Engineering & Technology

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the use of robots and an urgent need for an advanced human-machine interface (HMI) system that can seamlessly connect users and robots. A research team co-led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and collaborating institution recently developed an innovative HMI system, which consists of flexible, multi-layered electronic skin and provides both visual and haptic feedback to users. The system can teleoperate the robot to imitate the user's actions to perform complicated tasks. It demonstrates the potential for conducting Covid-19 swab tests and nursing patients with infectious diseases.

Device designers at the University of Tokyo are developing cheap and accessible ways to monitor and explore the sea.

A Japanese research team created a new way to sort living cells suspended in fluid using an all-in-one operation in a lab-on-chip that required only 30 minutes for the entire separation process.

Inspired by the woodpecker’s ability to strike trees with its beak rapidly and repeatedly without injury, engineers in Malaysia have used computer simulations to find ways to improve the design of composite beams used in impact-prone structures.

The compact, lightweight device generates electricity when shaken and can power 100 LEDs.

In a recent study published in the journal ACS Catalysis researchers from Kanazawa University describe novel scanning electrochemical cell microscopy measurements to determine sites of photoelectrochemical activity in titanium dioxide nanotubes.

This is a novel study that attempted to construct a pH-sensitive delivery system into T cells and their subsets using carboxy-terminal Phe- and CHex-modified dendrimers with different structures, i.e. PAMAM-CHex-Phe and PAMAM-Phe-CHex. The findings contribute to the development of nanoplatforms for direct delivery to T cells to control the functions of T cells, which play key roles in cancer immunotherapy. This is the first report on direct delivery into T cells using pH-sensitive DDS.

Metals usually soften when they expand under heating, but a research team led by a City University of Hong Kong (CityU) scholar and other researchers have discovered a first-of-its-kind super-elastic alloy that can retain its stiffness even after being heated to 1,000K (about 727℃) or above, with nearly zero energy dissipation. The team believes that the alloy can be applied in manufacturing high-precision devices for space missions. The research team was led by Professor Yang Yong from CityU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering (MNE), together with his collaborators. The findings were published in the prestigious science journal Nature under the titled “A Highly Distorted Ultraelastic Chemically Complex Elinvar Alloy”.

Low volcanic temperature ushered in global cooling and thriving dinosaurs, Broccoli compound induces cell death in yeast, A single molecule makes big splash in quantum mechanics, Dengue virus makes mosquitos bite more often, and Asia Research News: How it all began, all in the February's Editor's Choice

On 16-17 February 2022, the 6th annual EDUtech Philippines 2022 will once again bring together the Philippines’ entire education ecosystem to discuss new strategies, pedagogies and innovations to bring 21st century quality education to all in the Philippines.

To meet the demand for strong and tough transparent thin films for sustainable applications, Dr Sunanda Roy from GLA University India has led a multi-national team to successfully develop a novel transparent thin film made from cellulose nanofiber (CNF) reinforced by glycerol & glutalraldehyde (reinforcing glycerol).

Accidental oil discharge into the river can lead to an environmental catastrophe, threatening the lives of countless aquatic animals as well as land animals that forms the ecosystem of the river. Preventing and containing many of the oil discharge is key to mitigating the severity of the catastrophe.

A specific deep neural network model called Bidirectional Long-Short-Term Memory can use cough sounds to distinguish sick from healthy children, paving the way for preliminary screening.

Researchers are working to overcome challenges in order to bring wearable, electric, wound-healing devices to clinical practice.

Just like explorers need maps, scientists require guides to better understand and advance new technology. A neuromorphic device, which can mimic the neural cells in our brain, has lacked such a guideline and created headaches for scientists trying to understand their operational mechanisms. That is until now after a research group created a map that provides rational design guidelines for neuromorphic devices, paving the way for advancements in brain-inspired computers.

To meet the demand for alternative low-cost, sustainable, light weight and strong materials for two wheelers, Dr JS Binoj from Sree Vidyanikethan Engineering College India has led a multi-national team to successfully develop a novel riser bar made from jute fibre reinforcing isophthalic polymer composite material.

Abdus Suttar Khan (c. 1941 – 31 January 2008) was a Bangladeshi engineer who spent a significant part of his career conducting aerospace research with NASA, United Technology and Alstom

Okara, a soybean byproduct, can now be 3D printed without any additives, boosting food sustainability efforts.

A research group has shown that fast switching down to 3.5 ns in sub-five-nm ultra-small magnetic tunnel junctions can be achieved by engineering relaxation time. The new technology is expected to lead to the replacement of high-speed DRAM with spintronic non-volatile memory.

ITEX 2021 is back with a line-up of innovative inventions as the region’s top inventors vie for investor attention to commercialise their products

Biophysicists in Japan have found ways to make and manipulate capsule-like DNA structures that could be used in the development of artificial molecular systems. Such systems could function, for example, inside the human body.

An engineering project team, has been awarded the Institution of Engineers - Singapore, Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 2021 in the Research & Development Category. The award was for their work on Replication & Repair of Hot Air Thermal Defects on Composite Aero-Structures.

Researchers from the The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science use electron energy loss spectroscopy to understand local thermal behavior at grain boundaries in polycrystals

Creating a broader and more dynamic marketplace for Inventions and Innovations

The joint research team of Prof. Hongsoo Choi(DGIST) & Prof. Sung Won Kim(Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital), developed an hNTSC-based microrobot for minimally invasive delivery into the brain tissue via the intranasal pathway

On 9-11 November 2021, EDUtech Asia will once again bring together the entire education ecosystem across Asia Pacific and beyond to explore how technology is impacting the way we learn and teach.

A research led by scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has successfully developed a super-strong, highly ductile and super-light titanium-based alloy using additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing. Their findings open up a new pathway to design alloys with unprecedented structures and properties for various structural applications.

Scientists demonstrate that diluting high concentration electrolytes can improve the cycling abilities of lithium metal batteries over a wide range of temperatures

Researchers from The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science find that drones may be the next generation of communication bases to monitor the ocean and seafloor because of their high-speed positioning, stability, and efficiency.

A collaborative project between the Osaka City University Graduate Schools of Medicine and BioMedical Engineering Center (BMEC) revealed new bone formation in critical bone defects of animal model with an exposure to a pencil-type non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma at surgery.