CMU researchers are harnessing AI to help everyday objects sense human activity and respond in useful ways. Their system uses computer vision, LLMs and wheeled platforms to observe behavior, predict intentions and move objects across horizontal surfaces. The team is exploring larger applications of the system, including shelves that unfold from walls when they're needed.

SAN ANTONIO — October 14, 2025 — Dr. Chris Thomas of Southwest Research Institute’s Mechanical Engineering Division has been named an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

Vitamin B6, which is absorbed from a broad range of foods, helps bolster immune system function and neurotransmitters in the brain. But some patients with chronic conditions like diabetes might experience low concentrations of vitamin B6, leading to reduced mental and physical health function, with possible symptoms including irritability, depression, anemia, numbness or muscle twitching. Expensive blood draws are currently the only way to monitor B6 levels, but a team led by Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, the James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State, has developed a new, non-invasive approach that could allow for continuous monitoring, even at home.  

Seoul National University’s College of Engineering announced that a research team led by Professor Chul-Ho Lee from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has outlined a comprehensive roadmap for the ‘gate stack’* engineering, a core technology for two-dimensional (2D) transistors, which are attracting attention as next-generation semiconductor devices.

*Gate stack: A layered structure composed of dielectric and metal materials placed above the conductive channel in a transistor, used to electrostatically modulate channel conductance.

Researchers at Seoul National University have unveiled a groundbreaking thermal management technology capable of selectively implementing cooling and heating functions using a single material and process, without requiring electricity.

 

The technology developed by Professor Seung Hwan Ko's research team in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at SNU is drawing attention as an innovative solution that replaces existing complex processes. It enables the same transparent silicon polymer material to be processed into either a cooling or heating surface simply by adjusting the intensity of laser output, without consuming electricity.

Researchers at Lehigh University are developing a faster, more accurate way to predict how metals solidify during 3D printing and other additive manufacturing processes. Supported by a three-year, $350,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, assistant professor Parisa Khodabakhshi is creating a physics-based, data-driven model that connects manufacturing process parameters with the resulting material microstructure. The approach aims to replace costly trial-and-error methods with efficient simulation tools that can guide the design of high-performance metal components. The project’s outcomes could accelerate innovation across industries that rely on advanced manufacturing—such as aerospace, automotive, and healthcare—while helping train the next generation of engineers and scientists.