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Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 30-Oct-2026 21:16 ET (31-Oct-2026 01:16 GMT/UTC)

KAIST develops robot learning technology capable of precisely imitating even “rough” demonstrations

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Professor Daehyung Park’s research team in the School of Computing develops DiSPo, a robot AI model that can flexibly improve task precision from only coarse (low-frequency) demonstrations

DiSPo demonstrates up to an 81% higher success rate than existing technologies and achieves ultra-precise control in real-world robot experiments, successfully passing through a narrow 2.5 mm clearance

The technology is expected to expand the application of robots in industrial automation fields requiring high dexterity, such as micro-component assembly, medical robotics, and precision machining

Funder: Ministry of Science and ICT, Institute of Information and Communication Technologies

Microwave-made biochar could help turn waste biomass into cleaner water and safer soils

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As the world searches for better ways to manage waste biomass and clean up polluted environments, a growing body of research is focusing on biochar, a carbon-rich material made by heating organic waste in low-oxygen conditions. A new review published in Biochar offers a comprehensive comparison of conventional pyrolysis and microwave-assisted pyrolysis, two major routes for producing biochar, and explains how the choice of heating method can shape biochar’s structure, chemistry, and pollution-removal performance.

Journal: Biochar

Biochar-powered hydrogel offers a brighter path for solar water purification

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Freshwater scarcity is one of the most urgent challenges facing sustainable development, especially as many conventional desalination technologies require high energy input and costly infrastructure. A new study published in Biochar presents a promising alternative: a hybrid solar evaporator that uses biochar-doped hydrogel to turn sunlight into vapor more efficiently while improving water transport and reducing heat loss.

Journal: Biochar

Water in biomass may help shape better biochar, new study finds

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study published in Biochar shows that the water naturally present in plant biomass is not merely a processing obstacle. Instead, it can actively shape how biomass breaks down during pyrolysis, the oxygen limited heating process used to make biochar, bio-oil, and gases.

Journal: Biochar

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance partners with SDSU on innovation projects

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Business Announcement

Using artificial intelligence to detect images of African leopards and rattlesnakes and freezing samples of endangered marine organisms far below zero degrees Fahrenheit are just some of the ways that new technologies can help protect biodiversity and threatened ecosystems. San Diego State University and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) announced a partnership to increase the impact of such innovations developed through SDZWA’s research, conservation, and wildlife care initiative

Carnegie Mellon team awarded ARPA-H contract to transform care during labor and childbirth

College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
Grant and Award Announcement

Carnegie Mellon University is leading a multi-university team that has secured an award of up to $39.3 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop a wearable monitoring system to better identify fetal distress and its cause.

Funder: Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health

Self-driving chemistry lab discovers catalysts that can switch products on demand

North Carolina State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers have developed a self-driving chemistry lab that can autonomously search through hundreds of catalyst recipes and reaction conditions to identify faster, more selective, and more programmable ways to make important industrial chemicals. The work could accelerate catalyst discovery for industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and plastics to fuels and specialty chemicals.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Eastman Chemical Company

WVU physicists unlock plasma’s mysteries with lasers

West Virginia University
Grant and Award Announcement

West Virginia University researchers are developing new laser-based techniques to observe plasma behavior in unprecedented detail, opening a window into interactions that shape technologies ranging from computer chips and spacecraft engines to next-generation fusion energy systems.

Did two historical New York and New Jersey hurricanes trigger tsunamis? Stevens scientists unravel a mystery and future threat of flooding

Stevens Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In 1938 and 1944, two major hurricanes struck Long Island and, after the initial winds subsided, the surges came back unexpectedly hours later, leading observers to wonder whether this was a tsunami. Scientists at Stevens Institute of Technology explain the phenomenon and warn that it can happen again.

Journal: Continental Shelf Research