13, Oct 2026
BHASHINI Enables Real-Time English-Spanish Translation at International Governance Programme in Mussoorie
Mussoorie, October 13, 2026: The Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD), under Digital India Corporation (DIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has facilitated real-time multilingual communication at an international capacity-building programme for civil servants at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) in Mussoorie.
The Capacity Building Programme on Urban Service Delivery for Civil Servants of Multiple Countries is being conducted from October 12 to 23, 2026. Sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the programme is organised by NCGG under the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) as part of India’s international cooperation and capacity-building initiatives through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
The programme brings together civil servants and public-sector representatives from Peru, Cambodia, Nigeria, Kenya, Palestine, Lebanon, The Gambia, Ecuador and Spain. It provides a platform for participants to exchange experiences, share governance practices and explore approaches to improving urban service delivery.
As part of the initiative, BHASHINI deployed its Shrutlekh platform during the programme’s ice-breaking session to enable real-time translation between English and Spanish. The two-way translation facility allowed participants speaking either language to communicate more effectively, reducing language barriers and encouraging greater interaction among international delegates.
The deployment highlights BHASHINI’s Voice-First Multilingual AI approach, which aims to make digital communication and public services more accessible through speech-based language technologies. The initiative demonstrates how artificial intelligence can facilitate cross-cultural engagement and support inclusive participation in international governance and administrative training programmes.
The BHASHINI team also assisted participants in using Shrutlekh and introduced them to the broader BHASHINI ecosystem, including its multilingual AI capabilities and potential applications in healthcare, finance, agriculture and public service delivery. Delegates were encouraged to explore the BHASHINI mobile application and its features for overcoming language barriers in everyday communication and digital interactions.
Shrutlekh is expected to remain available throughout the programme until October 23, subject to operational requirements, enabling participants to continue using the translation facility during the training sessions.
The initiative underscores the growing role of AI-powered language technologies in international cooperation, knowledge-sharing and public-sector capacity building. By enabling communication across languages, BHASHINI is showcasing India’s capabilities in developing multilingual digital solutions that can make technology more accessible to diverse communities.
The engagement also reflects the potential of voice-first AI tools to support more inclusive governance, strengthen international partnerships and facilitate the exchange of administrative expertise across linguistic and cultural boundaries.
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- By Neel Achary
13, Oct 2026
Jyotiraditya Scindia Interacts with Students at Mizoram University, Highlights Northeast’s Development Potential
Aizawl: Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia interacted with students at Mizoram University on Monday during his two-day visit to Mizoram. The interaction also included students from Goa and Chandigarh who are visiting the Northeast under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region’s (DoNER) Ashtalakshmi Darshan Programme.
During the interaction, Scindia highlighted the Northeast’s rich cultural heritage, diverse traditions and vast development potential. He emphasised the importance of educational and cultural exchanges in helping young people gain a deeper understanding of the region, while promoting mutual respect, national unity and stronger cultural ties.
Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of positioning the eight northeastern states as the nation’s Ashtalakshmi, the programme aims to familiarise students from different parts of India with the region’s cultural diversity, social traditions and emerging development opportunities.
More than 590 students have participated in the Ashtalakshmi Darshan Programme over the past year, contributing to stronger people-to-people connections between the Northeast and other parts of the country.
Scindia underlined the programme’s relevance to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, noting the importance of engaging young people in nation-building, celebrating India’s diversity and strengthening the Northeast’s contribution to the country’s overall progress.
The interaction underscored the Ministry of DoNER’s continued efforts to encourage youth participation, facilitate cross-cultural learning and build stronger connections among states. The initiative seeks to inspire young people to appreciate the Northeast’s potential and play an active role in shaping a more inclusive, integrated and developed India.
13, Oct 2026
KEZAD-based Arabian Gulf Steel Industries Achieves Lowest Verified Carbon Footprint for Rebar
CARES UK verified Environmental Product Declaration confirms 139 kg CO₂e per tonne for rebar produced at AGSI’s KEZAD Abu Dhabi facility
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 13 October 2026: Arabian Gulf Steel Industries, AGSI, the UAE’s largest private steelmaker and recycler, has achieved the lowest verified carbon footprint for rebar, marking a major step for low-carbon construction materials produced in the UAE.
