Engineering & Technology

Single-Step Plasma Process Produces Optoelectronic Synapse for 3D Stackable Neuromorphic Vision

South-facing green walls help lower temperatures in indoor and outdoor environments

New “GMBU” procedure reveals band structures in finite, curved nanomaterials, linking nano‑ARPES and theory for next‑generation device design.

Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo (UTokyo-IIS) have developed a real-time data assimilation system that substantially improves streamflow and flood forecasting accuracy across Japan.

Researchers at Kanazawa University, in collaboration with Diamond and Carbon Applications (Germany), have developed a buried-growth process for nitrogen–vacancy (NV) centers in diamond using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD). By employing nitrogen-radical selective etching, which simultaneously enhances metal-mask durability through nitridation, the team enabled a continuous etching–growth sequence within a single MPCVD process. Optical measurements confirmed highly aligned NV centers selectively buried in predefined regions. This integrated approach provides a stable and scalable platform for orientation-controlled diamond qubits and future room-temperature quantum technologies.

In the context of global decarbonization, reducing energy consumption in the building sector is an urgent issue. We have developed a next-generation building energy evaluation model that combines rule-based symbolic AI computing with VR technology. This model enables real-time visualization and simultaneous evaluation of the energy-saving effects and indoor thermal comfort during the design stage of a Zero-Energy Building. This approach will have a wide range of applications in the design of next-generation smart buildings.

A study co-led by an SUTD researcher has developed an AI-powered deep-learning framework trained on experimental data rather than simulations, enabling faster and more accurate design of light-controlling nanostructures.

Wrinkles or dents appearing on material surfaces are often regarded as signs of damage or deformation. In a recent collaborative review paper published in the internationally recognised journal Nano-Micro Letters and titled Harnessing Surface Instabilities for Functional Materials: Mechanics, Morphology, and Emerging Applications, researchers from Lingnan University propose that naturally formed surface textures in materials could in future be combined with artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted design to develop novel functional materials. The technology would potentially support applications in intelligent anti-counterfeiting, artificial organs, and stretchable batteries.

A new study from Taiwan combines consumer behavior research and life cycle assessment to design reusable cup systems that people are more willing to use. The findings show that convenience and incentives strongly shape participation, while well-designed reusable cup systems can still reduce environmental impacts compared to single-use cups.

The Philippines can strengthen national energy security by harnessing tidal power for a clean, predictable, and locally-rooted alternative to imported fossil fuels.

Researchers at Tohoku University used state-of-the-art semiconductor fabrication technologies to demonstrate how we could be ready for large-scale spintronic p-computers.

Researchers have developed a new way to generate realistic synthetic training data for agricultural robots by recreating tomato cultivation environments in a virtual world. The approach could help overcome one of the biggest barriers in agricultural robotics: the time and labor required to collect and manually label real-world data under challenging greenhouse conditions such as changing lighting, dense foliage, and fruit occlusion.

The JC STEM Lab of Circular Bio-economy (the Lab) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has recently achieved a breakthrough in the field of sustainable development technologies. A research team led by Professor Lee Duu-Jong, Director of the Lab and Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has successfully developed a bio-inspired "all-weather building skin" that cools in sunlight and harvests energy from rain, alongside a "turbocharged" solar hydrogen system powered by low-cost copper ions. These innovations provide a transformative pathway for urban energy conservation and clean energy production, reinforcing the Lab's commitment to translating cutting-edge research into tangible social benefits.

SUTD researchers have developed a reinforcement-learning-based safety system that teaches a stair-traversing service robot to brace itself mid-fall, addressing one of the biggest barriers to deploying autonomous robots on staircases.

- Professor Hyuk-Jun Kwon's team developed ultrahigh-resolution optical doping technology based on microlenses - The technology could potentially be implemented in next-generation 2D semiconductor-based CMOS - The study was published in Small, an international journal in the nanotechnology field

Spin waves are a promising way to reduce the energy-consumption of computing. New research shows that sending spin waves along a zig-zag path boosts the signal over 5,000 times compared to previous methods.

Humans have evolved to be able to link intentions to emotions or physical actions. This is why we may approach someone with open arms but flee if someone approaches using threatening body language. While AI can accurately identify emotions, it struggles to derive intention from them. A research group, with the help of performers from Japan and Taiwan, has helped facilitate a means to bridge this gap.

Researchers from The University of Osaka created stable cobalt-based honeycomb structures inside a layered material and observed ferromagnetic-like ordering at low temperatures. By introducing a small amount of cobalt into NaSbO3, the team demonstrated a new platform to study Kitaev materials using abundant 3d transition metals, potentially supporting future cost-effective quantum technologies.

Researchers from The University of Osaka and collaborators proposed the Insect Synergy Circuit (ISC), a new concept for bio-hybrid control that uses AI to interpret internal biological signals from insects. By integrating heartbeat, neural signal features, and body movement data, the team developed a cyborg cockroach system that can estimate environment-associated internal states and guide movement while reducing unnecessary stimulation.

The study from National Taiwan University reveals a single-layer zigzag-type metallic glass film with precisely tunable emissivity for thermal infrared camouflage technology.

Researchers from National Taiwan University develop advanced expansion microscopy methods that enable nanoscale visualization of centriole architecture using conventional fluorescence microscopes and superresolution imaging.

Researchers from Tohoku University have developed a new kind of filter that overcomes a long-standing challenge, creating a special material that makes separating CO2 from other gases both fast and highly accurate.

Researchers from The University of Osaka discovered a mechanism that greatly improves the efficiency of endothermic singlet exciton fission. By combining singlet-fission molecules with quantum dots, the team created hybridized electronic states at the material interface that act as intermediate energy pathways. This allows one absorbed photon to generate two excited states with high efficiency, potentially allowing solar technologies to exceed current efficiency limits.

What if some of the most important scientific discoveries are already hidden in data collected years ago? Researchers at Tohoku University are exploring how AI and data-driven science can reveal new insights from past experiments and scientific literature. Their review highlights how old data could help accelerate discoveries in chemistry and materials science.

A study published in Scientific Reports looked into how the Great Pyramid of Khufu in the Giza pyramid complex in Egypt withstood earthquakes without sustaining serious damage over the approximately 4,600 years since it was built,

Researchers at Tohoku University have uncovered a new principle that could help accelerate the development of cheaper and more efficient fuel cells. The team discovered that dual-atom catalysts follow a previously unknown “dual-Sabatier optima” pattern, overturning long-standing assumptions in catalyst science and opening new possibilities for clean energy technologies.

A photocurable resin that can be recycled at least 10 times

Pioneering Next-Generation Water-Splitting Catalyst Technology

Engineered carbon-based nanomaterials can interfere with the aggregation of misfolded proteins linked to neurodegenerative diseases, offering a new direction for future therapeutic exploration.

By combining demand-driven life cycle assessment with a multi-objective optimisation framework, researchers identified potential optimal solutions for reusable bubble tea packaging systems under actual market demand conditions. The results show that material selection and low reuse frequency dominate both economic costs and environmental impacts, while durability and logistics become increasingly important as reuse frequency increases.