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Sun-tracking solar panels fold away from hail while lifting output nearly 40%

16 July 2026 at 13:40
Researchers led by Armin Buchroithner from the Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems at TU Graz have developed an innovative photovoltaic system that combines significantly higher output with protection from storms, hail and snow. The system, known as FLAPTrack (Face-to-Face Lay-Down Anti-Degradation Protection), continuously aligns the PV modules with the sun's position both horizontally and vertically.

A better way to turn 2D designs into 3D models for rapid prototyping

16 July 2026 at 13:20
Engineers often use vision-language models to produce new designs, such as airplane or automobile components. To simulate how those components will perform in realistic situations, they'll use tried-and-true computer-aided design (CAD) software to generate 3D models of those designs, which they can put through virtual crash or durability tests.

Engineers develop robot that judges its surroundings and walks, runs, and jumps like an animal

16 July 2026 at 12:50
An era in which robots decide "how to walk" on their own has arrived. A four-legged robot has been developed that, much like a person or an animal, autonomously chooses the appropriate gait strategy for its surroundingsβ€”changing its gait on stairs, leaping over gaps and keeping its balance on forest trails.

AI-powered election forecasts reveal hidden preferences inside language models

16 July 2026 at 12:40
An international research team involving the University of Bayreuth has, for the first time, analyzed the "inner workings" of AI language models when predicting political voting decisions. To do so, the researchers examined six national elections and AI-based election forecasts and developed a new method for making more precise predictions. They presented their findings at the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML 2026) in Seoul, South Korea.

For energy systems that power a reliable grid and avoid blackouts, the future is all about location

16 July 2026 at 10:00
Will a warming climate and changing weather patterns lead to more grid blackouts and other energy disruptions? Answering that question requires studying both regional climate forecasts and local energy systems, including emerging renewable generation, storage, transmission lines and demand forecasts. The lack of such studies is one reason energy developers and grid operators rarely consider climate change when deciding where to build their next project.

20 years ago, China bet big on electric vehicles. Now Western carmakers are feeling the pain

16 July 2026 at 00:40
In Germany, Japan and the United States, famous carmakers are in trouble. One reason is intense competition from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturersβ€”and growing public demand for EVs. The automakers that dominated the 20th century have largely failed to shift to electric vehicles.

With machine learning, researchers embrace the atomic-scale complexity of batteries

15 July 2026 at 20:30
For grid-scale energy storage and national energy resilience, the U.S. needs better batteries. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists are tackling that challenge in many ways, but one approach is making a significant impact: physics-informed machine learning.

Human-machine learning boosts noninvasive brain-computer control in untrained users

15 July 2026 at 20:20
Implantable devices in the brain have been used for about 30 years to assist people with disabilities in completing motor tasks. However, the devices are simply not accessible to the vast majority of people who need help. Despite decades of work in this field, fewer than 100 people worldwide have benefited from the technology. The costs are prohibitive, and the brain surgeries are inherently risky.

AI remains unreliable as one-size-fits-all code security tool, comparison finds

15 July 2026 at 20:00
For a paper published in the International Journal of Applied Cryptography, a team compared 11 leading large language models (LLMs) for software security. They found that no single system consistently outperforms its rivals in detecting vulnerabilities. This, they suggest, means organizations must select such tools according to the specific software they are analyzing.

Precision interface chemistry pushes perovskite solar cells beyond 26% efficiency

15 July 2026 at 18:20
An international research collaboration has developed a new molecular strategy for controlling one of the most critical interfaces in perovskite solar cells. The resulting solar cells reached a power conversion efficiency of 26.19% in the n-i-p architecture, together with strong operational stability under prolonged illumination and elevated temperature. The results have been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Snapping knits turn fabric into switches that count steps and light LEDs

15 July 2026 at 18:20
Knitting has come a long way from sweaters and blankets. Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have turned everyday knitting into a powerful platform for making shape-shifting devices that can act as switches, sensors and moreβ€”paving the way for next-generation functional, programmable textiles.

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