AGSI’s reinforcing bar produced in Abu Dhabi has a verified cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of 139 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per tonne, well below the typical 600 to 700 kg per tonne for scrap-based rebar. Its Sharjah operations record 218 kg CO₂e per tonne. Both figures are also below the nearest comparable publicly available EPD figure of 300 kg CO₂e per tonne.
The achievement was announced at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi, KEZAD Group headquarters, in the presence of Mohamed Al Khadar Al Ahmed, CEO, Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi – KEZAD Group, Asam Hussain, Founder and CEO of Arabian Gulf Steel Industries, and Ayhan Tugrul, Chief Operating Officer of CARES.
The announcement brings together AGSI’s manufacturing capability, the independent verification provided under the CARES EPD programme and KEZAD’s industrial infrastructure. It also supports the growing use of verified product-level carbon data across the construction sector, where developers, contractors, consultants and regulators increasingly need clear information on embodied carbon.
Asam Hussain, Founder and CEO of Arabian Gulf Steel Industries, said: “This is a defining achievement for AGSI and for the UAE steel industry. Low-carbon steel production is no longer a future ambition. It is measurable, verified and being delivered today. Our 2024 carbon-neutral plant milestone established the direction of our journey, and this EPD takes that progress further, setting a new benchmark for what can be achieved in low-carbon steel production. We set out to push the boundaries for steel decarbonisation, and we will continue to challenge what is possible.”
Abdullah Al Hameli, Chief Executive Officer, Economic Cities and Free Zones, AD Ports Group, added: “AGSI’s achievement is a significant milestone for Abu Dhabi’s industrial sector, establishing the company as a world leader in steel decarbonisation and adding to Abu Dhabi’s standing as a global hub for advanced industry. It’s a strong example of the level of performance that manufacturers operating within KEZAD can achieve. KEZAD provides the infrastructure, utilities, logistics access and long-term operating base that manufacturers need to grow and invest. AGSI’s success highlights the strength of Abu Dhabi’s industrial base in enabling companies to advance efficient and lower-carbon production and compete at the highest levels internationally.”
Ayhan Tugrul, Chief Operating Officer of CARES, said: “AGSI’s reinforcing steel is already certified to the CARES scheme for quality and traceability, and this independently verified EPD now sets out its product carbon footprint on the same rigorous basis. Verified, product-specific data of this kind is what allows designers, contractors and asset owners to make sound decisions on embodied carbon rather than relying on generic industry averages. It also strengthens Abu Dhabi’s position as a growing centre for advanced industrial production and lower-carbon construction materials.”
Both AGSI results cover production from raw materials to the factory gate and have been independently verified against recognised international standards. The full Environmental Product Declarations, EPDs, are available on the CARES website. For a fair comparison, EPDs must use the same rules, measurement method and production boundaries. The figures quoted here have been compared on that basis.
Embodied carbon is the carbon linked to a material across its life cycle. It is becoming an important requirement in major construction and infrastructure projects. EPDs give buyers and project teams a verified and consistent way to assess and compare the environmental impact of products.
AGSI’s latest result builds on its 2024 carbon-neutral plant milestone under PAS 2060. It now extends that performance to the product level. AGSI uses 100% locally recycled scrap and a fully electrified production process.
AGSI’s verified low-carbon rebar gives the market a local material option that supports quality, supply reliability and carbon reporting needs. It also strengthens Abu Dhabi’s position as a growing centre for advanced industrial production and lower-carbon construction materials.
13, Oct 2026
Haribabu Kambhampati’s Odisha Tenure: Green Lok Bhavan, Renewable Energy and Higher Education Reforms in Focus
Bhubaneswar, Oct13 (UDN): As Dr. Haribabu Kambhampati prepares to step down as Odisha Governor following the latest gubernatorial reshuffle announced by President Droupadi Murmu, his tenure has drawn attention for its emphasis on environmental sustainability, renewable energy and improvements in higher education.
Kambhampati assumed office on January 3, 2025, and served as Odisha Governor for approximately one year and nine months. He is set to be succeeded by Braj Mohan Ram, a senior BJP leader from Jharkhand, following the presidential announcement on October 12, 2026.
