IEEE Spectrum

The former DARPA program manager discusses what he's going to do next

Fraunhofer is using carbon nanotubes to make a heating element so thin it can be deposited on a car's interior

Leveraging a novel spectroscopy technique, researchers observe nanoparticles individually and noninvasively

JPL's tumbling robotic hedgehog can jump, spin, and roll in microgravity to explore asteroids and comets

DARPA challenged computer modelers to predict the spread of the chikungunya virus, with decidedly mixed results

The 25th anniversary of the IEEE 802.11 wireless standard provides a chance to glimpse next-gen Wi-Fi

Research suggests the material could be great for fundamental calibration

Its software warns the driver and stops the car. It also warns other drivers

Kirigami techniques could significantly boost power generation

There are signs all around us indicating that the field of robotics is going through a major transformation

Laser ablation looks like it could be the way to go for despinning asteroids for mining, or pushing them off of a collision course for Earth

New blend of materials promises highly scalable production of highy efficient solar cells

$60 lidar spoofing device generates fake cars, pedestrians and walls

Flexibility of nanofibers suggests potential as a power source in wearable electronics

A specially made silicon surface that can modulate light could lead to lead to a new generation of lightweight, mass-produced optical systems

First step is a $50 million collaboration with MIT and Stanford, led by ex-DARPA program manager Gill Pratt

For first time, researchers can now make highly thermally conductive and mechanically strong fibers using different size graphene sheets

Crown-of-thorns sea stars can wipe out coral reefs, but an autonomous stabby poison robot is on the case

New general purpose GPU part of post-Moore's Law open-source hardware trend

Who needs perception when you can reliably grasp objects blind

Drivers in Austin will begin to ride alongside the Google’s custom prototypes later this month

INRIX gathers data from moving cars that paint a real-time picture of weather conditions on the road up ahead

Graphene adds another mechanical property to its growing list

DARPA is looking for swarms of nearly disposable UAVs that can launch and be retrieved in mid-air

A new "artificial leaf" that can turn sunlight and water directly into hydrogen and oxygen is shattering performance and stability records

Europe's official collecting and recycling systems account for just over one-third of its overall used and discarded electronics

When the growth of robot capabilities begins in earnest, it will likely be explosive

Quick results can provide urgently needed information in a life-or-death situation

Regions could save $5.7 million-$210 million per year by replacing coal-fired power with renewable energy or energy efficiency measures

Google has the cars, the test drivers, the engineers, and the money

U.S. President Obama is ramping up research funding for advanced CPV systems

The only way is up, says conference for rocket-free orbital travel

This simple electromechanical device, once crucial to telephone exchanges, lives on in portable defibrillators

A prototype of gaming system aims to improve behavioral skills of autistic children

This week's best robot videos are here

One of the world’s longest undersea HVDC cables and other new transmission links will end reliance on Russian energy

An adhesive with its hardness controlled by electricity can be used underwater, or in human tissue.

Researchers overcome some of the final issues with solar windows, opening the way to commercial roll out

Slight tweaks to acceleration and deceleration can make a huge difference to robot energy consumption

Nanomagnet computers could consume one-tenth the power of today’s microprocessors

At school and at work, women with mentors are more likely to succeed

This is one of the most confidently brisk picking robots we've ever seen

New production technique makes full array of 2-D materials available for real-world applications

Demography is destiny, and Japan’s population is getting too old for the country’s economic health

A fuel cell that can power a smartphone for a week sounds great in theory, but in practice, you probably only care if you live in India

Will solar cells much thinner than a human hair power future planes?

The AI Impacts project estimates computer hardware could match the human brain in four to seven years

A fixed-wing drone that can lift off vertically has its advantages, but who needs one?

User-friendly interfaces give operators critical context

Visible light communication could reduce interference with medical equipment