Category Technology/Electronics

Researchers use Infrared Light to Wirelessly Transmit Power over 30 meters

Caption: Researchers created a new system that uses infrared light to safely transfer high levels of power over distances of up to 30 meters. This type of long-range optical wireless power transfer system could enable real-time power transmission to fixed and mobile receivers.

New laser charging system could offer safe cordless power for mobile devices and sensors. Imagine walking into an airport or grocery store and your smartphone automatically starts charging. This could be a reality one day, thanks to a new wireless laser charging system that overcomes some of the challenges that have hindered previous attempts to develop safe and convenient on-the-go charging systems.

“The ability to power devices wirelessly could eliminate the need to carry around power cables for our phones o...

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A Silicon Image Sensor that Computes

SEAS researchers developed the first in-sensor processor that could be integrated into commercial silicon imaging sensor chips. The array (illustrated here) simplifies image processing for autonomous vehicles and other applications. Credit: Donhee Ham Research Group/Harvard SEAS

As any driver knows, accidents can happen in the blink of an eye—so when it comes to the camera system in autonomous vehicles, processing time is critical. The time that it takes for the system to snap an image and deliver the data to the microprocessor for image processing could mean the difference between avoiding an obstacle or getting into a major accident.

In-sensor image processing, in which important features are extracted from raw data by the image sensor itself instead of the separate microprocess...

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Researchers demonstrate Error Correction in a Silicon Qubit System

Researchers demonstrate error correction in a silicon qubit system
Three-qubit QEC and silicon-based three-qubit device. a. Outline of the three-qubit phase-flip quantum error correcting code. The two-qubit CNOT gates entangle the three qubits, then the Hadamard (H) gates rotate the qubit basis for phase-flip errors. The decoding is the inverse of the encoding. Finally, the correction is performed by a three-qubit Toffoli gate. b. Scanning electron microscope image of the device. Scale bar, 100 nm. The screening gates (brown) are used to restrict the electric field of the plunger (green) and barrier (purple) gates. The three circles (red, green and blue) indicate the position of the triple-quantum-dot array. A further quantum dot shown as the gray circle is used as a charge sensor...
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Researchers Engineer Novel Material capable of ‘Thinking’

man holds rubber block in one hand and squeezed rubber block in other hand
Penn State researchers create mechanical integrated circuit materials from conductive and non-conductive rubber materials that sense and react to tactile input, such as force. Credit: Kelby Hochriether/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

Collaboration builds on decades-old research to engineer advanced material. Someone taps your shoulder. The organized touch receptors in your skin send a message to your brain, which processes the information and directs you to look left, in the direction of the tap. Now, Penn State and U.S. Air Force researchers have harnessed this processing of mechanical information and integrated it into engineered materials that “think.”

The work, published today (Aug. 24) in Nature, hinges on a novel, reconfigurable alternative to integrated circuits...

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