During his time in office, Kambhampati promoted environmentally responsible practices at Lok Bhavan and encouraged universities across Odisha to strengthen academic standards, improve infrastructure and adopt sustainable campus management practices.
Lok Bhavan Earns Platinum Green Campus Certification
One of the notable milestones of Kambhampati’s tenure was Lok Bhavan receiving the Platinum Green Campus certification from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).
According to the reported assessment, Lok Bhavan scored 88 out of 100 points under the council’s Green Campus Rating System, securing the highest rating. It also became the first Lok Bhavan in the country to receive the Platinum rating under the revised IGBC Green Campus Version 1 framework.
The recognition reflected efforts to improve energy efficiency, conserve water and expand green cover across the Governor’s official premises.
Lok Bhavan’s installed solar power capacity reached 635 kW, while more than 80 per cent of its campus remained under greenery. Water conservation measures reportedly reduced water consumption by over 35 per cent.
Another significant initiative was the transition of the Governor’s official motorcade to electric vehicles, highlighting the potential for public institutions to reduce their dependence on conventional fuels.
Push for Academic Excellence and University Reforms
Beyond environmental initiatives, Kambhampati focused on strengthening higher education in his capacity as Chancellor of state universities.
He emphasised the need to fill vacant teaching positions, improve academic standards and ensure transparent, merit-based faculty recruitment. These measures were aimed at strengthening teaching quality and improving the overall functioning of higher educational institutions.
He also encouraged universities to pursue accreditation, upgrade infrastructure and adopt renewable energy solutions. The promotion of solar power and green campus certification formed part of his broader push to make educational institutions more sustainable.
His approach linked academic development with institutional accountability and environmental responsibility.
From Mizoram Raj Bhavan to Odisha Lok Bhavan
Before his appointment as Odisha Governor, Kambhampati served as Governor of Mizoram from 2021 to 2025.
An engineer by training, he holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering and a PhD in Control Systems from Andhra University. Before entering politics, he worked as an associate professor at the university’s engineering college.
His academic background and experience in public service informed his emphasis on higher education, institutional development and sustainability during his tenure in Odisha.
Braj Mohan Ram to Take Over as New Governor
President Droupadi Murmu appointed Braj Mohan Ram as Odisha’s next Governor as part of a wider reshuffle involving six states.
Ram, a senior BJP leader from Jharkhand, previously represented the Palamu Lok Sabha constituency for three consecutive terms and served in the undivided Bihar Legislative Assembly.
His appointment marks the beginning of a new chapter at Lok Bhavan, following Kambhampati’s focus on green governance and higher education.
As the transition approaches, the sustainability initiatives and university reforms undertaken during Kambhampati’s tenure remain key highlights of his time in Odisha’s constitutional office.
13, Oct 2026
CM Mohan Charan Majhi Sets Strict Deadlines for Puri’s Key Development Projects, Warns Against Delays
Bhubaneswar, Oct 13 (UDN): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed officials to accelerate the implementation of major infrastructure, heritage conservation and tourism development projects in Puri, making it clear that negligence and unnecessary delays will not be tolerated.
At a high-level review meeting held at Lok Seva Bhawan, the Chief Minister assessed the progress of several initiatives aimed at transforming Puri into a world-class heritage and tourism destination while preserving the traditions and rituals of Lord Jagannath and protecting the interests of servitors, traders and local residents.
Airport, Heritage and Temple Development in Focus
Majhi instructed the concerned departments to expedite key projects, including the proposed Sri Jagannath International Airport, reconstruction of the Raghunandan Library and establishment of the Sri Jagannath Interpretation Centre.
The meeting also reviewed plans for a new amusement park, comprehensive development of Sri Gundicha Temple and construction of a new kitchen for preparing Mahaprasad.
Emphasising the importance of supporting livelihoods alongside urban development, the Chief Minister directed officials to immediately rehabilitate street vendors removed from the Grand Road, or Bada Danda, near Srimandir. The vendors are to be relocated to an area around Sri Setu.
Religious Heritage and Cultural Landmarks to Get a Boost
The review covered the development of Gopaljiu Temple at Sakhigopal, Atibadi Jagannath Das’s Satalahadi Math, other prominent Maths in Puri and Maa Mangala Temple at Kakatpur.
