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Chemistry & Physics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 27-Oct-2026 19:16 ET (27-Oct-2026 23:16 GMT/UTC)

A roadmap for self-powered tactile sensors in robots and wearables

KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This review summarizes flexible electromagnetic induction-type tactile sensors that convert touch-induced magnetic-flux variation into electrical signals. It establishes an integrated framework linking magnets, coils, soft materials, signal processing and circuits, and discusses their relevance to wearable electronics, medical monitoring, human-machine interfaces and intelligent robotics.

Journal: Wearable Electronics
Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fundamental Research Program of Shanxi Province, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation

EdUHK study finds parents as “coaches” boost children’s physical activity

The Education University of Hong Kong
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Schoolchildren in Hong Kong face intense academic demands, with long hours of sedentary study leaving little time for movement. On average, their physical activity falls short of the World Health Organization’s recommendation of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day.

A research team at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) has addressed this challenge by designing exercise videos and coaching materials in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tracking 119 primary school students and their guardians over two years, the study examined how different forms of guidance and interaction influence children’s motivation to exercise.

Findings revealed that home-based exercise videos boosted MVPA in the short term (by around 6–7 minutes), while parent support strategies grounded in Self-Determination Theory—such as offering choices, giving positive feedback, and encouraging parent-child interaction—helped sustain motivation and meet psychological needs.

Journal: Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness

A new robotic hand capable of switching between multiple grippers using a single motor

Kanazawa University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A conventional robotic hand is equipped with multiple motors or peripheral devices for grasping a wide variety of objects. This study presents a robotic hand equipped with multiple grippers that are driven by a single motor with the transmission of motor power switched via a mechanism using gravity (Magnetic and Gravity-based Driving mechanism). Thus, it provides design guidelines for a new robotic hand capable of accommodating diverse grasping actions while maintaining a relatively simple structure.

Journal: IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters

Study tracks photogenerated hole evolution from separation to transfer in photocatalysis

Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study led by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences has visualized the spatiotemporal evolution of photogenerated holes in a facet-engineered bismuth vanadate photocatalyst using a home-builtin-situ transient reflection microscope.

Journal: National Science Review

NSF selects Rochester, New York, as national laser innovation hub

University of Rochester
Grant and Award Announcement

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) announced it will award $15 million over the next two years to launch the NSF STELLAR Engine in the Rochester/Finger Lakes Region of New York, led by the University of Rochester. The award, matched by $16 million in New York State support over the next six years will establish an internationally competitive technology and innovation cluster in the region focused on laser technologies, education, business expansion and attraction, manufacturing, and workforce development.

Powering up economies, WVU with Pitt and Carnegie Mellon will recharge energy security and resilience with $320M for new technology, AI, infrastructure, and jobs

West Virginia University
Grant and Award Announcement

The Resilient Energy Technology and Infrastructure Consortium, led by West Virginia University in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and more than 60 regional partners, will use $321 million in public and private funding to develop the nation’s next leading industrial energy innovation hub in the heart of Appalachia.

New process turns mixed plastic waste directly into hydrogen fuel without sorting

University of California - Los Angeles
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team co-led by researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and Ewha Womans University in South Korea has demonstrated a new chemical approach that converts a mixture of the three most common plastics directly into high-purity hydrogen fuel at temperatures far below conventional gasification. The process locks carbon dioxide away as a solid mineral without releasing the greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Funder: National Research Foundation of Korea, Korea government (Ministry of Science and ICT and Ministry of Education)

Tiny infrared chip could improve detection of gases and heat

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

MIT researchers developed a tunable, chip-based infrared “lens” that can focus on different wavelengths pixel by pixel to improve detection of gases and heat.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: U.S. Air Force, National Research Foundation of Korea, Draper Scholar Program

Scientists unveil technique to build ultra-thin material stacks that promise quantum breakthrough

University of Southampton
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists have developed a cleaner and cheaper method for fabricating 2D heterostructures which enables them to precisely layer materials just a few atoms thick. They say it could lead to faster microchips and the development of next-generation quantum computing technologies.

Journal: Nature Communications