Research pick: Info binding by the light - "Experimental demonstrations of visible light communication using quantum noise for high security"

Research in the International Journal of Sensor Networks has demonstrated a visible-light communication system that uses the inherent randomness of quantum noise to make transmitted data harder for eavesdropping hackers to intercept.

The experimental system was able to transmit data at 100 megabits per second (100 mbps) and applies encryption directly at the optical, or “physical”, layer of the communication system. 100 mbps is a modest data transfer speed when compared to modern broadband networks, equivalent to mid-90s Fast Ethernet speeds. Nevertheless, this is a valid initial baseline for a research demonstration, and fast enough for a wide variety of applications.

Moreover, optical wireless of this kind is emerging as a specialised complement to Wi-Fi and fibre connections, for situations with confined coverage and abundant optical spectrum where immunity to radio interference is essential. It could thus be attractive for settings such as hospitals, aircraft, and industrial facilities.

Visible-light communication (VLC) uses rapidly modulated light, typically from LEDs, to carry digital information through an open wireless channel. The researchers can convert data into a signal with many possible light-intensity levels and use a shared secret key to determine how the data is represented. Quantum noise, the random fluctuations arising from the fundamental properties of light, is then superimposed on to the signal. When the noise is at a sufficiently high level, a third party lacking the key cannot reliably distinguish between the signal and the noise. The current approach is based on the Y-00 quantum stream cipher, a technique previously demonstrated in fibre-optic communications and extends the approach to visible-light transmission.

The work could address a particular vulnerability in VLC, that unlike data protected only by higher-level network encryption, the optical signal itself remains exposed while in transit. This kind of physical-layer protection could therefore provide an additional security mechanism for optical wireless links in environments where interception is possible.

Xiao, N., Chen, S., Chen, F. and Shi, S. (2026) ‘Experimental demonstrations of visible light communication using quantum noise for high security’, Int. J. Sensor Networks, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp.1–6.

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Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Hydromechatronics

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Hydromechatronics are now available here for free:

• Investigation of non-homogeneous thick-walled cylinder ceramic matrix composites for biochemical and medical innovations
• Investigation into the thermal optimisation of low eddy current structure of high-speed on/off valve considering energy consumption and dynamic characteristics
• Intelligent selection of parameters for air-floating piston based on improved multi-objective grey wolf optimisation algorithm
• Automation and synchronisation on electro-hydraulic lifting system of tunnel boring machine segment assembly
• Design and modelling of multiple-air-chamber pneumatic soft bending actuators

Prof. Hai Zhao appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Signal and Imaging Systems Engineering

Prof. Hai Zhao from Northeastern University in China has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Signal and Imaging Systems Engineering.

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications

The International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Design and application of AI-based personalised learning evaluation systems: full-link optimisation from data collection to intelligent feedback
• Intelligent scheduling and optimisation system: a big data-cloud framework for adaptive urban traffic management

Research pick: Can you feel the force? - "Preparation and performance of supramolecular polymer-based piezoresistive damping composites"

Researchers have developed a polymer composite that combines vibration damping with reliable strain sensing. The material uses a thermoplastic polyurethane matrix containing UPy (2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone) units, which form reversible quadruple hydrogen bonds. These molecular links can break and re-form.

This property allows the material to dissipate mechanical energy while retaining its self-healing capacity. By adding two filler materials, a modified silica and and functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes, they were able to create a stable conductive network. Details are discussed in the International Journal of Materials and Product Technology.

The team explains how their work has overcome the challenge of damping that relies on molecular movement, while piezoresistive sensing requires a stable network through which electrical resistance changes predictably under strain. The team's tests showed that even after 10000 cycles at 50 per cent strain, the composite retained almost 92 per cent of its response.

Within the study, the researchers have also developed a model to predict how filler connectivity and molecular bonding affect the mechanical and electrical properties of the composite. That additional work will help in the development of materials designed to suppress vibration while monitoring structural deformation in demanding engineering and high-tech structural applications.

