Scientists from Harbin Institute of Technology, together with collaborators from The University of Hong Kong and Southern University of Science and Technology, has developed a decoupled titanium dioxide–viologen hybrid material that integrates energy storage and color-changing display functions within a single system. This breakthrough enables high-capacity, high-efficiency electrochromic energy storage and marks an important step toward the next generation of smart, interactive energy devices.

A team led by the University of Oxford has developed a new class of soft robots that operate without electronics, motors, or computers - using only air pressure. The study, published today (05 Nov) in Advanced Materials, shows that these ‘fluidic robots’ can generate complex, rhythmic movements and even automatically synchronise their actions.