science wire

Dawn Bonnell Appointed Vice Provost for Research at Penn
Dawn A. Bonnell has been named vice provost for research at the University of Pennsylvania , effective July 1.

High-frequency trading tactic lowers investor profits
ANN ARBOR-High-frequency trading strategies that exploit today's fragmented equity markets reduce investor profits overall, according to new findings by University of Michigan engineering researchers. The study is believed to be the first to examine how a common and lucrative trading practice known as latency arbitrage can exploit both market rules and the recent growth in the number of venues where stocks can change hands.

Can you feel me now?
New array measures vibrations across the skin, may help engineers design optimal, wearable tactile displays.

Michigan I-Corps showcase: Launching more tech startups in the state
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., June 19, 2013 EVENT: Twenty tech startups from around the state of Michigan will share their business concepts and lessons learned during the first ever Michigan I-Corps program finale.

Silicon-based nanoparticles could make LEDs cheaper, greener to produce
Posted under: Engineering , Research , Science , Technology , UW and the Community Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are the most efficient and environmentally friendly light bulbs on the market.

Gordon Scholars Learn from Experience
Integrity. Honesty. Teamwork. And smartphones.

At Stanford, three winners honored with 2013 President’s Awards for Excellence Through Diversity

Innovative solar cell structure stores and supplies energy simultaneously
Solar panels on the roof of a Madison home. A UW-Madison engineer has proposed a new design for solar panels that can simultaneously generate and store energy.

Military vehicle seating: Keeping American soldiers safe
ANN ARBOR-Transportation crashes have accounted for two-thirds of U.S. noncombat military deaths since 2000-a trend University of Michigan researchers are hoping to help reverse.

Grad sees engineering bringing sexy back
Tyler Heal's big-picture view of what's possible in engineering and student life helped him leave a legacy at UAlberta.

Filmmaker James Cameron Honored on Campus for Contributions to Understanding Deep Ocean
James Cameron and his inner child visited UC San Diego Friday. The acclaimed director of "Titanic," "Avatar," and the "Terminator" films was at Mandeville Auditorium to receive the 2013 Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest.

An honorary degree for an engineering legend

Dan Siewiorek Named Director Of Quality of Life Technology Center
NSF-Sponsored Center Creates Intelligent Systems To Improve Daily Living : Byron Spice / 412-268-9068 / bspice [a] cs.cmu (p) edu Kristen Sabol / 412-268-3795 / ksabol [a] andrew.cmu (p) edu

Engineering research: Collaboration and creativity unleash tomorrow's discovery
The state-of-the-art Millennium Science Complex on Penn State's University Park campus embodies a new style of interdisciplinary and collaborative research.

Researchers control flying robot with only the mind
First-of-its-kind noninvasive system has potential to help people with disabilities MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (06/05/2013) —Researchers in the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering have developed a new noninvasive system that allows people to control a flying robot using only their mind.

Firefighting Robot Paints 3D Thermal Imaging Picture for Rescuers
Engineers in the Coordinated Robotics Lab at the University of California, San Diego, have developed new image processing techniques for rapid exploration and characterization of structural fires by small Segway-like robotic vehicles.

Spintronics approach enables new quantum technologies
A team of researchers, including members of the University of Chicago's Institute for Molecular Engineerin g , highlight the power of emerging quantum technologies in two recent papers published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . These technologies exploit quantum mechanics, the physics that dominates the atomic world, to perform disparate tasks such as nanoscale temperature measurement and processing quantum information with lasers.

Wi-Fi signals enable gesture recognition throughout entire home
Forget to turn off the lights before leaving the apartment? No problem. Just raise your hand, finger-swipe the air, and your lights will power down.

Inventor borrows ideas from nature to tackle key societal challenges; awarded $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize for work
Dr. Angela Belcher genetically engineers viruses to create new products; inventions include biodegradable batteries, high-efficiency solar cells and clean transportation fuel Dr.

Stanford software engineering MOOC aims at future startup CEOs
Instructors hope to provide people worldwide with crucial skills for starting their own companies. Even at Stanford, according to Vijay Pande, professor of chemistry and, by courtesy, of structural biology and of computer science, students really don't know much about software engineering.