Plans for restoring Satyabadi Bana Vidyalaya along the traditional Gurukul model and rejuvenating Bakulaban were also discussed, highlighting the government’s focus on preserving Odisha’s educational and cultural heritage.
Other projects under review included the reconstruction of a heritage bridge near Atharanala, redevelopment of Annapurna Theatre, beautification of Puri beach and comprehensive improvement of Swargadwar.
The meeting also examined arrangements for the Sandhya Arati and the Sagar Bije ritual of Lord Jagannath.
Road Connectivity and Tourism Infrastructure
The Chief Minister reviewed road-widening projects connecting Puri with Brahmagiri, Konark and Bhubaneswar, along with initiatives concerning Sri Jagannath Medical College, Blue Flag Beach, Astaranga Port and Konark Temple.
These projects are expected to strengthen connectivity, improve civic amenities and support tourism-related economic activity across the region.
Development Must Benefit Local Communities
Majhi underscored Puri’s importance as a symbol of Odisha’s cultural identity and a major spiritual destination for devotees from across India and abroad.
He stressed that development must meet world-class standards without compromising religious traditions or the livelihoods of local servitors, traders and residents. He also called for government welfare schemes to reach ordinary citizens effectively.
To ensure accountability, the Chief Minister directed departmental officials, district collectors and superintendents of police to monitor projects personally at the field level and ensure completion within the stipulated timelines. He emphasised coordinated action among departments to translate development plans into tangible social, economic and cultural benefits.
Senior Officials Attend Review Meeting
Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Development Commissioner D.K. Singh, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Saswata Mishra, Puri District Magistrate Dibyajyoti Parida and Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh attended the meeting and briefed the Chief Minister on the status of the projects.
The review signals the state government’s push to accelerate Puri’s transformation while balancing modern infrastructure development with the preservation of its distinctive religious traditions and cultural heritage.
13, Oct 2026
Hirakud Dam: Opening of 30 Gates for Controlled Water Release Mistaken for Leakage; No Structural Emergency Established
Sambalpur, Oct 13 (UDN): Reports claiming that the Hirakud Dam is facing imminent danger because water is leaking through 30 per cent of its gates are inaccurate, according to the clarification provided in the available information. The confusion appears to have arisen from the opening of 30 sluice gates for the controlled release of floodwater following heavy monsoon rainfall in the upper catchment areas.
Representational Image
The opening of sluice gates is a routine dam-management measure used to regulate reservoir levels and manage increased inflows. Hirakud Dam has 98 gates in total, meaning that 30 open gates represent approximately 31 per cent of its total gate capacity by number. This does not, by itself, indicate leakage or structural damage.
Controlled Discharge, Not Accidental Leakage
The distinction between opening gates for water discharge and water leaking through closed gates is crucial. During periods of heavy rainfall, dam authorities regulate the release of water to maintain reservoir levels and manage downstream river flows.
Separately, reports of seepage within the dam’s inspection gallery have been discussed in connection with maintenance and dam-safety monitoring over the years. Such seepage requires appropriate technical assessment, but it should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of an imminent dam failure.
Dam Safety and Downstream Monitoring Remain Important
Hirakud Dam plays a critical role in flood management across the Mahanadi river system, making the regulation of reservoir levels and downstream discharge particularly important during periods of heavy rainfall.
Water Resources Department officials and dam engineers are responsible for monitoring inflows, reservoir levels and discharge conditions. Residents in downstream areas should follow official advisories and instructions issued by the district administration and relevant authorities.
Public Urged to Avoid Unverified Claims
The circulation of misleading headlines can create unnecessary panic, particularly during the monsoon season. The number of open gates should not be confused with the percentage of gates experiencing leakage.
While the available information does not establish an imminent structural emergency, the dam’s current safety status should be determined through official engineering assessments and verified government updates.
Important note: The claims regarding the opening of 30 gates and the absence of an imminent emergency have not been independently verified in real time for this report. Readers are advised to consult official Hirakud Dam and Odisha Water Resources Department updates for the latest reservoir levels, discharge figures and flood advisories.
