American Sign Language (ASL) recognition systems often struggle with accuracy due to similar gestures, poor image quality and inconsistent lighting. To address this, researchers developed a system that translates gestures into text with 98.2% accuracy, operating in real time under varying conditions. Using a standard webcam and advanced tracking, it offers a scalable solution for real-world use, with MediaPipe tracking 21 keypoints on each hand and YOLOv11 classifying ASL letters precisely.

A groundbreaking study presents a comprehensive approach to restructuring medium-level voltage (MLV) distribution systems that enhances reliability while reducing both energy losses and carbon emissions.

As the world transitions from fossil fuels to clean energy storage systems, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become increasingly vital across multiple industries. While larger battery structures offer promising solutions for enhanced energy density, they present significant challenges in electrolyte filling and wetting processes. Researchers from the Tsinghua University have now conducted groundbreaking research to understand the complex relationship between electrode microstructure and electrolyte wetting, addressing a critical bottleneck in battery manufacturing.

Iron and its alloys, such as steel and cast iron, dominate the modern world, and there’s growing demand for iron-derived products. Traditionally, blast furnaces transform iron ore into purified elemental metal, but the process requires a lot of energy and emits air pollution. Now, researchers in ACS Energy Letters report that they’ve developed a cleaner method to extract iron from a synthetic iron ore using electrochemistry, which they say could become cost-competitive with blast furnaces.

Coupling reactions are essential in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and advanced materials, but traditional methods often rely on costly and environmentally taxing transition metal catalysts. Now, researchers from Japan have reviewed emerging transition metal-free alternatives that align better with green chemistry principles. Their study highlights hypervalent iodine-mediated coupling, a strategy that enables selective bond formation without rare metals. By leveraging diaryliodonium salts, this approach can greatly enhance efficiency and reduce waste in coupling reactions.

Nanoplastics are an increasing threat to the ecosystem; however, their mobility in the soil is still underexplored. Against this backdrop, researchers from Waseda University and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology investigated the adsorption and aggregation behavior of nanoplastics in different types of soil under different pH conditions. The study offers new perspectives on the migration and environmental interactions of nanoplastics, while broadening our knowledge of pollution dynamics and soil contamination processes.