Nano-engineering boosts efficiency of materials that convert waste heat to electrical energy
ANN ARBOR-High-performance thermoelectric materials that convert waste heat to electricity could one day be a source of more sustainable power.

Scav Hunt 2013 in pictures
Graham Rosby raps between laps in the 'freestyle biathlon,' alternating 25-yard freestyle swims with 30-second freestyle rap verses.

Research Opportunities Plentiful for Next Generation Batteries
In the opening scene of the iconic movie of the 1960s, The Graduate , Benjamin Braddock, at a party to celebrate his college degree, is given one word of advice for his future: "Plastics." Were youn

Carnegie Mellon Joins Launch of NSF-Sponsored Alliance To Mentor African-American Computer Scientists
Press Release: Carnegie Mellon Joins Launch of NSF-Sponsored Alliance To Mentor African-American Computer Scientists-Carnegie Mellon News - Carnegie Mellon University Includes Competition Using C

The future of nanotechnology: Bringing more research to market
MEDIA ADVISORY DATE: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., May 22 and 23, 2013.

Experts To Focus on Safety Strategies for US Infrastructure at Carnegie Mellon’s Washington Speaker Series
Press Release: Experts To Focus on Safety Strategies for US Infrastructure at Carnegie Mellon's Washington Speaker Series-Carnegie Mellon News - Carnegie Mellon University : Chriss Swaney / 41

Stanford physicists develop revolutionary low-power polariton laser
Stanford physicists have created a new method of producing coherent matter beams. The new laser system would use a hundredth the power of conventional lasers and could one day be used in many places from consumer goods to quantum computers. Lasers are an unseen backbone of modern society. They're integral to technologies ranging from high-speed Internet services to Blu-ray players.

Engineers’ new nanoscavenger purifies water, gets retrieved by magnet
A new nanoparticle developed by Stanford engineers offers promising advancement in the way water is purified.

Nanotechnology could help fight diabetes
Injectable nanogel can monitor blood-sugar levels and secrete insulin when needed. Injectable nanoparticles developed at MIT may someday eliminate the need for patients with Type 1 diabetes to constantly monitor their blood-sugar levels and inject themselves with insulin. The nanoparticles were designed to sense glucose levels in the body and respond by secreting the appropriate amount of insulin, thereby replacing the function of pancreatic islet cells, which are destroyed in patients with Type 1 diabetes.

A new laser paradigm: An electrically injected polariton laser
ANN ARBOR-Engineering researchers at the University of Michigan have demonstrated a paradigm-shifting "polariton" laser that's fueled not by light, but by electricity.

Making frequency-hopping radios practical
New hardware could lead to wireless devices that identify and exploit unused transmission frequencies, using radio spectrum much more efficiently.

Engineering Tissue to Rebuild Damaged Bones and Organs
From the chimera in Greek mythology to the sphinx in ancient Egypt, humans have imagined making creatures from pieces of different organisms for millennia. Tissue engineering, the innovative field that uses engineering principles to develop biological substitutes for cells or even major organs, is just the latest version, says Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic , the Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Sciences.

Engineers monitor heart with paper-thin flexible ’skin’
Engineers combine layers of flexible materials into pressure sensors to create a wearable heart monitor thinner than a dollar bill.

New PhD program in molecular engineering marks historic first for UChicago
The University of Chicago will offer an engineering PhD for the first time, emphasizing the development of solutions to technological problems of society based on molecular-level science.

Engineer John Hutchinson elected to the Royal Society
Honor recognizes his expertise in solid mechanics and materials engineering, especially buckling and cracking John W. Hutchinson , Abbott and James Lawrence Professor of Engineering and

Alexander Vardy Named First Jack Keil Wolf Chair in Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering Professor Alexander Vardy, a renowned researcher in information and coding theory, has been appointed as the first Jack Keil Wolf Endowed Chair in Electrical Engineering at the University of California, San Diego.

Federico Capasso receives prestigious European Physical Society prize

GridSTAR Net Zero Energy Demonstration Project underway at The Navy Yard
PHILADELPHIA - A powerful collaboration of researchers, manufacturers and economic development officials are embarking on a groundbreaking demonstration project for smart-grid, net zero energy buildings called the GridSTAR Center - a Smart Energy Campus initiative at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia.

