Researchers propose a new framework called mechano biogeochemistry, suggesting that natural mechanical forces can be converted into electrical energy through the piezoelectric effect. This process allows microbes to grow and carry out chemical reactions even in the absence of sunlight or traditional chemical fuels.
Boston College researchers used piezoelectric nanoparticles to trigger macrophages, a key part of the body's immune response. The study suggests that this method could be used to activate immune cells specifically at an infection or tumor site, avoiding side effects associated with systemic administration of drugs.
Scientists have developed a new material that converts motion into electricity with greater efficiency than traditional lead-based ceramics but without using toxic lead. The material, based on bismuth iodide, has potential applications in a wide range of innovative devices.
A research team at DGIST has developed an 'ultrasound-based wireless charging technology' that can fully charge a commercial battery within two hours, even inside the human body. The technology achieves world-class energy efficiency by combining output from two piezoelectric layers.
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Researchers from Nagoya University have developed a deformable mirror that changes X-ray beam size by more than 3,400 times using a single-crystal piezoelectric thin wafer of lithium niobate. This technology enhances both imaging and analysis, especially for industry applications.
Empa researchers have developed a novel deposition process for piezoelectric thin films using HiPIMS, producing high-quality layers on insulating substrates at low temperatures. The technique overcomes the challenge of argon inclusions by timing the voltage application to accelerate desired ions.
Triboelectric and piezoelectric nanogenerators convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, enhancing robotic autonomy and efficiency. The technology has the potential to reshape future robotic capabilities, particularly in industrial automation, healthcare, and smart home applications.
The University of Michigan researchers discovered a simple annealing method that enhances the quality of materials used in cell phones, sensors and energy harvesting devices. The process boosts piezoelectricity eight times beyond current technology.
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The Harvard RoboBee has been equipped with crane fly-inspired legs and an updated controller, allowing it to land safely on various surfaces. The robot's delicate actuators were protected by the improved design, which enabled controlled landing tests on a leaf and rigid surfaces.
Researchers at Yokohama National University have developed a tiny, low-weight robot that can act independently and with ultra-high precision in extreme environments. The Holonomic Beetle 3 (HB-3) integrates piezoelectric actuators with autonomous technology for precise manipulation tasks, addressing industries such as laboratory automa...
A new study proposes a theoretical framework for AI-based wearable blood pressure sensors, paving the way for non-invasive and continuous cardiovascular monitoring. The review highlights clinical aspects of implementation, real-time data transmission, and signal quality degradation, and presents strategies to address technical barriers.
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A novel self-sustaining circuit configuration enables miniature devices like microdrones to fly for longer periods while staying lightweight and compact. The system utilizes emerging solid-state batteries with high energy density and ultra-lightweight design.
A new, inexpensive measurement device can measure both pressure and acceleration using a single design and method, saving costs and simplifying manufacturing. This technology has potential applications in medical care, disaster mitigation, landslide alerts, and heavy-machinery maintenance.
Researchers at Tohoku University discovered a novel propagation phenomenon in surface acoustic waves, leading to the development of innovative acoustic devices. The study, published in Physical Review Letters, reveals asymmetrical diffraction behavior that can be controlled using magnetic fields.
Scientists from Chiba University successfully analyzed human chronic myelogenous leukemia cells using a new sample introduction system, achieving accurate elemental composition measurements without damaging the cells. The study expands the potential of ICP-MS technology for mammalian cultured cell analysis.
By reducing the thickness of a commonly-used piezoelectric ceramic material, researchers at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) show that its efficacy can be dramatically increased, resulting in improved strain values. The team discovered that removing oxygen vacancies in lead-free piezoceramics also boosts electrostrain to 1% or higher.
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Chung-Ang University researchers have developed self-powered tactile sensors for robotics and wearables by introducing novel manufacturing strategies for piezoelectric and triboelectric sensors. These advancements aim to create high-performance sensors capable of multi-modal sensing and real-time interaction.
A new TEA printer enables high-speed manufacturing of piezoelectric biofilms, paving the way for industrial-scale production of biocompatible and biodegradable electronics. The innovation offers a two orders of magnitude speed increase over existing technologies.
A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego has developed a clinically validated, wearable ultrasound patch for continuous and noninvasive blood pressure monitoring. The device offers precise, real-time readings of blood pressure deep within the body, providing detailed trends in blood pressure fluctuations.
Researchers at University of Limerick have developed a new method for growing organic crystals that can be used to generate eco-friendly energy through piezoelectricity. This breakthrough has the potential to replace lead-based materials in consumer electronics and reduce environmentally damaging waste.