13, Oct 2026
President Appoints Braj Mohan Ram as Odisha’s New Governor, Succeeding Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati
Bhubaneswar, Oct 12 (UDN): President Droupadi Murmu has appointed senior Jharkhand BJP leader Braj Mohan Ram as the new Governor of Odisha, succeeding the incumbent Governor, Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati. The appointment was announced on Sunday as part of a major gubernatorial reshuffle involving six states.
Six States Get New Governors
The Rashtrapati Bhavan announced changes in the governorships of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. The appointments will take effect from the respective dates on which the appointees assume charge.
Who Is Braj Mohan Ram?
Braj Mohan Ram, 68, is a veteran politician from Jharkhand with a long association with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Born on January 1, 1958, in Chandwa, in the Palamu district, he graduated from Ranchi University.
He entered electoral politics in 1991, when he was elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly, serving until 1995. At the time, Jharkhand was still part of undivided Bihar before becoming a separate state in November 2000.
Ram subsequently represented the Palamu Lok Sabha constituency for three consecutive terms, winning the parliamentary elections in 1996, 1998 and 1999 on a BJP ticket. During his tenure in Parliament, he served on several committees dealing with important sectors, including power, coal and railways. He has also been actively involved in social initiatives.
Formal Swearing-In Ceremony Awaited
His appointment is expected to attract considerable attention in Odisha’s political circles, given his longstanding association with the BJP and his political roots in neighbouring Jharkhand.
The formal swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place in Bhubaneswar after he assumes charge as Governor of Odisha.
Governors Appointed to Other States
As part of the reshuffle, the President also appointed:
Om Prakash Mathur as Governor of Kerala
Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar as Governor of Tamil Nadu
Dr. Sudha Yadav as Governor of Karnataka
Dr. Dhal Singh Bisen as Governor of Uttarakhand
Dushyant Gautam as Governor of Sikkim
The appointments mark a significant administrative reshuffle, with the new Governors set to assume their respective constitutional responsibilities in the coming days.
13, Oct 2026
Integrated Power Services (IPS) Acquires Bold Renewables
Adds Exclusive OEM Solar Inverter Parts and Field Service Capabilities to IPS’ Renewable Energy Platform
Greenville, SC, October 13, 2026 – Integrated Power Services (IPS), North America’s largest provider of aftermarket power management lifecycle service solutions, has acquired Bold Renewables, effective October 9th. Headquartered in Windsor, Colorado, Bold is the exclusive OEM source of field service, spare parts, and preventive maintenance for Advanced Energy central solar inverters branded Solaron, NX, TX, and PV Powered.
“The acquisition of Bold Renewables brings new and exciting inverter capabilities that strengthen IPS’s service offering for the lifecycle of solar and wind assets,” said John Zuleger, President and CEO of IPS. “Bold’s exclusive OEM parts position, experienced field service team, and installed-base reach complement IPS’ engineering, component repair, and renewable energy service capabilities. The addition of Bold, combined with our previous acquisition of ENA Electronics, positions IPS as the go-to provider for aftermarket lifecycle inverter solutions across wind, solar, mining, and industrial markets. Our enhanced inverter offerings are built to address the service shortfalls of OEMs and provide a solution to poorly served customers seeking inverter lifecycle performance.”
Bold supports an installed base of approximately 14,000 legacy solar inverters, representing more than 4 GW of capacity across more than 3,000 solar sites in the United States and Canada. The company holds the original OEM design drawings, blueprints, and firmware for these inverter platforms and provides proprietary spare parts, technical service, preventive maintenance, and field service through technicians located across North America.
As the installed base ages, Bold’s stocked replacement parts and specialized service model provide customers with an alternative to costly inverter replacement and the associated rewiring and repowering of solar fields. Bold reports 99% average inverter uptime and combines deep platform knowledge with responsive service for independent power producers, utilities, solar asset managers, site owners, and operations and maintenance providers.
“Joining IPS is an exciting next step for Bold Renewables,” said Brenda Clarke, President of Bold Renewables. “IPS brings additional engineering, repair, sales, and service resources that can help us support our customers more broadly while preserving the OEM knowledge, parts access, and responsiveness they rely on. Together, we can expand the lifecycle solutions available to solar asset owners and operators across North America.”