Wang, X., Yang, X., Li, Y., Lu, X., Chen, S. and Geng, Z. (2026) ‘Preparation and performance of supramolecular polymer-based piezoresistive damping composites’, Int. J. Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 70, No. 6, pp.123–145.

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Research pick: Laying down silica to build a better bridge - "Crack resistance and toughening mechanism of nano-SiO2 reinforced PVA fibre cement matrix composites in steel bridge engineering"

Research in the International Journal of Materials and Product Technology has demonstrated that adding a small amount of nanoscopic silica particles to a fibre-reinforced cement composite can improve its resistance to cracking. The finding could be used to improve durability in steel bridge structures, the team explains.

The researchers looked at cement-based composites made from cement, quartz sand, nano silica and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibres. They tested six concentrations of nano silica, ranging from 0 to 2.5% by content. Adding 0.5% nano silica improved overall performance the most. Indeed, when compared to similar composites with no nano silica, the material was found to have a compressive strength 10 per cent higher, flexural strength improved by almost 14 per cent, and initial fracture toughness was more than 8 per cent higher. Fracture toughness measures a material's ability to resist the growth of cracks once they form.

The work could address a persistent challenge in composite steel bridges where the use of composite beams can reduce construction time, but leaves the concrete vulnerable to cracks in areas subjected to negative bending forces around supports. The team suggests that careful optimisation is needed to ensure that the right formulation is used for particular bridges and other demanding construction applications.

Wang, P. and Wang, Y. (2026) ‘Crack resistance and toughening mechanism of nano-SiO2 reinforced PVA fibre cement matrix composites in steel bridge engineering’, Int. J. Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 70, No. 6, pp.83–98.

News media may use this press release as source material, in whole or in part, provided the content is not materially misrepresented. A link back to the original article is appreciated.

Research pick: Responsive anti-counterfeit ink - "Preparation of intelligent responsive printing materials and their application in anti-counterfeiting and packaging"

Research in the International Journal of Materials and Product Technology describes a responsive printing system designed to make anti-counterfeit labels more durable, easier to produce at scale and simpler to verify with a smart phone.

The system combines three elements: temperature- and light-responsive microcapsules, an ultraviolet (UV) ink formulated for high-speed printing, and a portable detection terminal. The microcapsules are tiny polymer shells containing functional materials and can be produced at room temperature. Their use in the printing process allows the printed material to respond to both temperature and light.

The team has used nanotechnology linkers to strengthen connections within the polymer capsules so that they are stable even in hot and humid conditions. The ink, which contains no volatile organic solvent, works well with high-speed screen and inkjet printing. Colour fastness is at more than 83 per cent after five periods in cold storage.

A smartphone-based detector can then be used to measure how light interacts with the anti-counterfeit label. The data is then analysed using a machine-learning system to verify the origin of a given label. Tests showed the system to have almost 97.5 per cent accuracy when checking highly convincing imitation labels.

The researchers say the system could be used to make responsive anti-counterfeiting materials for packaging across many different sectors.

Wu, H., Zhou, X. and Li, Q. (2026) ‘Preparation of intelligent responsive printing materials and their application in anti-counterfeiting and packaging’, Int. J. Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 70, No. 6, pp.63–82.

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Research pick: Antibacterial fabrics to dye for - "Colour fixation process and colour fastness improvement strategies for natural plant dyes in functional clothing fabrics"

Research in the International Journal of Materials and Product Technology describes a metal-free dye-fixing process that could help make natural plant dyes more practical for high-performance textiles, addressing a longstanding obstacle to their wider use in sustainable clothing.

Natural plant dyes are biodegradable and generally produce less pollution than synthetic dyes, but they fade easily when worn and subsequently washed and when exposed to light. This has limited their use in functional textiles, antibacterial fabrics or those that help repel biting insects.

The new method replaces the conventional metal salts, or mordants, used to bind dye molecules to fibres. Mordants are major contaminants of wastewater from the textile dyeing sector. The new fixation system is based on a modified form of chitosan, a biopolymer derived from natural sources such as crustacean shells, and ellagic acid, which is found in many plants.

