What if drones and self-driving cars had the tingling “spidey senses” of Spider-Man? They might actually detect and avoid objects better, says Andres Arrieta, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University, because they would process sensory information faster. Better sensing capabilities would make it possible for drones to navigate in dangerous environments and…
Advancement in Driverless Aircraft Could Direct the Future of Drones, Flight
Billions of dollars are being spent by aviation giants and aerospace startups to create driverless flying vehicles that can meet the growing need for rapid and flexible travel and delivery. Anyone who has tried to navigate major metro areas like New York City or Los Angeles knows the hassles associated with sharing the roads and…
New Robust Device May Scale Up Quantum Tech, Researchers Say
Researchers have been trying for many years to build a quantum computer that industry could scale up, but the building blocks of quantum computing, qubits, still aren’t robust enough to handle the noisy environment of what would be a quantum computer. A theory developed only two years ago proposed a way to make qubits more…
Spinning Light Waves Might Be ‘Locked’ for Photonics Tech
A newly described property related to the “spin” and momentum of light waves suggests potential practical applications in photonic communications and photonic circuits. Scientists already knew that light waves have an electric field that can rotate as they propagate, which is known as the polarization property of light, and that light waves carry momentum in their direction…
Electrically Conductive Plastics Promising for Batteries, Solar Cells
West Lafayette, IN – An emerging class of electrically conductive plastics called “radical polymers” may bring low-cost, transparent solar cells, flexible and lightweight batteries, and ultrathin antistatic coatings for consumer electronics and aircraft. Researchers have established the solid-state electrical properties of one such polymer, called PTMA, which is about 10 times more electrically conductive than…