Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and ETH Zurich have developed a robotic leg with artificial muscles. Inspired by living creatures, it jumps across different terrains in an agile and energy-efficient manner. Key points: Researchers have developed the first robotic leg powered by artificial electro-hydraulic muscles that can automatically adapt to uneven terrain. The system is more energy efficient than electric motors, enabling high jumps and fast movements without complex sensors. Although still in its infancy, the…
R&D projects will engage vendors for forward-looking technologies and energy efficiencies. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science (SC) today announced a new research and development opportunity led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to advance technologies and drive new capabilities for future supercomputers. This industry research program worth $23 million, called New Frontiers, will initiate partnerships with multiple companies to accelerate the R&D of critical technologies with renewed emphasis on energy efficiency for the next generation of…
A new Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC), supported by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science and led by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, was awarded $14.4 million over four years to advance manufacturing of microelectronics by investigating approaches to building their components in fundamentally new ways. Instead of moving electrons through conducting metallic interconnects in the miniscule and ever shrinking parts of devices such as microchips used in computers and cell phones, the researchers propose to move information via spin waves that can…
Together with 24 German research institutions and companies under the coordination of Forschungszentrum (FZ) Jülich, Fraunhofer IPMS is working on an integrated German quantum computer based on superconducting quantum chips and with improved error rates. Halfway through the project, the first demonstrator can now be put into operation. The CNT at Fraunhofer IPMS is contributing its expertise of state-of-the-art, industry-compatible CMOS semiconductor manufacturing. Quantum computers are seen as the central solution for the increasing demand for more and more computing…
Automatic image recognition to identify types of wood. The new European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is intended to prevent goods marketed in the EU from contributing to the spread of deforestation. When a wood product is brought into the EU market there must be documentation of which types of wood were used to produce it. Depending on the material, even the initial review of the declared type of wood is no easy task. Paper requires time-consuming examination. Now, a new AI-based…
In a collaboration between scientists from Physics and Chemistry at the University of Bayreuth and Physical Chemistry at the University of Melbourne, it has now been possible to realize optically switchable photonic units that enable precise addressing of individual units. This will make it possible to reliably store and read binary information optically. They report on this in the scientific journal Advanced Optical Materials. Electronic devices based on microchips, i.e. integrated circuits, are among the most important inventions of the…
The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory added a new neutron scattering instrument to its powerhouse of discovery at the Spallation Neutron Source, charting new territory for neutron imaging through artificial intelligence. In July, DOE’s Office of Science approved the final commissioning of the Versatile Neutron Imaging Instrument, or VENUS. “It’s a dream come true,” said ORNL neutron scattering scientist Hassina Bilheux. “It has been an honor and privilege to work with so many talented people dedicated to seeing…
When different quantum states combine, new collective states of matter can emerge. In the quantum realm, combining components such as atoms that possess quantum effects can give rise to macroscopic quantum states of matter, featuring exotic quantum excitations that do not exist anywhere else. In a collaboration between Aalto University and the Institute of Physics CAS, researchers built an artificial quantum material, atom by atom, from magnetic titanium on top of a magnesium oxide substrate. They then carefully engineered how…
A team of scientists has unlocked the potential of 6G communications with a new polarisation multiplexer. Terahertz communications represent the next frontier in wireless technology, promising data transmission rates far exceeding current systems. By operating at terahertz frequencies, these systems can support unprecedented bandwidth, enabling ultra-fast wireless communication and data transfer. However, one of the significant challenges in terahertz communications is effectively managing and utilising the available spectrum. The team has developed the first ultra-wideband integrated terahertz polarisation (de)multiplexer implemented…
A&M joins a Northwestern University-led center to bring highly skilled, affordable robotic assistance to the workforce and beyond. Texas A&M University is joining a new National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center (ERC), led by Northwestern University, seeking to develop robots capable of enhancing human labor. A central goal of the Human AugmentatioN via Dexterity (HAND) center is to make robotic assistance accessible and applicable to a wide range of physical actions through an engineered system of dexterous robotic hands,…
Research project develops more targeted prompting. Clinical studies include large amounts of data and text. Language models such as ChatGPT help doctors and clinical staff to retrieve specific information using natural language. But how well can AI bots analyze logical correlations and make the right inferences? This is where the AutoPrompt research project sets in. It aims to counteract errors and hallucinations, which can occur when the systems make inferences. To this end, the researchers are developing a system that…
A common practice among software developers is to use so-called code snippets from the platform Stack Overflow. A study by CISPA researcher Alfusainey Jallow now shows that this can lead to security risks in the long run. One of the reasons for this is that security-relevant updates to the code snippets often do not find their way into the software in which the snippets are used. Jallow published the results of his study in the paper “Measuring the Effects of…
Physicists from Aalto University in Finland, alongside an international team of collaborators, have theoretically and experimentally shown that superconducting qubit coherence loss can be directly measured as thermal dissipation in the electrical circuit holding the qubit. At the heart of the most advanced quantum computers and ultrasensitive detectors are superconducting Josephson junctions, the basic elements of qubits –– or quantum bits. As the name suggests, these qubits and their circuitry are very efficient conductors of electricity. ‘Despite the fast progress…
Highly secure quantum communication in an urban environment. Researchers from Jena, Berlin, Erlangen and Oberpfaffenhofen from the QuNET initiative are preparing to connect several users within the Berlin metropolitan region in a quantum-secure network as part of a large-scale key experiment. With this experiment, they will demonstrate the current state of development of the initiative for highly secure communication. QuNET is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Launched by the BMBF, the QuNET initiative is working…
In an analysis of smartphones of ten manufacturers, researchers at TU Graz have found that the Android kernels used are vulnerable to known attacks – so-called one-day exploits – despite existing protection mechanisms. Smartphones are a constant companion and important work tool for many people. In addition to contacts, appointments and emails, the devices are increasingly being used for sensitive tasks such as online banking or official matters. This increases the safety requirements. As Lukas Maar, Florian Draschbacher, Lukas Lamster…
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have been improving the resolution of a process known as photolithography. They hope to use their technique to help advance the miniaturisation of computer chips. Miniaturising computer chips is one of the keys to the digital revolution. It allows computers to become ever smaller and, at the same time, more powerful. This in turn is a prerequisite for developments such as autonomous driving, artificial intelligence and the 5G standard for mobile communications. Now…
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