University of Paris-Sud

Microfluidic device generates passive hydraulic power, may be used to make small robots move. Trees and other plants, from towering redwoods to diminutive daisies, are nature’s hydraulic pumps. They are constantly pulling water up from their roots to the topmost leaves, and pumping sugars produced by their leaves back down to the roots. This constant

Battery could find use in mobile applications, and eventually, electric vehicles with 300-mile range Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  (Berkeley Lab) have demonstrated in the laboratory a lithium-sulfur (Li/S) battery that has more than twice the specific energy of lithium-ion batteries, and that lasts for more than 1,500 cycles

  Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, it is useful to look back at the various iterations of the Internet to see how it has evolved and where we might reasonably expect to see it go in the coming years and decades. The defining aspect of Web 1.0 was search. In other words, think

A team of roboticists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology  claimed a $2 million prize on Saturday that was offered by a Pentagon research agency for developing a mobile robot capable of operating in hazardous environments. Twenty-five teams of university and corporate roboticists competed for the prize, which was first given in

Ontario, Canada has carved out a niche for itself as a hub of green technology. One of the latest clean tech innovations to come out of that province is DARWIND5, a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). Designed by Harvistor, it comes with a promise of more oomph than existing models for small-scale wind power generation.

Device made from flexible, inexpensive materials could power large-area electronics, wearables, medical devices, and more. Imagine a world where smartphones, laptops, wearables, and other electronics are powered without batteries. Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have taken a step in that direction, with the first fully flexible device that can convert energy from Wi-Fi signals into

ETH researchers have developed a scale for measuring cells. It allows the weight of individual living cells, and any changes in this weight, to be determined quickly and accurately for the first time. The invention has also aroused significant interest both in and outside the field of biology. From earthworms and sunflowers to human beings,

Approach could bypass the time-consuming steps currently needed to test new photovoltaic materials. The worldwide quest by researchers to find better, more efficient materials for tomorrow’s solar panels is usually slow and painstaking. Researchers typically must produce lab samples — which are often composed of multiple layers of different materials bonded together — for extensive

Without explicit safeguards, your personal biometric data are destined for a government database Security through biology is an enticing idea. Since 2011, police departments across the U.S. have been scanning biometric data in the field using devices such as the Mobile Offender Recognition and Information System (MORIS), an iPhone attachment that checks fingerprints and iris scans.