Robotic System Combines Traditional Chinese Medicine Techniques with Modern Robotics for Therapeutic Massages

In recent years, advancements in robotics have paved the way for new technologies that could revolutionize healthcare and assisted living facilities. Among these innovations are robots designed not only for medical purposes but also for providing companionship or assistance to patients.

A new breakthrough in this field comes from a team of researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, who have developed a robotic system capable of delivering massages based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) techniques. This pioneering system, detailed in a recent paper published on the arXiv preprint server, has the potential to be used in healthcare, wellness, and rehabilitation settings, offering an additional therapeutic tool for patients dealing with various types of pain or discomfort.

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CATL Unveils Revolutionary Bedrock Chassis with Industry-Leading Safety Features

CATL, a Chinese leader in the battery and electric vehicle (EV) technology sector, has introduced its groundbreaking Bedrock Chassis, an ultra-safe EV platform that has passed rigorous safety tests, setting new benchmarks for automotive safety. This innovative chassis is capable of withstanding high-speed impacts and extreme crash conditions without compromising on safety, performance, or reliability.

The Bedrock Chassis has proven its resilience by successfully passing the world’s most challenging safety test: a frontal impact test at speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph), without the risk of fire, explosion, or thermal runaway. CATL claims this achievement redefines the safety standards for the industry, with the Bedrock Chassis offering unparalleled protection in all scenarios and across a wide range of speeds.

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Breakthrough in Magnetic Materials: In-Plane Magnetic Fields Induce Anomalous Hall Effect in EuCd₂Sb₂ Films

Researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo have made a groundbreaking discovery: in-plane magnetic fields induce an anomalous Hall effect in EuCd₂Sb₂ films. By studying how these fields alter the material’s electronic structure, the team uncovered a significant in-plane anomalous Hall effect. This finding opens new avenues for controlling electronic transport in magnetic fields, with exciting potential applications in magnetic sensors.

The Hall effect, a well-known phenomenon in materials science, occurs when an electric current in a material is subjected to a magnetic field, creating a voltage that is perpendicular to both the current and the field. While much research has been conducted on the Hall effect under out-of-plane magnetic fields, the effects of in-plane magnetic fields have been less explored. Recently, however, in-plane magnetic fields have garnered increasing attention due to their potential to unlock new material behaviors, particularly in materials with unique electronic band structures, like EuCd₂Sb₂.

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The Design of ZMQ-1

Zeolites are crystalline materials widely used in applications like ion exchange, adsorption, and catalysis. However, their microporous structure restricts their ability to process larger molecules. To overcome this challenge, researchers have developed ZMQ-1, a zeolite that incorporates intrinsic mesopores—pores larger than 20 Å—while preserving both stability and acidity.

Previous attempts to create mesoporous zeolites struggled with issues like structural instability and reduced acidity, rendering them unsuitable for industrial use. ZMQ-1, however, presents a solution to these problems. The researchers utilized a phosphonium-based organic structure-directing agent (OSDA) to form the mesoporous framework. Unlike traditional ammonium-based OSDAs, phosphonium-based OSDAs offer a stronger positive charge and greater stability, which allows for the synthesis of more robust mesoporous structures. The crystallization of ZMQ-1 was accomplished through hydrothermal synthesis with tunable silicon-to-aluminum (Si/Al) ratios, enabling the zeolite to be customized for specific applications.

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Revolutionizing Science with AI: The Story of Tetsuwan Scientific

Cristian Ponce met his co-founder Théo Schäfer at a Halloween party in 2023, where Ponce was dressed as Indiana Jones. The event, hosted by Entrepreneur First, a startup incubator, connects aspiring founders to launch innovative ideas. It was here that Ponce first encountered Schäfer, whose background at MIT and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, where he explored Jupiter’s moons for alien life, fascinated Ponce. For his part, Ponce had studied bioengineering at Caltech, working with E. coli. Despite their distinct scientific backgrounds, the two bonded over shared frustrations with the tediousness of lab work.

As lab technicians, both had spent countless hours performing repetitive tasks, particularly in genetic engineering. One such task involves using a syringe-like tool called a “pipette” to transfer liquids between test tubes. While automation has attempted to ease this burden, the robots capable of doing so are expensive, specialized, and require extensive programming. If a scientist needs to adjust an experiment, they often face delays waiting for the bot to be reprogrammed. As a result, humans are still often more efficient at these tasks, despite the manual labor involved.

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AI Set to Transform Retail Shopping by 2025, With Personalized Experiences and New Challenges

Tech executives and investors predict that artificial intelligence will dramatically reshape the retail shopping landscape by 2025, with AI assistants offering highly personalized experiences and handling up to 20% of eCommerce tasks, ranging from product recommendations to customer service. Industry leaders from Citi, Google Cloud, and global tech investment firms envision a future where shopping becomes more intuitive, efficient, and tailored to individual preferences. However, they stress the importance of careful AI implementation to ensure security and accessibility.

AI is expected to make shopping feel almost “Black Mirror”-like, with virtual assistants predicting consumer needs with startling accuracy. Lars Nyman, Chief Marketing Officer at CUDO Compute, suggests that AI-driven personalization could lead to eerily prescient interactions, such as a virtual assistant reminding a shopper about hiking boots before a trip. While AI’s ability to forecast demand may help retailers reduce inventory costs by up to 10%, it also raises concerns about data privacy as consumers will expect greater transparency regarding how their data is being used.

