In Case You Missed It

Artificial Intelligence

“The 2025 AI Index: Documenting Sociotechnical Features of Deployed Agentic AI Systems”

Abstract: Agentic AI systems are increasingly capable of performing complex tasks with limited human involvement. The vast majority of agentic AI systems disclose nothing about what safety testing, if any, has been conducted, and many systems have no documented way to shut down a rogue bot. The 2025 AI Agent Index documents the origins, design, capabilities, ecosystem, and safety features of 30 prominent AI agents based on publicly available information and correspondence with developers. (MIT, February 2026, https://aiagentindex.mit.edu)

EMI Shielding

“Quad-Band Metamaterial Absorber with High Shielding Effectiveness Using Bold X-Shaped Ring Resonator”

Authors: Altaf Hussain, et al.

Abstract: This article presents a novel X-shaped modified split-ring resonator (MSRR) broadband microwave metamaterial absorber for covert applications in the C, X and Ku bands. The absorber features a 0.035-mm-thick annealed copper layer with X-shaped resonators on a 1.6-mm-thick FR-4 dielectric substrate, with a unit cell of 0.254λ × 0.254λ at 7.64GHz. CST Microwave Studio simulations show absorption peaks at 7.64GHz (98.4%), 8.41GHz (97%), 11.4GHz (99.2%), and 12.66GHz (99%). Parametric analyses are employed to optimize these frequencies using E-field, H-field, and surface current distributions. The design achieves high absorption for transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarization across incidence angles up to 30°, ideal for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and stealth in military contexts. (Journal of Electronic Materials, Nov. 7, 2025; https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11664-025-12512-3)

Flexible Electronic Devices

“Flexible Electronics in Robotics Systems: From Devices to Applications”

Authors: Xuyang An, et al.

Abstract: The rapid advancement of flexible electronic technology has enabled the creation of diverse, innovative flexible devices, greatly facilitating the development of next-generation intelligent robots. Specifically, the integration of such advanced flexible electronics into robotic systems has significantly enhanced human–robot interaction, improved the level of intelligence of robots, and refined their operational performance. These breakthroughs span various aspects of robotics and reveal substantial application potential. In this review, the authors categorize flexible electronic devices based on their functional roles and systematically summarize the latest progress in the development of novel flexible electronic components. Furthermore, they conduct in-depth analyses of innovative applications of flexible electronic devices in robotic command input, intelligent decision-making, and the enhancement of manipulation performance. The review comprehensively demonstrates the considerable improvements that flexible electronics bring to intelligent robotic systems. It is hoped that the review can offer valuable insights and inspiration for the future development of flexible electronic devices and novel applications in intelligent robotics. (SmartBot, Jan. 24, 2026; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smb2.70017)

Memory

“8-Layer Vertical Filament-Free Bulk RRAM with High Dynamic Range and Energy Efficiency for 3D Multilevel Compute-in-Memory”

Authors: Yucheng Zhou, et al.

Abstract: Bulk switching RRAM technologies have been developed to address nonidealities of filamentary RRAM for embedded compute-in-memory applications. However, high-density 3D integration and scalability to nano regime have yet to be experimentally demonstrated. Here, the authors present a scalable, filament-free 3D 8-layer vertical bulk RRAM (b-RRAM) technology optimized for embedded compute-in-memory (CIM) applications. This forming-free device features reliable cycling, multi-level switching, and enhanced speed via hydrogen doping. Guided by multiscale device simulations to optimize the switching stack, the authors demonstrate 40×40nm² b-RRAM cells with MΩ-level resistance and current nonlinearity, enabling accurate, energy-efficient matrix-vector multiplications (MVM) in selector-less crossbars. A hyperdimensional computing-based continual learning algorithm is implemented on 3D b-RRAM for edge AI tasks, achieving ~90% accuracy – comparable to high-precision floating-point (FP) baselines – while delivering substantial energy savings. (IEEE International Electron Device Meeting, December 2025; https://iedm25.mapyourshow.com/8_0/sessions/session-details.cfm)End of article content