The dyes are held in place through electrostatic attraction between electrically charged molecules and hydrogen bonding, a chemical interaction that helps stabilise the dye without permanently altering the fabric. The researchers also optimised dyeing conditions, temperature, acidity, and steam treatment, to improve dye uptake while preserving the fabric’s functional properties.

In their tests on antibacterial fabrics, they showed that around 70 per cent of the dye remained on the fabric even after 25 washes, with water and light fastness remaining high even after many hours of exposure. Antibacterial performance remained above 90 per cent after repeated washing.

Han, J., Zhang, Z. and Chang, J. (2026) ‘Colour fixation process and colour fastness improvement strategies for natural plant dyes in functional clothing fabrics’, Int. J. Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 70, No. 6, pp.3–26.

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Free Open Access special issue on "The Application of Advanced Materials for Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing – Part 2" published by International Journal of Materials and Product Technology

The International Journal of Materials and Product Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Colour fixation process and colour fastness improvement strategies for natural plant dyes in functional clothing fabrics
• Algorithm for visual communication design: generating textures of composite materials using artificial intelligence
• Design of a GUI framework for digital home appliance products based on artificial intelligence
• Preparation of intelligent responsive printing materials and their application in anti-counterfeiting and packaging
• Crack resistance and toughening mechanism of nano-SiO2 reinforced PVA fibre cement matrix composites in steel bridge engineering
• Parametric design in ceramic product form generation and manufacturing optimisation
• Preparation and performance of supramolecular polymer-based piezoresistive damping composites
• Composite material surface texture generation and cultural and creative design application based on generative adversarial networks

Research pick: AI in the real world - "Towards general embodied intelligence: integrating large language models, knowledge bases, and reasoning capabilities to build the next generation of AI agents"

A review of artificial intelligence research in the International Journal of Hydromechatronics suggests that combining large language models (LLMs), structured knowledge systems, and physical agents could help create machines capable of understanding, reasoning, and acting in complex environments.

The study examines how LLMs, AI systems trained on extensive text data, might be integrated with knowledge bases, which organise information about the world, and reasoning mechanisms that can produce logical conclusions. The researchers propose a conceptual framework for general embodied intelligence (GEI) and show how these elements might interact.

Current LLMs, familiar to many people as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and others, have strong language abilities but lack direct connection to the physical world. By contrast, embodied AI systems, such as robots, can perform tasks like navigation and object handling in the physical world but commonly do not have inbuilt complex reasoning and adaptation systems.

The researchers suggest that combining these two areas of technology could allow agents to use language for planning, memory, and decision-making while working with real-world conditions. However, challenges remain, including the symbol grounding problem, which boils down to the inherent difficulty in converting abstract language into physical actions.

The review identifies five priorities for progress: efficient AI deployment, integration of updated knowledge sources, improved neural and symbolic reasoning, stronger links between perception and action, and continual learning. If these are implemented successfully, then applications in healthcare support, adaptable manufacturing, and robotics for domestic and even hazardous environments might open up.

Yuan, F., Huang, X., Wang, L., Ding, J., Tian, Z., Wang, Y., Gu, S., Funabora, Y., Peng, Y. and Mao, Z. (2026) ‘Towards general embodied intelligence: integrating large language models, knowledge bases, and reasoning capabilities to build the next generation of AI agents’, Int. J. Hydromechatronics, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp.250–316.

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Free Open Access special issue on "Intelligent Media Arts: Convergence of Technology, Creativity, and Performance – Part 1" published by International Journal of Arts and Technology

The International Journal of Arts and Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Research on music interactive teaching mode based on wireless sensor network and multimodal data fusion
• Design of an art style transfer teaching platform based on generative adversarial networks
• Automatic melody generation and arrangement assistant system in music production based on transformer architecture
• Design of a polyphonic AI music generation algorithm based on transformer adversarial mechanism
• Intelligent emotion classification for college students in online education based on text clustering modelling
• Modelling and accuracy analysis of music style and beat feature recognition using a biological genetic algorithm

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of System Control and Information Processing

The following sample articles from the International Journal of System Control and Information Processing are now available here for free:

