Engineering

Mantis shrimp inspires new breed of light sensors

Inspired by the eyes of mantis shrimp, researchers have developed a new kind of optical sensor that is small enough to fit on a...

Scientists boost efficiency of next-generation solar cell material to 25%

Perovskites are a leading candidate for eventually replacing silicon as the material of choice for solar panels. They offer the potential for low-cost, low-temperature manufacturing...

This compact laser could generate random numbers 100 times faster

Random numbers are increasingly important to our digitally connected world, with applications that include e-commerce, cryptography, and cloud computing. Producing a large amount of truly...

New catalyst makes styrene manufacturing cheaper, greener

Chemical engineering researchers have developed a new catalyst that significantly increases yield in styrene manufacturing, while simultaneously reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. "Styrene...

Scientists put graphene in a spin

Researchers induce artificial ‘magnetic texture’ in graphene, a quantum science advancement that could help lead to more powerful semiconductors, computers. Graphene is incredibly strong, lightweight,...

New optical antennas could eliminate data limits

Researchers have found a new way to harness properties of light waves that can radically increase the amount of data they carry. They demonstrated the...

Bacteria could help make stronger cars, airplanes and armor

Biological systems can harness their living cells for growth and regeneration, but engineering systems cannot. Until now. Qiming Wang and researchers at the USC Viterbi School...

Scientists make new breakthrough for stretchable electronics

Stretchable electronic circuits are critical for soft robotics, wearable technologies, and biomedical applications. The current ways of making them, though, have limited their potential. A team...

This credit card-sized soft pumps could power wearable artificial muscles

Robotic clothing that is entirely soft and could help people to move more easily is a step closer to reality thanks to the development...

New skin patch brings us closer to wearable, all-in-one health monitor

Engineers have developed a soft, stretchy skin patch that can be worn on the neck to continuously track blood pressure and heart rate while...