Stanford researchers have developed a highly sensitive underwater microphone which is modeled after the extraordinarily acute hearing of orcas. The microphone can capture a wide range of ocean sounds in a range of approximately 160 decibels, significantly more than existing underwater microphones (hydrophones) which have limited ranges of sensitivity and do not perform well at… »
Researchers at Delft University of Technology and the University of Basel have created a biomimetic nanopore that provides a unique test and measurement platform for the way that proteins move into a cell’s nucleus. The biomimetic pore is fully functional and able to act selective, thus it can be used as a testing platform for… »
Birds routinely land on small surfaces, using wing morphing and flapping techniques. The UC San Diego engineers, led by mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Tom Bewley and graduate student Kim Wright, analyzed slow motion videos of birds landing to generate a working hypotheses for how biomimicry of wing morphing and flapping can be used for… »
A team of biologists and engineers at the Bielefeld University Center of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC) are developing the Hexapod Cognitive Autonomously Operating Robot (HECTOR) – a walking robot inspired by six-legged insects. Technologically, HECTOR implements the properties of its biological models better than ever before. When completed, HECTOR will be used as a… »
Inspired by the herring gull flight, the engineers of Festo’s Bionic Learning Network came up with SmartBird – an ultralight but powerful flight model with excellent aerodynamic qualities and extreme agility. It is capable to take off autonomously and lift-up in the air by means of its flapping wings alone, without the aid of other… »
By mimicking the structure of the silk moth’s antenna, the research of University of Michigan researchers has led to development of better nanopores (essentially holes drilled in a silicon chip). Nanopores can be used to study single molecules or proteins, and the tiny tunnel-shaped tool could lead to advances in understanding neurodegenerative diseases such as… »
Ormia ochracea is a small parasitic fly best known for its strong sense of directional hearing. A female fly tracks a male cricket by its chirps and then deposits her eggs on the unfortunate host. The larvae subsequently eat the cricket. Though it doesn’t work out well for male crickets, such acute hearing in a… »
Researchers at University of Michigan (U-M) and Penn State University are studying how plants like the Mimosa can change shape, and they’re working to replicate the mechanisms with artificial cells. Currently, their artificial cells are palm-size and larger, but they’re trying to minify them by using microstructures and nanofibers to construct them. They’re also exploring… »