GridSTAR Net Zero Energy Demonstration Project under way at The Navy Yard
PHILADELPHIA - A powerful collaboration of researchers, manufacturers and economic development officials are embarking on a groundbreaking demonstration project for smart-grid, net zero energy buildings called the GridSTAR Center - a Smart Energy Campus initiative at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia.

Nano-breakthrough: Solving the case of the herringbone crystal
ANN ARBOR-Leading nanoscientists created beautiful, tiled patterns with flat nanocrystals, but they were left with a mystery: Why did some sets of crystals arrange themselves in an alternating, herringbone style? To find out, they turned to experts in computer simulation at the University of Michigan and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A revolution in three dimensions, maybe four: Penn State explores 3-D printing
David Saint John, an instructor in Penn State's College of Engineering, working with a 3-D printer constructed by engineering students.

A revolution in three dimensions ... maybe four: PSU explores 3-D printing
David Saint John, an instructor in Penn State's College of Engineering, working with a 3-D printer constructed by engineering students.

Robotics Institute Helps Make Stunning Satellite Imagery Easily Accessible
Press Release: Robotics Institute Helps Make Stunning Satellite Imagery Easily Accessible-Carnegie Mellon News - Carnegie Mellon University CREATE Lab Works With Google, USGS and TIME Magazine on

Printable 'bionic' ear melds electronics and biology
Posted May 8, 2013; 01:30 p.m. by John Sullivan, Office of Engineering Using 3-D printing tools, scientists at Princeton University have created a functional ear that can "hear" radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability.

Designs on the mind
Part classroom, part carnival, Design & Project Fair showcases diversity of creative work at SEAS Jamie Song '13 ( right ) strummed the invisible strings of a laser harp she designed with Doug Bright '13 ( left ) and their classmate Thomas Esch ( not pictured ).

Carnegie Mellon Engineering Professor Develops New High-Stress Steel for Industry, Aerospace Sectors
Press Release: Carnegie Mellon Engineering Professor Develops New High-Stress Steel for Industry, Aerospace Sectors-Carnegie Mellon News - Carnegie Mellon University : Chriss Swaney / 412-268

Robotic insects make first controlled flight
In culmination of a decade's work, RoboBees achieve vertical takeoff, hovering, and steering : Caroline Perry , (617) 496-1351 In the very early hours of the morning, in a Harvard robotics laboratory last summer, an insect took flight.

Largest-ever gathering of robots and their creators
The robots came in all shapes and sizes to crawl, swim and fly at University of Toronto's Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) and York University. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council held its Canadian Field Robotics Network (NCFRN) field trials at U of'T and York April 17–23.

Riju Agrawal ’13 wins 2013 SAME award

Federico Capasso to receive Gold Medal, highest honor of SPIE
Federico Capasso , Robert L. Wallace Professor of Applied Physics and Vinton Hayes Senior Research Fellow in Electrical Engineering at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), has been selected to receive the 2013 SPIE Gold Medal.

Robots, solar-powered cars at Engineering Discovery Days, April 26-27
Posted under: Engineering , Research , Science , Technology , UW and the Community Which is better for electrical storage: A potato, a lemon, an AA battery or a car battery?

Every day is Earth Day at UAlberta
Whether studying climate change, seeking cleaner energy or influencing green policy, UAlberta researchers act like it's always April 22.

Physicists find right (and left) solution for on-chip optics
: Caroline Perry , (617) 496-1351 A Harvard-led team of researchers has created a new type of nanoscale device that converts an optical signal into waves that travel along a metal surface.

Engineering’s annual Tech Forum to focus on future of engineering research

Sperm move along a ’twisting ribbon’
Opening the door to more sophisticated investigation of sperm locomotion and biophysics, researchers from UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have identified previously unobserved swimming patterns in human and horse sperm cells.

Robot hands gain a gentler touch
Inexpensive tactile sensing technology builds on tiny barometer chips that are widely available : Caroline Perry , (617) 496-1351 An 8x5 tactile array provides gram-level sensitivity in hardware created from MEMS barometers and standard manufacturing processes.

