Automotive and Transportation News

June 17, 2025

Top Headlines

Clean Energy, Dirty Secrets: Inside the Corruption Plaguing California’s Solar Market

June 11, 2025 — California s solar energy boom is often hailed as a green success story but a new study reveals a murkier reality beneath the sunlit panels. Researchers uncover seven distinct forms of corruption ...

A Cheap and Easy Potential Solution for Lowering Carbon Emissions in Maritime Shipping

May 29, 2025 — Reducing travel speeds and using an intelligent queuing system at busy ports can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from oceangoing container vessels by 16-24%, according to researchers. Not only ...

Cryogenic Hydrogen Storage and Delivery System for Next-Generation Aircraft

May 28, 2025 — Researchers have designed a liquid hydrogen storage and delivery system that could help make zero-emission aviation a reality. Their work outlines a scalable, integrated system that addresses several engineering challenges at once by enabling ...

Mid-Air Transformation Helps Flying, Rolling Robot to Transition Smoothly

May 28, 2025 — Engineers have developed a real-life Transformer that has the 'brains' to morph in midair, allowing the drone-like robot to smoothly roll away and begin its ground operations without pause. The increased agility and robustness of such robots could ...

New Fuel Cell Could Enable Electric Aviation

May 27, 2025 — Engineers developed a fuel cell that offers more than three times as much energy per pound compared to lithium-ion batteries. Powered by a reaction between sodium metal and air, the device could be lightweight enough to enable the electrification of ...

Remotely Moving Objects Underwater Using Sound

May 21, 2025 — A metamaterial is a composite material that exhibits unique properties due to its structure, and now researchers have used one featuring a small sawtooth pattern on its surface to move and position objects underwater without touching them directly. ...

Robots Learning Without Us? New Study Cuts Humans from Early Testing

May 21, 2025 — Humans no longer have exclusive control over training social robots to interact effectively, thanks to a new study. The study introduces a new simulation method that lets researchers test their social robots without needing human participants, ...

Empowering Robots With Human-Like Perception to Navigate Unwieldy Terrain

May 19, 2025 — Researchers have developed a novel framework named WildFusion that fuses vision, vibration and touch to enable robots to 'sense' and navigate complex outdoor environments much like humans ...

Nimble Dimples: Agile Underwater Vehicles Inspired by Golf Balls

May 19, 2025 — Underwater or aerial vehicles with dimples like golf balls could be more efficient and maneuverable, a new prototype has ...

UCF's 'Bridge Doctor' Combines Imaging, Neural Network to Efficiently Evaluate Concrete Bridges' Safety

May 16, 2025 — New research details how infrared thermography, high-definition imaging and neural network analysis can combine to make concrete bridge inspections more efficient. Researchers are hopeful that their ...

Satellite Data from Ship Captures Landslide-Generated Tsunami

May 15, 2025 — New research demonstrates shipborne navigation systems have potential to improve tsunami detection and ...

Scientists Define the Ingredients for Finding Natural Clean Hydrogen

May 14, 2025 — Researchers have detailed the geological ingredients required to find clean sources of natural hydrogen beneath our feet. The work details the requirements for natural hydrogen, produced by the Earth itself over geological time, to accumulate in the ...

Latest Headlines

updated 2:32am EDT

Eldercare Robot Helps People Sit and Stand, and Catches Them If They Fall

May 13, 2025 — Engineers built E-BAR, a mobile robot designed to physically support the elderly and prevent them from falling as they move around their homes. E-BAR acts as a set of robotic handlebars that follows ...

Submarine Robot Catches an Underwater Wave

May 12, 2025 — Engineers have taught a simple submarine robot to take advantage of turbulent forces to propel itself through ...

Stronger and Safer: New Design Strategy for Aluminium Combines Strength With Hydrogen Embrittlement Resistance

May 9, 2025 — International researcher team develops scalable aluminium alloys for the hydrogen ...

A Small Bicycle Handlebar Sensor Can Help Map a Region's Riskiest Bike Routes

May 9, 2025 — Researchers have developed a system, called ProxiCycle, that logs when a passing car comes too close to a cyclist (four feet or less). A small, ...

Urine, Not Water for Efficient Production of Green Hydrogen

May 9, 2025 — Researchers have developed two unique energy-efficient and cost-effective systems that use urea found in urine and wastewater to generate hydrogen. The unique systems reveal new pathways to ...

Ping Pong Bot Returns Shots With High-Speed Precision

May 8, 2025 — Engineers developed a ping-pong-playing robot that quickly estimates the speed and trajectory of an incoming ball and precisely hits it to a desired location on the ...

Eco-Friendly Aquatic Robot Is Made from Fish Food

May 8, 2025 — An edible robot leverages a combination of biodegradable fuel and surface tension to zip around the water's surface, creating a safe -- and nutritious -- alternative to environmental monitoring ...

Transforming Hospital Sanitation: Autonomous Robots for Wiping and UV-C Disinfection

May 7, 2025 — A research team develops disinfection robot combining physical wiping and UV-C ...

Gender Characteristics of Service Robots Can Influence Customer Decisions

May 6, 2025 — While service robots with male characteristics can be more persuasive when interacting with some women who have a low sense of decision-making power, 'cute' design features -- such as big eyes and ...

Do Manta Rays Benefit from Collective Motion?

