Collaborate Disseminate
If you’re designing robots for the exploration of oceans on other planets, you want something that’s tough, versatile and easy to store in a spacecraft. It turns out that soft-bodied robots inspired by a marine organism may be the perfect choice.Contin… Continue reading Sea-creature-inspired linked robots could explore alien oceans
Although we’ve seen a number of systems that use sunlight to purify tainted water, their output is often quite limited. A new loofah-inspired hydrogel, however, uses sunlight to treat much more water in one go … enough to meet a person’s daily needs.Co… Continue reading Sunlight-activated “loofah hydrogel” excels at purifying water
Bioinspired underwater robots that swim by undulating their bodies may be more energy-efficient than their rigid counterparts, but they’re also quite difficult to build. That could soon change however, thanks to a new modular robotics system.Continue R… Continue reading Modular voxel tech could bring swimming robots into the mainstream
If you like the idea of flying through the water like a dolphin, then the Seabreacher is the craft for you. However, what if you want to bring more than one friend along? Well, that’s where the Jet Shark comes in.Continue ReadingCategory: Marine, Trans… Continue reading Jet Shark takes multiple passengers on a semi-submersible thrill ride
There are already “smart” windows that can be electronically switched between either letting sunlight through or blocking it. A new multi-layered one, however, can be set to several energy-saving light filtration modes.Continue ReadingCategory: Energy,… Continue reading Multi-layer “liquid window” tech could help buildings save energy
If a robot is going to be tiny, then it better have a way of getting around the many obstacles that will block its way. A new type of robot takes a unique approach to doing so, by jumping like a click beetle.Continue ReadingCategory: Robotics, Technolo… Continue reading Tiny robots copy the click beetle to jump over obstacles
Self-driving cars typically use radar or LiDAR technology to avoid collisions with other vehicles. Scientists have now created a much simpler insect-inspired system that could serve the same purpose more efficiently – at night, that is.Continue Reading… Continue reading Simple automotive collision-avoidance sensor inspired by insect brains
While we’ve heard about a number of “electronic noses,” the devices are rarely as sensitive as their natural counterparts. That’s why Israeli scientists have taken a new approach, by incorporating a locust antenna into an odor-identifying robot.Continu… Continue reading Wheeled robot uses a locust antenna to identify odors
Nanofibers have recently been utilized in many applications, ranging from wound dressings to air filters to high-strength composite materials. Scientists have now developed a faster and simpler method of producing those fibers, which was inspired by th… Continue reading Silkworm inspires quicker, simpler method of nanofiber production
According to Japanese robotics firm TMSUK, there’s currently a shortage of sewer-inspection workers in that country. The company has therefore set out to streamline the workload for existing workers, by developing a sewage-pipe-inspecting robotic spide… Continue reading Robotic spider could soon be inspecting Japanese sewage pipes