Technology

The use of drones in search and rescue, patrolling, and environmental monitoring has become increasingly common. However, their performance is still constrained by complex environmental factors such as harsh weather conditions, and Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, a leading scholar in artificial intelligence (AI), Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research), Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, and his research team have conducted a pioneering project titled “Key Technologies for Intelligent Enhancement and Content Understanding in Constrained Environments”.

Recent discoveries have shown that MFC systems can be combined with soil to form soil microbial fuel cells (SMFCs), or further combined with plants to form plant microbial fuel cells (PMFCs). Researchers at National Taiwan University investigated the effects of SMFCs and PMFCs on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from soil.

Researchers from SANKEN at The University of Osaka have successfully developed a groundbreaking “self-evolving” edge AI technology that enables real-time learning and forecasting capabilities directly within compact devices. This innovation, termed MicroAdapt, achieves unprecedented speed and accuracy. It processes data up to 100,000 times faster and achieves up to 60% higher accuracy compared to conventional state-of-the-art deep learning methods. This achievement represents a major advance toward next-generation real-time AI applications across manufacturing, automotive IoT, and medical wearables, addressing critical limitations of existing cloud-dependent AI.

SINGAPORE, 29 October 2025 – TechInnovation 2025, organised by IPI Singapore, returns from 29–31 October at Sands Expo & Convention Centre and is expected to bring together over 4,000 attendees from more than 40 countries. The event features 100 emerging “Tech Offers” spanning artificial intelligence, HealthTech, sustainability, circular food innovation, and advanced manufacturing.

Kuala Lumpur, 28 October 2025 - Day 1 of the World AI Show – Malaysia, by Trescon, concluded with resounding success, drawing over 1500+ business leaders, policymakers, investors, and innovators to DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur. The summit opened as Malaysia’s definitive platform for AI collaboration - uniting public and private stakeholders committed to advancing the nation’s digital economy.

Researchers at The University of Osaka and The University of Tokyo developed a photoactivatable alkyne tag that enables stable, selective visualization of biomolecules inside living cells. The technology would contribute to reveal previously unseen molecular communication, paving the way for advances in cell biology and drug discovery.

28 October, Singapore – Terrapinn announces the 10th anniversary edition of EDUtech Asia, Asia’s largest and most influential education event, taking place on 5 - 6 November 2025 at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore. Under the theme “Positive disruption: unlocking limitless potential in education with AI and tech,” the event will bring together more than 8,000 education leaders, policymakers and technology innovators to explore how AI is transforming learning while ensuring that human connection, purpose and equity remain at the heart of education.

The regulatory directions of Agentic AI systems and Open-Source AI have become hot topics globally. In light of this, Lingnan University and the University of Bologna in Italy co-hosted the 2nd International Workshop on Technologies for AI Governance (TAIG) from 25 to 26 October, as part of the 28th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI 2025). The workshop brought together numerous world-leading experts, academics, and policymakers, aiming to enhance governance in areas such as AI risk assessment, accountability tracking, and safety assurance, and to foster cross-regional exchange on AI governance between Asia and Europe. The two-day event attracted over 150 academics and students.

The official plaque unveiling ceremony of Asia’s first UNU Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology at Lingnan University (UNU Hub at Lingnan University) was held today (25 Oct), marking a new milestone in advancing international collaboration between Lingnan and the United Nations. The ceremony was officiated by Prof Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, together with Mr Ernest Chan, Vice-President (Administration) of Lingnan University.

The University of Osaka researchers developed a world-first sustainable method for synthesizing pharmaceutical-grade NOBIN. By cooperatively utilizing a vanadium catalyst and energy-efficient LED light, the process eliminates byproducts, reduces waste, and allows for ideal raw material ratios, paving the way for greener and more efficient chiral molecule production.

Miniaturized electronics and intricate objects require a certain finesse. Here, researchers look into the development of a machine capable of these fine movements, as well as identifying and categorizing the objects using machine learning.