2010 Nobel Prize winner Andre Geim to discuss 'wonder material' at U of M lecture on May 2

No to all of the above
MIT engineers find that in the earliest stages of arthritis, high-impact exercise may worsen cartilage damage. Osteoarthritis, which affects at least 20 percent of adults in the United States, leads to deterioration of cartilage, the rubbery tissue that prevents bones from rubbing together. By studying the molecular properties of cartilage, MIT engineers have now discovered how the earliest stages of arthritis make the tissue more susceptible to damage from physical activities such as running or jumping.

Scientists develop new type of solar structure that cools buildings in full sunlight
A Stanford team has designed an entirely new form of cooling panel that works even when the sun is shining.

Preparing to install the world’s largest underwater observatory
The basement lab near the University of Washington campus is, literally, buzzing. High-voltage machines produce energy that will soon run through cables snaking along the seafloor.

Engineers craft material for high-performance ’supercapacitor’
Taking a significant step toward improving the power delivery of systems ranging from urban electrical grids to regenerative braking in hybrid vehicles, researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School o

Tales from U of T's Antarctic Astronomer
He's one of the few people in the world to master the art of astronomy at -70C. Keith Vanderlinde spent 11 months working on-site with the South Pole Telescope in Antarctica before joining U of T's Dunlap Institute and Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics a few years later.

New software could alleviate wireless traffic
ANN ARBOR-The explosive popularity of wireless devices-from WiFi laptops to Bluetooth headsets to ZigBee sensor nodes-is increasingly clogging the airwaves, resulting in dropped calls, wasted bandwidth and botched connections.

Gov. Snyder to discuss autonomous vehicles at Robotics Day
Nicole Casal Moore, (734) 647-7087 or (734) 709-1651, ncmoore [a] umich (p) edu or Alissa Roath, NCMS, (734) 995-3457 or (248) 563-2875, alissar [a] ncms (p) org MEDIA ADVISORY DATE: 9

Advancing secure communications: A better single-photon emitter for quantum cryptography
ANN ARBOR-In a development that could make the advanced form of secure known as quantum cryptography more practical, University of Michigan researchers have demonstrated a simpler, more efficient single-photon emitter that can be made using traditional semiconductor processing techniques. Single-photon emitters release one particle of light, or photon, at a time, as opposed to devices like lasers that release a stream of them.

Want to Connect with the Future? Attend Research Expo at UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering
Advances in tattoo sensors for health monitoring, on-chip optical networking, low-cost cancer diagnostics, video games designed to teach computer programming, new materials for protecting soldiers from blasts, and energy-efficient high-wire robots.

Flexible electronics could transform the way we make and use electronic devices
Example of a flexible-circuit film displayed by a member of Professor Tom Jackson's Electronics Research Group on Penn State's University Park campus.

Listening to the Big Bang - in high fidelity (audio)
A decade ago, spurred by a question for a fifth-grade science project, University of Washington physicist John Cramer devised an audio recreation of the Big Bang that started our universe nearly 14 billion years ago.

Swords to Plowshares: Engineering Plants for More Biofuel Sugars
Xylan is a polysaccharide composed of pentoses - five carbon sugars - that represents a double-edged sword for advanced biofuels.

Robert Schoelkopf is named Sterling Professor of Applied Physics and Physics
Robert J. Schoelkopf, recently appointed as Sterling Professor of Applied Physics and Physics, focuses his research on the development of superconducting devices for quantum information processing, which might eventually lead to revolutionary advances in computing.

NASA selects Penn State nanosatellite for launch
Aerospace engineering senior Andre Coleman Jr. serves as the thermal subsystems lead for the Penn State OSIRIS nanosatellite mission, slated to be launched by NASA between 2014 and 2016.

Light may recast copper as chemical industry ’holy grail’
ANN ARBOR-Wouldn't it be convenient if you could reverse the rusting of your car by shining a bright light on it?

Theory and practice key to optimized broadband, low-loss optical metamaterials
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The union of theory and practice makes broadband, low-loss optical devices practical, which is why two groups of Penn State engineers collaborated to design optical metamaterials that have custom applications that are easily manufactured.

Better than X-rays: A more powerful terahertz imaging system
ANN ARBOR-Low-energy terahertz radiation could potentially enable doctors to see deep into tissues without the damaging effects of X-rays, or allow security guards to identify chemicals in a package without opening it. But it's been difficult for engineers to make powerful enough systems to accomplish these promising applications.

