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SwRI’s H2-ICE consortium launches second phase, H2-ICE2

March 25, 2025 (follow up)— Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has launched the newest iteration of its industry-supported Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine consortium, H2-ICE2.

In 2024, SwRI’s H2-ICE consortium completed construction of a Class 8, heavy-duty hydrogen-powered vehicle, following 18 months of targeted development. The demonstration vehicle achieves ultra-low nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions without sacrificing commercial viability. The consortium’s next iteration — “H2-ICE2” — will build on its prior success by enhancing and refining the vehicle’s overall performance and efficiency.


SwRI consortium will focus on enhancing H2-ICE-powered vehicle performance, efficiency.

Universal framework enables custom 3D point spread functions for advanced imaging

Engineers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering have introduced a universal framework for point spread function (PSF) engineering, enabling the synthesis of arbitrary, spatially varying 3D PSFs using diffractive optical processors. The research is published in the journal Light: Science & Applications.

This framework allows for advanced imaging capabilities—such as snapshot 3D —without the need for spectral filters, axial scanning, or digital reconstruction.

PSF engineering plays a significant role in modern microscopy, spectroscopy and computational imaging. Conventional techniques typically employ phase masks at the pupil plane, which constrain the complexity and mathematical representation of the achievable PSF structures.

World’s first non-silicon 2D computer developed

Silicon is king in the semiconductor technology that underpins smartphones, computers, electric vehicles and more, but its crown may be slipping, according to a team led by researchers at Penn State.

In a world first, they used two-dimensional (2D) materials, which are only an atom thick and retain their properties at that scale, unlike , to develop a computer capable of simple operations.

The development, published in Nature, represents a major leap toward the realization of thinner, faster and more energy-efficient electronics, the researchers said.

New metal design for solid-state batteries enables operation at lower pressures

Lithium-ion batteries power everything from electric cars to laptops to leaf blowers. Despite their widespread adoption, lithium-ion batteries carry limited amounts of energy, and rare overheating can lead to safety concerns. Consequently, for decades, researchers have sought a more reliable battery.

Solid-state batteries are less flammable and can hold more energy, but they often require intense pressure to function. This requirement has made them difficult to use in applications, but new research from Georgia Tech could change that.

The research group of Matthew McDowell, professor and Carter N. Paden Jr. Distinguished Chair in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Materials Science and Engineering, has designed a new metal for solid-state batteries that enables operation at lower pressures. While is often used in these batteries, McDowell’s group discovered that combining lithium with softer metal results in improved performance and novel behavior.

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