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Innovation / Technology

A one-inch sensor, mounted on a robotic arm, can analyzes compounds emitted by plants to detect disease before it's too late.

Tech Watch

Robots That Can Sniff Out Crop Disease

Georgia Tech engineers have developed a sensor that could save billions in lost crops

An image projection from a QPI chip.

Tech Watch

Your Smartphone And Sunglasses Could Soon Project Holograms

A chip the size of a TicTac can project images, in 2D or 3D, from everyday objects.

A slate sculpture of Alan Turing by artist Stephen Kettle sits at the Bletchley Park National Codes Centre in Great Britain.

The Turing Test Measures Something, But It’s Not “Intelligence”

A computer program mimicked human conversation so well that it was mistaken for a real live human, but “machine intelligence” still has a long way to go

Tech Watch

These Batteries Recharge With Waste Heat

A new system developed by a team from Stanford and MIT takes excess heat and turns it into electricity.

The Solar Impulse 2 in flight

Tech Watch

Can a Plane Fly Around the World on Solar Power Alone?

With a wingspan greater than a 747, but weighing less than most cars, the Solar Impulse 2 will attempt to circumnavigate the planet.

Automatic truck platoons could come to highways near you by the middle of next year.

Tech Watch

Robotic Truck Convoys Could Change All Kinds Of Transportation

A Silicon Valley startup’s software automates how vehicles react to conditions on the road, offering new possibilities for fuel savings and efficiency

A skull of an ancient dinosaur was digitally restored and reconstructed using new imaging tools.

Tech Watch

How New Tech for Ancient Fossils Could Change The Way We Understand Animals

X-ray topography, virtual models and 3D printing are advancing our knowledge of the ancient animals—and modern ones, too

The California-based Raydiance has released a machine called R-Cut, which uses a femtosecond laser to cut sleek glass surfaces that aren't possible with existing manufacturing.

Tech Watch

Lasers Faster Than The Blink Of An Eye Could Change Glass On Our Phones

A new screen-chiseling method will give high-end finishes to low-end phones—and could revolutionize screens in everything from cars to smart watches, too.

A new way to wirelessly charge devices inside the body could allow for medical implants as small as a grain of rice.

Tech Watch

No Batteries Here: New Implants Can Charge Through Your Body’s Own Tissue

A device being tested by Stanford University researchers is the latest in an area of medical development known as “electroceuticals.”

"Roombots" could change the way we build furniture.

Tech Watch

Robots As Furniture?

A team of Swiss researchers has created robots that self-assemble into tables and chairs—but they could also be used to help the elderly and disabled.

Military robots are being built with plenty of firepower. But should they be trusted to kill?

Tech Watch

Can Killer Robots Learn to Follow the Rules of War?

Researchers have set out to learn whether military machines can be programmed to behave morally, and if so, should have the authority to kill on their own

Researchers at the University of Illinois are developing plastic that can heal damage on its own.

Tech Watch

Plastic That Can Repair Itself

Researchers at the University of Illinois are developing material that will “bleed” to heal damage on hard-to-repair objects.

The Pocket Watch Was the World’s First Wearable Tech Game Changer

Google Glass is just the latest in a long line of body-borne technologies designed to enhance our lives

Why Are People So Comfortable With Small Drones?

The FAA will soon allow commercial drones to fly in U.S. airspace, but researchers have found that they aren’t seen as much of a nuisance at all

Christopher Vo, a roboticist at George Mason University and drone technology educator, teaches everyday users how to build and fly drones like this one.

Future Is Here Festival

What Would You Do With A Drone?

As the potential drone applications grow, so does the build-your-own drone movement

Cell phones have revolutionized daily life, and will only continue to impact our existence, says Joshua Bell, an anthropologist at the Natural History Museum.

Future Is Here Festival

The Future is Here: What’s Next For Mobile Phones?

Anthropologist Joshua Bell weighs in on new uses for cell phone technology at Smithsonian magazine’s annual festival

One 4D concept: underground pipes that change shape to help move water.

Tech Watch

Forget the 3D Printer: 4D Printing Could Change Everything

Scientists at MIT are using a new technique that could print responsive objects—from water pipes to sneakers—that adapt to their surroundings on their own.

The Ooho edible water bottle can't be closed, but is biodegrade.

Tech Watch

Here’s A Water Bottle You Can Actually Eat

A simple culinary technique may go a long way toward ridding the world of excess plastic waste.

Google's new tool allows users to explore different geographic points, like the Marina Sands hotel in Singapore, over time.

Tech Watch

With Google Maps, It’s Now Possible To Travel Through Time

We can all be Marty McFly thanks to a new tool in Google Street View that offers seven years of views from street corners around the globe

The Honda smart home's energy efficient interior features a passive heating and cooling design and an LED lighting system that adapts to the body's natural circadian rhythm.

Tech Watch

Checking The Claim: A House That Produces More Energy Than It Consumes

Forget carbon-neutral—Honda and the University of California have built a house that claims to give energy back

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