Collaborate Disseminate
When studying underwater marine life, it helps if you can use a device that doesn’t scare the animals by appearing unnatural to them. MIT scientists have created a robo-starfish with that in mind, utilizing a new rapid development system.Continue Readi… Continue reading MIT system allows robo-starfish to be created in hours, not weeks
From slow-moving machines inspired by sloths to others that burst from the water and soar through the air like flying fish, robots that mimic the behavior of real-world creatures have exciting potential when it comes to environmental monitoring. A new … Continue reading Robotic dragonfly skims across water to detect oil spills and acidity
Fish have a sensory system known as the lateral line, which allows them to detect movements, vibrations and pressure gradients in the water. Scientists have now given a robotic fish its own version of that system, letting it determine the best swimming… Continue reading Robotic fish learns to match its swimming speed to the current
Although wing-flapping micro-drones do already exist, the things tend to be quite fragile – and thus not ideally suited to real-world use. An experimental new one, however, utilizes a softer mechanism for greatly enhanced durability.Continue ReadingCat… Continue reading Tiny wing-flapping drone gets tougher by going softer
Things can get very chaotic on the ocean floor, making it difficult for underwater robots to keep from being swept away. New research, however, suggests that by copying the structure of the starfish, they could actually be pressed into place.Continue R… Continue reading A starfish-shaped body could help underwater robots stay put
Although soft robotic graspers may be squishy on the outside, they usually still have hard, unyielding electronic components on the inside. A new and potentially more versatile bio-inspired grasping system, however, is 100 percent soft.Continue Reading… Continue reading Soft robotic grasper channels the spirit of the Venus flytrap
Soft robots are gaining a lot of attention in research circles, largely due to the safety benefits for humans who might need to work in their vicinity. Soft robots are gaining a lot of attention in research circles, and from an engineering lab at the U… Continue reading Air-powered robot needs no electronics to walk like a turtle
Taking inspiration from some of the unique attributes of dragonfly wings, scientists at Germany’s Kiel University have developed a new type of splint for injured joints that offers support in all the right places. The device can withstand loads many ti… Continue reading Dragonfly-inspired splint locks into place to support injured joints
If a drone were to inadvertently end up upside-down while flying, it would be good if the aircraft could automatically flip itself back over again, to avoid crashing. Such may someday be the case, thanks to a recent study on dragonfly flight.Continue R… Continue reading Dragonflies’ self-righting mechanism could find use in safer drones
By analyzing the way butterflies rapidly take flight in wind tunnel experiments, scientists have uncovered new detail around how the insects evade predators. The mechanics of their wings were found to help generate small pockets of air that can quickly… Continue reading Butterflies cup their wings to produce tiny jets and evade predators