technology

Aug 2, 2013

Researchers Create ‘Soft Robotic’ Devices Using Water-Based Gels

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating devices out of a water-based hydrogel material that can be patterned, folded and used to manipulate objects. The technique holds promise for use in “soft robotics” and biomedical applications. 

Jul 16, 2013

New Model to Improve Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication for ‘Intelligent Transportation’

Imagine a transportation system where vehicles communicate directly with each other in real time, giving drivers warnings about traffic delays, allowing a single driver to control multiple vehicles or routing vehicles around hazardous road conditions. Those are all aspects of the “intelligent transportation” concept. And researchers have developed a model to improve the clarity of… 

Jul 15, 2013

Study Finds Clues on How to Keep Kids Engaged With Educational Games

If you want teams of students to stay engaged while playing educational games, you might want them to switch seats pretty often. That’s one finding from a pilot study that evaluated how well middle school students were able to pay attention to game-based learning tasks. 

Jul 3, 2013

Powerful Animal Tracking System Helps Research Take Flight

Call it a bird’s eye view of migration. Scientists are taking a fresh look at animal movement with a big data approach that combines GPS tracking data with satellite weather and terrain information. The new Environmental-Data Automated Track Annotation (Env-DATA) system, featured in the journal Movement Ecology, can handle millions of data points and serve… 

Jul 1, 2013

Teaching a Computer to Play ‘Concentration’ Advances Security, Understanding of the Human Mind

Computer science researchers have programmed a computer to play the game Concentration (also known as Memory). The work could help improve computer security – and improve our understanding of how the human mind works. 

Jun 27, 2013

Researchers Track Facial Expressions to Improve Teaching Software

Research from North Carolina State University shows that software which tracks facial expressions can accurately assess the emotions of students engaged in interactive online learning and predict the effectiveness of online tutoring sessions. 

Jun 25, 2013

Researchers Use Video Game Tech to Steer Roaches on Autopilot

North Carolina State University researchers are using video game technology to remotely control cockroaches on autopilot, with a computer steering the cockroach through a controlled environment. The researchers are using the technology to track how roaches respond to the remote control, with the goal of developing ways that roaches on autopilot can be used to… 

May 22, 2013

New Technique May Open Up an Era of Atomic-scale Semiconductor Devices

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating high-quality semiconductor thin films at the atomic scale – meaning the films are only one atom thick. The technique can be used to create these thin films on a large scale, sufficient to coat wafers that are two inches wide, or larger. 

May 14, 2013

New Software Spots, Isolates Cyber-Attacks to Protect Networked Control Systems

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a software algorithm that detects and isolates cyber-attacks on networked control systems – which are used to coordinate transportation, power and other infrastructure across the United States. 

Apr 29, 2013

Older Is Wiser: Study Shows Software Developers’ Skills Improve Over Time

There is a perception in some tech circles that older programmers aren’t able to keep pace with rapidly changing technology, and that they are discriminated against in the software field. But a new study from North Carolina State University indicates that the knowledge and skills of programmers actually improve over time – and that older… 

Apr 23, 2013

New Research Findings Open Door to Zinc-Oxide-based UV Lasers, LED Devices

Researchers from North Carolina State University have solved a long-standing materials science problem, making it possible to create new semiconductor devices using zinc oxide (ZnO) – including efficient ultraviolet (UV) lasers and LED devices for use in sensors and drinking water treatment, as well as new ferromagnetic devices. 

Apr 9, 2013

Experience Hunt AV Features

Attend a forum at the new Hunt Library next week that pulls back the curtain on the theory and practice behind the building's remarkable audiovisual features. 

Mar 20, 2013

NC State Hunt Library Dedication Slated for April 3

North Carolina State University invites members of the media to experience firsthand the most innovative, collaborative and technologically advanced library on the planet. The new Hunt Library on NC State’s Centennial Campus will be officially dedicated at a public event hosted by Chancellor Randy Woodson on April 3. Hunt Library is named in honor of former… 

Mar 11, 2013

Researchers Solve Riddle of What Has Been Holding Two Unlikely Materials Together

For years, researchers have developed thin films of bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) – which converts heat into electricity or electricity to cooling – on top of gallium arsenide (GaAs) to create cooling devices for electronics. But while they knew it could be done, it was not clear how – because the atomic structures of those unlikely… 

Jan 23, 2013

Researchers Create Self-Healing, Stretchable Wires Using Liquid Metal

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed elastic, self-healing wires in which both the liquid-metal core and the polymer sheath reconnect at the molecular level after being severed.