• Dynamic resource adjustment of hierarchical control Petri nets
• An ASMDO-based finite time safe control approach for unmanned aerial manipulator
• Integration of sensing, communication, and control for UAV-assisted data transmission in industrial IoT systems
• Sub-pixel resolution thematic map based on multi-source data fusion
• PCBA defect classification in real world with out-of-distribution detection

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles are now available here for free:

• Elucidations on different modes of charging techniques for enhancement of the performance of electric vehicles
• Thermal behaviours of large scale lithium-ion battery for electric vehicle and hybrid electric vehicle application: a review
• Research on two-stage on-board DC-DC converter and control technology
• Voltage lift technique-based quasi Z-source inverter for electric vehicle functioning

New Open Access article available: "An adaptive variable frequency control method for motor speed based on PLC"

The following International Journal of Internet Manufacturing and Services article, "An adaptive variable frequency control method for motor speed based on PLC", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

New Open Access article available: "Research on intelligent clothing design integrating visual communication and embedded system - taking the blind safety clothing as an example"

The following International Journal of Computational Systems Engineering article, "Research on intelligent clothing design integrating visual communication and embedded system - taking the blind safety clothing as an example", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications is now an open access-only journal

We are pleased to announce that the International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications is now an Open Access-only journal. All accepted articles submitted from 1 July 2026 onwards will be Open Access, and will require an article processing charge of EUR €1700.

Research pick: Smart clothing for blind travellers - "Research on intelligent clothing design integrating visual communication and embedded system – taking the blind safety clothing as an example"

Researchers have developed a prototype of intelligent, or “smart”, clothing designed to improve the safety of blind and visually impaired people by combining embedded electronics with sensors that detect hazards, falls, and emergencies. Details of the system are reported in the International Journal of Computational Systems Engineering.

The garment integrates an embedded system, computer components built directly into the material, with sensors that monitor the surrounding environment and trigger warnings. Tests found the warning system remained effective at distances of up to 30 metres in complete darkness, while a dedicated fall-detection module identified incidents in less than half a second, leaving sufficient time for an integrated airbag protection system to deploy.

The study also highlights the potential of smart clothing to provide monitoring, feedback, and automated responses while remaining wearable in everyday life. The work thus addresses a gap in existing assistive technologies. While white canes and handheld guidance devices focus on obstacle avoidance and navigation, the researchers argue that less attention has been paid to accident detection, emergency alerts, and impact protection.

The researchers explain that there are some obstacles that need to be removed for widespread adoption of the technology to be possible. Embedded components reduce comfort, the durability of some hardware has yet to be tested over long periods, and manufacturing quality could vary at scale. They also identify cybersecurity, data privacy, and regulation as areas requiring further development.

Sun, Z. (2026) ‘Research on intelligent clothing design integrating visual communication and embedded system – taking the blind safety clothing as an example’, Int. J. Computational Systems Engineering, Vol. 10, No. 10, pp.1–9.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Vehicle Noise and Vibration

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Vehicle Noise and Vibration are now available here for free:

• Machine learning based progressive crack fault monitoring on spur gear using vibration analysis
• Preview control of the random response of a full car vehicle model traversing a rough road
• Assessing the efficiency of TPI-NSI and NSI-TPI in isolating the vibration of driver's seat
• Kinematic simulations and design of a steering upright for a single seater electric car
• Intelligent fault detection of spark plugs using vibration signal analysis and artificial neural networks

Newly announced journal: International Journal of Technology and Digital Intelligence

 

The International Journal of Technology and Digital Intelligence proposes and fosters discussion on the convergence of emerging technology ecosystems, sector-specific digital transformation and human-centred digital intelligence, examined through a practice-to-policy lens. Rather than focusing on algorithms or computational systems, IJTDI foregrounds the sociotechnical dynamics through which intelligent digital technologies reshape industries, organisations, governance frameworks and human experience. This perspective acknowledges digital intelligence as an interface between technological innovation, organisational practice and societal governance.

New Open Access article available: "Quantifying wall effects on spherical particle settling with the Lattice Boltzmann method"

The following Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal article, "Quantifying wall effects on spherical particle settling with the Lattice Boltzmann method", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.