Science

A patent has been submitted to the USPTO by Toyota for an innovative robotic muscle technology. These artificial muscles would allow robots to mimic human movements and carry out dangerous tasks.

An off-road hydrogen car racing series, Extreme H, has been announced. The event will accompany the existing Extreme E electric car racing championship from 2024, with a prototype of the racing vehicle expected early next year.

University of Utrecht researchers have managed to hone their 3D-bioprinting method enough to achieve the creation of functional liver-mimicking units that can detoxify impurities like the human organ. By using volumetric bioprinting via light sources, the scientists kept the liver organoids alive and intend to use the method for studying new drugs or regenerative medicine of damaged livers.

The fastest Alder Lake-S processor is expected to launch in early March with a considerable price bump over the existing i9-12900K. For an additional US$200, one would get 5.5 GHz boost clocks by default with 260 W PL2.

MIT researchers have managed to create a new polymer material called 2DPA-1 that has twice the yield strength of steel and up to six times the deformation resistance of bulletproof glass. The unorthodox sheet polymer can be easily spun in mass quantities and used as ultradurable coating for phones and cars, or even as a building material.

Mark Webber and a group of scientists from the University of Sussex calculated that it would take a quantum processor with 1.9 billion qubits to effectively crack the Bitcoin encryption, and this is most likely not going to happen in the next 10 years, giving Bitcoin core developers enough time to make the code quantum-resistant.

GPU fingerprinting is facilitated through websites relying on the WebGL 2.0 rendering API. This technique is currently 67% faster than any other tracking methods, but could become even faster with newer API versions. WebGL developer Khronos is looking to mitigate this type of vulnerability with a future update, while web browser developers can deactivate the API by default.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham teamed up with the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust to determine the accuracy of those widely used pulse oximeters based on the color of your skin. Standard pulse oximeters, it turned out, significantly overshot the blood oxygen saturation for the Mixed ethnicity group compared to the White cohort.

Researchers have developed a tiny clip-on sensor that can make any mask smart by monitoring the fit and wear duration, as well as the wearer's vitals. Busy healthcare professionals in COVID-19 wards may be first to test the FaceBit sensor and get notified about mask-wearing problems via the accompanying app.

Almost a month after its launch from Europe's Spaceport at Kourou, in French Guiana, NASA's signature James Webb Space Telescope project will be docking at its final destination in the Earth-sun Lagrange Point 2. NASA will be streaming the telescope's parking efforts live on YouTube and take questions from viewers.

MRAM's inherent low resistance was bypassed using a 64 x 64 crossbar array of MRAM cells that also support in-memory processing capabilities, making it highly effective for AI-powered applications. More complex MRAM structures could eventually be used to store biological neuronal networks.

A new eco-rower from SportsArt lets you generate electricity as you workout. This energy can immediately be plugged back into the machine or used to power other devices.

Developed by researchers from the Lancaster University in UK, UltraRAM is almost ready for mass production and could soon offer a unified solution that acts as RAM and storage. The technology relies on compound semiconductors that are usually used for photonic arrays like LEDs and lasers.

Razer has been caught red-handed over the marketing of its Zephyr and Zephyr Pro face masks. Previously, the company marketed both as being 'N95 grade'; it has been selling the Zephyr since October 2021. Neither are 'N95 grade' and nor has Razer received any certifications to make such claims.

Abbott's best-known consumer products might be the FreeStyle line of blood glucose-monitoring "biowearables". Now, the biomedical OEM has announced that it will expand this category with new tracking prowess. This Lingo series of sensors is touted to put the user in more control over their health and fitness than ever before.

Rapid antigen tests may be a waste as far as the fast-spreading new COVID-19 Omicron virus variant is concerned, says a new scientific study. The researchers followed frontline workers whose jobs require daily testing with PCR and rapid antigen tests, and found out that most of them have been shedding Omicron virus particles long before it showed on the rapid antigen tests, while PCR tests caught the infection much earlier.

NASA is set to equip its Orion space capsules, which are part of its ongoing Artemis project, with an A.I. assistant. Named Callisto, the assistant is based on Amazon's Alexa and Cisco's Webex software. As such, it will allow astronauts to telecommunicate with Mission Control and will operate as a voice assistant on the rocket.

