One of the major themes our website covers is bionics. Bionics (also known as biomimetics, bio-inspiration, biognosis, biomimicry, or bionical creativity engineering) is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. Some dictionaries, however, explain the word as being formed from biology… »
After writing about biomimicry of penguins, sharks, butterflies and bats, we’re going to write about cockroach biomimicry. Although the sight of a crawling cockroach dashing for cover may be repulsive, the insect is also a biological and engineering marvel. Cockroaches and guinea hens serve as bioinspiration to the researchers at Oregon State University where they… »
Diabetics are encountering the unenviable task of checking their blood sugar levels constantly, usually through a repeated ritual of pin-pricks and blood drawing. But a new non-invasive technology developed by a biochemical engineer at the University of Western Ontario lets diabetics check on their glucose levels with contact lenses that change colors as their blood… »
It is said that the air we breathe in the places where we live and work can often be 5 to 10 times more noxious than walking on the street, along with the dangerous chemicals found in commonly used household products. Designed by Mathieu Lehanneur and David Edwards of Harvard University, ANDREA is an air… »
Qualcomm MEMS Technologies new Mirasol display is the first full color, video-capable display on a prototype e-reader, built on the concept of the iridescence of butterfly’s wings. The inspiration for Mirasol’s engineering came from nature’s most vividly colored creatures: the cerulean wing of a butterfly, the ruby throat of a hummingbird, and the rainbow flash… »
It is estimated that there are between 15,000 and 20,000 annual casualties caused by landmines and unexploded explosive devices, according to the charity Handicap International. Some 87 countries contain minefields including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia, Mozambique, Cambodia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Scientists have developed a simple, cheap, and yet accurate test to find undetected landmines. Students… »
At SC 09, the supercomputing conference, IBM announced significant progress toward creating a computer system that simulates and emulates the brain’s abilities for sensation, perception, action, interaction and cognition, while rivaling the brain’s low power and energy consumption and compact size. The cognitive computing team, led by IBM Research, in collaboration with colleagues from Lawrence… »
Developed by EU researchers, the Smart Hand is a complex prosthesis with four motors and forty sensors designed to provide realistic motion and sense to the user. Te sensors enabled it to become the first device of its kind to send signals back to the wearer, allowing them to feel what they touch. Phantom limb… »
