A Simple Fix for Crowded Robot Swarms

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ENG: Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, led by L. Mahadevan and Ph.D. student Lucy Liu, studied how groups of robots behave in crowded spaces. Their work focused on a common problem in swarm robotics, where adding more robots can first improve performance, then reduce efficiency when the space becomes too crowded. The goal of the study was to find how many robots can work efficiently in a limited area and how their movement can be adjusted to avoid traffic jams.

Credit: Lucy Liu / Harvard SEAS
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Toward Battery Free Artificial Photosynthesis

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ENG: Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed a more stable and lower-cost artificial photosynthesis system that produces formic acid from carbon dioxide and water. The system uses sunlight to convert CO₂ and water into a storable solar fuel, similar to natural photosynthesis. In conventional systems, an electrolyzer works together with solar cells to transform electrical energy into chemical energy, but maintaining efficient operation under changing sunlight usually requires batteries or electronic control systems such as Maximum Power Point Tracking.

Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University
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