In 1965, a renowned Princeton University physicist theorized that ferroelectric metals could conduct electricity despite not existing in nature. For decades, scientists thought it would be impossible to prove the theory by Philip W. Anderson, who shared the 1977 Nobel Prize in physics. It was like trying to blend fire and water, but a Rutgers-led…

Rutgers engineers have invented a “4D printing” method for a smart gel that could lead to the development of “living” structures in human organs and tissues, soft robots and targeted drug delivery. The 4D printing approach here involves printing a 3D object with a hydrogel (water-containing gel) that changes shape over time when temperatures change,…

“Good, good, good, good vibrations” goes the catchy Beach Boys song, a big hit in 1966 and beyond. Now Rutgers engineers have created VibWrite, a smart access system that senses finger vibrations to verify users. The low-cost security system could eventually be used to gain access to homes, apartment buildings, cars, appliances – anything with…

Does your smartphone spew a relentless stream of text messages, push alerts, social media messages and other noisy notifications? Well, Rutgers experts have developed a novel model that can predict your receptiveness to smartphone interruptions. It incorporates personality traits and could lead to better ways to manage a blizzard of notifications and limit interruptions –…

Though senior citizens are generally less fascinated than younger generations with the bells and whistles of mobile devices, they could soon find themselves relying on a new smartphone app built by Rutgers students to help them avoid falling. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans, according to the National…

Using a high-tech 3-D printer, a Rutgers undergraduate and his professor created sophisticated braille maps to help blind and visually impaired people navigate a local training center. The three plastic tactile maps are for each floor at the Joseph Kohn Training Center, a state-funded facility for the blind and visually impaired in New Brunswick. And…

A team that includes Rutgers University and National Institute of Standards and Technology scientists believes that a technology it is reporting this week in Nature Photonics could result in optical switches with sub-square-micron footprints, potentially allowing densely packed switching fabrics on a chip. These dimensions contrast with established optical switching technologies based on other technologies,…