Inspired by batoid fishes, such as stingrays and manta rays, researchers from University of Virginia (U.Va.) and their colleagues from 3 other universities are developing an autonomous underwater vehicle that emulates the seemingly effortless but powerful swimming motions of rays. The vehicle has potential commercial and military applications, and could be used for undersea exploration… »
Inspired by the swarming patterns of animals in nature, an aerospace engineering PhD student from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia, is using biomimicry to develop an algorithm which simulates novel and chaotic flight formations of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The results could be used in order to improve their performance in marine… »
Using the compound eyes of the humble moth as their inspiration, an international team of physicists from the City University of New York and Tongji University in Shanghai applied biomimicry to develop new nanoscale materials that could someday increase the resolution of the resulting X-ray images without the need for larger radiation dosages which occur… »
We already published several articles about gecko biomimicry, whose feet and their adhesive properties inspired researchers to develop similar surfaces, as well as a mass production technique to create the surface. Although it addresses the same subject, this article describes recently published results from University of Akron (UA) where researchers examined self-cleaning and reusability of… »
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering, have been investigating the harlequin mantis shrimp– a marine crustacean notorious for its club-like arm which is capable to create great forces for its size. Instead focusing on the great speed and power of the club, the group focused their research on its unique… »
Glue finds its uses in many objects ranging from sticky notes to airplanes. It is all around us, even in objects we don’t expect it to be. Until now, the majority of glues (adhesives) have been manufactured from petroleum-based materials, but the researchers from Fraunhofer Institute are looking for ways to improve them by developing… »
A cooperation between researchers from the ISL:Research for Security and Defence with the University of Strasbourg resulted with development of a molecule detection system inspired by silkmoth antennas. The system is able to detect explosives with one thousand-fold of the detection limit attainable by currently used methods, and it could eventually be used to detect… »
Researchers of the Max Planck Institute (MPI) of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, the MPI of Microstructure Physics in Halle and the University of Vienna have investigated the composition and structure of spider fangs which serve as reusable hypodermic needles used to inject paralyzing venom into their prey. The findings may lead to development of… »
