LATEST
Solar desalination system turns seawater into fresh water without brine waste
Researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a solar-powered desalination system that produces fresh water while recovering almost all of the dissolved salts as solids rather than generating concentrated liquid brine. The technology uses laser-treated black metal to absorb solar energy and move seawater across its surface, where it evaporates. The researchers say the…
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TECHNOLOGY
Light-steering chip redirects beams in just 74 femtoseconds
Researchers at Caltech have developed an ultrafast optical device capable of using one beam of light to redirect another in just 74 femtoseconds. The technology uses a nanoengineered…
Continue reading Light-steering chip redirects beams in just 74 femtoseconds
Rocket experiment reveals new clues about how metals are made
Scientists have captured X-ray images of metal dendrites forming in microgravity for the first time, in research that could help improve manufacturing processes including casting, welding and metal…
Continue reading Rocket experiment reveals new clues about how metals are made
New model tackles hydrogen risk in aircraft
Hydrogen has long been considered a possible route to reducing carbon dioxide emissions from aviation, but storing fuel at temperatures below −250°C creates some unusual engineering problems. One…
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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Engineers uncover hidden risk in AI-assisted aerospace design
Engineers at Imperial College London have identified a hidden problem in AI-assisted design that could cause automated optimisation systems to overlook promising aircraft and spacecraft concepts. The researchers…
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AI could make exoskeletons more adaptable
An exoskeleton that helps someone climb stairs may not know what to do when they suddenly stop, turn around or begin walking across uneven ground. Researchers are now…
Robot trialled for cardiovascular health checks in Scottish GP surgery
A wheeled robot that can guide patients through routine cardiovascular health checks has been trialled at an NHS GP surgery in Dundee, offering a glimpse of how robotics…
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SUSTAINABILITY
Solar desalination system turns seawater into fresh water without brine waste
Researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a solar-powered desalination system that produces fresh water while recovering almost all of the dissolved salts as solids rather than…
Continue reading Solar desalination system turns seawater into fresh water without brine waste
UK airspace trial to test whether changing flight paths can reduce contrails
Most attempts to reduce aviation’s climate impact focus on what powers an aircraft. A new UK-led trial is looking instead at where an aircraft flies, testing whether relatively…
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Where renewables are built could determine the resilience of future power grids
As electricity systems become more dependent on wind and solar power, engineers face a problem that cannot be solved simply by adding more generating capacity. Renewable output varies…
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EDUCATION
UEL students take top prize in structural design competition
Four University of East London engineering students have taken joint first place in a national competition that challenges students to solve the sort of structural problems they will…
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Oxford, UCL and Imperial Join Forces to Rethink How AI Research Is Done
Some of the biggest advances in artificial intelligence have emerged from industrial research labs with enormous computing resources, large multidisciplinary teams and the freedom to pursue ambitious ideas…
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UCL workshop puts school students in the engineering driving seat
For anyone considering a career in engineering, seeing how a design progresses from a computer screen to something that can actually be built and tested can make the…
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MATERIALS
Light-steering chip redirects beams in just 74 femtoseconds
Researchers at Caltech have developed an ultrafast optical device capable of using one beam of light to redirect another in just 74 femtoseconds. The technology uses a nanoengineered…
Continue reading Light-steering chip redirects beams in just 74 femtoseconds
Rocket experiment reveals new clues about how metals are made
Scientists have captured X-ray images of metal dendrites forming in microgravity for the first time, in research that could help improve manufacturing processes including casting, welding and metal…
Continue reading Rocket experiment reveals new clues about how metals are made
Straw could help UK meet housebuilding targets
Every summer, fields across Britain produce something the construction industry needs in enormous quantities: material. Around 9.9 million tonnes of straw comes from UK cereal farming each year,…
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MEDICAL
Engineering bacteria to fight cancer
Modern cancer treatments have become remarkably effective, but they all face the same problem. However precisely a tumour is identified, destroying it without damaging healthy tissue remains difficult.…
Cambridge engineering alumnus co-founds AI imaging start-up
A University of Cambridge engineering graduate has co-founded a deep-tech start-up using artificial intelligence to improve image reconstruction across medicine, science and industry. Andrew Wang, who studied Information…
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New Designer of the Year 2026 project targets post-immersion hypothermia
Bournemouth University product design student Rupert Murphy has been named New Designer of the Year 2026 for developing a portable rescue device that could improve the treatment of…
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BIOTECHNOLOGY
Light-powered nanorobots can collect and move bacteria
Working with individual bacteria presents an obvious engineering problem: the tools used to manipulate them need to operate on roughly the same scale. Researchers at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU)…
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New catalyst could make fuel cells more practical for data centres
Data centres have an appetite for electricity. Servers need power around the clock, cooling systems need still more, and as artificial intelligence drives demand for computing upwards, finding…
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AI-driven analysis reveals new proteins from the deep ocean
A study published in Nature has mapped millions of genes from deep-sea microorganisms collected at hydrothermal vents, methane seeps and deep-ocean trenches. The work revealed an unexpected level…
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