Robots take over U of M sports arenas March 29-30
Thousands of students from Minnesota and surrounding states will descend upon Williams and Mariucci arenas for the FIRST Robotics Competition Media Note: Practice rounds on Thursday, March 28, 10 a.m.-noon and 1-4:30 p.m. are open to the media.

Engineers Develop Nanofoams for Better Body Armor, Layers of Protection for Buildings
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego are developing nanofoams that could be used to make better body armor; prevent traumatic brain injury and blast-related lung injuries in soldiers; and protect buildings from impacts and blasts. It's the first time researchers are investigating the use of nanofoams for structural protection.

Could a Robotic Skateboard Defeat Tony Hawk? One Day, Maybe
Engineering Students Teach Children About the Physics of Skateboarding "Five! Four! Three! Two! One!" A robotic skateboard soared high into the air and above Paul Schmitt, a scientist and skateboa

New Book by Carnegie Mellon Roboticist Suggests Humans Brace Themselves for Robo-Innovation
Press Release: New Book by Carnegie Mellon Roboticist Suggests Humans Brace Themselves for Robo-Innovation-Carnegie Mellon News - Carnegie Mellon University "Robot Futures" Foresees Society That

With 400th Ph.D. grad, UW-Madison celebrates a half century of fusion energy
In the 1930s and '40s, many researchers studied ways to use fusion, the reaction in which atomic nuclei collide, fuse and release energy, to develop atomic weapons.

New solar-cell design based on dots and wires
MIT researchers improve efficiency of quantum-dot photovoltaic system by adding a forest of nanowires.

Engineer invents bionic eye to help the blind
Bioengineering professor Wentai Liu uses a toy eyeball to illustrate the electronic retinal implant that helps restore eyesight to the blind.

Teachable moments: Robots learn our humanistic ways
Robots can observe human behavior and - like a human baby - deduce a reasonable approach to handling specific objects.

Research uses muscle activity to move virtual objects
Today's smartphones and computers offer gestural interfaces where information arrives at users' fingertips with a swipe of a hand. Still, researchers have found that most technology falls short in making people feel as if they're interacting with virtual objects the same way they would with real objects.

Robot meets world
A new way of reasoning about what happens when a robot's limb strikes an object could lead to more efficient and reliable robotic-control systems.

Penn State, Pratt & Whitney inaugurate most advanced turbine testing lab in U.S
Al Brockett, Pratt & Whitney's vice president of engineering module centers, has spearheaded the company's collaboration with Penn State.

Sujit Dey Named Faculty Director of the von Liebig Entrepreneurism Center
Sujit Dey, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been named faculty director of the von Liebig Entrepreneurism Center.

International technology partnership to focus on water problems
The University of Chicago and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have signed an agreement to begin exploring a research partnership that would create new water production and purification technologies for deployment in regions of the globe where fresh water resources are scarce.

Engineers develop high-resolution endoscope as thin as a human hair
Stanford Report, March 14, 2013 Engineers at Stanford have developed a prototype single-fiber endoscope that improves the resolution of these much-sought-after instruments fourfold over existing designs.

Surprising Control over Photoelectrons from a Topological Insulator
Plain-looking but inherently strange crystalline materials called 3D topological insulators (TIs) are all the rage in materials science. Even at room temperature, a single chunk of TI is a good insulator in the bulk, yet behaves like a metal on its surface. Researchers find TIs exciting partly because the electrons that flow swiftly across their surfaces are "spin polarized": the electron's spin is locked to its momentum, perpendicular to the direction of travel.

Stanford’s GCEP will award $6.6 million for novel energy research
Stanford Report, March 11, 2013 The Global Climate and Energy Project will award $6.6 million for research that leads to cleaner fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Creating Indestructible Self-Healing Circuits
Imagine that the chips in your smart phone or computer could repair and defend themselves on the fly, recovering in microseconds from problems ranging from less-than-ideal battery power to total transistor failure. It might sound like the stuff of science fiction, but a team of engineers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), for the first time ever, has developed just such self-healing integrated chips.

Nick Holonyak Jr. elected a charter fellow of the National Academy of Inventors

MIT ’cheetah’ robot rivals running animals in efficiency
Robot's custom-designed electric motors are powerful and efficient. A 70-pound "cheetah" robot designed by MIT researchers may soon outpace its animal counterparts in running efficiency: In treadmill tests, the researchers have found that the robot - about the size and weight of an actual cheetah - wastes very little energy as it trots continuously for up to an hour and a half at 5 mph.