Roche has announced a new rapid COVID-19 test kit for at-home use, taking on testing stalwarts like Abbott or the numerous Chinese companies that offer rapid antigen tests you can buy from the pharmacy or retail locations. The new Roche COVID-19 At-Home Test displayed very good accuracy and was granted FDA Emergency Use authorization for mass production of tens of millions of units as soon as this month.

A partnership between the Technion Institute of Technology and the Sheba Medical Center has successfully biofabricated a human auricle with a 3D-printed scaffold and cartilage grown from the patient's own cells. So far, children with microtia have had to undergo painful costal cartilage grafts and wait until age 10 to have their undeveloped ears surgically reconstructed. The 3D-printed prosthetic ear method can be used from age six and is much less invasive.

It has been discovered that you can hack some at-home COVID-19 lateral flow tests via Bluetooth. This flaw would allow you to modify your test result. However, the problem has now been resolved, ensuring that you cannot alter the outcome of your test.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology have developed the world's first color OLED microdisplay with ultra low power consumption. Those can be used for information we need right in front of our eyes at all times, like with smart glasses and other wearables, but have so far all been monochrome. By cutting the pixel size in half and utilizing CMOS technology, the Fraunhofer scientists have managed to deliver an OLED microdisplay that can show a mixture of green and red colors for the first time.

Samsung and IBM have come to the ongoing IEDM 2021 International Electronic Components Conference to unveil the vertical transport field effect transistor (VTFET). It is a new property of potential next-gen chipsets that, as the two OEMs assert, might one day help build a smartphone that can last up to seven days on one charge.

Xiaomi has now announced the debut of its new battery technology. The company promises that the new high-silicon lithium batteries will deliver 10% more capacity at the same volumes as current lith-ion units. Mass production isn't that far off either.

Food science researchers have managed to whip up a concoction of soy protein isolate, emulsifiers, starches, and other plant-based ingredients to achieve "superior 3D printing performance" of plant-based meat dough. Their secret ingredient seems to have been the use of cocoa butter that finally made the patties flow, while the efforts to 3D-print substitute meat with pea protein have been futile. The researchers added shiitake powder to achieve the taste and say the meat replacement has as much protein as chicken.

The Chinese moon rover has been exploring the South Pole–Aitken basin crater on the dark side of the Moon ever since it became the first spacecraft to land there back in 2019. Recently, it snapped a photo of a mysterious "cube" on the edge of the crater that Chinese media were quick to call a "mystery hut." China's lunar rover is heading to investigate the strange object further, but a scientist has managed to confirm that the "moon hut" might be just a rock, judging from images of the area snapped by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Using biomimicry to replicate how birds land on tree branches and balance there, Stanford researchers have managed to create SNAG, the Stereotyped Nature-Inspired Aerial Grasper, which can fly like a quadcopter but land like a peregrine falcon. SNAG is not your average drone but a robotic bird that can grasp branches of various forms and textures with its 3D-printed legs, motors for muscles, and fishing line for tendons. The end goal is to conserve battery while filming or surveying an area by perching instead of hovering all the time.

The Thanksgiving weekend has been transformed into a full-blown crisis over at SpaceX by an Elon Musk "all hands on deck" email. The production snags for the new Starship Raptor engines turned out to be more severe than previously thought, putting the launch of the new Starlink satellites in jeopardy. These are the ones that are supposed to make Starlink profitable, and Elon Musk warns that the Starship has to fly at least twice a month next year to keep SpaceX afloat.

A living 'microbial ink' has been developed by a research team at Harvard University and Harvard Medical school, which can be 3D printed. One of the living materials generated from the ink has been designed to release an anti-cancer drug on demand.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD, one of the leading research centers in visual computing computer science based on images and 3D models, has 3D-printed a prosthetic eye. Using its proprietary Cuttlefish: Eye software and 3D-printing technology, the scientists have managed to create models in a fraction of the time typically needed for fitting one. Fraunhofer's new technology will undergo clinical trials in the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, where 40 patients will get 3D-printed prosthetic eyes.

The Canadian Department of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development will follow the example of its US counterparts and will restrict 5G connectivity where planes take off and land. The move will affect 26 Canadian airports where mid-band 5G antennas will be banned outdoors but allowed inside the airport buildings. The restrictions come as the potential for 5G signal interference with a plane altimeter can not be ruled out with absolute certainty, claims ISED.

