Although hybrid-electric cars are becoming commonplace, similar technology applied to airplanes comes with significantly different challenges. University of Illinois aerospace engineers are addressing some of them toward the development of a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels to power airplanes. “Jet fuel and aviation gasoline are easy to store on an airplane. They are compact […]
Crop-Counting Robot Earns Recognition At Robotics Conference
Today’s crop breeders are trying to boost yields while also preparing crops to withstand severe weather and changing climates. To succeed, they must locate genes for high-yielding, hardy traits in crop plants’ DNA. A robot developed by the University of Illinois to find these proverbial needles in the haystack was recognized by the best systems […]
Illinois’ Crop-Counting Robot Earns Top Recognition At Leading Robotics Conference
Today’s crop breeders are trying to boost yields while also preparing crops to withstand severe weather and changing climates. To succeed, they must locate genes for high-yielding, hardy traits in crop plants’ DNA. A robot developed by the University of Illinois to find these proverbial needles in the haystack was recognized by the best systems […]
Using 3D X-rays To Measure Particle Movement Inside Lithium-ion Batteries
Lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries have come a long way since their introduction in the late 1990s. They’re used in many everyday devices, such as laptop computers, mobile phones, and medical devices, as well as automotive and aerospace platforms, and others. However, Li-ion battery performance still can decay over time, may not fully charge after many […]
Prosthetic Arms Can Provide Controlled Sensory Feedback, Study Finds
Losing an arm doesn’t have to mean losing all sense of touch, thanks to prosthetic arms that stimulate nerves with mild electrical feedback. University of Illinois researchers have developed a control algorithm that regulates the current so a prosthetics user feels steady sensation, even when the electrodes begin to peel off or when sweat builds […]
Existence Of New Form Of Electronic Matter
Researchers have produced a “human scale” demonstration of a new phase of matter called quadrupole topological insulators that was recently predicted using theoretical physics. These are the first experimental findings to validate this theory. The researchers report their findings in the journal Nature. The team’s work with QTIs was born out of the decade-old understanding of […]
A Tiny Ag-Bot Can Prospect Fields for Emerging Disease-Resistant or High-Yielding Breeds
A new lightweight, low-cost agricultural robot could transform data collection and field scouting for agronomists, seed companies and farmers. The TerraSentia crop phenotyping robot, developed by a team of scientists at the University of Illinois, will be featured at the 2018 Energy Innovation Summit Technology Showcase in National Harbor, Maryland, on March 14. Traveling autonomously […]
Ag Robot Speeds Data Collection, Analyses Of Crops As They Grow
A new lightweight, low-cost agricultural robot could transform data collection and field scouting for agronomists, seed companies and farmers. The TerraSentia crop phenotyping robot, developed by a team of scientists at the University of Illinois, will be featured at the 2018 Energy Innovation Summit Technology Showcase in National Harbor, Maryland, on March 14. Traveling autonomously […]
Individual Quantum Dots Imaged in 3D for First Time
Researchers have developed an imaging technique that uses a tiny, super sharp needle to nudge a single nanoparticle into different orientations and capture 2D images to help reconstruct a 3D picture. The method demonstrates imaging of individual nanoparticles at different orientations while in a laser-induced excited state. The findings, published in The Journal of Chemical […]
Shape-Shifting Organic Crystals Use Memory To Improve Plastic Electronics
Researchers have identified a mechanism that triggers shape-memory phenomena in organic crystals used in plastic electronics. Shape-shifting structural materials are made with metal alloys, but the new generation of economical printable plastic electronics is poised to benefit from this phenomenon, too. Shape-memory materials science and plastic electronics technology, when merged, could open the door to […]