Long Predicted Atomic Collapse State Observed in Graphene
The first experimental observation of a quantum mechanical phenomenon that was predicted nearly 70 years ago holds important implications for the future of graphene-based electronic devices. Working with microscopic artificial atomic nuclei fabricated on graphene, a collaboration of researchers led by scientists with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California (UC) Berkeley have imaged the "atomic collapse" states theorized to occur around super-large atomic nuclei.

National Science Foundation Grant Advances Entrepreneurship Initiatives
After a comprehensive review of the nation's top universities and research institutions, the National Science Foundation has awarded $3.74 million to Columbia University, City University of New York, and New York University for a three-year research-to-startup initiative.

Scientists calculate the carbon footprint of grid-scale battery technologies
Stanford Report, March 5, 2013 Stanford scientists have developed a novel way to calculate the energetic cost of building large batteries and other storage technologies for the electrical grid.

LED Café -- where art and science meet
Yale's vast art collection includes celebrated works by van Gogh, Cezanne, Hopper, and Rothko. But the flashiest new canvas on campus hangs on a wall - and ceiling - in the School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS).

Man-made material pushes the bounds of superconductivity
A multi-university team of researchers has artificially engineered a unique multilayer material that could lead to breakthroughs in both superconductivity research and in real-world applications. The researchers can tailor the material, which seamlessly alternates between metal and oxide layers, to achieve extraordinary superconducting properties — in particular, the ability to transport much more electrical current than non-engineered materials.

Engineering Bacterial Live Wires
Just like electronics, living cells use electrons for energy and information transfer. Despite electrons being a common "language" of the living and electronic worlds, living cells cannot speak to our largely technological realm.

Researchers to help make electric cars cheaper
McGill University researchers are developing low-cost and high-performance electric engines for the next generation of electric vehicles, in collaboration with industrial partners Linamar, TM4, and Infolytica.

Cross-cultural engineering projects empower communities abroad
Harvard student chapter of Engineers Without Borders works with villages in the Dominican Republic to find clean water By Bonnie Lei '15 Manuel Ramos '14, Leah Gaffney '15, Tunde Demuren

‘Robot Combat League’ Stars Calit2’s Saura Naderi in ‘Fight to the Death’
Calit2 Outreach Coordinator Saura Naderi (left) and mixed martial arts fighter Amanda Lucas combine their talents to control Robo Hammer, one of the robot fighters in SyFy's "Robot Combat League."

Celebrating excellence in mentoring

MIT report identifies keys to new American innovation
From 'Main Street' firms to multinationals, improvements possible in funding of research, collaboration among manufacturers.

Engineer, Alumna and Olympic Runner
Meet Sonali Merrill, a Jacobs School alumna, who also is a member of Sri Lanka's Olympic track and field team.

Penn State researchers part of $194 million STARnet national semiconductor effort
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Penn State researchers part of $194 million national semiconductor effort
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.

Researchers develop new technique to scale up production of graphene micro-supercapacitors
While the demand for ever-smaller electronic devices has spurred the miniaturization of a variety of technologies, one area has lagged behind in this downsizing revolution: energy-storage units, such as batteries and capacitors. Now, Richard Kaner, a member of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA and a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Maher El-Kady, a graduate student in Kaner's laboratory, may have changed the game.

Penn State Harrisburg research improves high-speed digital signals
Our digitized world of instant communication is enabled by the transfer of high-speed signals across many systems within a device. As modern signal speeds are pushed to quickly accommodate gigabytes of data, disturbances that were once considered minor, such as weather changes, now become more serious, with the potential to stop systems and corrupt data.

Picture-perfect
Quick, efficient chip cleans up common flaws in amateur photographs. Your smartphone snapshots could be instantly converted into professional-looking photographs with just the touch of a button, thanks to a processor chip developed at MIT.

DiscoverE wins top honours from Google
DiscoverE, a youth outreach program run by the University of Alberta's Faculty of Engineering, has won a Google RISE (Roots in Science and Engineering) Award for its achievements in increasing access and interest in engineering, technology and science.

