Red soil exhibits a high susceptibility to geological disasters and engineering instability owing to its significant dispersibility and substantial strength attenuation upon exposure to water. Consequently, there is an urgent necessity to enhance its engineering properties. As an environmentally friendly and cost-effective industrial by-product, building gypsum powder demonstrates significant potential in improving the mechanical properties of red soil. It not only reduces the burden of landfilling and lowers material costs but also achieves efficient waste utilization and resource recycling, substantially cutting expenses related to soil stabilization and improvement. It is expected to provide a scientific basis for the analysis of geological hazards such as debris flows, landslides, and collapses in red soil regions, as well as offer guidance for selecting appropriate types and dosage of soil modifiers in practical engineering projects.

Concrete harbors distinct microbial zones whose signatures survive the heat of routine core sampling, a discovery researchers say could one day put structural health diagnostics within reach of general maintenance staff and even residents.

Grasping and transporting objects is one of the most critical tasks for robots in a variety of fields. This task requires accurate 3D measurement of the objects. However, transparent or specular objects make measurement challenging, reducing grasping success rate. To address this, researchers have developed HEAPGrasp, a new technique that performs 3D measurement of objects using only their silhouettes, thus avoiding dependence on their optical properties. This approach significantly improves grasping success rate of robots.