A trio of pole-climbing serpentine robots are designed to take the place of construction workers tasked with dangerous jobs such as inspecting high-rises or underwater bridge piers. The autonomous robots are designed to climb scaffolding and buildings by wrapping around

Scientists at Toshiba's Corporate Research and Development Center in Japan have developed a system that offers shoppers advice on what to buy based on the product barcode and the current weblog buzz around the gadget. The team describes the system

The fast pace of growing computing power could be sustained for many years to come with new advances in magnetic semiconductors.

Traditional classroom teaching in higher education could learn a thing or two from online teaching, otherwise known as e-learning, according to a professor who studies computer-mediated communication, information exchange and the Internet.

Researchers have shown that the effectiveness of company web sites depends more upon their informative content than on the impact their designs may have on viewers' emotions. The study, which took into account the profiles of various kinds of Internet

Aircrafts and fueling vehicles move around, cleaning brigades come and go. Security staff keep watch on everything to ensure nobody gets into danger. A software will soon help them with their task: It locates people and objects and immediately detects

The results of a new US-UK study show that ordinary people in both countries hold very positive views of nanotechnologies and what the future of these technologies might bring. Participants in both countries indicated a significantly higher comfort level with

Fluorescent molecules - i.e. substances which can be stimulated to emit light - are extremely valuable tools in biological research and medical diagnosis. Fluorescence can be used for instance to analyze the regulation and expression of genes, to locate proteins

Mould toxins in buildings damaged by moisture are considerably more prevalent than was previously thought, according to new international research. Researchers have analyzed dust and materials samples from buildings damaged by mould. Virtually all of the samples contained toxins from

Using a three-dimensional image-guided system to help place screws in the spines of patients results in safe and accurate surgery with a decrease in the number of misplaced screws, and subsequent injuries, seen in more traditional operations, say neurosurgeons.

A warm-up program that focuses on improving strength, balance, core stability and muscular awareness cuts injury in female footballers by a third and severe injuries by almost a half, according to new research.

For a long time, chromium plating protected car bodies against rust, but this has been prohibited since 2007. However, chromium-free coatings are not suitable for universal use; they have to be adapted to the respective application. A new chromium-free coating

A group of scientists at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has fabricated a working computer chip that is almost completely clear -- the first of its kind. The new technology is called transparent resistive random access memory.

A National Research Council committee has issued a highly critical report describing serious shortfalls in the Bush administration's strategy to better understand the environment, health and safety risks of nanotechnology and to effectively manage those potential risks.

A wave energy plant located in the sea outside Lysekil, Sweden has been quite successful. For nearly three years, a wave power plant has stood on the bottom of the ocean a couple of kilometers off the west coast of

The United States must re-establish its global leadership in nuclear arms control while continuing to update its nuclear arsenal as necessary, but it should not add any new nuclear capabilities in the process, a joint working group of scientists and

Scientists have developed a biosensor with an artificial membrane, which means that membrane-bound proteins can retain their natural structure and function. The method facilitates the study of the function of the proteins, which could be of major significance in the

For 50 years, theoretical chemists have puzzled over the problem of predicting many-electron chemistry with only two electrons, which many thought intractable and perhaps impossible to solve. One scientist will present a new approach to tuning his solution to the

It's 40 degrees F below zero (with the wind chill) at the South Pole today. Yet a research team from the University of Delaware is taking it all in stride. The physicists, engineers and technicians are working to build the