U-M experts available to discuss world’s emerging technologies
ANN ARBOR-The World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies has released what it calls the "10 most promising technology trends that can help deliver sustainable growth in fu

Preview of the MIT Production in the Innovation Economy Report
Researchers will discuss their findings and recommendations on U.S. innovation and manufacturing during a briefing at the National Academy of Sciences ?? Embargoed report available upon request.

A cooler way to protect silicon surfaces
New room-temperature process could lead to less expensive solar cells and other electronic devices. Silicon, the material of high-tech devices from computer chips to solar cells, requires a surface coating before use in these applications. The coating "passivates" the material, tying up loose atomic bonds to prevent oxidation that would ruin its electrical properties.

Carnegie Mellon Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Pioneering Interdisciplinary Program Designed To Promote Innovation
: Chriss Swaney / 412-268-5776 / swaney [a] andrew.cmu (p) edu PITTSBURGH-Carnegie Mellon University's Master of Product Development (MPD) program will host a panel discussion with industry l

Decoys could blunt spread of ash-killing beetles
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - As the emerald ash borer ravages North American ash trees, threatening the trees' very survival, a team of entomologists and engineers may have found a way to prevent the spread of the pests.

Tool could help active workers avoid injury
Using just video of workers performing tasks such as assembling a manufactured part or packing boxes, a system developed by University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers might soon be able to automatically assess the likelihood that workers will develop common repetitive-motion injuries. The research could help companies predict and alleviate the risk of injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis.

Humans and robots work better together following cross-training
Swapping of roles improves efficiency as well as robots' confidence and humans' trust. Spending a day in someone else's shoes can help us to learn what makes them tick. Now the same approach is being used to develop a better understanding between humans and robots, to enable them to work together as a team.

Researchers strain to improve electrical material and it’s worth it
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Like turning coal to diamond, adding pressure to an electrical material enhances its properties.

Researchers receive NSERC funding for promising work
Three University of Alberta researchers have received nearly $1.2 million in federal government funding to support early-stage work and to encourage collaboration among academic researchers, industry and government partners. Engineering researchers Robert Fedosejevs and Robert Hayes , and renewable resource researcher Andreas Hamann , each received Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Strategic Project Grants because their projects pertain to targeted fields of study that could strongly influence Canada's economy, society or environment in the next decade.

Cell circuits remember their history
MIT engineers design new synthetic biology circuits that combine memory and logic. MIT engineers have created genetic circuits in bacterial cells that not only perform logic functions, but also remember the results, which are encoded in the cell's DNA and passed on for dozens of generations.

Making mobile robots work together
New NSERC Canadian Field Robotics Network will offer key to future environmental, hydroelectric, and resource identification and monitoring.

University of Minnesota professor Steven Crouch elected to the National Academy of Engineering
News Release Dean of the College of Science and Engineering receives highest professional honor awarded to an engineer MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (02/07/2013) —Steven Crouch, professo

UCLA professor elected to National Academy of Engineering

Engineering a Future
The UC San Diego chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers demonstrated some culinary magic at the organizational fair, combining dry ice with cream and sugar to make homemade ice cream.

Fiat lux: alumni launch NanoLight
Three University of Toronto graduates are set to flip the switch on “the world's most energy-efficient lightbulb”—and investors are scrambling to support them, with their company's start-up goal already having been surpassed by more than 500 per cent.

Vanderlick named to second term as dean of engineering school

Next-gen e-readers: Improved ’peacock’ technology could lock in color for high-res displays
ANN ARBOR-Iridescence, or sheen that shifts color depending on your viewing angle, is pretty in peacock feathers. But it's been a nuisance for engineers trying to mimic the birds' unique color mechanism to make high-resolution, reflective, color display screens. Now, researchers at the University of Michigan have found a way to lock in so-called structural color, which is made with texture rather than chemicals.

Social networking: Gen Xers connect online as often as they socialize in person
ANN ARBOR-Young adults in Generation X are as likely to connect with friends, family and co-workers online as they are in person, according to a University of Michigan study. In a typical month, adults in their late 30s report that they engaged in about 75 face-to-face or conversations, compared to about 74 electronic contracts through personal emails or social media.