Austrian fire truck manufacturer Rosenbaum has developed a new high-pressure nozzle to solve the problem of expensive EV battery fire accidents. The process now involves dousing the electric car with water for hours, creating toxic runoff. The new nozzle pierces the battery pack housing, putting out the burning cells directly.

The Eagle processor is essentially doubling the number of qubits from last year's Hummingbird model that integrates 65 qubits. Featuring several layers of circuitry that improve the quantum coherence, the Eagle is now able to execute concurrent real-time classical compute workloads. IBM plans to release a 443-qubit model in 2022 and then break the 1000-qubit barrier by 2023.

Nissan and Verizon have developed a project to improve driver safety. Sensors detect potential emerging hazards from visual obstructions. The sensory data is processed by Verizon's 5G Edge and rapid alerts can be communicated to the driver.

Researchers at Lancaster University were able to transmit useful digital data by manipulating the neutron field around radioactive Californium-252. The research could have an impact on future wireless technologies that aren't dampened by walls and other hard surfaces.

Rivian, an electric car maker touted as a competitor to Tesla and supported by the likes of Facebook and Amazon, recently hit a US$100 billion valuation on the stock market, despite the fact that the company has only ever manufactured and delivered 150 vehicles to customers so far.

A research project by scientists at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute indicates that lithium-ion batteries made from recycled and recovered components could last up to 50 percent longer than those made from "new" materials, potentially encouraging manufacturers to focus more on greener battery options.

Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke briefly about his personal interest in cryptocurrency at a New York Times press event, stating that he personally owns crypto as part of his investment portfolio. However, he confirmed that Apple would not be accepting crypto as a payment method anytime soon.

The US$150,000 research project could answer significant questions about just how durable current generation 3D-printed parts can be in extreme situations.

AMD has now formally introduced the new Instinct line of accelerators, touting them as the first kind of GPU rated for exascale performance. This may render them equal to the demands of next-gen research-class computing. The new MI200 series may do so through an inaugural multi-die design, CDNA2 architecture and compatibility with EPYC processors for potential

A team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines has created a mathematical framework to make robots cognizant of how their actions impact others.

Combining high-repetition femtosecond laser inscription with silica glass materials, researchers came up with a palm-size 5D medium that can store up to 500 TB. In addition to the three spatial dimensions, researchers also use solitons and the strength of retardance of the nanolamellar structures etched with the lasers as fourth and fifth dimensions, respectively.

A team of students from Swiss universities has developed a feline robot. The Dyana project has combined animatronics and 3D printing to create a cat-like character that moves in a feline way.

The remote-controlled quadrupedal robots could serve as watchdogs, since their four-legged design offers some specific advantages in comparison to robots that are equipped with wheels. Fans of the video game series Battlefield and its newest entry Battlefield 2042 may already be familiar with this concept.

NFC is a popular form of casual data transfer between compatible devices, and can also be used as a form of wireless charging as well. This is typically done using the NFC WLC standard, which allows for low-wattage power delivery over a specific frequency. Now, NuCurrent claims its latest development improves on those specs, for improved charging and data-transfer speeds.

MIT and BASF have teamed up to create an open-source AI algorithm that significantly speeds up the development of new materials for 3D printing with niche characteristics.

The nascent Li-Metal battery technology that allows for 500 miles (800km) of range on a charge has won the heart (and a $100 million investment) of Hyundai for the next Ioniq models built on the E-GMP platform.

Google’s AI department was recently hit by a class-action lawsuit in the UK, because of possible irregularities in the way that it received and handled the data of over 1.6 million NHS patients from the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

A research team at The California Institute of Technology has built a robot with hybrid walking and flying movement. The robot can carry out manoeuvres such as flying to avoid stairs and skateboarding.

The upcoming project would allow the Raspberry Pi to become a mobile laboratory device that can analyze and determine certain measurements of liquids like the quality and adulteration of olive oil.

U.S. and South Korean RISC-V researchers managed to make Nvidia's CUDA code compatible with non-Nvidia hardware. It is quite the achievement considering AMD and Intel have not yet pursued such a solution. The RISC-V-based Vortex GPGPU essentially translates CUDA code into OpenCL instructions through the RISC-V library.