Research Bits: June 5


Improving memristors Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have demonstrated a reliable Interface-type (IT) memristive device (memristor) that shows promise as a technique for building artificial synapses in neuromorphic computing. The team made its memristor — a component that which combines memory and programming functions — using a simple Au/Nb-doped SrTiO3 (Nb:STO) Sc... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: July 23


Image-recognizing glass Engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, MIT, and Columbia University developed a way to create 'smart' glass capable of performing image recognition tasks without the need for electronics or power. "We're using optics to condense the normal setup of cameras, sensors and deep neural networks into a single piece of thin glass," said Zongfu Yu, electrical and ... » read more

Blockchain: Hype, Reality, Opportunities


Blockchain buzz has reached deafening levels, and its proponents say we haven’t heard anything yet. The blockchain-enabled transformations they describe make the Internet revolution look almost trivial. Critics argue that too many people drank the blockchain Kool-Aid. Outside the cryptocurrency arena, they say that blockchain amounts to little more than some really slick slideware. The ... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: April 5


Food in 3D Using a technology called ptychographic X-ray computed tomography, the University of Copenhagen and the Paul Scherrer Institute have taken images of food in three dimensions and on a nanometer scale. Ptychography, a lensless coherent imaging technique, could potentially save the food industry money. It could reduce food waste due to faulty production methods. Ptychography could ... » read more