Producing cement takes a big toll on our climate: Around eight per cent of annual global carbon dioxide emissions can be attributed to this process. However, the demand for cement continues to rise. A team of geoscientists from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) has found a way to produce more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives.…
DARPA Identifies Teams Qualified to Compete in First Scored Event of SubT Challenge
Eleven teams from around the world will attempt to remotely map, identify, and report the greatest number of artifacts along the passages of a Pittsburgh research mine in the Subterranean Challenge Tunnel Circuit. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Mining Program manages the formerly operational mine, which will serve as the arena for…
3-D Grayscale Digital Light Printing (g-DLP) Highly Functionally Graded Materials (FGM)
Three-dimensional (3-D) printing or additive manufacture (AM) is a popular technique that has presently attracted tremendous attention as a promising method to revolutionize design and manufacture. Researchers have expanded its applications from rapid prototyping to tissue engineering, electronic devices, soft robotics and high-performance metamaterials, but most 3-D printing techniques only use a single material to print parts or form components using multiple…
Scientists at DGIST Develop Polariton Nano-Laser Operating at Room Temperature
A room temperature polariton nano-laser has been demonstrated, providing the crucial path of related research such as polariton physics at the nanoscale and also applications in quantum information systems. The research was published in the journal, Science Advances. DGIST announced on May 8 that a polariton nano-laser operating at room temperature was developed by Professor Chang-Hee…
Solution for Remotely Monitoring Oil Wells Wins MIT $100k
The winner of Wednesday’s MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition was a startup helping oil well owners remotely monitor and control the pumping of their wells, increasing production while reducing equipment failures and cutting methane emissions. Acoustic Wells, a team including two MIT postdocs, was awarded the grand prize after eight finalist teams pitched their projects to…
Swapping Gases to Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse gases are not seen as healthy for the environment, but researchers at Stanford University believe the type of gas released would still be an improvement. According to a study published in Nature Sustainability, a process has been developed to convert methane into carbon dioxide. The latter is considered a considerably less potent agent of global…
Nanoscale Sculpturing Leads to Unusual Packing of Nanocubes
From the ancient pyramids to modern buildings, various three-dimensional (3-D) structures have been formed by packing shaped objects together. At the macroscale, the shape of objects is fixed and thus dictates how they can be arranged. For example, bricks attached by mortar retain their elongated rectangular shape. But at the nanoscale, the shape of objects…
MIT and U.S. Air Force Sign Agreement to Launch AI Accelerator
MIT and the U.S. Air Force have signed an agreement to launch a new program designed to make fundamental advances in artificial intelligence that could improve Air Force operations while also addressing broader societal needs. The effort, known as the MIT-Air Force AI Accelerator, will leverage the expertise and resources of MIT and the Air…
‘Ant Bridge’-Inspired Nanoparticle Assembly Fixes Broken Electrical Circuits
Colonies of social insects are capable of self-organizing and accomplishing complex tasks through individual interactions. For example, to march across large gaps, ants grip the bodies of each other, forming a living bridge that allows the colonies to reach the other side. Inspired by this swarm behavior of ants, scientists from the Chinese University of…
3D-Printed Habitat Team Has Breakthrough in NASA Challenge
When the results of the third phase of NASA’s 3D-Printed Mars Habitat Challenge were revealed in Peoria, Illinois, in early May, Penn State fell just short of besting its friendly rival AI SpaceFactory. But in the process, the team engineered a breakthrough that moves forward 3D-printing construction research and pushes the team closer to the…
Sensor Embedded into Fabric Paves Way for ‘Smart’ Clothing
Most of us carry smartphones and some of us wear smartwatches. Can smart clothes be close behind? Researchers at UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering think so. They have developed a low-cost sensor that can be interlaced into textiles and composite materials. The researchers believe such a sensor could lead to the development of smart clothing…
Bio-Inspired Material Targets Oceans’ Uranium Stores for Sustainable Nuclear Energy
Scientists have demonstrated a new bio-inspired material for an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach to recovering uranium from seawater. A research team from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, the University of California – Berkeley, and the University of South Florida developed a material that selectively binds dissolved uranium with a…
Flying Cars Mooted for Paris’ Public Transport Network
