University of Michigan

These microscopic robots are smaller than a grain of sand. At 200 micrometers wide, they're autonomous, programmable, and cheap enough that high school students are already learning to operate them in labs.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a way to enable rapid EV battery charging at awfully low temperatures – up to five times as fast – without reducing the batteries' energy density.

Computers generally go a bit wonky when you stick them in the oven for a bit, but engineers at the University of Michigan are looking to change that by developing a new computer memory that can run at the temperature of molten lead.

Inspired by the color-changing skin of squids and other cephalopods, researchers have developed a flexible screen capable of storing and displaying encrypted images without using electronics – just tiny magnetic particles.

Engineers at the University of Michigan (U-M) have developed a new camera that renders entire scenes normally, but uses onboard AI algorithms to turn every person into a simplistic stick figure before the images leave the camera.

A small research group from the University of Michigan has developed a three-legged skating/shuffling robot called SKOOTR that rolls as it walks, can move along in any direction and can even rise up to overcome obstacles.

For people who are blind or lack fine control of their fingers, touchscreens such as those used on self-serve kiosks can be almost impossible to use. The experimental new BrushLens device, however, utilizes the user's smartphone to get the job done.

With US car thefts up 25.1% since 2019, it's clear that high-tech key fob immobilizers aren't cutting the mustard. But this might: UMich researchers have created a charmingly low-tech anti-theft device that turns the whole car into a security keypad.

3D concrete printing (3DCP) technology is already known to offer a more efficient approach to constructing buildings. A new type of 3DCP is said to be better, resulting in walls that are a claimed 72% lighter than their conventional counterparts.

UMich researchers have demonstrated an artificial photosynthesis device 10 times more efficient and one hundredth the size of previous devices of its kind. This green hydrogen production method also improves over time, and can split seawater.

Although there are coatings that kill harmful microbes on frequently touched surfaces, most of those substances either have to be frequently reapplied, or they take a long time to work. A new coating, however, is claimed to address both shortcomings.

With the capacity to store up to five times the energy of lithium-ion solutions, researchers have a keen interest in lithium-sulfur batteries, and a team at the University of Michigan has taken a step toward realizing their real-world potential.