial metal 3D printer and announced a major manufacturing...
TL;DR:
Divergent Technologies has unveiled a new industrial metal 3D printer and announced a major manufacturing...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 18:30
Bill Gates’ nuclear firm begins design assessment process in UK for 345 MW Natrium reactor
A Washington-based nuclear energy company has achieved a key milestone for the UK deployment. TerraPower...
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Bill Gates’ nuclear firm begins design assessment process in UK for 345 MW Natrium reactor. A Washington-based nuclear energy company has achieved a key milestone for the UK deployment. TerraPower...
TL;DR:
A Washington-based nuclear energy company has achieved a key milestone for the UK deployment.
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 18:00
New membranes strip 99.8% of heavy hydrocarbons from crude oil to save refining energy
A new class of ultrathin polymer membranes, dubbed Polymers of Locked Intrinsic Microporosity (PLIMs), has...
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New membranes strip 99.8% of heavy hydrocarbons from crude oil to save refining energy. A new class of ultrathin polymer membranes, dubbed Polymers of Locked Intrinsic Microporosity (PLIMs), has...
TL;DR:
A new class of ultrathin polymer membranes, dubbed Polymers of Locked Intrinsic Microporosity (PLIMs), has...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 17:14
Video: Child-friendly Codey robot showcases embodied AGI future in education, healthcare
A Seattle-based robotics company has developed a three-foot-tall humanoid robot designed for use in public...
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Video: Child-friendly Codey robot showcases embodied AGI future in education, healthcare. A Seattle-based robotics company has developed a three-foot-tall humanoid robot designed for use in public...
TL;DR:
A Seattle-based robotics company has developed a three-foot-tall humanoid robot designed for use in public...
Hackaday
Jun 18, 15:30
An In-Browser Visualizer For GPS Satellites
Billions of people use GPS on a daily basis, along with the various other satellite navigation systems available today. But few of us spend much time contemplating the fleet of …read more
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An In-Browser Visualizer For GPS Satellites. Billions of people use GPS on a daily basis, along with the various other satellite navigation systems available today. But few of us spend much time contemplating the fleet of …read more
TL;DR:
Billions of people use GPS on a daily basis, along with the various other satellite navigation systems available today.
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 13:48
US Navy backs 3,800 mph-speeding Blackbeard hypersonic missile with first contract
The U.S. Navy has awarded defense technology startup Castelion its first production contract for the...
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US Navy backs 3,800 mph-speeding Blackbeard hypersonic missile with first contract. Navy has awarded defense technology startup Castelion its first production contract for the...
TL;DR:
Navy has awarded defense technology startup Castelion its first production contract for the...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 13:43
US firm unveils humanoid and robots with new ecosystem for embodied ‘intelligence’
US robotics firm Faraday Future (FF) has unveiled its first-half embodied AI (EAI) robotics lineup,...
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US firm unveils humanoid and robots with new ecosystem for embodied ‘intelligence’. US robotics firm Faraday Future (FF) has unveiled its first-half embodied AI (EAI) robotics lineup,...
TL;DR:
US robotics firm Faraday Future (FF) has unveiled its first-half embodied AI (EAI) robotics lineup,...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 13:40
No driver, no operator: Inside redundant sensor infrastructure of a commercial robot bus
The long-running effort to move driverless shuttles from closed corporate campuses and isolated testing facilities...
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No driver, no operator: Inside redundant sensor infrastructure of a commercial robot bus. The long-running effort to move driverless shuttles from closed corporate campuses and isolated testing facilities...
TL;DR:
The long-running effort to move driverless shuttles from closed corporate campuses and isolated testing facilities...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 13:21
In a first, hydrogen engine restart for high-altitude conditions tested by GE Aerospace
GE Aerospace and its subsidiary Avio Aero have successfully completed the first engine restart test...
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In a first, hydrogen engine restart for high-altitude conditions tested by GE Aerospace. GE Aerospace and its subsidiary Avio Aero have successfully completed the first engine restart test...
TL;DR:
GE Aerospace and its subsidiary Avio Aero have successfully completed the first engine restart test...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 13:12
World’s first 100% hydrogen-fuelled marine engine delivering 2670kW power gets class approval
Lloyd’s Register has granted a Type Approval Certificate for a marine engine that runs entirely...
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World’s first 100% hydrogen-fuelled marine engine delivering 2670kW power gets class approval. Lloyd’s Register has granted a Type Approval Certificate for a marine engine that runs entirely...
TL;DR:
Lloyd’s Register has granted a Type Approval Certificate for a marine engine that runs entirely...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 11:26
US: 150 year-old abandoned coal mine turned into solar farm to power Illinois homes
A former coal mining site in central Illinois is now being used for renewable energy....
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US: 150 year-old abandoned coal mine turned into solar farm to power Illinois homes. A former coal mining site in central Illinois is now being used for renewable energy....
TL;DR:
A former coal mining site in central Illinois is now being used for renewable energy....
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 09:11
New atom-thin coating frees up space for faster, more efficient semiconductor chips
Researchers at the National University of Singapore and Applied Materials have developed a method to...
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New atom-thin coating frees up space for faster, more efficient semiconductor chips. Researchers at the National University of Singapore and Applied Materials have developed a method to...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the National University of Singapore and Applied Materials have developed a method to...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 08:41
Quantum sensor neutralizes laser noise for dark matter and gravitational wave detection
Finding out what the universe is actually made of remains one of the ultimate frontiers...
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Quantum sensor neutralizes laser noise for dark matter and gravitational wave detection. Finding out what the universe is actually made of remains one of the ultimate frontiers...
TL;DR:
Finding out what the universe is actually made of remains one of the ultimate frontiers...
Hackaday
Jun 18, 08:00
Nintendo DS Port of Super Mario 64 Released With Multiplayer Support
For some time now [Tobi Friedly] has been tinkering away at porting the original Super Mario 64 from the Nintendo 64 to just about any device imaginable. One of these …read more
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For some time now [Tobi Friedly] has been tinkering away at porting the original Super Mario 64 from the Nintendo 64 to just about any device imaginable. One of these …read more
TL;DR:
For some time now [Tobi Friedly] has been tinkering away at porting the original Super Mario 64 from the Nintendo 64 to just about any device imaginable.
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 05:48
China’s firm sets world record with 29.2%-efficient perovskite-silicon tandem solar panel
Chinese solar manufacturer Trina Solar has unveiled a commercial-scale perovskite-silicon tandem solar panel that has...
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China’s firm sets world record with 29.2%-efficient perovskite-silicon tandem solar panel. Chinese solar manufacturer Trina Solar has unveiled a commercial-scale perovskite-silicon tandem solar panel that has...
TL;DR:
Chinese solar manufacturer Trina Solar has unveiled a commercial-scale perovskite-silicon tandem solar panel that has...
Hackaday
Jun 18, 05:00
Leaky Player Piano Gets MIDI Upgrade in YouTube Restomod
The word “restomod” is a bit nebulous, but it’s normally used in the automotive world to describe taking an old car and making it better-than-new with all the technological improvements …read more
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We think the word applies to [Alnwlsn]’s MIDI-actuated player piano , because what are those punched rolls of paper, but the MIDI of the 19th century? If you’re wondering how that gets volume control, no, the piano isn’t smacking keys at full volume all the time.
TL;DR:
The word “restomod” is a bit nebulous, but it’s normally used in the automotive world to describe taking an old car and making it better-than-new with all the technological improvements …read more
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 04:47
Swiss firm’s new engine uses ammonia as marine fuel, set to be installed on dry bulk carrier
A Swiss marine power company has achieved another critical milestone on the path to low-carbon...
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Swiss firm’s new engine uses ammonia as marine fuel, set to be installed on dry bulk carrier. A Swiss marine power company has achieved another critical milestone on the path to low-carbon...
TL;DR:
A Swiss marine power company has achieved another critical milestone on the path to low-carbon...
Hackaday
Jun 18, 02:00
Solid-State Batteries Take to the Sky
There always seem to be a handful of revolutionary technologies perpetually out of reach: fusion energy, quantum computers, and full self-driving cars are always in this list, and it seems …read more
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Solid state batteries may be on the verge of changing some of this, though, and a team has recently put them to work in a test aircraft to help make some headway with this novel battery chemistry .
TL;DR:
There always seem to be a handful of revolutionary technologies perpetually out of reach: fusion energy, quantum computers, and full self-driving cars are always in this list, and it seems …read more
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 00:07
Europe’s first superconducting X-ray spectrometer boosts photon detection by 1000 times
Researchers in Germany have brought Europe’s first and only superconducting TES-array X-ray spectrometer online at the BESSY II synchrotron, a leading 3rd-generation synchrotron light source.
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Researchers in Germany have brought Europe’s first and only superconducting TES-array X-ray spectrometer online at the BESSY II synchrotron, a leading 3rd-generation synchrotron light source.
TL;DR:
Researchers in Germany have brought Europe’s first and only superconducting TES-array X-ray spectrometer online at...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 00:07
Europe builds robotic arm that can see, feel and handle samples for Moon missions
European Space Agency (ESA) engineers are assembling one of Europe’s most advanced robotic arms, a...
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Europe builds robotic arm that can see, feel and handle samples for Moon missions. European Space Agency (ESA) engineers are assembling one of Europe’s most advanced robotic arms, a...
TL;DR:
European Space Agency (ESA) engineers are assembling one of Europe’s most advanced robotic arms, a...
Interestingengineering
Jun 18, 00:01
Australia tests backpack-sized counter-drone system deployable in under two minutes
Australia is accelerating efforts to protect frontline troops from the growing threat of small drones,...
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Australia tests backpack-sized counter-drone system deployable in under two minutes. Australia is accelerating efforts to protect frontline troops from the growing threat of small drones,...
TL;DR:
Australia is accelerating efforts to protect frontline troops from the growing threat of small drones,...
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 23:58
Silicon chip creates 64 DNA sequences in parallel using electric currents and water
Researchers at Harvard University have developed a semiconductor chip that can synthesize 64 different DNA...
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Silicon chip creates 64 DNA sequences in parallel using electric currents and water. Researchers at Harvard University have developed a semiconductor chip that can synthesize 64 different DNA...
TL;DR:
Researchers at Harvard University have developed a semiconductor chip that can synthesize 64 different DNA...
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 23:23
New US project targets high-density electricity from Cold War-era nuclear waste
Morgan State University and its partners have secured a $3.37 million contract from the Defense...
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New US project targets high-density electricity from Cold War-era nuclear waste. Morgan State University and its partners have secured a $3.37 million contract from the Defense...
TL;DR:
Morgan State University and its partners have secured a $3.37 million contract from the Defense...
Techxplore
Jun 17, 23:20
Ease of use is key to exoskeleton adoption, engineers show
Wearable exoskeletons can help reduce physical strain in the workplace and protect employees from injury, but the technology has yet to achieve widespread adoption. A new study published in PLOS One by engineers at The University of Texas at El Paso may explain why: The technology is still too complex and cumbersome for everyday use.
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Wearable exoskeletons can help reduce physical strain in the workplace and protect employees from injury, but the technology has yet to achieve widespread adoption. A new study published in PLOS One by engineers at The University of Texas at El Paso may explain why: The technology is still too complex and cumbersome for everyday use.
TL;DR:
Wearable exoskeletons can help reduce physical strain in the workplace and protect employees from injury, but the technology has yet to achieve widespread adoption.
Techxplore
Jun 17, 23:20
Redesigned high-NA lithography optical system aims to overcome challenges in semiconductor chipmaking
From data centers powering next-generation AI to vital medical technology, cars, and the mobile device or computer you're probably reading this on, semiconductor-based computer chips are essential to modern life.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . As technology advances and power consumption increases, scientists are hoping to create ever-smaller computer chips, requiring delicate chip designs on the individual nanometer (nm) scale.
TL;DR:
From data centers powering next-generation AI to vital medical technology, cars, and the mobile device or computer you're probably reading this on, semiconductor-based computer chips are essential to modern life.
Hackaday
Jun 17, 23:00
Building And Testing A DIY Robot Actuator
[Brandon Lai] is hoping to build a humanoid robot. To that end, he’s going to need some actuators, and decided to design his own. His second pass at this turned …read more
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Building And Testing A DIY Robot Actuator. To that end, he’s going to need some actuators, and decided to design his own. His second pass at this turned …read more
TL;DR:
[Brandon Lai] is hoping to build a humanoid robot.
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 20:08
US startup starts work on ‘first utility-scale quantum computer’ in Australia
American startup PsiQuantum has begun construction on a facility in Moreton Bay, Australia, where it plans to build and deploy what it calls the world’s first utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum co…
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One of the first major components arriving at the site will be a large cryogenic plant designed to cool the quantum system. The company ordered the system in late 2024 and described it as one of the largest cryogenic cooling plants ever built for a quantum computing application. The cooling system will be followed by cryogenic cabinets that will contain photonic quantum chips.