May 6, 2025 — Researchers model the motions of groups of manta rays to study how group dynamics affect their propulsion, studying different formations of three manta rays: in tandem, in a triangular setup with one ...

Nearly One-Quarter of E-Scooter Injuries Involved Substance Impaired Riders

Apr. 29, 2025 — About 25% of 7350 patients hospitalized for scooter-related injuries between 2016 and 2021 were using substances such as alcohol, opioids, marijuana and cocaine when injured. The findings underscore ...

High-Wire Act: Soft Robot Can Carry Cargo Up and Down Steep Aerial Wires

Apr. 28, 2025 — Researchers have created a light-powered soft robot that can carry loads through the air along established tracks, similar to cable cars or aerial trams. The soft robot operates autonomously, can ...

Breakthrough Extends Fuel Cell Lifespan Beyond 200,000 Hours, Paving the Way for Clean Long-Haul Trucking

Apr. 28, 2025 — Researchers have developed a new catalyst design capable of pushing the projected fuel cell catalyst lifespans to 200,000 hours. The research marks a significant step toward the widespread adoption ...

Robot See, Robot Do: System Learns After Watching How-to Videos

Apr. 22, 2025 — Researchers have developed a new robotic framework powered by artificial intelligence -- called RHyME (Retrieval for Hybrid Imitation under Mismatched Execution) -- that allows robots to learn tasks ...

In US, Saving Money Is Top Reason to Embrace Solar Power

Apr. 22, 2025 — Financial benefits, such as saving on utility payments and avoiding electricity rate hikes, are a key driver of U.S. adults' willingness to consider installing rooftop solar panels or ...

Should Farm Fields Be Used for Crops or Solar? Or Both

Apr. 21, 2025 — As farmers debate whether fields should be used for agriculture or solar panels, new research says the answer could be both. Scientists analyzed remote sensing and aerial imagery to study how fields ...

RoboBee Comes in for a Landing

Apr. 16, 2025 — A recently created RoboBee is now outfitted with its most reliable landing gear to date, inspired by one of nature's most graceful landers: the crane fly. The team has given their flying robot a ...

A New Super Metal Stands Strong, No Matter the Temperature

Apr. 16, 2025 — A research team develops a new alloy that maintains tensile properties from -196 degrees Celsius to 600 degrees ...

Explainable AI for Ship Navigation Raises Trust, Decreases Human Error

Apr. 15, 2025 — A team has developed an explainable AI model for automatic collision avoidance between ...

Marine Shipping Emissions on Track to Meet 2030 Goals, but Expected to Miss 2050 Target

Apr. 11, 2025 — The United Nations organization responsible for international marine shipping today approved new emission reduction policies. A new paper highlights the need. Researchers surveyed 149 marine shipping ...

Government Urged to Tackle Inequality in 'Low-Carbon Tech' Like Solar Panels and Electric Cars

Apr. 11, 2025 — The UK government needs to go beyond offering subsidies for low-carbon technologies (LCTs) like electric cars and solar panels for energy and heating, if it is to meet its net-zero targets by 2050, a ...

Unsafe Driving During School Drop Offs at 'Unacceptable' Levels

Apr. 10, 2025 — Risky driving by parents and other motorists who do the school run is putting children in danger, according to a new ...

Potable Water Happy Byproduct of Low-Cost Green Hydrogen Technology

Apr. 9, 2025 — Engineers have hit the trifecta of sustainability technology: A group has developed a low-cost method to produce carbon-free 'green' hydrogen via solar-powered electrolysis of seawater. A ...

Hopping Gives This Tiny Robot a Leg Up

Apr. 9, 2025 — A hopping, insect-sized robot can jump over gaps or obstacles, traverse rough, slippery, or slanted surfaces, and perform aerial acrobatic maneuvers, while using a fraction of the energy required for ...

Termite Stowaways: Study Reveals Boats as Perfect Vessels for Global Termite Spread

Apr. 7, 2025 — A study reveals that termites are not simply spreading through natural processes, suggesting humans may be helping them 'conquer the world' by unknowingly transporting them aboard private ...

How GPS Helps Older Drivers Stay on the Roads

Apr. 3, 2025 — New research shows that Sat Nav systems are helping keep older drivers on the roads for longer. The study reveals that over 65s with a poorer sense of direction rely more on help from GPS navigation ...

Solar Cells Made of Moon Dust Could Power Future Space Exploration

Apr. 3, 2025 — The same dirt that clings to astronauts' boots may one day keep their lights on. Researchers created solar cells made out of simulated Moon dust. The cells convert sunlight into energy ...

An Answer to Green Energy in Hydrogen-Generating Marine Microbes

Apr. 3, 2025 — A genomic study of hydrogen-producing bacteria has revealed entirely new gene clusters capable of producing large volumes of ...

Speed Cameras Take Six Months to Change Driver Behavior, Effects Vary by Neighborhood

Apr. 2, 2025 — New York City's automated speed cameras reduced traffic crashes by 14% and decreased speeding violations by 75% over time, according to new research. The research revealed most cameras achieve ...

Reducing Risk of Embankment Slope Failures Along Roads

Apr. 2, 2025 — Based on their findings, the researchers noted there are practical solutions that could have prevented collapse of the embankment slope investigated in this study. Their recommendations include using ...