Engineering & Technology

Researchers from China engineered a system that captures carbon dioxide from seawater and converts it into biodegradable plastic precursors at high efficiency and low energy consumption.

An international research team revealed how we could use Germanium-Tin (GeSn) in highly efficient semiconductors – which could benefit a plethora of everyday technologies.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have developed a polymeric adhesion system by introducing reversible bonds at the adhesion interface based on the formation and dissociation of host–guest complexes. The adhesive can be decomposed on demand using temperature or chemicals and reused multiple times. Visualization of the interface using neutrons revealed the mechanism underlying repeatable sticking and peeling. This technology can be used for sustainable material applications.

Identifying cracks is critical for health monitoring of civil infrastructure. To enhance inspection efficiency, the proposed autonomous crack segmentation and exploration system enables the agent to navigate itself without human operation, and the agent successfully captures over 85% of cracks in the training dataset and achieves 82% crack coverage in the testing dataset. In terms of computational resources, proposed system enhances efficiency by 64% compared to conventional exhaustive search methods, demonstrating strong potential for practical deployment on UAVs and other edge devices.

Having a good leader–follower relationship matters, but only when people spontaneously choose their roles

TechInnovation® 2025, Singapore’s preeminent platform for innovation and business transformation, returns for its 13th edition from 29–31 October 2025 at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 3 Heliconia and Hibiscus Ballroom, Singapore. Organised by IPI Singapore, the three-day event will bring together over 40 expert speakers, more than 100 breakthrough technologies and curated programmes designed to accelerate real-world innovation and cross-border collaboration.

- A research team led by DGIST Professor Cheol Song has developed a fiber optics-based sensor system that simultaneously measures force and depth - Ultra-precise force and distance information is obtained from living tissue based on an optical interferometer, and new possibilities are suggested for ultra-precise surgery and robotic micromanipulation

- Professor Kyung-Joon Park’s team at DGIST develops a Physical AI-based multi-robot autonomous navigation system inspired by how social issues spread and are forgotten. - Productivity 18%↑, Travel Time 30%↓ in logistics centers and smart factories – immense potential for industrial use.

Lightweight and high-performance framework for remote sensing object detection

High-grade gliomas pose formidable challenge clinically due to poor prognosis and high recurrence rate. Principal investigator Prof. Feng-Huei Lin and research scientist Dr. Jason Lin from National Taiwan University have designed a novel injectable gel against high-grade gliomas, which delivers platinum-based chemotherapeutic agents in two stages, including immediate release of carboplatin and delayed release of platinum from platinum-doped calcium carbonate. This time-release gel synergizes subsequent radiotherapy, suppressing tumor relapse while reducing radiation side effects. It offers a promising approach to improving brain cancer treatment.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo consider waterflows and vegetation mosaic on hillslopes for accurate simulation of land surface water and energy status across Africa

Researchers at Tohoku University developed a photonic router that can direct single and entangled (quantum) photons at unprecedented levels of efficiency. This may bring us closer to realizing superfast quantum tech.

Researchers at National Taiwan University have developed biodegradable MXene–bamboo paper electrodes that combine flexibility, waterproof stability, and tunable conductivity. Encapsulated in a breathable Ecoflex layer, these scalable green electrodes enable wearable sensing, electromyography, and exoskeleton control, offering a sustainable pathway for next-generation assistive technologies.

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, report in ACS Nano, how proteins in cells can be controllably activated through heating, an effect that can be used to initiate programmed cell death.

Researchers led by Prof. Homer H. Chen at National Taiwan University have developed a way to convert stereo images into light field content, enabling existing AR/VR media to be viewed on next-generation light field displays. The approach could accelerate the move toward more natural and comfortable AR experiences.

Researchers at National Taiwan University developed a new device that captures energy from vibrations more efficiently. Its self-adjusting mechanism enables resonance with environmental frequencies, resulting in higher power output across a broader operational range.

Researchers at National Taiwan University designed a graphene oxide biochar TiO₂ nanocomposite that combines adsorption capacity with superior photocatalytic activity. With strong material characterization and optoelectronic properties, it offers a novel and sustainable solution for antibiotic removal from livestock wastewater.

Just like litter is a big problem on Earth, space junk is cluttering up outer space. To dispose of this junk, a Tohoku University researcher demonstrated the utility of a special plasma thruster

Did you know eels are one of the few vertebrates capable of swimming even when their spinal cords are completely severed? How they do this has long puzzled scientists. Thanks to a new neural circuitry model developed by an international research group, researchers have discovered that stretch and pressure feedback loops are pivotal to eels’ remarkable locomotive abilities. Their findings could inspire future robot designs.

Aqueous batteries, which use water-based solutions as an electrolyte, have been around since the 1860s. They are safe, efficient, and cheap. But many electrode materials do not perform well in aqueous electrolytes. Organic redox polymers are no different. To overcome this, a group of researchers has unveiled a new organic redox polymer that addresses its hydrophobicity.

Taiwan Innotech Expo (TIE) 2025 will return from October 16–18 at Taipei World Trade Center, Hall 1, uniting government, academia, and industry under the theme “Cross-Domain AI Innovation: Driving the Future with Intelligence.” The event will feature 450 exhibitors presenting nearly 1,100 patented technologies, highlighting Taiwan’s role as a key driver of global innovation.

Self-healing hydrogel, Cool crawler, AI and world's longest crop experiment & Freeze-framing cells. Plus how media interest helps engineers and society. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice

Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed NeuraLeaf, a revolutionary CG model using deep learning to represent diverse plant species and their leaf deformations. This single model overcomes the limitations of traditional manual modeling by disentangling species-specific shapes from dynamic 3D deformations like wilting or curling. NeuraLeaf allows precise tracking of leaf changes, enhancing growth prediction, disease detection, and agricultural management. Presented at ICCV 2025, this technology promises to advance plant science and contribute to "PlantTwin," a project creating digital twins of plants.

This news article reports on a study revealing the importance of the proboscis monkey's large nose in vocal communication. Researchers used CT scans and computer simulations to demonstrate that the nose's shape modifies the resonant frequencies of calls, creating unique vocal signatures for individual monkeys. This discovery highlights the role of the nose in enhancing vocal identity and provides insights into the evolution of communication, not just in proboscis monkeys but potentially in other species as well. The collaboration between scientists and the Yokohama Zoo Zoorasia opens exciting new avenues for understanding the link between physical traits and social behaviors in the animal kingdom.

Combining multiple sensory inputs has been a big hurdle for developing physical AI robots. Recent research at Tohoku University solves this problem using a brand new approach.

A flexible perovskite light-emitting device integrating ester polymer crystallization enables optical logic signals under bending and stretching, paving the way for motion capture and intelligent sensing applications.

A new study by an SUTD researcher and his collaborators introduces a pooled mining attack that overturns a long-standing assumption about Bitcoin’s security economics.

SUTD researchers have developed a generative urban model that upends the notion that walkable neighbourhoods must come at the expense of road access, offering a new way to balance mobility and liveability.

Cell-free (CF) MIMO network is emerging as a key B5G/6G technology for improved connectivity, spectral efficiency, and service quality. This work proposes a novel CF-MIMO signal detector that can reduce the energy consumption by up to 58%.

Researchers at National Taiwan University developed a biodegradable, electroconductive self-healing hydrogel combined with acupuncture that restores motor function and protects brain neurons in Parkinson’s disease models.