National University of Singapore

As the world considers redefining the precise length of a second, Singapore’s Centre for Quantum Technologies has delivered a new contender for the ultimate master timekeeper.

Ever been paranoid that the suspicious toaster in your hotel room is watching you? Hidden cameras can be hard to find, but a new LED-equipped smartphone case could help spot them. All you need is your phone and just a few seconds.

Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a sensing electronic skin that functions underwater, detects nearby objects, senses physical contact, recognizes when it has been punctured or cut, and repairs itself after damage.

Using arms to swim, crawl, sort, and grip, the Octopus-Inspired Upward Transport Robot (OUT-Robot) employs an inflatable “head” for zero-energy underwater ascent. It could offer a significant boost for oceanic exploration and resource extraction.

Tiny drops of water might not seem like powerhouse energy producers, but a new method shows how simple tubes might be able to turn falling rain into an energy source. In tests, the method was able to power up 12 LED lights.

Scientists have devised a method of using fish scales to convey encrypted messages. Not only would the technology divert seafood industry waste from landfills, it should also be less costly than existing options such as special inks.

There are many situations in which blind people don't necessarily have to see what they're holding, they just need it described to them. An experimental new wearable device, known as AiSee, is designed to do that very thing.

In recent years, we've seen wood used in the construction of traditionally non-wooden things like transistors, bicycles and drones. Now, scientists have used the stuff to create a robotic gripper … which definitely has its selling points.

If slips, trips and falls tend to occur in one area of an outdoor workplace, employers ought to know about it, so they can address the problem. A new "smart" insole is designed to provide that information, in case workers forget or don't bother.

Ordinarily, we associate mouthguards with sports such as boxing and football. An experimental new one, however, could allow people who lack the use of their hands to control electronic devices – and it would do so by tracking their bite patterns.

There are now a number of materials designed to give robots or prostheses a sense of touch. And while most of them are thin and skin-like, a new alternative takes the form of a spongey foam – and it combines several desirable qualities.

Researchers at the National University of Singapore have put forward a new formula for stronger concrete that not only removes a large amount of damaging materials from the equation, but makes use of upcycled waste clay at the same time.