TL;DR:
American startup PsiQuantum has begun construction on a facility in Moreton Bay, Australia, where it...
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 20:06
Nuclear waste could be turned into advanced reactor fuel with US firms’ new deal
Advanced nuclear technology firm Oklo and TRISO nuclear fuel producer Standard Nuclear have finalized a...
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Nuclear waste could be turned into advanced reactor fuel with US firms’ new deal. Advanced nuclear technology firm Oklo and TRISO nuclear fuel producer Standard Nuclear have finalized a...
TL;DR:
Advanced nuclear technology firm Oklo and TRISO nuclear fuel producer Standard Nuclear have finalized a...
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 19:12
US connects 20-qubit quantum computer to world’s most powerful supercomputer
US scientists have connected a novel 20-qubit quantum computer to Frontier, the world’s most powerful supercomputer for open science, in a major step aimed at advancing hybrid computing.
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Finland’s IQM, which built and deployed the Pathfinder, said the system is the first commercially procured quantum computer at ORNL. It is furthermore IQM’s first installation in the US. Travis Humble, ORNL Quantum Science Center Director, stated that the presence of the quantum computer has already sped up their efforts to integrate quantum technologies with the lab’s world-c…
TL;DR:
US scientists have connected a novel 20-qubit quantum computer to Frontier, the world’s most powerful...
Hackaday
Jun 17, 18:30
FLOSS Weekly Episode 871: Rust Won’t Save You
This week Jonathan chats with Florian Gilcher about Rust and Ferrous Systems! How have we gotten here, what’s coming next, and what’s new in the Rust world? Watch to find …read more
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FLOSS Weekly Episode 871: Rust Won’t Save You. How have we gotten here, what’s coming next, and what’s new in the Rust world? Watch to find …read more
TL;DR:
This week Jonathan chats with Florian Gilcher about Rust and Ferrous Systems!
Spectrum
Jun 17, 18:00
IEEE’s 2026 Education Week Events Emphasized Lifelong Learning
The rapid evolution of the global engineering landscape requires continuous education. For one week in April, the IEEE community focuses on its educational frameworks. IEEE Education Week , which just concluded its fifth year, provided a comprehensive overview of the resources available to professionals and students. From 11 to 19 April, the organization supplied a variety of live and virtual events , online resources , and promotions that champion the cycle of lifelong learning. IEEE President Mary Ellen Randall kicked off the week with the keynote: “Inspiring Tomorrow’s Innovators: How IEEE Educational Resources Can Open Pathways Into STEM.” The event served as a central point for programs that run throughout the year. “Education Week allows different units to share resources with members and the public, covering everything from preuniversity programs to advanced professional training,” says Jamie Moesch , managing director of IEEE Educational Activities . Coordination across the organization The event relied on the cooperation of 120 IEEE partners. Involved organizational units included the IEEE Communications Society , the IEEE Education Society , and chapters and sections from around the world, including in Brazil , Colombia , and India . They produced 114 events, 23 resources, and 11 special offers. “These collaborations help members remain current in a changing technological environment,” says Timothy Kurzweg , vice president of IEEE Educational Activities . “The goal is to provide accessible tools that assist members in both their own professional development and their efforts to mentor new engineers.” “The week allows different units to share resources with members and the public, covering everything from preuniversity programs to advanced professional training.” —Jamie Moesch, managing director of IEEE Educational Activities The participation metrics reflect a broad geographic interest. The IEEE Education Week website recorded more than 4,770 visitors, with primary engagement coming from India, Nigeria, and the United States. Nearly 240 digital badges were issued to people who completed educational quizzes. To encourage participation, organizers enlisted 72 volunteer ambassadors to promote the week’s activities across their local networks and share key resources on social media. Available educational tools Here are a few of the virtual events held during Education Week—most of which are available on demand: Celebrating Excellence: The EPICS in IEEE Contributor Awards and Service Learning Showcase. Classroom to Startup: Uniting Academia and Industry. IEEE’s Role in Shaping AI-Ready Engineering Education Globally. Leveraging IEEE Standards to Enhance Engineering Service Learning Projects (EPICS in IEEE). Mastering the Modern Job Market: The Power of IEEE Microcredentials. TryEngineering Volunteers Making an Impact in STEM. The Education Week website highlights resources and offers shared by IEEE organizational units, including: A half-off discount for members on IEEE e-learning courses. The catalog covers such topics as computing, power and energy, and telecommunications. IEEE Communications Society on-demand webinars. Learn the latest trends and innovations. IEEE Women in Engineering career-focused, upskill, and reskill webinars. The presentations cover a variety of topics including agentic AI, leadership, and robots. IEEE Innovation at Work. The e-newsletter covers emerging technologies, education, and training for technical professionals. IEEE Learning Network. Hundreds of continuing education courses , all in one place. IEEE TryEngineering lesson plans. The easy-to-use, engaging activities and plans help teach engineering concepts to preuniversity students. IEEE TryEngineering collections. The lesson plans and multimedia resources, developed with partners and IEEE technical societies, are designed to introduce technical topics and deepen student understanding. Individuals who were unable to attend the live sessions can find the archived content on the IEEE Education Week website. The website also accepts donations for education-related funds managed by the IEEE Foundation . Updates and technical resources continue to be shared through the #EducationAtIEEE hashtag on social media channels. Planning for IEEE Education Week 2027, scheduled for 3 to 11 April, is underway.
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IEEE’s 2026 Education Week Events Emphasized Lifelong Learning. Leveraging IEEE Standards to Enhance Engineering Service Learning Projects (EPICS in IEEE). IEEE Learning Network.
TL;DR:
IEEE Innovation at Work.
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 17:09
Hadron patents integral pressurized-water reactor to fit Halo systems in one vessel
Hadron Energy has cleared an early milestone in its effort to commercialize small-scale nuclear power...
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Hadron patents integral pressurized-water reactor to fit Halo systems in one vessel. Hadron Energy has cleared an early milestone in its effort to commercialize small-scale nuclear power...
TL;DR:
Hadron Energy has cleared an early milestone in its effort to commercialize small-scale nuclear power...
Spectrum
Jun 17, 16:13
Behind the Scenes of a Technical Interview
This article is crossposted from IEEE Spectrum ’s careers newsletter. Sign up now to get insider tips, expert advice, and practical strategies, written i n partnership with tech career development company Parsity and delivered to your inbox for free! I’ve sat on both sides of the interview table several times over the past decade. You might be surprised to hear that I’ve often been just as nervous interviewing candidates as I was when being interviewed! Nearly all the interview advice out there is about the candidate’s side, but understanding the other side can also help you prepare. Let me show you what I’ve seen firsthand, and what I’d bet is happening at the company you just interviewed with. If you recently got rejected after an interview, this might explain what actually happened. One caveat, because I’ve been on the receiving end of this: A couple of my recent interviews were run entirely by AI. These were screening rounds, but a growing share of job seekers now report being interviewed by a bot somewhere in the process. Everything below assumes you reached a person. Most teams have no standard prep You might assume companies train people to run interviews. Many don’t. In practice, your interviewers may be much less prepared than it seems. Their prep might look like this: “Here’s a rubric from three years ago, figure it out.” Or: “Let’s grab a conference room between meetings and decide what to ask.” The questions are often whatever the interviewer personally studied when they were job hunting. These days, they may be generated with an LLM the morning of. Then the panel negotiates. One person wants to quiz candidates on data structures and algorithms for a role in which they design websites. Another insists system design is essential for a junior level position. People default to what was done to them and assume it’s normal because it was normal to them. What’s normal to the spider is chaos to the fly. “Scoring” that isn’t really scoring After an interview, some processes I was part of had one simple scale to score candidates: yes, no, strong yes, strong no. The result is predictable. Like the candidate? Strong yes. They rubbed you the wrong way but answered everything correctly? Somehow a soft yes at best. Structured scoring with defined criteria measurably reduces this. The research backs it, and the rare times I saw it used well, it changed my own assessments. Yet many teams I worked on never used this approach. Prestige bias and politics Even with a strong scoring system, bias and office politics can change the outcome. For instance, I once interviewed someone I was strongly against hiring. It was clear they didn’t know what they were doing, and they’d be running critical infrastructure. I gave a strong no with objective reasons, scoring notes, specific examples from the technical round. Leadership pulled me into a meeting right after and asked why. I walked them through my notes. What I didn’t know: Several of them already knew the candidate personally. They liked them. They wanted them hired. I said the decision was theirs, my assessment hadn’t changed, and wished them luck. I’ve also watched a strong resume short-circuit an entire loop. The team saw a top-tier company name, skipped the standard technical rounds, lobbed a few softballs, and basically welcomed the candidate in. But once this engineer got started, it turned out to be a poor fit. And it wasn’t the candidate’s fault. They were set up for failure, because nobody checked whether this person could do this job at this company. In both cases, it didn’t work out. What you can actually control You could read all this and decide the system is broken or rigged. The broken part is fair. The rigged part isn’t. People who are genuinely good at interviewing pass more often. It’s messy, but it’s not a lottery. You can’t fight bias, politics, or a sloppy process. That’s like being mad at the weather. You can only play the two cards you’re dealt: your technical ability and your behavioral presence. Most candidates obsess over the technical side and forget the behavioral rounds exist. But product managers, designers, and cross-functional leads—people with zero technical background—will judge you entirely on whether you can tell a clear story and seem like someone worth working with. If you’re unlikeable in the room, you’ve roughly halved your odds at every stage. So here’s the unglamorous advice that actually works: put yourself on camera. Talk through a project you led, a mistake you made, a hard problem you solved. Record it. Watch it back. Cringe. Do it again. Think out loud, under pressure, with another human watching. If you keep failing interviews, the fix isn’t always more technical prep. It’s getting better at being in a room with other people who are potentially more nervous, less prepared, and more biased than you ever imagined. The process is broken. You can still win. —Brian NSF Experiments With New Kind of Science Funding A new initi...
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Behind the Scenes of a Technical Interview. Most teams have no standard prep You might assume companies train people to run interviews. —Brian NSF Experiments With New Kind of Science Funding A new initi...
TL;DR:
“Scoring” that isn’t really scoring After an interview, some processes I was part of had one simple scale to score candidates: yes, no, strong yes, strong no.
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 15:39
China’s Alibaba unveils AI brains designed to power the next generation of robots
Chinese firm Alibaba has launched its first embodied AI model family, which links large language...
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China’s Alibaba unveils AI brains designed to power the next generation of robots. Chinese firm Alibaba has launched its first embodied AI model family, which links large language...
TL;DR:
Chinese firm Alibaba has launched its first embodied AI model family, which links large language...
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 15:18
German firm’s air defense system that delivers enormous firepower, precision set to be showcased
A German company’s advanced mobile air defense system is soon to showcase its battlefield power....
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German firm’s air defense system that delivers enormous firepower, precision set to be showcased. A German company’s advanced mobile air defense system is soon to showcase its battlefield power....
TL;DR:
A German company’s advanced mobile air defense system is soon to showcase its battlefield power....
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 15:15
US company gets approval to build the world’s first fusion power plant in Washington
US-based fusion energy company Helion has received the regulatory clearances to build the world’s first fusion energy power plant.
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As the world looks for newer ways to meet it energy demands without emitting carbon, fusion energy seems to be the most likely option. Moreover, unlike renewables like wind and solar, fusion energy plants can work on demand, meeting energy requirements as they arise, without the investments required in energy storage too.
TL;DR:
US-based fusion energy company Helion has received the regulatory clearances to build the world’s first...