Martha Pollack selected as next U-Michigan provost
ANN ARBOR-Martha E. Pollack, who has served as the University of Michigan's vice provost for academic and budgetary affairs, today was selected as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs by President Mary Sue Coleman.

Pioneer of human values in technology design to give University Faculty Lecture

Engineer Designs Self-Powered Nanoscale Devices That Never Need New Batteries
An image of a nanoscale chip engineered by Peter Kinget's lab. He is attempting to build self-powered sensors that run on tiny bits of ambient solar energy, using so little power that their batteries never need replacing.

Nanoscience 101: A Q&A With the Engineering School's Jim Yardley
Jim Yardley has seen firsthand how the nanotechnology field has exploded over the past decade. “It's extremely exciting,” says the managing director of Columbia's Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center. “The work here has helped create a whole new world of research, a completely new field.” The nanotechnology projects Yardley oversees bring together faculty and students from a host of different departments, including chemistry, engineering, biology and physics, to broaden and deepen our understanding of materials at the molecular level.

Research funding keeps UAlberta on leading edge
The University of Alberta is the beneficiary of more than $14 million in funding from the federal government for advanced research infrastructure to help continue to compete in today's global knowledge economy.

Wisconsin scientists honored for records of invention
Four University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty members — Hector DeLuca , James Dahlberg , Thomas Lipo and Max Lagally — are among 101 innovators elected to the charter class of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Robot challenge inspires kids to help seniors
Edmonton children, including home-schooled students and kids with special needs, are getting a hands-on opportunity to help seniors lead healthier lives, thanks to scientific know-how and some robotic help from the University of Alberta.

New semiconductor research center established at UCLA Engineering with $35 million in funding
A new multidisciplinary research center established at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science aims to revolutionize semiconductor technologies by developing new nanoscale materials and structures that take advantage of properties unavailable at larger scales.

University of Minnesota awarded $28 million grant to lead development of next-generation microelectronics
News Release New center is one of only six in the nation aimed at supporting the U.S. semiconductor industry MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (01/17/2013) —The University of Minnesota

How to treat heat like light
New approach using nanoparticle alloys allows heat to be focused or reflected just like electromagnetic waves. An MIT researcher has developed a technique that provides a new way of manipulating heat, allowing it to be controlled much as light waves can be manipulated by lenses and mirrors. The approach relies on engineered materials consisting of nanostructured semiconductor alloy crystals.

Jennifer A. Lewis, pioneer in 3D printing and bioinspired materials, joins Harvard faculty
: Caroline Perry , (617) 496-1351 Jennifer A. Lewis , an internationally recognized leader in the fields of 3D printing and biomimetic materials, has been appointed as the first Hansjörg Wys

Machine Perception Lab Shows Robotic One-Year-Old on Video
Different faces of Diego-san: video of robo-toddler shows him demonstrating different facial expressions, using 27 moving parts in the head alone.

Chips that can steer light
Record-setting 'optical phased arrays' could lead to better laser rangefinders, smaller medical-imaging devices and even holographic TVs.

UW, Pacific NW National Lab join forces on computing research
The University of Washington and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have announced the creation of the Northwest Institute for Advanced Computing, a joint institute based at the UW that will foster collaborative computing research between the two institutions.

Counting the twists in a helical light beam
New device could contribute to a major increase in the rate of future optical : Caroline Perry , (617) 496-1351 At a time when communication networks are scrambling for ways to transmit more data over limited bandwidth, a type of twisted light wave is gaining new attention.

UT Austin Names Director for Commercialization Efforts
AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin has appointed Dan Sharp, a veteran intellectual property and technology lawyer, to be the director of the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) and associate vice president for research.

Military projects push boundaries of flexible electronics in imaging technologies
Aiming to address the strategic military need for accurate, high-resolution imaging, a University of Wisconsin-Madison electrical and computer engineer working with the U.S. Air Force Office of

Researchers develop acrobatic space rovers to explore moons, asteroids
Stanford Report, December 28, 2012 An autonomous system for exploring the solar system's smaller members, such as moons and asteroids, could bring us closer to a human mission to Mars.

Stanford operations research expert Arthur Veinott dies at 78
Stanford Report, December 21, 2012 Arthur "Pete" Veinott was a professor of management science and engineering who made major contributions to the theory of operations research.