European aerospace giant Airbus and Paris underground operator RATP will study the viability of adding flying vehicles to the city’s urban transport network, the companies said Wednesday. The firms will “explore the feasibility of urban air mobility services” in the French capital and the broader Ile de France region, they said in a statement. “Airbus…
Excavation Robot Promises Safer Way to Dispose of Explosives in Landmines
Demine Robotics wanted a safer and faster way to clear the 60 to 100 million landmines left in the world. In response, they built an unmanned excavation robot prototype that makes demining safer and faster. Currently, methods to clear up landmines in war-stricken countries is a major feat, since many are hidden in farmlands, school…
A Step for A Promising New Battery To Store Clean Energy
Researchers have built a more efficient, more reliable potassium-oxygen battery, a step toward a potential solution for energy storage on the nation’s power grid and longer-lasting batteries in cell phones and laptops. In a study published Friday in the journal Batteries and Supercaps, researchers from The Ohio State University detailed their findings centering around the construction…
Electric Skateboards Integrate Bendy Batteries for Better Turns
Evolve’s electric skateboards have impressed many with their unique designs and ability to take chances. Now, the GTR Series of skateboards will contain many features Evolve’s other models have, but with one twist: a bendy battery. The new GTR line integrates the same powertrain technology, with twin 1,500-W motors that are hooked up to the…
Study: Glassy Menagerie of Particles in Beach Sands Near Hiroshima Is Fallout Debris
Mario Wannier, a career geologist with expertise in studying tiny marine life, was methodically sorting through particles in samples of beach sand from Japan’s Motoujina Peninsula when he spotted something unexpected: a number of tiny, glassy spheres and other unusual objects. Wannier, who is now retired, had been comparing biological debris in beach sands from…
System Overview to Help ID the Best Robot for your Automated Dispensing Application
In this guide you will learn about Nordson EFD’s range of automated dispensing solutions that are specifically designed and configured for precise fluid dispensing. It covers: • Programming methods • Vision camera availability • Maximum working area (X / Y / Z) • # of axes Find the highest-performing dispensing solutions designed to increase process…
Tandem Perovskite Could Hold Key to Lower Cost Solar Cells
While numerous efforts are underway to develop solar cell materials of the future, the hurdles have been photovoltaic efficiency and cost. But a University of Toledo physicist has made significant progress in material chemistry and processing and may be close to achieving a breakthrough in solar cell performance. Working in collaboration with the U.S. Department…
How to Select the Best 2K Dispensing System
Make sure you’re using the proper combination of components to accurately dispense 2-part materials with Nordson EFD’s new guide, “How to Select the Best Two-Component Dispensing System.” Useful step-by-step guide helps ID the best cartridge, piston, mixer, and dispense gun or meter mix valve based on several factors critical to optimized dispense performance. Options are…
Free Dispensing Guide for Machine Builders
When you’re dealing with fluid, few things can compromise the performance of a machine faster than unreliable dispensing equipment. Nordson EFD is known for reliable solutions, application expertise, and global support. Pair that with a wide selection of precision dispense valves to handle just about any application requirement — and you’ve got a valuable partner.…
To the Beat of Your Own Cardboard Drum
Cardboard is fun for making playhouses and Batmobiles, but they’re quite self-destructive and don’t last too long. Now, Signal Snowboards is redesigning cardboard to create a working drum kit in collaboration with Ernest Packaging and Masters of Maples founder Sahir Hanif. Signal started the project over two years ago and has finally brought the cardboard…
Researchers Outline the Current State of Potassium-Ion Battery Technology
A trio of researchers with the University of Wollongong, in Australia, has published an outline of the current state of potassium-ion battery technology. In their Review piece published in the journal Science Advances, Wenchao Zhang, Yajie Liu, and Zaiping Guo highlight the current roadblocks that are preventing widespread use of the battery technology and possible workarounds…
First Sensor Announces MEMS Inertial Sensors for Structural Monitoring
First Sensor is launching a new generation of high-accuracy capacitive silicon inertial sensors aimed at applications in the fast-growing market of smart structural monitoring. The new sensors offer the resolution and low noise density required for recording vibrations or changes of inclination in wind turbines, bridges and high-rise buildings, thereby uncovering risks in the structure…
Making Additive Manufacturing a True Production Technology
The use of additive manufacturing as a rapid prototyping technology has become universally accepted across all key industrial sectors, allowing design engineers and manufacturers the ability to assess the robustness of a design before pushing the button on full production. A rapid prototype can be held and assessed by all departments involved in the design…