In 1953, scientists theorized the energy behavior of a chain of springs and revealed a paradox in fundamental physics. Over 60 years later, a group of researchers from IMT Lille Douai, CNRS and the universities of Lille and Ferrara (Italy) has succeeded in observing this paradox. Their results have greatly enhanced our understanding of physical nonlinear systems, which are the …

FEMTO-Engineering, part of Carnot Télécom & Société numérique institute, offers manufacturers a new cutting and drilling technique for transparent materials. By using a femtosecond laser, experts can reach unrivalled levels of precision when manufacturing ultra-hard materials. Jean-Pierre Goedgebuer, director of FC’Innov (FEMTO-Engineering), explains how the technique works. What is high aspect ratio precision machining and what is it used for? …

What if barcodes disappeared from our supermarket items? Étienne Perret, a researcher in radio-frequency electronics at Grenoble INP, works on identification technologies. His work over recent years has focused on the development of RFID without electronic components, commonly known as chipless RFID. The technology aims to offer some of the advantages of classical RFID but at a similar cost to …

Xavier Lagrange, Professor of network systems, IMT Atlantique – Institut Mines-Télécom 5G is the fifth generation of standards for mobile networks. Although this technology has fueled many societal debates on its environmental impact, possible health effects, and usefulness, here we will focus on the technological aspects. How does 5G work? Is it a true technological disruption or simple an improvement …

We know how to use wind to produce electricity, but large three-bladed turbines do not have their place in urban environments. The start-up Unéole has therefore developed a wind turbine that is suitable for cities, as well as other environments. It also offers a customized assessment of the most efficient energy mix. Clovis Marchetti, a research engineer at Unéole, explains …

Measuring and quantifying have informed Véronique Bellon-Maurel’s entire scientific career. A pioneer in near infrared spectroscopy, the researcher’s work has ranged from analyzing fruit to digital agriculture. Over the course of her fundamental research, Véronique Bellon-Maurel has contributed to the optimization of many industrial processes. She is now the Director of #DigitAg, a multi-partner Convergence Lab, and is the winner …

Rogue waves are powerful waves that erupt suddenly. They are rare, but destructive. Above all, they are unpredictable. Surprisingly, researchers have been able to better understand these fascinating waves by studying similar phenomena in fiber optic lasers.   Before scientists began measuring and observing them, rogue waves had long been perceived as legends. They can reach a height of 30 …

Two teams from IMT Atlantique and Mines Saint-Étienne have developed an autonomous contact lens which is powered by an integrated flexible micro-battery. This invention is a world first that opens new health prospects, whilst also opening the door for scientists to develop other human-machine interfaces.   Human augmentation, a field of research that aims to enhance human abilities through technological …

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