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Backflip Revolutionizes 3D Design with AI-Powered Model Creation

Backflip’s innovative platform leverages a newly developed AI model to streamline the process of converting ideas into 3D printable models. Users can generate high-resolution, printable designs with just a text command or a photo, making it easier and faster to bring concepts to life. According to Backflip’s CTO, David Benhaim, their technology offers a significant performance boost, providing up to 60 times more efficient training, 10 times faster processing speeds, and 100 times higher spatial resolution compared to traditional methods.

“Our breakthrough involves a new type of neural representation that enables AI to think in 3D,” explains Benhaim. “By starting with basic 3D models, we are laying the foundation for a new category of tools that can bring physical products to life more quickly and efficiently.”

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Draganfly Launches Drone Delivery Pilot with Mass General Brigham to Revolutionize Healthcare Logistics

Draganfly Inc. announced last week that it has completed the initial flights for a proof-of-concept drone delivery project in collaboration with Mass General Brigham (MGB) Home Hospital. The initial phase of this research and development initiative focused on evaluating and mapping potential drone delivery routes, in partnership with MGB and regulatory bodies. The test flights, which included takeoffs and landings within the hospital’s infrastructure, marked a significant milestone, though they were not yet involved in actual care delivery.

The primary goal of this initiative is to explore how drone deliveries can provide timely access to critical medical supplies and laboratory samples, thus minimizing the delays typically caused by traditional logistics methods. The first phase of the project, concentrated around the greater Boston metropolitan area, is designed to test Draganfly’s proprietary drone technology in addressing key healthcare logistics challenges, particularly in reducing delays caused by traffic congestion and outdated delivery processes.

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Breakthrough in Quantum Sensing: Nanodiamonds with Exceptional Spin Properties Show Promise for Bioimaging and Biosensing

Quantum sensing is an emerging field that leverages the unique quantum properties of particles, such as superposition, entanglement, and spin, to detect subtle changes in physical, chemical, or biological systems. A particularly promising class of quantum sensors is nanodiamonds (NDs) equipped with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers, which offer high sensitivity to various environmental factors, including magnetic fields, electric fields, and temperature. These NV centers, created by replacing a carbon atom with nitrogen near a lattice vacancy in a diamond structure, emit photons that preserve stable spin information. By using optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), researchers can detect changes in these spin states, making NDs ideal for applications in quantum biosensing.

In a groundbreaking study published on December 16, 2024, in ACS Nano, scientists from Okayama University in Japan have developed a new class of nanodiamond sensors that are not only bright enough for bioimaging but also exhibit spin properties comparable to bulk diamonds. The study, led by Research Professor Masazumi Fujiwara from Okayama University, in collaboration with Sumitomo Electric Company and the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, marks a significant advancement in the field of quantum sensing. “This is the first demonstration of quantum-grade NDs with exceptionally high-quality spins, a long-awaited breakthrough in the field,” says Prof. Fujiwara. “These NDs possess properties that have been highly sought after for quantum biosensing and other advanced applications.”

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China Breaks Records with Completion of World’s Largest-Diameter Underwater Shield Tunnel

Workers in China have set a new world record by completing the construction of the world’s largest-diameter underwater shield tunnel, marking a major milestone in infrastructure development. A two-mile section of the tunnel, with an impressive diameter of 55.8 feet (17 meters), has been finished, featuring 500 pipe rings of underwater shielding. The work is part of an ambitious project to build a 3.6-mile tunnel beneath the Yellow River in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province, East China.

Currently under construction 98 feet below the surface, the tunnel will be a critical north-south route connecting key areas in Jinan. It will feature a two-way road with three lanes in each direction, designed to accommodate vehicles at a speed of 37.2 miles per hour (60 km/h). The project aims to enhance the region’s connectivity and is set to be completed by late 2025.

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Ambient Scientific Unveils Sparsh AI Module: Revolutionizing Battery-Powered On-Device AI

Ambient Scientific has introduced its innovative AI module, the Sparsh board, which operates on a coin cell battery, enabling a wide range of on-device AI applications. The module is designed to power tasks such as human activity recognition, voice control, and acoustic event detection, all while offering the remarkable capability to run for months without the need for frequent battery replacements.

The Sparsh board is equipped with a variety of components, including motion sensors, a digital microphone, a Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) module, and more. This makes it an ideal tool for developers looking to quickly prototype battery-operated AI applications.

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Cyanobacteria Pave the Way for Sustainable Plastics Production Using CO2

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, have emerged as a promising tool in the development of sustainable plastics, such as Perspex, by producing citramalate—a key component in plastic production. Researchers from the University of Manchester have demonstrated that these photosynthetic microorganisms can convert CO2, a major greenhouse gas, into valuable materials. This breakthrough could accelerate the creation of eco-friendly plastic alternatives traditionally made from fossil fuel-derived chemicals, supporting the transition to a circular bioeconomy that reduces waste and carbon emissions.

Cyanobacteria are tiny organisms that harness sunlight to convert CO2 into organic matter, offering a sustainable method to produce valuable products without relying on agricultural resources like sugar or corn. Despite their potential, the slow growth and limited efficiency of cyanobacteria have hindered their large-scale industrial use.

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