Researchers developed a new method for amorphizing indium selenide wires, requiring as little as one billion times less power density. The process resembles an avalanche and an earthquake, triggering rapid deformation and linking small areas into larger ones, potentially unlocking wider applications for phase-change memory technology.
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Nanomechanical resonators have been used to sense minuscule forces and mass changes. The new aluminum nitride resonator achieved a quality factor of over 10 million, opening doors to new possibilities in quantum sensing technologies.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute developed a polymer film infused with a special chalcogenide perovskite compound that produces electricity when squeezed or stressed. The material has shown promising results, including powering LED lights and potentially being used in machines, infrastructure, and biomedical applications.
A University of Houston team developed non-invasive, comfortable, and safe wearable sensors to monitor eyeball movements, providing early warning signs of brain-related disorders. The new sensors have potential applications in diagnosing conditions like ADHD, autism, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and traumatic brain injuries.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a new method to degrade perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS), a subgroup of forever chemicals. Using piezocatalysis, the team was able to break down 90.5% of PFOS molecules in water samples, offering a potential solution to environmental pollution.
Piezoelectric materials are used in sonar and ultrasound applications, but can deteriorate due to heat and pressure. Researchers have developed a technique to depole and repole these materials at room temperature, allowing for easier repair and paving the way for new ultrasound technologies.
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Researchers have discovered a new connection between the nanoscale features of a piezoelectric material and its macroscopic properties, providing a new approach to designing smaller electromechanical devices. The mesoscale structures reveal a complex tile-like pattern that aligns dipoles in a specific way under an electric field.
Researchers developed a novel nanoporous material with exceptional piezoelectric capabilities, outperforming traditional lead-based materials. The material's ultra-thin structure and straightforward synthesis approach make it a highly promising candidate for future high-density energy harvesting.
Researchers from Shinshu University have created a novel composite material with exceptional capabilities for motion and physiological sensing. The new sensor design showed significant performance and stability improvements, enabling practical use in wearable applications.
Scientists at TIBI employed AI to enhance the design and production of nanofibers used in acoustic energy harvesters, resulting in higher power density and energy conversion efficiency. The AI-generated nanofibers produced better performance than conventionally fabricated devices.
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Researchers have identified a class of materials called antiferroelectrics that produce an electromechanical response up to five times greater than conventional piezoelectric materials, even in films as thin as 100 nanometers. This breakthrough could enable the development of next-generation electronics and devices.
Scientists at the University of Rochester have developed a technique for pairing particles of light and sound, allowing for faithful conversion of information stored in quantum systems. The method uses surface acoustic waves, which can be accessed and controlled without mechanical contact, enabling strong quantum coupling on any material.
Researchers at the University of Arizona and Sandia National Laboratories have developed a new class of synthetic materials that enable giant nonlinear interactions between phonons. This breakthrough could lead to smaller, more efficient wireless devices, such as smartphones or other data transmitters.
A team of researchers from MIT created a lightweight, compact, and efficient mechanism to reduce noise transmission using a sound-suppressing silk fabric. The fabric uses vibrations to cancel out unwanted sounds in two different ways, one for small spaces and another for larger areas like rooms or cars.
Researchers have discovered dynamic piezoelectricity in ferroelectric hafnia, which can be changed by electric field cycling. This phenomenon offers new options for microelectronics and information technology. The study also suggests the possibility of an intrinsic non-piezoelectric ferroelectric compound.
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A small, wearable ultrasound sticker can monitor organ stiffness and detect subtle changes that signal disease progression. The device has been shown to identify early signs of acute liver failure in rats and may one day help doctors diagnose internal organ failure more effectively.
A KAIST research team has developed a biomimetic scaffold that generates electrical signals to promote bone tissue growth, providing a new method for utilizing the unique osteogenic abilities of hydroxyapatite. The flexible and free-standing scaffold demonstrated remarkable potential for promoting bone regeneration in rats.
Researchers at Tohoku University have engineered a novel device combining piezoelectric composites with carbon fibers, transforming kinetic energy into electricity for efficient motion sensing. The new device has been tested to withstand over 1000 stretches and surpasses other materials in terms of energy output density.
Researchers developed a gradient F-doping hydroxyapatite core-shell structure with flexoelectricity and piezoelectricity, exhibiting enhanced degradation of phenanthrene in soil. The catalyst showed optimized piezocatalytic activity, outperforming pristine HAP and F-HAP.
Scientists at National University of Singapore developed a hybrid generative machine learning model to explore structural disorders in complex materials. The model unveiled pathways to material disorder, shedding light on factors affecting piezoelectric response. It also found evidence that domain boundaries maximize entropy.