Spectrum
Jun 17, 15:04
How Musicians Can Get Paid for Training AI
Musicians are accustomed to getting paid each time their creative work is used. Across vinyl/CD sales, streams, radio, cover versions, and those numerous niches like karaoke, there are agreements in place about what “use” means. Underlying this is a simple economic principle: The more something is used, the more money it makes. Generative AI has complicated the definition of use . On the one hand, you could argue that the use of a piece of musical training data happens just once, at the point of training. On the other hand, creators would be right to complain that the creative essence of their work lives on in the structure of the model, used every time the model produces an output. Now, companies like Sureel and SoundVerse are working to re-create the essential economic principle that motivates creativity in an era of AI. Such initiatives aim to turn the generative AI industry from one guilty of “the biggest act of copyright theft in history” into one that coexists harmoniously with hardworking artists. Music Royalties for the AI era Sureel , a startup Warner Music Group just acquired , has partnered with the Swedish copyright agency STIM to explore the potential for music creators to get paid when their music is used to train generative AI tools . Sureel’s software labels online media, such as a music file, with instructions determined by the owner. The instructions specify whether an AI company may use the media freely in training, limit its influence in any given training set, or avoid it altogether. The software then tracks how the AI company uses the media in training and sets licensing fees accordingly. Meanwhile, the founders of the AI music company SoundVerse “[reject] one-time royalty buyouts as insufficient and [advocate] for ongoing participation of artists in the AI lifecycle,” they wrote in a 2025 white paper . They argue that each time a generative AI system produces an output, certain pieces of training data play a greater role than others. If the system outputs music resembling jazz, the jazz in the training set has arguably contributed more than, say, the folk music. You can therefore differentially reward each piece of training data for each output. Sureel’s Co-President Benji Rogers told me, “Attribution isn’t about re-creating the old economics. It’s about measuring, for the first time, the thing the old economics only approximated.” Such influence attribution needs to do more than superficially measure how similar a training data point is to the AI output. The challenge is to attribute causality, or a relationship between the training data and the trained AI, Sureel CEO Tamay Aykut says. Even if the AI industry achieved that, however, it might encourage people to create music designed to maximize training-data royalties. While all creative markets lead to new incentives (music streaming, for example, has driven songs to have shorter intros), the industry could do without another economic structure that is easily gamed, in which someone’s reverse-engineered pastiche diverts royalties away from original works of creative expression. RELATED: Generative AI Has a Visual Plagiarism Problem Inferring the influence of a particular piece of music on a generated piece of music, if a well-defined problem at all, may involve more advanced information theoretic principles, or modelling the actual historical role and impact of individual works. Aykut proposes that in carefully designed attribution systems, more unusual and unpolished musical works could even have more inherent value than radio standards. Simon Gozzi, Head of Business Development at STIM, says the company is in the process of seeing how Sureel’s attribution reports could underlie licensing agreements between musicians and AI companies. Could generative AI attribution strategies not only sustain the economic logic that “popularity pays,” but also motivate musical experimentation and diversity? It’s a compelling concept when public sentiment rightly fears generative AI’s threat to cultural vibrancy, pushing power towards tech companies, deskilling creative workers, shrinking revenue in the creative sector, and filling the internet with slop. “Attribution is one of the few credible tools we have,” Rogers says. There’s a window of opportunity to debate and establish approaches to paying for AI training data that serve a vibrant and sustainable creative sector. The technical problem of training data attribution is both complex and ill-defined. Just as a simplistic attribution strategy based on measuring similarity might motivate people to reverse-engineer the canonical works of a genre to capture royalties, a more complex attribution strategy based on some information theory of originality might be easily gamed or fail to reward human cultural production. For creative workers, there’s good reason to fear that even with the best intentions, AI attribution will only compound the baroque and opaque arms races that they are already weary ...
More:
How Musicians Can Get Paid for Training AI. On the one hand, you could argue that the use of a piece of musical training data happens just once, at the point of training. It’s about measuring, for the first time, the thing the old economics only approximated.
TL;DR:
Generative AI has complicated the definition of use .
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 13:54
Robot forces could guard NATO’s 2,150-mile east front in new border defense concept
Milrem Robotics has introduced a new plan that could change how NATO defends its eastern...
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Robot forces could guard NATO’s 2,150-mile east front in new border defense concept. Milrem Robotics has introduced a new plan that could change how NATO defends its eastern...
TL;DR:
Milrem Robotics has introduced a new plan that could change how NATO defends its eastern...
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 13:51
UK’s new nuclear control room simulator mimics multiple reactor types safely
Lancaster University has officially unveiled a first-of-its-kind nuclear facility control room simulator, featuring a highly...
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“The pioneering simulator will support the nation’s clean energy goals and help enhance the country’s future nuclear safety,” said the university in a press release. The facility functions as a training platform to prepare personnel for the domestic clean energy sector and to test safety protocols.
TL;DR:
Lancaster University has officially unveiled a first-of-its-kind nuclear facility control room simulator, featuring a highly...
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 13:42
China’s giant 6-ton autonomous tiltrotor drone enters full free-flight testing
China’s R6000, one of the world’s largest uncrewed tiltrotor aircraft, has entered full free-flight testing, according to newly emerged video footage.
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The new development marks a notable progression for developer United Aircraft, as it has now moved beyond earlier tethered hover trials. This is a critical milestone for validating the aircraft’s complex aerodynamics and flight control systems. The design combines helicopter-style VTOL capability with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft.
TL;DR:
China’s R6000, one of the world’s largest uncrewed tiltrotor aircraft, has entered full free-flight testing,...
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 13:21
New 600MW storage project could turn wasted wind power into clean electricity
Irish firm Net Zero Energy (NZE) aims to construct Rathrush Green Energy Park, a 600MW...
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New 600MW storage project could turn wasted wind power into clean electricity. Irish firm Net Zero Energy (NZE) aims to construct Rathrush Green Energy Park, a 600MW...
TL;DR:
Irish firm Net Zero Energy (NZE) aims to construct Rathrush Green Energy Park, a 600MW...
Spectrum
Jun 17, 12:19
The Secret to Marathon-Winning Humanoid Robots
On April 19, 2026, the Honor Lightning humanoid robot ran a half-marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds , beating the human world record by 7 minutes and the best robot time from 2025 by almost two hours. How did they do it? Is there some magical technology or technique that unlocked this performance? How did they beat the significantly better-known Unitree (who reportedly had to supply an ice backpack to try and complete the race without overheating)? My doctoral thesis involved building and controlling hopping and running robots , and since then I’ve tried to design and build efficient commercial legged robots , giving me a decent idea of the constraints involved. In this article, we take a look at the fundamental underlying constraints to try and answer these questions. The Physics of Running Running consists of alternating phases of a leg pushing against the ground (“stance phase”) and the body flying through the air (“aerial phase”). In the aerial phase, the body falls due to gravity, losing vertical momentum. The leg in stance phase pushes against the ground to redirect the vertical momentum upward, while the other leg swings forward to reposition for the next foothold. Electric motors use energy to produce torque- the higher the torque, the more energy lost as heat. Adding a geartrain after the motor amplifies its torque and reduces its speed. A large reduction helps with torque production, but since the rotor of the motor itself has to spin faster, it becomes very sluggish at accelerating its output. This is obviously bad for the swing phase described above. These competing effects mean that for a particular motor, there is usually a sweet spot for the gear ratio: The power consumed by a robot leg is minimized at an optimal gear ratio (30:1 in this example). Avik De/Datawrapper How Honor Did It While the Lightning’s motor specifications are not published, the hip and knee motors roughly have a 110-150mm outer diameter. For an approximate set of motor parameters, I looked to the ILM115x25 motor due to its relevant size and detailed specifications. We can use a simple physics model to estimate the power consumption for running at 7 m/s (the Lightning’s average half marathon speed) as gear ratio varies: The light blue curve shows how to pick the optimal gearing (45:1). The dark blue curve shows how much heat will be produced in the knee motor, ~150W for the optimal gearing. Avik De/Datawrapper We see that the drivetrain is not magical: with a gear ratio chosen for this task (we’ll return to this below), the approximate robot power consumption would be a very reasonable 400W. However, the dissipated knee power ( typically the main thermal limiting factor) is ~150W. This is almost an unavoidable consequence — running at human speeds with a humanoid-sized robot will inevitably generate this amount of heat! Over a prolonged period, keeping the motor from overheating would be a challenge, but the Lightning has a trick up its sleeve : According to Honor, the liquid - cooling pipes penetrate deep into the motors like capillaries. The high - power liquid pump has a heat - exchange flow rate of more than 4 liters per minute. Each of the four drive motors in the lower limbs is equipped with an independent liquid - cooling circuit. Liquid cooling is not new, but it’s definitely not a commodity. It has shown up in research periodically, and on the commercial side Apptronik tried it for a few of their prototypes but (to my knowledge) does not use it on their main Apollo platform. Basic air convection-based cooling would not continuously be able to extract 150W out of the knee motor, and so the cooling technology is a key enabler of this type of performance. Why Others Couldn’t Compete Why did Honor’s competitors, including more established and widely-shipped humanoids such as from Unitree or Agibot , not compete as well? We can use the same model to generate an equivalent energetics plot for walking at 1.5 m/s, a much more modest but potentially more common activity for a commercial humanoid robot: The solid and dashed light blue lines show a running-optimized design, while green lines show a walking-optimized design. The optimal ratio for walking is much lower (30:1 vs 45:1). However, the power dissipated in the knee motor while running (dark blue) is much higher at 30:1 vs 45:1—the price to pay for running with a walking-optimized design. Avik De/Datawrapper The plot adds a new green curve for the walking power, and the optimal gearing is significantly different! Let’s say you design your robot to excel at the normal walking task and choose the green design with 30:1 gearing. The knee motor power to run a half marathon is over 300W (red arrow), more than 2x what we had with the running-optimized design. It wouldn’t be so surprising to need ice packs! Conversely, visually following the green curve shows that the running-optimized robot wastes more power for walking. Using larger motors sized for running increase...
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The Secret to Marathon-Winning Humanoid Robots. Electric motors use energy to produce torque- the higher the torque, the more energy lost as heat. Let’s say you design your robot to excel at the normal walking task and choose the green design with 30:1 gearing.
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However, the power dissipated in the knee motor while running (dark blue) is much higher at 30:1 vs 45:1—the price to pay for running with a walking-optimized design.
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 11:29
Elephant trunk skin’s dual-zone design offers blueprint for advanced robotic grippers
An elephant’s trunk can haul a felled log across a clearing and, moments later, peel...
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Elephant trunk skin’s dual-zone design offers blueprint for advanced robotic grippers. An elephant’s trunk can haul a felled log across a clearing and, moments later, peel...
TL;DR:
An elephant’s trunk can haul a felled log across a clearing and, moments later, peel...
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 11:27
New microwave trick converts 95% of EV battery cathodes into reusable materials
Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories in the US have figured out how to use ordinary...
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New microwave trick converts 95% of EV battery cathodes into reusable materials. Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories in the US have figured out how to use ordinary...
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Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories in the US have figured out how to use ordinary...
Scientificamerican
Jun 17, 09:54
U.S. Science Is in Chaos
This article is part of “ The Young American Scientists ,” which includes stories of 28 extraordinary scientists poised to change the world, as well as a deep look at the past, present and future of…
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L ast year Christopher Reynolds started to worry that his space telescope was going to be killed. Eight teams of researchers pitched NASA their ideas; Reynolds, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, was part of a group that wanted to deploy a new technology: x-ray mirrors made of single-crystal silicon.
TL;DR:
This article is part of “ The Young American Scientists ,” which includes stories of 28 extraordinary scientists poised to change the world, as well as a deep look at the past, present and future of science and innovation in the U.S.
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 08:37
Chinese automaker unveils Xiaosai humanoid robot for inspection and production roles
Chinese automaker Seres has unveiled its first humanoid robot, Xiaosai, marking the company’s entry into the rapidly growing embodied AI sector.
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Chinese automaker Seres has unveiled its first humanoid robot, Xiaosai, marking the company’s entry into the rapidly growing embodied AI sector. The launch highlights the automaker’s expanding focus on robotics, with several additional embodied intelligence robots expected to debut later this year as Seres broadens its presence beyond electric vehicles.
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Chinese automaker Seres has unveiled its first humanoid robot, Xiaosai, marking the company’s entry into...
Interestingengineering
Jun 17, 07:04
Deep-space ‘UFO’ winds discovered quenching star formation in the early universe
By coordinating simultaneous deep-space observations, an international team of astrophysicists has successfully captured one of...
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Deep-space ‘UFO’ winds discovered quenching star formation in the early universe. By coordinating simultaneous deep-space observations, an international team of astrophysicists has successfully captured one of...
TL;DR:
By coordinating simultaneous deep-space observations, an international team of astrophysicists has successfully captured one of...
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 23:57
New atom-level calculations show transistors could shrink below 4 nanometers
KAIST researchers have developed a simulation-based method to predict how small future transistors can become...
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New atom-level calculations show transistors could shrink below 4 nanometers. KAIST researchers have developed a simulation-based method to predict how small future transistors can become...
TL;DR:
KAIST researchers have developed a simulation-based method to predict how small future transistors can become...
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 23:31
New RapidStriker system uses 360-degree vision and automated fire to neutralize drones
As militaries scramble to adapt to the rapid spread of battlefield drones, Thales has unveiled...
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New RapidStriker system uses 360-degree vision and automated fire to neutralize drones. As militaries scramble to adapt to the rapid spread of battlefield drones, Thales has unveiled...
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As militaries scramble to adapt to the rapid spread of battlefield drones, Thales has unveiled...
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 22:41
DARPA wants military batteries with 10x more energy, and future battlefields may depend on them
The US military is launching an ambitious effort to develop a new generation of rechargeable...
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DARPA wants military batteries with 10x more energy, and future battlefields may depend on them. The US military is launching an ambitious effort to develop a new generation of rechargeable...
TL;DR:
The US military is launching an ambitious effort to develop a new generation of rechargeable...
