Engineers produce water-saving crop irrigation sensor
Developed by engineers — environmental, mechanical, and chemical — new sensors expected to save nearly 35% of water consumption and cost far less than what exists.
Read moreThermodynamics
Machine learning finds new metamaterial designs for energy harvesting
Electrical engineers have harnessed the power of machine learning to design dielectric (non-metal) metamaterials that absorb and emit specific frequencies of terahertz radiation. The technique drops the time needed to simulate possible configurations from more than 2,000 years to 23 hours, which should facilitate the design of sustainable types of thermal energy harvesters and lighting.
Read moreA new way to turn heat into useful energy
An international team of scientists has figured out how to capture heat and turn it into electricity. The discovery could create more efficient energy generation from heat in things like car exhaust, interplanetary space probes and industrial processes.
Read moreHow to predict crucial plasma pressure in future fusion facilities
Feature describes improved model for forecasting the crucial balance of pressure at the edge of a fusion plasma.
Read moreEngineers create tunable, nanoscale, incandescent light source
Engineers have created what may be viewed as the world's smallest incandescent lightbulbs, collections of near-nanoscale materials called 'selective thermal emitters' that absorb heat and emit light. Their research could have applications in sensing, photonics and perhaps in computing platforms beyond the limitations of silicon.
Read moreDNA 'origami' takes flight in emerging field of nano machines
'DNA mechanotechnology' is a new field to engineer DNA machines that generate, transmit and sense mechanical forces at the nanoscale.
Read moreAcoustic energy harnessed to soften shear-thickening fluids
Researchers are using ultrasonic waves to manipulate the viscosity of shear-thickening materials, turning solids to slush — and back again.
Read moreNew method reveals how damage occurs in human biological cells due to mechanical fatigue
Researchers have developed a novel way to measure how mechanical fatigue affects biological cells. They also have established the important role of this effect in influencing physical properties of biological cells such as red blood cells (RBCs). This new technique assesses the mechanical integrity and fatigue behavior of RBCs using a general microfluidics method that incorporates amplitude-modulated electro-deformation. This method has important applications for mechanical fatigue studies in conjunction with other microenvironments related to health and materials engineering.
Read moreStroke patients relearning how to walk with peculiar shoe
Clinical trials have been completed on a therapeutic shoe engineered to improve stroke recovery. They've proven successful, allowing for the patented product to hit the market by the end of the year.
Read moreNew sample holder for protein crystallography
A research team has developed a novel sample holder that considerably facilitates the preparation of protein crystals for structural analysis. New research shows how proteins in solution can be crystallized directly onto the new sample holders themselves, then analyzedd using the MX beamlines at BESSY II. A patent has already been granted and a manufacturer found.
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