A research team led by Associate Professor Tomoya Kataoka at Ehime University, in collaboration with Yachiyo Engineering Co., Ltd., Nippon Koei Co., Ltd., and Wageningen University’s Associate Professor Tim van Emmerik, has developed AI software using deep learning to detect, classify, and track plastics flowing in rivers. The system automatically estimates transport volumes from video data, supporting continuous monitoring and advancing understanding of land-to-sea plastic transport. The findings appear in Water Research.

Lingnan University continues to participate in annual innovation and technology event the InnoCarnival 2025 (the Carnival), organised by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC). As one of the programme partners, Lingnan University is showcasing eight innovative "Smart Healthy City" research projects, integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and interdisciplinary research. These projects cover healthcare, transportation, sports training, environmental monitoring, and elderly care, and demonstrate how Lingnan’s innovation teams address societal needs and advancing smart city development through technology.

Researchers have shed light on the mechanism behind the dissipative solutions that appear in weak shock waves, explaining them from the perspective of entropy generation. The study examined the numerical thickness of shock waves as represented in the finite volume method, a widely used framework in computational fluid dynamics.

Applications in neural network circuits

Researchers at Tohoku University have taken a major step forward in the global hunt for dark matter, an invisible substance that makes up about 27% of the universe, by designing a new type of quantum sensor network that could significantly improve our chances of detecting it.

SUTD researchers test a privacy-preserving approach that blends federated learning with cloud coordination for smart grids in future 6G environments.

SOSE researchers are looking at a possible vaccine for H. pylori, a widely common bacterium that causes stomach ulcers and raises the risk for stomach cancer.

The precise placement of a single silver atom can be enough to make a huge difference. Researchers found that light-emitting properties were 77 times more efficient as a result – paving the way for better optoelectronics and sensing technologies such as OLED lights.

Scientists from National Taiwan University have created a new light-based imaging technology that can trace a person’s blood sugar history by analyzing individual red blood cells. This breakthrough could improve diabetes care and help detect certain cancers earlier through simple, noninvasive testing.

The University of Osaka scientists have developed a safe, efficient “dump-and-stir” method to introduce ortho-carborane into various aromatic compounds using a newly designed lithium–copper reagent. This innovation overcomes the complexity and hazards of previous methods, paving the way for new applications in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), three-dimensional aromatic materials, and bioisosteric drug design.

Researchers at The University of Osaka discovered that the protein TMEM217 is essential for sperm motility and male fertility. TMEM217 stabilizes a protein complex that produces the signaling molecule cAMP, which powers the sperm’s tail. Mice lacking TMEM217 have immotile sperm, but treating the sperm with a cAMP-like molecule restored motility and fertility via IVF. This finding opens doors for new diagnostics and therapies for male infertility.

Researchers from The University of Osaka in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine have developed a new therapy for a severe form of male infertility called non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). Using lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver specific mRNA into the testes of infertile mice, they were able to restart sperm production. The sperm produced were then used in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to successfully generate healthy and fertile offspring. The findings provide a crucial proof-of-concept for treating male infertility caused by genetic defects.

• Singapore’s first national standard using near-infrared spectroscopy introduced to authenticate edible bird’s nest products; • New method offers accuracy, speed, and non-destructive testing; • Enables producers to verify authenticity of products and build consumer trust, empowers consumers to make informed choices

Lingnan University in Hong Kong has entered the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026. In the latest published results, Lingnan ranked among the world’s top 301–350 out of 2,191 universities from 115 countries or territories, delivering a notable performance across several indicators. These include an impressive 47th place in International Outlook, recognising Lingnan’s achievement in fostering international diversity and collaborative research on a global scale.

Researchers at Tohoku University have made a magnesium battery prototype that represents the potential next stage in energy storage - a fast-charging battery made from sustainable materials.

Ancient black holes, How good cholesterol is made, Self-healing plastic, Dengue’s genetic imprint, Korean mussel power & Space clean-up. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

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.