Current electronic devices are becoming faster and denser, but such complex circuitry is prone to reliability problems, and once one tiny circuit within an integrated chip breaks, the whole chip or even whole device is unusable. A team of University of Illinois engineers has developed a self-healing system capable to repair a cracked circuit by… »
Biologists and bioengineers at UC San Diego have created a living neon sign composed of millions of bacterial cells that periodically fluoresce in harmony like blinking light bulbs. By utilizing the same method they used to create the flashing signs, the researchers managed to make a simple bacterial sensor that could be used to detect… »
Energy efficiency and renewable energies are becoming an important fact in architecture today. Since new and more affordable technologies emerge, solar harnessed electric energy and heating, as well as passive and active systems of heating and cooling are becoming more widely spread. This way of ecological living is practiced by BedZED – an environmentally friendly… »
The high winds were thought to be a rich potential source of renewable energy, however, a study by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, Germany, shows that the near absence of friction and absence of strong propulsion cause the jet streams that sweep the upper atmosphere to harness about 200 times… »
A research team from Harvard University developed an array of “soft” robots inspired by natural forms, such as squid and starfish, which are capable to perform very delicate operations or move where rigid robots might not. These abilities enable the robots to pick up a raw egg without breaking the shell, or aid in search… »
Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) collaborated with PPC Corp., a telecommunications radio-frequency (RF) connector equipment company, in order to develop a new sensor that can be installed in the connecting units of coaxial cables in order to speed up the detection of equipment damage. Named Smart Connector, the sensor signals the exact location… »
Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have applied biomimicry of insect cuticle – tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings that provide protection – to develop a similar material they named Shrilk. The new material is able to mimic the exceptional strength, toughness, and versatility of the extraordinary material, while… »
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Gates Center for Computer Science and the Hillman Center for Future-Generation Technologies have recently been awarded with LEED Gold certification. With that achievement, the Gates and Hillman centers managed to join 10 other CMU buildings which demonstrate their commitment to energy and water conservation, as well as the promotion of sustainable… »