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 19:18
Eno humanoid robot aims to become the general-purpose machine for every workplace
Genesis AI has unveiled Eno, its first general-purpose robot, as the company pushes toward building machines that can work across factories, laboratories, hospitals, hotels and eventually homes.
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Genesis AI has unveiled Eno, its first general-purpose robot, as the company pushes toward building machines that can work across factories, laboratories, hospitals, hotels and eventually homes. The robot combines Genesis AI’s custom hardware with GENE, the company’s robotics foundation model, which serves as Eno’s control system.
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Genesis AI has unveiled Eno, its first general-purpose robot, as the company pushes toward building...
Hackaday
Jun 16, 18:30
2026 Frikkin Lasers Contest: Glow Engine is like an Open Air Slow Scan CRT
Slow-scan CRTs were never exactly common compared to their faster cousins, but given the popularity of Slow Scan TV (SSTV) amongst hams and NASA broadcasts, many of you are probably …read more
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[AJRussell]’s Glow Engine works much the same , with one key difference — instead of cathode rays, he’s using a frikkin laser beam. So while this is a laser projector, it works more like a CRT than most galvo projectors, which rely on Persistence of Vision to create an image.
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Slow-scan CRTs were never exactly common compared to their faster cousins, but given the popularity of Slow Scan TV (SSTV) amongst hams and NASA broadcasts, many of you are probably …read more
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 18:26
DSA’s 1,650-dish grid to survey universe 100x faster with real-time GPU data processing
The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has finalized design plans for the Deep Synoptic Array...
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DSA’s 1,650-dish grid to survey universe 100x faster with real-time GPU data processing. The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has finalized design plans for the Deep Synoptic Array...
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The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has finalized design plans for the Deep Synoptic Array...
Techxplore
Jun 16, 17:37
How can we make buildings more resilient before—and after—earthquakes? We put one solution to the test
This week's magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the Philippines came with scenes familiar to New Zealanders: collapsed buildings, shattered facades and streets strewn with rubble.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Earthquakes of such force test buildings to their limits. Last month, in one of the country's most demanding full-scale earthquake tests, we assessed an emerging timber-based technology and found that it can meet all these requirements.
TL;DR:
This week's magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the Philippines came with scenes familiar to New Zealanders: collapsed buildings, shattered facades and streets strewn with rubble.
Techxplore
Jun 16, 17:37
Material dents and folds could be engineered into smart surfaces with AI
Wrinkles or dents appearing on material surfaces are often regarded as signs of damage or deformation. In a recent collaborative review paper published in Nano-Micro Letters and titled "Harnessing Surface Instabilities for Functional Materials: Mechanics, Morphology, and Emerging Applications," researchers from Lingnan University propose that naturally formed surface textures in materials could in the future be combined with artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted design to develop novel functional materials.
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Material dents and folds could be engineered into smart surfaces with AI. Wrinkles or dents appearing on material surfaces are often regarded as signs of damage or deformation. In a recent collaborative review paper published in Nano-Micro Letters and titled "Harnessing Surface Instabilities for Functional Materials: Mechanics, Morphology, and Emerging Applications," researche…
TL;DR:
Wrinkles or dents appearing on material surfaces are often regarded as signs of damage or deformation.
Techxplore
Jun 16, 17:37
Elephant trunk skin reveals design that could reshape soft robotics
An elephant's trunk is both strong and capable of extremely fine motor movements. With this muscular, boneless structure, an elephant can carry heavy logs—or deftly peel a banana. Lucia Beccai and colleagues studied the skin of the trunk, hoping to understand its properties and derive lessons for the next generation of advanced soft robotics. The authors obtained a trunk from a single adult Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) that died of natural causes at Zurich Zoo, Switzerland, in 2020.
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Elephant trunk skin reveals design that could reshape soft robotics. Lucia Beccai and colleagues studied the skin of the trunk, hoping to understand its properties and derive lessons for the next generation of advanced soft robotics. The authors obtained a trunk from a single adult Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) that died of natural causes at Zurich Zoo, Switzerland, in 2020.
TL;DR:
An elephant's trunk is both strong and capable of extremely fine motor movements.
Techxplore
Jun 16, 17:37
UK social housing design must adapt to suit changing climate demands, say researchers
A study carried out by researchers at the University of Manchester has found that future climate change will bring a clear shift toward summer cooling requirements, with implications for grid capacity, occupant well-being and energy affordability.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . The research, published in Buildings , aims to understand how the U.K.'s designs for social housing need to change as future climate change alters demand for heating and cooling in the summer and winter months, and how this change in energy demand might be addressed to mitigate environment…
TL;DR:
A study carried out by researchers at the University of Manchester has found that future climate change will bring a clear shift toward summer cooling requirements, with implications for grid capacity, occupant well-being and energy affordability.
Techxplore
Jun 16, 17:36
Simple coating could make next-generation chip transistors easier to manufacture without damaging ultrathin layers
Inside computer chips are billions of tiny transistors made from silicon. But the material is approaching its limits. In an effort to build smaller, more capable devices, researchers are exploring how they might build transistors with other materials alongside silicon, including a class of extremely thin materials called transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD). One of the leading TMD candidates is a material called molybdenum disulfide. It is only three atoms thick: one layer of molybdenum sandwiched between two layers of sulfur.
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Simple coating could make next-generation chip transistors easier to manufacture without damaging ultrathin layers. One of the leading TMD candidates is a material called molybdenum disulfide. It is only three atoms thick: one layer of molybdenum sandwiched between two layers of sulfur.
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Inside computer chips are billions of tiny transistors made from silicon.
Newsletter
Jun 16, 16:42
Why is Meta destroying its engineering organization?
For two decades, Meta had a unique, high-performance engineering org; right up until around April of this year.
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Why is Meta destroying its engineering organization?. For the first 20 years of the company’s existence, it had a “move-fast-and-break-things” culture, and in the early 2020s this shifted to a “move-fast-with-stable-infra” one. I’d split Meta’s engineering culture into two eras: “move fast and break things”, and then “move fast with stable infra.”
TL;DR:
For two decades, Meta had a unique, high-performance engineering org; right up until around April of this year.
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 16:27
Video: Ceiling-mounted DIY robot picks up toys, clothes, and household clutter
An engineer has developed an open-source ceiling-mounted robotic claw designed to tackle one of the...
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Video: Ceiling-mounted DIY robot picks up toys, clothes, and household clutter. An engineer has developed an open-source ceiling-mounted robotic claw designed to tackle one of the...
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An engineer has developed an open-source ceiling-mounted robotic claw designed to tackle one of the...
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 16:06
New cost-effective internal cooling solution solves semiconductor chip overheating
Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a technique...
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New cost-effective internal cooling solution solves semiconductor chip overheating. Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a technique...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a technique...
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 15:31
The robot takeover of warfare is already happening and it doesn’t look like Hollywood
Will AI robot soldiers take over the battlefield? If your image of a robot soldier...
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The robot takeover of warfare is already happening and it doesn’t look like Hollywood. Will AI robot soldiers take over the battlefield? If your image of a robot soldier...
TL;DR:
Will AI robot soldiers take over the battlefield?
Hackaday
Jun 16, 15:30
The Adder at the Heart of Intel’s 8087 FPU
As simple as the concept of adding two numbers appears at first glance, doing it in the 1970s in Intel’s 8087 FPU with its 69-bit adder was still a tall …read more
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This is namely the core feature that many features like tangents, cosines and exponentiation rely on, so it had to be basically perfect. Implementing this entire adder with NMOS technology and wiring it all up to the rest of the die required a lot of ingenuity on the side of the Intel engineers, as as previously noted this adder is effectively always used in any operation at s…
TL;DR:
As simple as the concept of adding two numbers appears at first glance, doing it in the 1970s in Intel’s 8087 FPU with its 69-bit adder was still a tall …read more
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 13:35
Prosthetic hands’ data helps robots get finer control for precise manipulation
ABB Robotics has partnered with California-based bionic company PSYONIC to develop more dexterous robotic systems...
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Prosthetic hands’ data helps robots get finer control for precise manipulation. ABB Robotics has partnered with California-based bionic company PSYONIC to develop more dexterous robotic systems...
TL;DR:
ABB Robotics has partnered with California-based bionic company PSYONIC to develop more dexterous robotic systems...
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 13:35
Foam-backed floating solar array delivers 7.7 MWh in freezing conditions
Researchers at Canada’s Western University designed a foam-backed floating photovoltaic (FPV) system. It was tested...
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Foam-backed floating solar array delivers 7.7 MWh in freezing conditions. Researchers at Canada’s Western University designed a foam-backed floating photovoltaic (FPV) system. It was tested...
TL;DR:
Researchers at Canada’s Western University designed a foam-backed floating photovoltaic (FPV) system.
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 13:30
China’s neighbor tests 2-layer ballistic missile defense shield for nuclear threats
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has completed three back-to-back flight tests of its...
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China’s neighbor tests 2-layer ballistic missile defense shield for nuclear threats. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has completed three back-to-back flight tests of its...
TL;DR:
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has completed three back-to-back flight tests of its...
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 13:24
95% manufacturing time saved with new origami-inspired 3D printing method
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a hybrid 3D printing process that...
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95% manufacturing time saved with new origami-inspired 3D printing method. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a hybrid 3D printing process that...
TL;DR:
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a hybrid 3D printing process that...
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 13:08
New Archimedes laser weapon system for low-cost drone kill trialed for Pentagon
US firm Aurelius Systems has completed live testing of its Archimedes autonomous directed-energy system for...
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New Archimedes laser weapon system for low-cost drone kill trialed for Pentagon. US firm Aurelius Systems has completed live testing of its Archimedes autonomous directed-energy system for...
TL;DR:
US firm Aurelius Systems has completed live testing of its Archimedes autonomous directed-energy system for...
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 08:05
UCF engineers tackle water-to-air flight instability for amphibious drones
Researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF) are pioneering a new approach to one...
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UCF engineers tackle water-to-air flight instability for amphibious drones. Researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF) are pioneering a new approach to one...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the University of Central Florida (UCF) are pioneering a new approach to one...
Interestingengineering
Jun 16, 06:29
Astrobotic unveils Griffin-1, NASA’s Moon Base lander with 1,377-lb payload, for 2026
Astrobotic has publicly unveiled its Griffin-1 lunar lander — the vehicle NASA has selected to...
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Astrobotic unveils Griffin-1, NASA’s Moon Base lander with 1,377-lb payload, for 2026. Astrobotic has publicly unveiled its Griffin-1 lunar lander — the vehicle NASA has selected to...
TL;DR:
Astrobotic has publicly unveiled its Griffin-1 lunar lander — the vehicle NASA has selected to...
Techxplore
Jun 16, 01:35
Floating solar panels keep working through icy Canadian winters
To accommodate the increasing demand for clean energy, researchers have been developing floating solar panels for rivers, reservoirs and other waterways in recent years. While there is, of course, plenty of land for solar farms, problems arise when these projects clash with farming and nature conservation.
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Floating solar panels keep working through icy Canadian winters. To accommodate the increasing demand for clean energy, researchers have been developing floating solar panels for rivers, reservoirs and other waterways in recent years. While there is, of course, plenty of land for solar farms, problems arise when these projects clash with farming and nature conservation.
TL;DR:
To accommodate the increasing demand for clean energy, researchers have been developing floating solar panels for rivers, reservoirs and other waterways in recent years.
Techxplore
Jun 16, 01:35
All-optical signal processor developed to break AI data center transmission bottleneck
A research team led by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has developed a novel integrated all-optical signal processor (OSP) to address the massive data transmission demands of next-generation AI systems, particularly for high-speed links between multiple data centers.
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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Built on a silicon photonic chip , the OSP can correct signal distortion in real time while the optical signal is still in the form of light, without first converting it into an electrical signal for processing. The findings have recently been published in the journal Science .
TL;DR:
A research team led by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has developed a novel integrated all-optical signal processor (OSP) to address the massive data transmission demands of next-generation AI systems, particularly for high-speed links between multiple data centers.
Techxplore
Jun 16, 01:35
Advanced 3D printing creates origami-inspired structures
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have introduced an innovation in additive manufacturing by integrating origami-inspired 3D printing techniques with hybrid composites—materials made from mixed reinforcing components. By eliminating the need for molds to fabricate a part, this process produces lightweight, cost-efficient structures with faster build times and greater adaptability.
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Researchers at the Department of Energy's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have introduced an innovation in additive manufacturing by integrating origami-inspired 3D printing techniques with hybrid composites—materials made from mixed reinforcing components.
TL;DR:
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have introduced an innovation in additive manufacturing by integrating origami-inspired 3D printing techniques with hybrid composites—materials made from mixed reinforcing components.