Bold will join the IPS Motion division as part of its renewable energy services group and operate alongside ENA Electronics and IPS Folcroft. The combined platform will align solar and wind power electronics expertise, field service, engineering, component repair, logistics, and inventory resources to provide more complete support for renewable energy customers.
The addition of Bold is another step in IPS’s solution expansion into full lifecycle services, now including whole-inverter repair and cross-trained field technicians across solar and wind equipment for co-located operator owners. Together, IPS’s Motion and Electrification services provide a one-stop shop for our customers’ Power Management Ecosystem spanning battery energy storage systems (BESS), as well as transformers and switchgear across multi-branded asset fleets. IPS continues its commitment to revolutionizing reliability for customers by delivering responsive, lifecycle-based solutions for mission-critical power assets.
13, Oct 2026
Some States Are Better for Extroverts Than Others and Here’s Where Yours Ranks
- Vermont — 52.41. Vermont has the most festivals per resident and the highest share of people who belong to a club or organization.
- Wyoming — 51.04. Wyoming ranks first for outdoor activities and restaurants per resident, and second for newcomers, with 4.61% of residents having arrived from another state or abroad in the past year.
- Oregon — 47.63. Oregon has the second-most coffee shops per resident, at 42.55 per 100,000 people, and ranks fourth for concerts.
- North Dakota — 46.43. North Dakota has the second-highest share of residents aged 18 to 34, at 25.11%, and the second-most bars per resident, at 82.33 per 100,000.
- Colorado — 46.20. Colorado ranks second for concerts, with 25.20 per 100,000 residents, and third for young adults.
- Rhode Island — 46.19. The smallest state in the country shares first place for walkability with California and has the most theaters per resident.
- Montana — 46.00. Montana has the third-most bars per resident, at 80.65 per 100,000, and the second-most gyms and wellness clubs.
- Utah — 45.24. Utah has the highest share of young adults, at 26.46%, and the highest volunteer rate, at 46.6%.
- Nebraska — 43.48. Nebraska ranks third for volunteering and fourth for festivals per resident.
- Nevada — 43.41. Nevada has by far the most concerts per resident, at 65.24 per 100,000, and the highest share of newcomers, at 4.78%.
13, Oct 2026
Blink-powered glasses could keep an eye on health
October 12, 2026
New smart glasses harvest mechanical energy from facial movements to power sensors
EVANSTON, Ill. — From blinking and smiling to jaw clenching and eyebrow raising, faces are constantly in motion — and generating tiny amounts of energy along the way.
Now, Northwestern University engineers are putting that energy to work.
In a new study, the team developed a wholly new type of smart glasses equipped with tiny sensors that harvest mechanical energy from facial movements and convert it into electrical power. Even a quick blink or an artery’s faint pulsing provides enough mechanical energy to activate the highly sensitive sensors.
To put their battery-free device to the test, researchers used the glasses to detect jaw clenching, teeth tapping, blinking and eyebrow raising. Not only did the glasses distinguish these movements from everyday activities like talking and eating, but it also recognized teeth tapping with 99% accuracy and jaw clenching with 96% accuracy.
The advance could pave the way for common glasses to seamlessly monitor cardiovascular health, bruxism (inadvertent jaw clenching and teeth grinding), fatigue, eating behaviors and other activities throughout the day — without bulky batteries or regular charging.
The researchers will present this work, called GlassTENG, at 4 p.m. China Standard Time (4 a.m. EDT) on Thursday, Oct. 15 at UbiComp/ISWC 2026, a premier conference for ubiquitous, pervasive and wearable computing. “GlassTENG: Self-powered triboelectric nanogenerator based sensing of pulse, jaw and upper facial activity from everyday glasses,” is a part of the session “Eyewear Computing.” The paper is available in the Proceedings of the 2026 ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computers.
“The human face is a goldmine for health data, making everyday glasses the perfect wearable,” said Northwestern’s Nivedita Arora, who led the work. “Generally, wearables track health data, like heart rate, through the wrist. But people have to remember to wear those trackers and take them off to recharge. Our idea is based on the fact that half the population already wears glasses. We can turn those glasses into wearables without asking people to change their habits and behaviors.”
