A “standard reference thermoelectric module (SRTEM)*” for objectively measuring thermoelectric module performance has been developed in Korea for the first time. A research team led by Dr. Sang Hyun Park at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER; President Yi, Chang-Keun) developed the world’s second standard reference thermoelectric module, following Japan, and improved its performance by more than 20% compared with existing modules, demonstrating the excellence of Korea’s homegrown technology.

To address the trade-off between accuracy and cross-city generalization in traffic flow estimation, a research team from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and New York University proposes a novel framework based on global open multi-source (GOMS) data, including urban structures and population density. By developing an advanced graph neural network model that effectively fuses these static urban features with dynamic traffic data, the study achieves stable and accurate network-wide traffic estimation, as validated across 15 diverse cities in Europe and North America.

Researchers at National University of Singapore used multiple interpretable machine learning methods to predict traffic congestion in in Alameda County in the San Francisco Bay Area, USA, during the pre-lockdown, lockdown, and post-lockdown periods.

There are over 36,500 pieces of space debris of larger than 10 cm in orbit according to statistical model orbit provided by European Space Agency’s Space Debris Office at European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany. Any of those debris can pose a threat to operational satellites. Active debris removal (ADR) is conducted to solve the above problems for stabilizing the space debris environment. Unfortunately, the angular velocity of space debris exceeds the maximum angular velocity of 4 to 5 deg/s that can be directly captured by a robotic arm. Therefore, to stabilize the debris environment, the first task, i.e., de-tumbling tasks, is to reduce the initial angular velocity of the debris by applying an external torque. To ensure the safety of the de-tumbling tasks avoiding collision between the de-tumbling device and the uncooperative space target, many contactless methods have been studied. Among them, the contactless method based on electromagnetic eddy current method has received increasing attention due to the advantages of pollution-free and high safety performance.

Researchers find that diversifying crops and integrating livestock improves farm efficiencies and ecosystem services in the US Midwest. 

Within an international collaboration, an experimental research team of LENS investigated vortex dynamics in strongly interacting superfluids using ultracold lithium gases. By precisely engineering and observing single quantized vortices, researchers uncovered how microscopic mutual friction governs superfluid dissipation. The study provides the first indirect experimental evidence of quasiparticles trapped in vortex cores, offering new insights relevant to superfluids, superconductors, and future quantum technologies.