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4 days ago | 
thomasnet.com | Aruna Urs |Audrey Altmann
Switzerland’s École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has developed a new open-source augmented reality woodworking system that guides carpenters to cut timber logs precisely without requiring measuring or marking. Called Augmented Carpentry, EPFL’s system blends craftsmanship with digital overlays, retaining a carpenter’s hands-on skill and steady eyes while making traditional carpentry tools such as tape measures and pencils obsolete.
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1 week ago | 
thomasnet.com | Aruna Urs |Audrey Altmann
Georgia Institute of Technology scientists have created a 5-inch soft robot that can jump as high as a basketball hoop without legs, wheels, or motors!This bio-engineering feat opens new possibilities for soft robotics in real-world applications such as search-and-rescue missions and extraterrestrial exploration. The new soft bot’s explosive leaping mechanism is inspired by one of Mother Nature’s most abundant animals: nematodes, aka roundworms.
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1 week ago | 
thomasnet.com | Aruna Urs |Audrey Altmann
Washington-based Freefly Systems has created a novel aerial lighting system called “Flying Sun 1000” that is so powerful that it can turn any environment from pitch black to daylight bright.
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1 week ago | 
thomasnet.com | Aruna Urs |Audrey Altmann
The XXV Olympic Winter Games — officially called the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics — unveiled its Olympic torch simultaneously at the Triennale Milano and Expo 2025 Osaka, and it’s nothing short of a masterpiece in innovation and sustainability.
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1 week ago | 
thomasnet.com | Aruna Urs |Audrey Altmann
Modern-day architecture can leave one awestruck; from palm-shaped resorts to glass skyscrapers and suspension arch bridges, these structures are nothing less than poetic, if not artistic. And there lies the ruse: Building materials like steel and concrete contribute to around 11% of the world’s carbon emissions.
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1 week ago | 
thomasnet.com | Aruna Urs |Audrey Altmann
King’s College London has done the impossible by lab-growing a fully functional, self-regenerating human tooth, marking a breakthrough in dental care that relies on biology rather than artificial materials. The King’s team is still transforming these lab-grown teeth into a clinical reality. Still, it does offer hope for older adults suffering from tooth loss while eliminating complicated fillings and implant procedures.
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2 weeks ago | 
thomasnet.com | Aruna Urs |Audrey Altmann
In a world’s first, the Swiss and Italians have created an edible robot cake that tastes like a rich, decadent dessert while functioning like a machine. Unveiled at Japan’s Expo 2025 Osaka, RoboCake is the brainchild of roboticists and culinary masters from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), and the École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL).
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2 weeks ago | 
thomasnet.com | Aruna Urs |Audrey Altmann
Nottingham University scientists have developed a groundbreaking antimicrobial paint that can kill deadly bacteria and viruses on contact, such as MRSA, E. coli, influenza, and COVID-19. The new “superbug-busting” paint — developed in collaboration with Birmingham-based Indestructible Paint — offers a potent solution for combating the spread of pathogens in public and medical spaces.
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3 weeks ago | 
thomasnet.com | Aruna Urs |Audrey Altmann
China recently pitted humans against humanoid robots in the world’s first half-marathon of its kind, which saw 21 bipedal robots running alongside 12,000 human runners. Held in Beijing’s tech-centric Yizhuang district, the 13.1-mile race offered spectators — and the world — a glimpse of China’s growing resilience in robotics and artificial intelligence.
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3 weeks ago | 
thomasnet.com | Aruna Urs |Audrey Altmann
University of Texas at Dallas scientists have successfully blended chemistry and 3D printing to create a new foam that is lightweight, flexible, stronger, and more eco-friendly than other foams already on the market. Integral to the new foam’s durability and design structure was a unique formula developed by chemistry doctoral students Rebecca Johnson and Ariel Tolfree.