An expert in self-powered electronics, Arora is the Breed Chair Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering, where she leads the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (VAK) Embodied Systems Lab. Raj Dave, Jovanis Prodanich and Yung-ching Lai — all master’s students in the VAK Embodied Systems Lab — are the study’s co-first authors.
A little static goes a long way
At the heart of the new glasses are three paper-thin devices called triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). Although the name sounds complicated, the phenomenon behind them is familiar: static electricity.
Anyone who has rubbed a balloon against their hair or pet a cat’s fur on a dry winter day has experienced the triboelectric effect. When two different materials come into contact and then separate, electrons can transfer from one material to the other, generating a brief electrical charge.
GlassTENG takes advantage of that same basic phenomenon. Each flexible sensor contains layers of materials that repeatedly press together and separate in response to facial movements. A blink, for example, pushes against one sensor. A clenched jaw activates another. Even the subtle pressure produced by blood pumping through an artery can push the sensors.
“As the layers touch and separate, they generate a tiny voltage,” Arora said. “That means the very movement being measured supplies the mechanical energy needed to power its detection. In other words, a blink helps power the sensor that detects the blink.”
Three sensors, many signals
To capture as much information as possible, Arora and her team positioned three sensors at strategic locations around the glasses frame. One sits at the bridge of the nose, near the angular artery and muscles surrounding the eyes. There, it can pick up the pulse as well as blinking and eyebrow movements. Another sensor sits near the temple, where it detects the superficial temporal artery along with jaw movements. A third sensor sits closer to the ear, where it detects movements from chewing and clenching.
Together, the three sensors give the glasses different vantage points from which to “feel” the face’s movements. And the sensors are sensitive to a range of forces. An arterial pulse — the lightest force the researchers tested — generated electrical signals of about 50 to 100 millivolts. Blinks and eyebrow raises produced roughly 200 to 500 millivolts. Stronger jaw movements, including chewing and clenching, generated signals as high as 1.5 volts.
“These differences give various facial activities their own recognizable electrical signatures,” Arora said.
While wearing GlassTENG, 20 participants performed six activities: blinking, raising their eyebrows, clenching their teeth, tapping their teeth, eating and talking. The research team then used machine-learning algorithms to analyze patterns in the electrical signals and determine which activity each participant performed. Across the six activities, the system achieved 93.8% accuracy.
“One of the most exciting possibilities is using this technology to turn unconscious behaviors into opportunities for meaningful behavior,” said study coauthor Nabil Alshurafa, an associate professor of preventive medicine, computer science and electrical and computer engineering at Northwestern, where he has appointments at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and McCormick. “Imagine glasses that recognize when someone is clenching their jaw and gently prompt them to relax or detect eating and encourage mindful awareness of their habits. By combining cardiovascular and behavioral sensing within the same ultra-low-power platform, GlassTENG opens the door to studying how physiological states and everyday behaviors interact and to delivering personalized interventions at the moments they may be most helpful.”
Ultra-low power, big benefits
Beyond what GlassTENG can do, another big advantage is what it doesn’t need: electricity. Many existing wearables continuously draw power. Constant power consumption leads to bigger energy demands that require bigger batteries, which add weight and bulk. Batteries also need regular recharging, which presents another barrier to truly continuous health monitoring.
GlassTENG’s three sensors consume just 4.1 microwatts of power combined — orders of magnitude less power than many conventional sensing technologies. From there, it uses Bluetooth to stream data straight to a smartphone or tablet.
“In the long-term, we want to do on-device computation,” Arora said. “If it detected a physiological event, it could have on-device intelligence in a battery-free way that could give immediate feedback. For example, if it detected jaw clenching, it could immediately alert the user to relax their jaw. I think it’s only a matter of time until the glasses we wear everyday can monitor our health.”
“The future isn’t just wearables that tell us what we did,” Alshurafa said, “but wearables that help us recognize and change what we’re doing in the moment.”
The study, “GlassTENG: Self-powered triboelectric nanogenerator based sensing of pulse, jaw and upper facial activity from everyday glasses,” was partially supported by the Ansys, Inc.