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 23:54
US achieves world’s first end-to-end conversion of cow manure biogas into jet fuel
A California startup says it has found a cheaper way to turn an overlooked farm...
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US achieves world’s first end-to-end conversion of cow manure biogas into jet fuel. A California startup says it has found a cheaper way to turn an overlooked farm...
TL;DR:
A California startup says it has found a cheaper way to turn an overlooked farm...
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 23:44
Tiny vision chip sees, processes, and stores data for next-gen autonomous systems
Researchers in Australia have developed a neuromorphic vision chip that can see, process, and store...
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Tiny vision chip sees, processes, and stores data for next-gen autonomous systems. Researchers in Australia have developed a neuromorphic vision chip that can see, process, and store...
TL;DR:
Researchers in Australia have developed a neuromorphic vision chip that can see, process, and store...
Hackaday
Jun 15, 23:00
Building a Ceiling-Based Crane Robot to Keep a Room Clean
One of the joys you get to experience whether as a proud parent or pet owner is that a lot of things get left around haphazardly. You could of course …read more
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You could of course pick every piece of discarded clothing, half-destroyed toy and detritus yourself, but as a parent of three children himself [Nathaniel Nifong] opted to use his engineering background to potentially over engineer a wires-suspended robotic claw to do this picking up for him .
TL;DR:
One of the joys you get to experience whether as a proud parent or pet owner is that a lot of things get left around haphazardly.
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 20:23
From CERN to plague islands: 7 scientific sites surrounded by paranormal lore
Science is usually associated with reason, evidence, and discovery. Yet some of the world’s most...
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From CERN to plague islands: 7 scientific sites surrounded by paranormal lore. Science is usually associated with reason, evidence, and discovery. Yet some of the world’s most...
TL;DR:
Science is usually associated with reason, evidence, and discovery.
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 19:16
China launches photonic computing lab to advance next-gen light-powered chips
China has launched a new research laboratory dedicated to photonic computing, a technology that uses...
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China launches photonic computing lab to advance next-gen light-powered chips. China has launched a new research laboratory dedicated to photonic computing, a technology that uses...
TL;DR:
China has launched a new research laboratory dedicated to photonic computing, a technology that uses...
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 19:07
New sub-450-gram mini drone system sustains autonomous surveillance despite GPS jamming
As armies look for ways to keep soldiers under armor while maintaining constant awareness of...
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New sub-450-gram mini drone system sustains autonomous surveillance despite GPS jamming. As armies look for ways to keep soldiers under armor while maintaining constant awareness of...
TL;DR:
As armies look for ways to keep soldiers under armor while maintaining constant awareness of...
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 18:40
US and European firms test autonomous strike technology for future cruise missiles
Shield AI and Destinus have completed a flight test exercise demonstrating autonomous collaborative strike capabilities...
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Hornet is designed and manufactured by Destinus, a European defense technology company. According to the company the Hornet serves as an initial integration baseline for Shield AI’s Hivemind AI pilot across the Destinus product line.
TL;DR:
Shield AI and Destinus have completed a flight test exercise demonstrating autonomous collaborative strike capabilities...
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 18:04
Samsung-backed 7 DOF robot is learning to work inside a giant e-commerce warehouse
A mobile robot developed by Samsung-controlled Rainbow Robotics has reportedly begun testing inside a Coupang...
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Samsung-backed 7 DOF robot is learning to work inside a giant e-commerce warehouse. A mobile robot developed by Samsung-controlled Rainbow Robotics has reportedly begun testing inside a Coupang...
TL;DR:
A mobile robot developed by Samsung-controlled Rainbow Robotics has reportedly begun testing inside a Coupang...
Spectrum
Jun 15, 18:00
Engineering Is Critical to Boosting Food Security
Nearly 750 million people face hunger today, according to the U.N. World Food Program . And by 2050, global demand for food is expected to increase by 50 percent from 2010 levels , the World Resources Institute says. A smart agriculture special-issue report recently released by the IEEE Smart Agri-Food Initiative says meeting the demand will require technology to expand food production. The report highlights research, case studies, and new ways of applying technology to inform farmers, engineers, and policymakers. Leading the initiative is IEEE Fellow John Verboncoeur , chair of the smart-food program and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Michigan State University , in East Lansing. “Food security is becoming a systems-engineering problem,” Verboncoeur says. “We’re no longer talking only about tractors and irrigation. We’re talking about sensing, communications, computation, automation, and sustainability all working together.” Although not formally trained as an agriculture scientist, Verboncoeur’s first involvement with smart agriculture was as an undergraduate at University of Florida in 1985-86, where he helped develop an SmartAg aeroponics system for NASA for the International Space Station . It used mist to spray the plants’ roots and lightweight pneumatic structures to hold the vegetation in place. He has also chaired the executive committee of Michigan State’s SmartAg Initiative since it launched in 2017. He chaired the program’s leading interdisciplinary efforts to apply engineering and digital technologies to farming and food systems. Verboncoeur connects the shift of using engineering as a force multiplier for farming to lessons learned from the IEEE Smart Village program, which supports projects and organizations bringing electricity and educational and employment opportunities to remote communities. Agriculture, he argues, requires the same systems-level mindset. “The challenge isn’t just inventing technology,” he says. “It’s making systems practical, affordable, and deployable.” From digital twins to autonomous harvesting A central theme across the Smart Agri-Food Systems report is the convergence of automation , data analytics , and sustainability . One paper, “ Smart Agriculture, Precision Agriculture, Digital Twins in Agriculture: Similarities and Differences ,” addresses the confusion regarding how researchers and practitioners define and apply the technologies to farming. The paper was written by Dilan Onat Alakuş , a research assistant in the software engineering department at Kırklareli University , in Türkiye, and Ibrahim Türkoğlu , a software engineering professor at Fırat University , in Elazığ, Türkiye. Unclear terminology can lead to inefficient investment and poor adoption of the technologies, the two authors say. They note that agricultural methods based on traditional practices and intuition lack a thorough analysis of their environmental and economic impacts. They describe how three technologies can benefit farmers: • Smart agriculture systems integrate sensors, artificial intelligence, robotics, and analytics to improve efficiency and sustainability at scale. • Precision agriculture focuses on location-specific decisions. Farmers use GPS-guided equipment to map fields, deploy drones to monitor crop health, and install field sensors that track soil moisture and nutrient levels in targeted zones. The tools allow farmers to apply water, fertilizer, and pesticides only where needed—which can reduce waste and lessen environmental impact. • Digital twins create virtual replicas of an agricultural area. The resulting models simulate the farmstead, crops, and irrigation systems, allowing growers to test scenarios and predict outcomes before implementing changes. The authors emphasize that the categories overlap in practice. A digital twin might draw data from precision agriculture systems and feed recommendations into smart agriculture platforms. Clearer distinctions help farmers select appropriate tools and avoid unnecessary complexity and costs, they say. “This study contributed to conscious agricultural practices by differentiating agricultural technologies,” they wrote, adding that clearer definitions can increase productivity. Smart farming in practice The report shifts from theory to application in a paper describing bustani , which means my garden in Arabic. The Bustanica project in Saudi Arabia is an automated hydroponic vertical farming system developed by researchers at the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University , in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The “ Bustani: A Microcontroller-Based Automated Hydroponic Vertical Farming Solution ” paper was written by Hussah Alotaibi, a computer engineer at Saudi Aramco , the country’s national oil company; Abul Bashar , Widad Karsou, and Shehvar Khan, researchers in the university’s computer engineering and computer science department; and Salahudean Tohmeh from the university’s robotics laboratory. The Bustanica system combi...
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Engineering Is Critical to Boosting Food Security. World Food Program . He chaired the program’s leading interdisciplinary efforts to apply engineering and digital technologies to farming and food systems.
TL;DR:
A digital twin might draw data from precision agriculture systems and feed recommendations into smart agriculture platforms.
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 17:10
BMW’s Neue Klasse EVs become home power hubs with smart solar energy ecosystem
Global car giant BMW and German clean-energy firm Solarwatt have just unveiled a home energy...
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BMW’s Neue Klasse EVs become home power hubs with smart solar energy ecosystem. Global car giant BMW and German clean-energy firm Solarwatt have just unveiled a home energy...
TL;DR:
Global car giant BMW and German clean-energy firm Solarwatt have just unveiled a home energy...
Techxplore
Jun 15, 14:58
Going up against the heat: Vertical greenery keeps cities cool
Climate change and urbanization have intensified the urban heat island (UHI) effect, where urban areas are significantly warmer than rural areas. This has, in turn, increased the frequency of extreme heat events, such as heat waves, and deteriorated both outdoor environments and indoor thermal conditions in buildings, leading to higher cooling energy demands, greater strain on power grids and an elevated risk of power outages.
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Climate change and urbanization have intensified the urban heat island (UHI) effect, where urban areas are significantly warmer than rural areas. This has, in turn, increased the frequency of extreme heat events, such as heat waves, and deteriorated both outdoor environments and indoor thermal conditions in buildings, leading to higher cooling energy demands, greater strain on…
TL;DR:
Climate change and urbanization have intensified the urban heat island (UHI) effect, where urban areas are significantly warmer than rural areas.
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 13:49
US defense firm unveils 22-pound backpackable robot for bomb disposal teams
American defense firm AeroVironment (AV) has introduced the TOM 50 RE, a lightweight, backpackable uncrewed...
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US defense firm unveils 22-pound backpackable robot for bomb disposal teams. American defense firm AeroVironment (AV) has introduced the TOM 50 RE, a lightweight, backpackable uncrewed...
TL;DR:
American defense firm AeroVironment (AV) has introduced the TOM 50 RE, a lightweight, backpackable uncrewed...
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 13:43
Taiwan’s new ‘intelligent’ humanoid robot combines sensing and adaptive interaction
A Tawniese firm has unveiled its first humanoid robot capable of interacting with the physical...
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Taiwan’s new ‘intelligent’ humanoid robot combines sensing and adaptive interaction. A Tawniese firm has unveiled its first humanoid robot capable of interacting with the physical...
TL;DR:
A Tawniese firm has unveiled its first humanoid robot capable of interacting with the physical...
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 13:25
China’s new welding robot cuts 70mm steel, boasts 30-ton capacity, 20-year life
China has reportedly deployed its first domestic AI-driven marine welding system at a smart manufacturing...
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China’s new welding robot cuts 70mm steel, boasts 30-ton capacity, 20-year life. China has reportedly deployed its first domestic AI-driven marine welding system at a smart manufacturing...
TL;DR:
China has reportedly deployed its first domestic AI-driven marine welding system at a smart manufacturing...
Prahladyeri
Jun 15, 13:16
Applying Brevity and Language Efficiency in Prompt Engineering
For technical students, freelance coders, power users, and small businesses who want Claude-level productivity from budget-tier models.
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Applying Brevity and Language Efficiency in Prompt Engineering. At Indian freelance rates or a student budget, that is simply not viable for daily heavy use. Budget models, with their smaller context windows and leaner attention, benefit enormously from structured rather than conversational prompts.
TL;DR:
For technical students, freelance coders, power users, and small businesses who want Claude-level productivity from budget-tier models.
