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Energy & Green Tech

Garbage could replace a quarter of petroleum-based jet fuel every year

Every year, the nation's aviation industry uses around 22 billion gallons of jet fuel, which produces about 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide—or 3% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. Because of this, researchers and ...

Electronics & Semiconductors

Universal 'cocktail electrolyte' developed for 4.6 V ultra-stable fast charging of commercial lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), mainly used as the power of computer, communication and consumer electronic products, require higher energy density, longer cycling life, faster-charging capability, and a broader operating temperature ...

Robotics

Engineers design spider-like robot that may be used to explore caves on Mars

A team of roboticists and mechanical and aeronautical engineers at Stanford University has developed a spider-like robot for possible use in exploring caves or lava tubes on Mars. In their paper published in the journal Science ...

Engineering

Floating solar's potential to support sustainable development

A study, published in Nature Energy, is among the first to explore the floating photovoltaics (FPV) at the continental scale, finding that FPV installed at existing major reservoirs could produce 20–100% of the electricity ...

Electronics & Semiconductors

Harvesting vibrational energy from 'colored noise'

The energy demands of today's ubiquitous small electronic devices—including sensors, data transmitters, medical implants and 'wearable' consumer products such as Fitbits—can no longer be met by chemical batteries alone. ...

Electronics & Semiconductors

New understanding of energy losses in emerging light source

The light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC) can be fabricated in a sustainable and cost-effective way on both rigid and flexible surfaces making it suitable for a broad range of applications, like illumination, health care, ...

Robotics

Octopus inspires new suction mechanism for robots

A new robotic suction cup that can grasp rough, curved and heavy stone, has been developed by scientists at the University of Bristol. The team, based at Bristol Robotics Laboratory, studied the structures of octopus biological ...

Robotics

How 3D printers can give robots a soft touch

Soft skin coverings and touch sensors have emerged as a promising feature for robots that are both safer and more intuitive for human interaction, but they are expensive and difficult to make. A recent study demonstrates ...

Robotics

A rimless wheel robot that can reliably overcome steps

Robots with wheels could potentially navigate a variety of indoor and outdoor environments, traveling for longer distances and with fewer risks of losing balance. While some wheeled robots have achieved very promising results ...