Collaborate Disseminate
Ice wreaks havoc on surfaces, but we might have a new way to prevent it building up. Scientists at Northwestern University have shown that textured surfaces with thin layers of graphene oxide can stay completely frost-free for long periods.Continue Rea… Continue reading Leaf-inspired graphene surfaces repel frost formation for a week
German automotive supplier Mahle has been hard at work on next-gen electric drive systems, and it’s also been exploring other critical components to help make vehicular electrification a more viable reality. At September’s IAA Transportation show, it r… Continue reading Biomimetic EV fan goes full ‘birds of prey’ to silence efficiency
Foraging pangolins already dig in the dirt, so why not get them planting trees while they’re at it? Well, training them would be pretty hard, which is why a California high school student named Dorothy designed a pangolin-inspired robot to do the diggi… Continue reading Pangolin-inspired robot poops tree seeds into holes it digs
Tubular structures that fold flat for storage may not take up much room in that form, but they also tend not to be very strong when deployed. That isn’t a problem with an experimental new type of tube, that’s inspired by both origami and bamboo.Continu… Continue reading Flat-pack tubes draw on origami and bamboo for super strength
Ordinarily, if you want liquid to flow in only one direction through a pipe, that pipe needs to be equipped with a flap-type valve – which could fail. Now, however, scientists have created a new type of potentially more robust one-way-flow pipe, which … Continue reading Bio-inspired one-way-flow pipes handle liquid like sharks digest food
Sensors such as electrocardiogram (EEG) electrodes can help save a person’s life, but the adhesive patches used to attach them may also harm that person’s skin. An experimental new medical patch addresses that issue by utilizing octopus-inspired sucker… Continue reading Octopus-inspired patches provide irritation-free adhesion to skin
Many scifi robots have taken the form of their creators. In the increasingly blurry space between the biological and the mechanical, researchers have found a way to affix human skin …read more Continue reading A Robot Face with Human Skin
Soft materials and stiff materials both have their uses, but the two properties typically aren’t seen in one substance. RoboFabric is an exception, then, in that it can be switched back and forth between soft and stiff states.Continue ReadingCategory: … Continue reading Clever armadillo-inspired “fabric” gets stiff or soft as needed
Tiny aerial drones have many potential uses, but their ability to navigate is severely limited by their minuscule amount of onboard processing power. Scientists have now set about addressing that limitation, taking a cue from foraging insects such as a… Continue reading Record-setting drone utilizes ant-inspired smarts to make its way home
Multirotor drones may get all the glory, but fully rotating “monocopters” are actually much more energy-efficient. A new one distinguishes itself even further, as it can squeeze through narrow spaces or drop like a falcon by reducing its wingspan while… Continue reading Seed-inspired one-winged drone shortens its wingspan to boost agility