Spectrum
Jun 15, 13:00
This 1976 University Experiment Spun Up the U.S. Wind Industry
A half century ago, a scrappy crew at the University of Massachusetts Amherst erected a wind turbine on Orchard Hill, the highest point on campus. It was a frugal production, cobbled together from the rear axle of a Ford truck, a donated generator and microcontroller, a steam pipe, and various handcrafted steel and fiberglass parts, including its 4.5-meter blades. The team of UMass engineering grad students, faculty advisors, and one precocious undergrad built it to prove that wind energy could keep rural homes toasty in New England’s frigid winters, as a way of trimming U.S. oil dependence—a national imperative in the aftermath of the 1973–1974 energy crisis. To illustrate the point, they also assembled a modular home there on Orchard Hill, and outfitted it with heaters that would be powered by the turbine. In 1975 and 1976, a crew from the University of Massachusetts Amherst designed and constructed the 25-kilowatt wind turbine that kick-started the U.S. wind industry. Sandy Butterfield It worked—too well. “We had to open up the doors in the dead of winter. It was just too damn hot,” recalls Michael Edds , who designed the turbine’s electrical system and served as the project’s first resident engineer. Fittingly, they dubbed the turbine the “Wind Furnace.” The turbine maxed out at 25 kilowatts—puny compared to modern machines that generate up to 26 mega watts, but more than most energy experts expected from wind technology in November 1976. Back then, wind power still conjured up images of quaint Dutch mills and creaky prairie water pumpers. Crafty engineers would soon show that wind power could be so much more. And it all began with the brilliant, commanding, and often polarizing UMass professor leading the Wind Furnace project: William Heronemus. A retired U.S. Navy captain, Heronemus had joined the UMass faculty in 1967. He’d earned Bronze Stars for valor in World War II, designed and built nuclear submarines, and liaised with the British Royal Navy on the Polaris missile. UMass had recruited Heronemus to do ocean engineering, but the energy crisis and his growing misgivings about nuclear power shifted his attention to renewable energy. Heronemus, photographed circa 1973, publicly advocated for the buildout of wind turbines, both onshore and off, at immense scale. Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center/UMass Amherst Libraries By 1972, Heronemus was advancing detailed designs to deploy wind turbines at immense scale. That year, at the Marine Technology Society’s annual gathering in Washington, D.C., he presented schemes for building thousands of them across the Great Plains as well as a vast grid of massive floating turbines transecting New England’s continental shelf. Wind power, he contended, could generate nearly a fifth of U.S. electricity needs by the year 2000. Never mind that the technology for such an enormous buildout had yet to be commercialized. Espousing grand schemes made Heronemus a quixotic figure. He also vigorously attacked the commercialization of nuclear power, creating enemies within electric utilities and U.S. government agencies that saw nuclear technology as the future. They didn’t appreciate his claims that a cleaner energy future via wind was ready to be tapped, and that the push for nuclear power and its radiological risks was unnecessary. As author and energy analyst Peter Asmus put it in his 2000 book, Reaping the Wind : “ William Heronemus was a dangerous man suggesting an audacious departure from the status quo.” The UMass Amherst wind turbine generated most of the energy to heat a modular home through the cold, windy winters on Orchard Hill. Solar thermal panels provided some heat during windless periods. Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center/UMass Amherst Libraries What happened on Orchard Hill in 1976 marked Heronemus’s turn from provocateur to changemaker. The success of the experimental turbine set off waves of technological and industrial developments that forever changed the energy landscape. Within a few years, the students he trained and the entrepreneurs he inspired were building the world’s first modern wind farms and leading the Great California Wind Rush—the market that turned wind craft into an industry that’s still growing fast half a century later. Globally, annual wind generation more than tripled between 2015 and 2025, according to data from Ember Energy , a think tank based in London. It will best nuclear’s global output by the end of this year, Ember predicts. And it all started with Heronemus, says Robert Thresher , longtime former director of wind research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo. (a U.S. Department of Energy lab rebranded late last year as the National Laboratory of the Rockies ). “In my mind he was the father of the people that went out and really made the industry what it is today,” he says. William Heronemus and the History of Wind P...
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This 1976 University Experiment Spun Up the U.S. Crafty engineers would soon show that wind power could be so much more. UMass had recruited Heronemus to do ocean engineering, but the energy crisis and his growing misgivings about nuclear power shifted his attention to renewable energy.
TL;DR:
William Heronemus and the History of Wind P...
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 11:17
Pemba humanoid robot eyes Mount Everest summit after historic 20,312-ft climb
A Unitree G1 humanoid robot is being prepared for a planned Mount Everest expedition later...
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Pemba humanoid robot eyes Mount Everest summit after historic 20,312-ft climb. A Unitree G1 humanoid robot is being prepared for a planned Mount Everest expedition later...
TL;DR:
A Unitree G1 humanoid robot is being prepared for a planned Mount Everest expedition later...
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 10:27
Open-source swarm robotics: Custom ESP32 MiniBots turn chess pieces into autonomous robots
A hardware developer known online as 3DprintedLife has unveiled an open-source swarm robotics project that...
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Open-source swarm robotics: Custom ESP32 MiniBots turn chess pieces into autonomous robots. A hardware developer known online as 3DprintedLife has unveiled an open-source swarm robotics project that...
TL;DR:
A hardware developer known online as 3DprintedLife has unveiled an open-source swarm robotics project that...
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 09:48
US: Los Alamos lab’s new tool detects hallucinations in machine vision models
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a new tool called the Prelim Attention...
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US: Los Alamos lab’s new tool detects hallucinations in machine vision models. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a new tool called the Prelim Attention...
TL;DR:
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a new tool called the Prelim Attention...
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 09:21
US scientists’ new device can capture atomic-level changes in material under pressure
A specialized instrument called the flexible imaging diffraction diagnostic for laser experiments (FIDDLE) has been...
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US scientists’ new device can capture atomic-level changes in material under pressure. A specialized instrument called the flexible imaging diffraction diagnostic for laser experiments (FIDDLE) has been...
TL;DR:
A specialized instrument called the flexible imaging diffraction diagnostic for laser experiments (FIDDLE) has been...
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 06:53
US scientists’ diesel engine can meet emission standards while offering massive off-road power
Researchers in the United States have demonstrated a diesel engine system that can meet Tier...
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US scientists’ diesel engine can meet emission standards while offering massive off-road power. Researchers in the United States have demonstrated a diesel engine system that can meet Tier...
TL;DR:
Researchers in the United States have demonstrated a diesel engine system that can meet Tier...
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 05:44
New radar system can detect high-speed drones nearby ports, vessels in extreme environment
A new type of radar to detect drones nearby ports, vessels, harbours, and critical maritime infrastructure has been introduced.
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Developed by Robin Radar Systems, IRIS OTM at Sea is designed for seamless land-to-sea deployments. The new system is a major expansion of its IRIS On-The-Move (OTM) capability. Robin Radar Systems highlighted that the maritime update has been shaped directly by operational lessons from ongoing live-fire environments, where the need for flexible, mobile counter-UAS systems cap…
TL;DR:
A new type of radar to detect drones nearby ports, vessels, harbours, and critical maritime...
Bbc
Jun 15, 05:03
Remote volunteers use CCTV to save red squirrels
Home News US & Canada UK UK Politics England N. Ireland N. Ireland Politics Scotland Scotland Politics Wales Wales Politics Africa Asia China India Australia Europe Latin America Middle East In Pictu…
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Home News US & Canada UK UK Politics England N. Ireland Politics Scotland Scotland Politics Wales Wales Politics Africa Asia China India Australia Europe Latin America Middle East In Pictures BBC InDepth BBC Verify Football 2026 Sport Business World of Business Technology of Business NYSE Opening Bell Technology Artificial Intelligence Intelligence Revolution AI v the Mind Tec…
TL;DR:
The project will allow volunteers to help defend red squirrels by monitoring footage remotely.
Interestingengineering
Jun 15, 04:25
US scientists’ new electron microscopy tech delivers 10,000x magnification compared to light microscopy
Researchers in the United States have built a technology that boosts the performance of electron...
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US scientists’ new electron microscopy tech delivers 10,000x magnification compared to light microscopy. Researchers in the United States have built a technology that boosts the performance of electron...
TL;DR:
Researchers in the United States have built a technology that boosts the performance of electron...
Interestingengineering
Jun 14, 22:09
Human evolution wasn’t sudden; unfolded gradually over time: Study claims
The time has come to reconsider an outdated understanding of human evolution: it was not a single breakthrough that propelled Homo sapiens into the “human age,” but rather a gradual, nonlinear proces…
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Groucutt in his study, Groucutt reviewed fossil, genetic, and archaeological data to provide a more realistic perspective on evolution. He argues that change occurs over time and that advancements arise in various places, resembling a mosaic rather than a linear progression, as reported by Phys.
TL;DR:
The time has come to reconsider an outdated understanding of human evolution: it was not...
Interestingengineering
Jun 14, 21:43
New battery-free artificial photosynthesis system delivers steadier solar fuel output
A team of researchers at the Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a more practical approach...
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New battery-free artificial photosynthesis system delivers steadier solar fuel output . A team of researchers at the Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a more practical approach...
TL;DR:
A team of researchers at the Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a more practical approach...
Interestingengineering
Jun 14, 21:19
Scientists find agricultural waste as new source for crucial nylon building block
Nylon is one of the world’s most widely used synthetic materials, but producing it still...
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Scientists find agricultural waste as new source for crucial nylon building block. Nylon is one of the world’s most widely used synthetic materials, but producing it still...
TL;DR:
Nylon is one of the world’s most widely used synthetic materials, but producing it still...
Interestingengineering
Jun 14, 18:47
Deep learning co-design helps scientists project 28-layer 3D images without crosstalk
Engineering researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed an advanced three-dimensional...
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Deep learning co-design helps scientists project 28-layer 3D images without crosstalk. Engineering researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed an advanced three-dimensional...
TL;DR:
Engineering researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed an advanced three-dimensional...
Interestingengineering
Jun 14, 16:48
Ghost particles could reveal secret production of bomb-making material in fusion reactors
One of fusion energy’s biggest selling points is that it is supposed to be different...
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Ghost particles could reveal secret production of bomb-making material in fusion reactors. One of fusion energy’s biggest selling points is that it is supposed to be different...
TL;DR:
One of fusion energy’s biggest selling points is that it is supposed to be different...
Interestingengineering
Jun 14, 15:44
US refueling fleet falls below Air Force readiness standards, new watchdog report finds
America’s Government Accountability Office (GAO) watchdog has warned that the US may struggle to sustain...
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US refueling fleet falls below Air Force readiness standards, new watchdog report finds. America’s Government Accountability Office (GAO) watchdog has warned that the US may struggle to sustain...
TL;DR:
America’s Government Accountability Office (GAO) watchdog has warned that the US may struggle to sustain...
Interestingengineering
Jun 14, 14:01
World’s first large-scale 100% hydrogen engine feeds power into electricity grid
A large-scale power engine has successfully supplied electricity to Spain’s national grid using 100% pure hydrogen fuel.
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The trial, conducted by technology group Wärtsilä in the northern town of Bermeo, is the first time an engine of this scale has operated entirely on pure hydrogen under real-world grid conditions. “This is the world’s first demonstration of a large-scale hydrogen engine running on 100% pure hydrogen,” said the company in a press release.
TL;DR:
A large-scale power engine has successfully supplied electricity to Spain’s national grid using 100% pure...
Hackaday
Jun 14, 14:00
OpenCAL: Computed Axial Lithographic 3D Printing For Everyone
Computed Axial Lithographic printing gets even closer to the Star Trek replicator fantasy than any other 3D printer we’ve seen: there’s a machine, it glows with a mysterious bluish light, …read more
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It’s still very cool tech, and now it’s open source enough to replicate with full documentation and a GitHub repository . There is still a corporate-hosted chat server named for a malignant goddess, and you’re still invited, but now there’s also actual, searchable documentation!
TL;DR:
Computed Axial Lithographic printing gets even closer to the Star Trek replicator fantasy than any other 3D printer we’ve seen: there’s a machine, it glows with a mysterious bluish light, …read more
Interestingengineering
Jun 14, 13:39
German firm launches CA-1EA unmanned electronic warfare aircraft, IOC in 2031
The German defense technology company Helsing has presented an electronic attack variant of the CA-1...
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German firm launches CA-1EA unmanned electronic warfare aircraft, IOC in 2031 . The German defense technology company Helsing has presented an electronic attack variant of the CA-1...
TL;DR:
The German defense technology company Helsing has presented an electronic attack variant of the CA-1...
Interestingengineering
Jun 14, 13:33
China’s BYD unveils new AI system that can spot living beings underneath parked vehicles
At the heart of the patented technology is a baseline imaging approach that creates a...
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China’s BYD unveils new AI system that can spot living beings underneath parked vehicles. At the heart of the patented technology is a baseline imaging approach that creates a...
TL;DR:
At the heart of the patented technology is a baseline imaging approach that creates a...
Interestingengineering
Jun 14, 12:56
Turkey’s AKYA heavyweight torpedo destroys target ship in major naval exercise
The Turkish Ministry of Defense reports that it has successfully tested the nation’s first domestically-produced...
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Turkey’s AKYA heavyweight torpedo destroys target ship in major naval exercise. The Turkish Ministry of Defense reports that it has successfully tested the nation’s first domestically-produced...
TL;DR:
The Turkish Ministry of Defense reports that it has successfully tested the nation’s first domestically-produced...
Hackaday
Jun 14, 11:00
Is a CS Degree DOA thanks to LLMs? IEEE Says TBD.
The ongoing AI apocalypse is hitting prices for high-end components from RAM to GPUs to storage hard, which is bad enough when you have a job to try and budget …read more
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Once upon a time, it might have been good advice to tell a jobless friend to “learn to code,” but is that still true in the era of AI? Unemployment is higher amongst new Computer Science grads than ever: in the US, it’s at 6.1%, while 7.5% of Computer Engineering graduates are on the dole.
TL;DR:
The ongoing AI apocalypse is hitting prices for high-end components from RAM to GPUs to storage hard, which is bad enough when you have a job to try and budget …read more
Interestingengineering
Jun 14, 06:29
New unmanned aircraft with 40-hour endurance, 2,866-lb payload capacity completes assembly
A German company has completed the final assembly of a new unmanned aircraft system. Called...
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New unmanned aircraft with 40-hour endurance, 2,866-lb payload capacity completes assembly. A German company has completed the final assembly of a new unmanned aircraft system.
