Collaborate Disseminate
Over many thousands of years, evolution has bestowed certain animals with some very clever capabilities, and robotics researchers are endlessly turning to these creatures as sources of inspiration. Of particular interest to scientists working on small,… Continue reading Agility of bees could inspire drones that squeeze through tight spaces
If you want to know the local soil conditions, it would be great if you could just ask an earthworm. Given that that’s an impossibility, though, scientists are now working on the next-best thing – earthworm-inspired soil-analyzing agricultural robots.C… Continue reading Earthworm-inspired robots may be coming to a farm near you
By getting up close and personal with the intricate mechanics of bird flight, scientists continue to unlock secrets that can aid in their pursuit of advanced aerodynamics, and that may include aircraft that generate a lot less noise. Scientists in Euro… Continue reading How the silence of owls in flight could lead to low-noise aircraft
Even though they don’t have flexible tongues, catfish are still able to rotate captured prey within their mouths. A new understanding of how they’re able to do so could ultimately lead to more dextrous underwater robots, or other technological advances… Continue reading Multi-link catfish skull may hold key to better underwater robots
Materials stay cooler when water evaporates off of them, but once all the water is gone, the cooling effect stops. Bearing this in mind, MIT scientists have developed a camel fur-inspired material that could keep items cool without using electricity.Co… Continue reading Electricity-free cooling material is inspired by camel fur
Materials stay cooler when water evaporates off of them, but once all the water is gone, the cooling effect stops. Bearing this in mind, MIT scientists have developed a camel fur-inspired material that could keep items cool without using electricity.Co… Continue reading Electricity-free cooling material is inspired by camel fur
When plants perform movements, such as curling their leaves or twisting their stems, they do so by drawing water into the cellulose fibers in that part of their “body.” Scientists have now replicated that technique to produce self-folding paper structu… Continue reading Plant-inspired printing tech creates self-folding paper structures
Chameleon tongues, gecko feet and octopus tentacles are just a few of the animal body parts we’ve seen inspire soft robotic grippers, but nature still has plenty to offer researchers in this field. A team in Australia is the latest to tap into the worl… Continue reading Coiling robotic gripper grasps objects like an elephant’s trunk
One of the problems with gradual-release medications lies in the fact that the pills often pass through the body before all of the medication has been released. An experimental new technology addresses that problem, by copying an intestinal parasite.Co… Continue reading Gut-grabbing drug-delivery device is inspired by the hookworm
The basilisk is also known as the”Jesus Christ Lizard,” due to the fact that it can run across the surface of the water. A new version of an existing type of robot does the same thing, plus it’s capable of traversing rough terrain.Continue ReadingCateg… Continue reading Lizard-inspired amphibious robot runs across the water