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A new wearable ultrasound patch can accurately image organs within the body without traditional ultrasound equipment, enabling earlier detection of cancers deep within the body. The patch is designed to measure bladder volume, providing valuable insights into kidney health and wellness.
Researchers developed a system to capture sound waves in enclosed spaces like theaters and concert halls, converting them into electrical energy. This reduces the risk of hearing loss and promotes an environmentally friendly power management feature.
The HKUST research team has developed a microprinter that can print piezoelectric films 100 times faster, enhancing mass production costs and control of structures and feature sizes. The printer boasts the fastest speed in existing techniques for piezoelectric micrometer-thick films.
Researchers have developed a molecular energy harvesting device that can capture the natural motion of molecules in a liquid to generate a stable electric current. The device uses piezoelectric material and can be scaled to full-size generators, offering a game-changing clean energy source.
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A HKUST research team has developed a novel technique to self-assemble a thin layer of amino acids with ordered orientation, demonstrating high piezoelectric strength. The technique enables the production of biocompatible and biodegradable medical microdevices, such as pacemakers and implantable biosensors.
A novel symmetric-actuating linear piezoceramic ultrasonic motor (SLPUM) is developed to generate symmetrical, synchronous opposite or backward movements of two movers with the same velocity. The SLPUM doubles the working efficiency of traditional piezoelectric motors and can produce high-precision scissoring effects in microsurgery.
Researchers developed bio-piezoelectric smart scaffolds for next-generation bone tissue engineering, demonstrating potential for clinical applications. The scaffolds can reconstruct desired tissue EM through non-invasive ultrasonic stimulation, promoting cell adhesion and osteogenic differentiation.
Research investigates how porosity affects piezoelectric properties of PVDF films, a material suitable for biomedical applications. High porosity improves piezoelectric performance, enabling more sensitive pressure sensors for hemodynamic monitoring.
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Researchers developed a polarization-angle-resolved Raman microscope to visualize disorder effects on ferroelectric polarization. The study reveals slow response of nanometer-scale electric polarization, enabling significant charge storage and enhanced dielectric properties.
A new energy-generating device harnesses vibrations to produce electricity, providing an efficient means for self-powered sensors. The device maintains high performance even after being bent over 100,000 times, outperforming other similar materials in terms of energy output density.
University of Houston researchers create sensitive and reliable sensors for harsh conditions, operating up to 900 degrees Celsius. The sensors, made from flexible ultrawide-bandgap single-crystalline AlN thin films, offer advantages for applications in nuclear plants, neutron exposure, and wearable health care monitoring.
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Researchers at University of Waterloo and University of Toronto developed a novel generating system that converts mechanical vibrations into electricity. The system is compact, reliable, low-cost, and green, and has the potential to power billions of sensors needed for Internet of Things devices.
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology developed a simple sol-gel method to synthesize highly pure bifunctional solid acid-base catalysts with desirable properties. The new method produces SrTiO3 nanoparticles with high surface area, showing 10 times higher catalytic activity than commercially available titanates.
A KAIST research team has developed a highly sensitive, wearable piezoelectric blood pressure sensor for continuous health monitoring. The sensor's accuracy meets international standards, with errors within ±5 mmHg and a standard deviation under 8 mmHg for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
A new 'best practice' protocol has been developed by researchers at University of Bath to standardize data collection and reporting in piezoelectric materials. This is crucial to ensure reproducibility in energy harvesting research, which is hampered by inconsistent experimental reports.
Researchers developed a self-powered, hybrid nanogenerator sensor that can monitor performance in boxing and cricket, providing accurate data on accuracy, power, and speed. The device has the potential to explore other applications in sports, paving the way for more efficient practices and improved player performance.
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Researchers find quasiparticles called ferrons that carry waves of polarization and heat in ferroelectric materials. The ferron's behavior is sensitive to an external electric field, turning the material into a thermal switch.
Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University developed a compact vibration energy harvester that amplifies electric power generated from human walking motion by about 90 times. The device can generate electricity from non-stationary vibrations, including walking motion, to power small wearable devices.
MIT researchers create a low-power, sound-harvesting camera that captures color photos and transmits data wirelessly. The autonomous device can run for weeks without power, enabling scientists to explore remote oceans and monitor climate change impacts.
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The study reveals a new pathway to develop lead-free ferroelectric materials with strong piezoelectric properties. The novel hybrid improper ferroelectric material combines rotation and tilting of oxygen octahedra to produce polarization, enabling the creation of powerful piezoelectric systems.