TL;DR:
A German company has completed the final assembly of a new unmanned aircraft system.
Interestingengineering
Jun 14, 02:36
Chinese scientists identify critical vulnerability in NASA’s single-engine lunar landing system
The design philosophy behind the American lunar architecture depends heavily on a single high-performance main...
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Chinese scientists identify critical vulnerability in NASA’s single-engine lunar landing system. The design philosophy behind the American lunar architecture depends heavily on a single high-performance main...
TL;DR:
The design philosophy behind the American lunar architecture depends heavily on a single high-performance main...
Hackaday
Jun 14, 02:00
Robot Chess but Each Piece is a Small Robot
We have seen a number of self-playing chess boards over the years, but the general theme has been standard chess pieces moved by either an internal electromagnet or an external …read more
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This is, of course, a reasonable choice, as it reduces complexity, and sometimes you can even use standard chess pieces on a regular board. That seems cooler, so that’s what [3DprintedLife] did with 3D-printed chess pieces that are also tiny robots .
TL;DR:
We have seen a number of self-playing chess boards over the years, but the general theme has been standard chess pieces moved by either an internal electromagnet or an external …read more
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 20:47
New turbo-electric passenger aircraft concept projected to deliver 17% more range efficiency
A hybrid-electric aviation company has unveiled a new conceptual aircraft design for next-generation airliners. Electra’s...
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New turbo-electric passenger aircraft concept projected to deliver 17% more range efficiency. A hybrid-electric aviation company has unveiled a new conceptual aircraft design for next-generation airliners. Electra’s...
TL;DR:
A hybrid-electric aviation company has unveiled a new conceptual aircraft design for next-generation airliners.
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 17:03
Archaeologists identified oldest structure at UNESCO site Hadrian’s Villa
This just in from Hadrian’s Villa: archaeologists uncovered an underground villa dating to the Republican period, the oldest construction ever found to date at the massive, imperial complex.
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Archaeologists continue to make groundbreaking discoveries at 300-acre Hadrian’s Villa, under investigation since 2003. From the construction debris and pottery shards, in Hadrian’s day, the structure appeared to archaeologists to have been abandoned.
TL;DR:
This just in from Hadrian’s Villa: archaeologists uncovered an underground villa dating to the Republican...
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 16:28
First-ever: Four-legged robot dog successfully walks across treacherous Arctic ice floes
For centuries, the Arctic has remained one of the most dangerous places on Earth to...
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First-ever: Four-legged robot dog successfully walks across treacherous Arctic ice floes. For centuries, the Arctic has remained one of the most dangerous places on Earth to...
TL;DR:
For centuries, the Arctic has remained one of the most dangerous places on Earth to...
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 14:51
Anthropic blocks international users as US labels top models a national security risk
AI giant Anthropic has been forced to suspend access to its most advanced artificial intelligence...
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Anthropic blocks international users as US labels top models a national security risk. AI giant Anthropic has been forced to suspend access to its most advanced artificial intelligence...
TL;DR:
AI giant Anthropic has been forced to suspend access to its most advanced artificial intelligence...
Bbc
Jun 13, 13:01
Calls to restore chalk grassland for rare insects
Home News US & Canada UK UK Politics England N. Ireland N. Ireland Politics Scotland Scotland Politics Wales Wales Politics Africa Asia China India Australia Europe Latin America Middle East In Pictu…
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Home News US & Canada UK UK Politics England N. Ireland Politics Scotland Scotland Politics Wales Wales Politics Africa Asia China India Australia Europe Latin America Middle East In Pictures BBC InDepth BBC Verify Football 2026 Sport Business World of Business Technology of Business NYSE Opening Bell Technology Artificial Intelligence Intelligence Revolution AI v the Mind Tec…
TL;DR:
Buglife says the project aims to restore more than 30 hectares of the vital ecosystem.
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 12:19
Solid-state battery cell hits 465 Wh/kg density, targets aerospace and defense applications
European battery startup SOLiTHOR has produced its first 10 Ah demonstration cell, marking an increase...
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Solid-state battery cell hits 465 Wh/kg density, targets aerospace and defense applications. European battery startup SOLiTHOR has produced its first 10 Ah demonstration cell, marking an increase...
TL;DR:
European battery startup SOLiTHOR has produced its first 10 Ah demonstration cell, marking an increase...
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 11:45
World’s first ‘three-lane’ optical fiber network in China boosts data transfer by 5x
Chinese researchers have reportedly developed a new “three-lane highway” optical fiber system. The new system,...
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World’s first ‘three-lane’ optical fiber network in China boosts data transfer by 5x. Chinese researchers have reportedly developed a new “three-lane highway” optical fiber system. The new system,...
TL;DR:
Chinese researchers have reportedly developed a new “three-lane highway” optical fiber system.
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 11:04
China’s Xiaomi unveils robotic arm that enables remote, hands-free home EV charging
The Chinese tech giant, Xiaomi, has offered a closer look at its vision for the...
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China’s Xiaomi unveils robotic arm that enables remote, hands-free home EV charging. The Chinese tech giant, Xiaomi, has offered a closer look at its vision for the...
TL;DR:
The Chinese tech giant, Xiaomi, has offered a closer look at its vision for the...
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 10:37
World’s first working nuclear clocks built with thorium nucleus after decades of effort
For decades, nuclear clocks have existed as one of physics’ most tempting promises. A device...
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World’s first working nuclear clocks built with thorium nucleus after decades of effort. For decades, nuclear clocks have existed as one of physics’ most tempting promises. A device...
TL;DR:
For decades, nuclear clocks have existed as one of physics’ most tempting promises.
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 09:30
SORA-Q: Baseball-sized shape-shifting rover that saved Japan’s SLIM moon mission
Check latest news on Astronomy, Space Exploration, Planets, Earth, Mars, NASA news, Asteroid news and more on Interesting Engineering The next time a violent eruption on the Sun threatens to fry Eart…
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Check latest news on Astronomy, Space Exploration, Planets, Earth, Mars, NASA news, Asteroid news and more on Interesting Engineering The next time a violent eruption on the Sun threatens to fry Earth’s power grids, a tiny device might be the thing that warns us. The latest demonstration highlights a fundamentally different approach to flight testing.
TL;DR:
A microscopic, shape-shifting robot inspired by children’s toys successfully saved the narrative of Japan’s historic...
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 08:30
Scientists brew ‘ultrasonic espresso’ in three minutes at room temp with 75% less energy
A team at UNSW Sydney has produced an espresso-strength coffee using room-temperature water and sound...
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Scientists brew ‘ultrasonic espresso’ in three minutes at room temp with 75% less energy. A team at UNSW Sydney has produced an espresso-strength coffee using room-temperature water and sound...
TL;DR:
A team at UNSW Sydney has produced an espresso-strength coffee using room-temperature water and sound...
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 06:29
Test facility for full-scale fusion power-plant blankets set to be developed in US
A San Diego-based company is set to develop design concepts for a facility dedicated to...
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Test facility for full-scale fusion power-plant blankets set to be developed in US. A San Diego-based company is set to develop design concepts for a facility dedicated to...
TL;DR:
A San Diego-based company is set to develop design concepts for a facility dedicated to...
Techxplore
Jun 13, 06:08
Surface pre-treatment, barrier layer, automated machining and assembly of cryogenic CFRP hydrogen tanks
Researchers from Plasma Technology and Surfaces, Paint/Lacquer Technology, as well as Automation and Production Technology at Fraunhofer IFAM, in collaboration with HYTANK project partners, developed resource-efficient manufacturing and joining technologies for the production of large-format, double-walled hydrogen tanks made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP)—ranging from suitable surface pretreatments and functional barrier layers to automated production on a 1:1 scale, including machining and adhesive-bonding assembly. The goal was to lay the groundwork for the future efficient production of lighter, leak-tight and—under cryogenic conditions—more reliable tank structures, for example, for the aerospace industry.
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Researchers from Plasma Technology and Surfaces, Paint/Lacquer Technology, as well as Automation and Production Technology at Fraunhofer IFAM, in collaboration with HYTANK project partners, developed resource-efficient manufacturing and joining technologies for the production of large-format, double-walled hydrogen tanks made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP)—ranging f…
TL;DR:
Researchers from Plasma Technology and Surfaces, Paint/Lacquer Technology, as well as Automation and Production Technology at Fraunhofer IFAM, in collaboration with HYTANK project partners, developed resource-efficient manufacturing and joining technologies for the production of large-format, double-walled hydrogen tanks made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP)—ranging from suitable surface pretreatments and functional barrier layers to automated production on a 1:1 scale, including machining and adhesive-bonding assembly.
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 00:06
Iron-based catalyst helps zinc-air batteries power devices without precious metals
Researchers at Tohoku University have developed an iron-based catalyst that improves the performance of zinc-air batteries, a technology viewed as a lower-cost alternative to lithium-ion systems for…
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Researchers at Tohoku University have developed an iron-based catalyst that improves the performance of zinc-air batteries, a technology viewed as a lower-cost alternative to lithium-ion systems for energy storage. The team focused on overcoming a key limitation of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in zinc-air batteries.
TL;DR:
Researchers at Tohoku University have developed an iron-based catalyst that improves the performance of zinc-air...
Interestingengineering
Jun 13, 00:02
Scientists forge 24,000-atom mini universe that generates time without a single clock
What if time isn’t woven into the fabric of reality at all? A new experiment...
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Scientists forge 24,000-atom mini universe that generates time without a single clock. What if time isn’t woven into the fabric of reality at all? A new experiment...
TL;DR:
What if time isn’t woven into the fabric of reality at all?
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 23:11
Halo nuclear microreactor utilizes high-fidelity simulation to speed first power
The newly public company Hadron Energy has announced that it has selected GSE Solutions to...
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Halo nuclear microreactor utilizes high-fidelity simulation to speed first power. The newly public company Hadron Energy has announced that it has selected GSE Solutions to...
TL;DR:
The newly public company Hadron Energy has announced that it has selected GSE Solutions to...
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 21:28
Beyond rare earths: this new magnet material could reshape motors
In our latest episode of Lexicon, we sat down with Tom Grainger, Commercial Vice President...
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Beyond rare earths: this new magnet material could reshape motors. In our latest episode of Lexicon, we sat down with Tom Grainger, Commercial Vice President...
TL;DR:
In our latest episode of Lexicon, we sat down with Tom Grainger, Commercial Vice President...
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 19:43
US’ first vertically integrated solar factory starts production to power 1.3M homes
Qcells has begun manufacturing solar cells at its new facility in Cartersville, Georgia, bringing the...
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US’ first vertically integrated solar factory starts production to power 1.3M homes. Qcells has begun manufacturing solar cells at its new facility in Cartersville, Georgia, bringing the...
TL;DR:
Qcells has begun manufacturing solar cells at its new facility in Cartersville, Georgia, bringing the...
Spectrum
Jun 12, 18:00
Award-Winning Researcher Trains Robots to Make Educated Guesses
Yen-Ling Kuo always wanted to understand how things worked. When she was growing up in Taiwan, reading the story of Michael Faraday in elementary school piqued her curiosity about the natural world. During that time, she was introduced to Logo , a computer program with a turtle cursor to help children learn basic coding through hands-on experimentation. It was Kuo’s introduction to programming logic. Yen-Ling Kuo Employer University of Virginia in Charlottesville Title Assistant professor of computer science Member grade Member Alma maters National Taiwan University; MIT In high school she learned the capacity computers held. She could write programs that completed tasks independently, she realized. “Once I discovered how powerful computers could be,” she says, “I knew I wanted to focus on using them to solve real-world problems.” Kuo, an IEEE member, never lost her interest in the “how” behind processes and tools. Her curiosity, combined with a stint working at a Silicon Valley company, led her to focus on innovations that live at the intersection of cognitive and computer sciences. Kuo, now an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, last year received the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society ’s inaugural Outstanding Women in Robotics and Automation Early Career Contribution Award . The award is part of the IEEE-RAS Women in Engineering’s Outstanding Women in Robotics and Automation (WiRA) Paper Awards , which promote excellence and recognize the impact that female researchers have on robotics and automation fields at different stages in their academic careers. Kuo’s winning paper, “ Diff-DAgger: Uncertainty Estimation with Diffusion Policy for Robotic Manipulation ,” demonstrates a novel method to help robots better identify and estimate uncertainty when faced with scenarios on which they’ve not been trained. The method reduces the amount of human supervision, improves a robot’s rate of successful task completion, and opens up a path to introduce more complex models with bigger data demands into interactive robot learning. She says her research will help people working in the robotics and automation fields more efficiently collect the data needed for effective model training. Silicon Valley’s impact Kuo earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science at the National Taiwan University , in Taipei, in 2009 and 2012. As she was nearing completion of her master’s degree, she did what many computer science graduates do: She pursued a summer internship at a tech company. She spent the summer of 2011 at Google’s campus in Kirkland, Wash., working on the company’s comparison ads project . When her internship ended, she joined the MIT Media Lab as a visiting student, working on the Open Mind Common Sense project with Henry Lieberman . As she was considering pursuing a Ph.D., a call from Google changed her plans. The company offered her a full-time role as a software engineer. “I viewed the job offer as a positive development,” she says. “I believe it can never hurt your future research career to get some real-world experience under your belt.” She was hired in 2012 and helped build techniques that incorporate computer vision and natural language processing to improve the customer shopping search experience. She led the company’s Shop the Look initiative , a predecessor to Google’s current AI-powered shopping experience . The project connected social media content with search results, something the company had struggled to do in the past. Kuo and her team were tasked with building a connection between the natural language people use to describe an item and an image that matches the searcher’s intent. It was at a time when the neural network —using deep learning models to power Google products—was gaining momentum at the company. Integrating neural network tools into her work was a requirement—which raised questions for Kuo. “I was applying the neural network tools,” she says. “But I didn’t have 100 percent certainty about how they actually worked.” She considered how she could become more knowledgeable about deep learning models. It was a full-circle moment. She decided that after nearly four years at Google, it was time to earn a Ph.D. in computer science. She returned to MIT in 2016. The question that changed everything Boris Katz , one of Kuo’s Ph.D. advisors, is a principal research scientist and the head of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)’s InfoLab . He also led the creation of the START Natural Language System , the world’s first Web-based question-answering system. When the two met, Katz asked Kuo why she wanted to pursue a doctorate degree. She explained her interest in understanding how neural networks work and in using that knowledge to connect the physical world with human language. He suggested she attend a summer course at MIT’s Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines , a research initiative that ran ...
