Top 7 must-read stories of 2025 — Interesting Engineering

As 2025 concludes, Interesting Engineering highlights its top seven must-read stories that captivated audiences with breakthroughs in engineering, robotics, and materials science. Leading the list is a Penn State aerospace engineering graduate student who solved a century-old mathematical problem related to wind turbine optimization, significantly improving power output by amending Hermann Glauert’s rotor disk solution. Robotics also featured prominently, with Chinese humanoid robots demonstrating advanced combat skills ahead of the world’s first robot boxing match, showcasing the rapid evolution of robotic capabilities. Other notable stories include the creation of the strongest-ever armor material by U.S. scientists, featuring a novel two-dimensional mechanically interlocked polymer with exceptional strength and flexibility, promising future applications in lightweight body armor. Rheinmetall Canada’s Mission Master 2.0 unmanned ground vehicle successfully completed a challenging sea-to-shore transit, proving its autonomous operational capabilities. Additionally, FBR Limited’s Hadrian bricklaying robot demonstrated remarkable efficiency by laying up to 360 blocks per hour, signaling a