Engineers at Harvard University developed a new technique inspired by pop-up books which enables rapid fabrication of a broad range of electromechanical devices through layering and folding process. The method is also useful for parallel fabrication of Monolithic Bee (also known as “Mobee”) microrobots which rely on PARITy drivetrain we described in one of our… »
Most viral infections are treated with antiviral drugs which are often derived from N-Acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) – a material which costs around fifty times more than gold despite the fact it can be synthesized or obtained from natural sources. Researchers at the Vienna University of Technology found a new way to produce NANA from chitin… »
While many research groups investigate toughness of spider silk by investigating the material itself, researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Politecnico di Torino in Italy combined experimental observations of spider webs with complex computer simulations to discover that web durability relies on the overall web design which compensates for potential stress of… »
Inspired by massive Arapaima fish which lives in is Brazil’s Amazon waters, a group of researchers from UC San Diego are developing new materials suitable for armor and panels. Biomimicry of Arapaima’s complex scales could lead to new ceramics that are both tough and flexible, making them ideal for use in soldier’s body armor, fuel… »
We are starting one of the new series of articles which will feature stories about small ecological houses from all over the world. In most cases, the projects we’re going to write about are used as weekend cabins planned on passive and combined with active architectural principals. The hut described in this article is situated… »
Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are envisioned as replacement for incandescent light bulbs, which are being phased out by the EU. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a new technique that could lead to production of more affordable LED light bulbs. Aside making them more affordable, the researchers claim their discovery could have a… »
After observing humpback whales, a group of researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) in Göttingen have discovered and flight-tested a way to increase maneuverability and speed of helicopters. The findings could also improve the passenger comfort by lowering the resulting vibration caused by the main rotor. Although helicopters… »
Although micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) could be very useful in search and rescue, exploration and environmental monitoring missions, due to their small size they still lack maneuverability. Johns Hopkins University (JHU) engineers are using high-speed video cameras to figure out how butterflies manage to fly with amazing grace and agility in order to improve maneuvering… »