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Kuo, now an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, last year received the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society ’s inaugural Outstanding Women in Robotics and Automation Early Career Contribution Award .
TL;DR:
As she was nearing completion of her master’s degree, she did what many computer science graduates do: She pursued a summer internship at a tech company.
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 17:43
New research shows robot ‘personality’ in games hinges on timing and turn-taking
New research has found that humanoid robots could become effective playmates for humans, but only...
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New research shows robot ‘personality’ in games hinges on timing and turn-taking. New research has found that humanoid robots could become effective playmates for humans, but only...
TL;DR:
New research has found that humanoid robots could become effective playmates for humans, but only...
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 17:20
US scientists’ new alloys cut truck engine weight by 15%, boost fuel efficiency by over 10%
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have created advanced aluminum...
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US scientists’ new alloys cut truck engine weight by 15%, boost fuel efficiency by over 10%. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have created advanced aluminum...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have created advanced aluminum...
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 16:36
New cell-inspired material eliminates need for metals, plastics in energy storage
Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a new liquid material that harvests, stores, and releases...
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New cell-inspired material eliminates need for metals, plastics in energy storage. Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a new liquid material that harvests, stores, and releases...
TL;DR:
Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a new liquid material that harvests, stores, and releases...
Hackaday
Jun 12, 16:30
Hackaday Podcast Ep 373: GPS, Danger In Space, and Robby the Robot
Last week, Elliot got his foot stepped on by a 1.5 metric ton draft horse, and boy is he glad to be back to the relative safety of podcasting! Joining …read more
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It’s going to be one of those podcasts, folks. Please be kind and respectful to help make the comments section excellent. Learn how your comment data is processed.
TL;DR:
Last week, Elliot got his foot stepped on by a 1.5 metric ton draft horse, and boy is he glad to be back to the relative safety of podcasting!
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 14:03
Brain-inspired cryogenic chip operates at temp as low as -460°F for quantum and space use
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Centre for Advanced Semiconductors and...
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Brain-inspired cryogenic chip operates at temp as low as -460°F for quantum and space use. Researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Centre for Advanced Semiconductors and...
TL;DR:
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Centre for Advanced Semiconductors and...
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 13:46
Nuclear shipping: Large vehicle carrier with molten salt reactor gets design approval
A new study has supported the concept of physically and operationally integrating a molten salt reactor (MSR) into a large vehicle carrier ship.
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A new study has supported the concept of physically and operationally integrating a molten salt reactor (MSR) into a large vehicle carrier ship. Lloyd’s Register (LR) is working with Hyundai Heavy Industries, Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (KSOE), and others to explore an advanced small modular reactor (SMR) installation on a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC).
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A new study has supported the concept of physically and operationally integrating a molten salt reactor (MSR) into a...
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 13:33
FIFA World Cup 2026 gets Hyundai robot dogs for venue security patrols
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins in North America, Hyundai Motor Company has launched its biggest mobility and robotics operation for a global sporting event.
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This project is a big step forward in Hyundai’s partnership with FIFA and shows how robotics and autonomous technology are becoming more common at large public events. The main technology on show is four Spot robot dogs working at two key tournament locations.
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As the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins in North America, Hyundai Motor Company has launched...
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 11:25
Watch: Korean humanoid robot performs viral K-POP dance, learns by watching videos
While China dominates humanoid robotics headlines, a Korean firm showcased a humanoid learning complex motions...
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Watch: Korean humanoid robot performs viral K-POP dance, learns by watching videos. While China dominates humanoid robotics headlines, a Korean firm showcased a humanoid learning complex motions...
TL;DR:
While China dominates humanoid robotics headlines, a Korean firm showcased a humanoid learning complex motions...
Hackaday
Jun 12, 11:00
Glue-in Hinge Design Tries Something Different
Need a hinge in your 3D printed design and would prefer not to re-invent the wheel? You may find [Alex Krush]’s glue-in filament hinge useful. This design prints half the …read more
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Glue-in Hinge Design Tries Something Different. You may find [Alex Krush]’s glue-in filament hinge useful. This design prints half the …read more
TL;DR:
Need a hinge in your 3D printed design and would prefer not to re-invent the wheel?
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 10:31
Nuclear clock ticks for the first time, using a thorium-229 atomic nucleus
The world’s first nuclear clocks have ticked. A team of physicists has demonstrated a working...
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Nuclear clock ticks for the first time, using a thorium-229 atomic nucleus. The world’s first nuclear clocks have ticked. A team of physicists has demonstrated a working...
TL;DR:
The world’s first nuclear clocks have ticked.
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 06:56
UT Austin engineers build jacket that extracts drinkable water from air moisture
Get news on the latest new innovations in technology, health, Robotics, AI and more on Interesting Engineering.
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Get news on the latest new innovations in technology, health, Robotics, AI and more on Interesting Engineering. Ferveret, a startup from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is using a waterless cooling technology to cool data centers. This technology can help establish data centers in areas with water scarcity.
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Engineers at the University of Texas at Austin have built a jacket that captures moisture...
Interestingengineering
Jun 12, 06:23
US firm could soon deliver energy wirelessly to autonomous underwater vehicles with new deal
NUBURU Inc., a developer of advanced blue-laser technologies and defense-focused photonics solutions, has announced a...
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US firm could soon deliver energy wirelessly to autonomous underwater vehicles with new deal. NUBURU Inc., a developer of advanced blue-laser technologies and defense-focused photonics solutions, has announced a...
TL;DR:
NUBURU Inc., a developer of advanced blue-laser technologies and defense-focused photonics solutions, has announced a...
Techxplore
Jun 12, 02:32
Porous electrode design could lift green hydrogen output by limiting bubble buildup
Hydrogen could be the key to a clean energy future, but a tiny problem has been holding it back: bubbles. In a paper published in Energy & Environmental Science, a multidisciplinary team of UNSW researchers, in collaboration with researchers from TotalEnergies and EPFL, has found a new way to boost the efficiency of green hydrogen production.
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Porous electrode design could lift green hydrogen output by limiting bubble buildup. Hydrogen could be the key to a clean energy future, but a tiny problem has been holding it back: bubbles. In a paper published in Energy & Environmental Science, a multidisciplinary team of UNSW researchers, in collaboration with researchers from TotalEnergies and EPFL, has found a new way to…
TL;DR:
Hydrogen could be the key to a clean energy future, but a tiny problem has been holding it back: bubbles.
Techxplore
Jun 12, 02:32
From safety hazard to climate solution: Technology tackling fugitive methane from coal mines
Every underground coal mine has one thing in common: Coal seams leak methane gas into the tunnel network, presenting a serious safety hazard. The control is the same the world over: continuously pump fresh air through the workings, diluting and pushing out the methane. High-volume mechanical ventilation systems are a cornerstone of mine safety, but they create a stubborn environmental problem.
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From safety hazard to climate solution: Technology tackling fugitive methane from coal mines. The control is the same the world over: continuously pump fresh air through the workings, diluting and pushing out the methane. High-volume mechanical ventilation systems are a cornerstone of mine safety, but they create a stubborn environmental problem.
TL;DR:
Every underground coal mine has one thing in common: Coal seams leak methane gas into the tunnel network, presenting a serious safety hazard.
Techxplore
Jun 12, 02:32
Waymo unveils virtual driver model to test autonomous car crash avoidance
Autonomous vehicles are already a reality on some of our streets and could become a major part of future transportation systems. Safety, of course, is the main concern, as with all vehicles. To help evaluate and improve its autonomous driving technology, U.S. driverless vehicle company Waymo has created a virtual representation of human driver behavior in near-crash situations.
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Waymo unveils virtual driver model to test autonomous car crash avoidance. To help evaluate and improve its autonomous driving technology, U.S. driverless vehicle company Waymo has created a virtual representation of human driver behavior in near-crash situations.
TL;DR:
Autonomous vehicles are already a reality on some of our streets and could become a major part of future transportation systems.
Techxplore
Jun 12, 02:32
Fast, reliable detection of trace gases by resonant photoacoustics
The photoacoustic effect has been known for more than 150 years: Gases exposed to light heat up. Pulsing the light generates periodic pressure fluctuations, or sound waves, with frequencies that can be uniquely assigned to individual gases. This photoacoustic effect forms the basis for a measurement method that is highly precise even at low gas concentrations. Despite its high sensitivity, the method has previously only occupied a niche, primarily because it relies on a resonator for acoustic amplification. This resonator is highly sensitive to even the slightest changes in air pressure, temperature or mechanical stress. However, ensuring an accurate measurement requires the system to precisely hit the correct resonant frequency.
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Fast, reliable detection of trace gases by resonant photoacoustics. This resonator is highly sensitive to even the slightest changes in air pressure, temperature or mechanical stress. However, ensuring an accurate measurement requires the system to precisely hit the correct resonant frequency.
TL;DR:
The photoacoustic effect has been known for more than 150 years: Gases exposed to light heat up.
Interestingengineering
Jun 11, 23:37
Robot hand uses touch and vision to harvest ripe fruit with near-100% accuracy
Researchers have developed a soft robotic gripper that can inspect fruit for ripeness and harvest...
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Robot hand uses touch and vision to harvest ripe fruit with near-100% accuracy. Researchers have developed a soft robotic gripper that can inspect fruit for ripeness and harvest...
TL;DR:
Researchers have developed a soft robotic gripper that can inspect fruit for ripeness and harvest...
Bbc
Jun 11, 23:01
India's 'blue gold' starts a new drinks industry
Home News US & Canada UK UK Politics England N. Ireland N. Ireland Politics Scotland Scotland Politics Wales Wales Politics Africa Asia China India Australia Europe Latin America Middle East In Pictu…
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Home News US & Canada UK UK Politics England N. Ireland Politics Scotland Scotland Politics Wales Wales Politics Africa Asia China India Australia Europe Latin America Middle East In Pictures BBC InDepth BBC Verify Football 2026 Business World of Business Technology of Business NYSE Opening Bell Technology Artificial Intelligence Intelligence Revolution AI v the Mind Tech Now…
TL;DR:
Agave plants grow wild in India and new distillers are using them to create a spirits industry.
Interestingengineering
Jun 11, 22:52
US safety design approval advances next-gen Aurora nuclear reactor initiative in Idaho
Oklo has moved one step closer to bringing its first advanced reactor online after securing...
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US safety design approval advances next-gen Aurora nuclear reactor initiative in Idaho. Oklo has moved one step closer to bringing its first advanced reactor online after securing...
TL;DR:
Oklo has moved one step closer to bringing its first advanced reactor online after securing...
Interestingengineering
Jun 11, 21:27
Dodge Charger maker road-tests solid-state EV battery hitting 90% charge in 18 minutes
Stellantis has integrated Factorial Energy’s solid-state battery cells into a Dodge Charger Daytona development vehicle...
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Dodge Charger maker road-tests solid-state EV battery hitting 90% charge in 18 minutes. Stellantis has integrated Factorial Energy’s solid-state battery cells into a Dodge Charger Daytona development vehicle...
TL;DR:
Stellantis has integrated Factorial Energy’s solid-state battery cells into a Dodge Charger Daytona development vehicle...