With an eye toward making better running robots, researchers have made surprising new findings about some of nature's most energy efficient bipeds – running birds.
Few things move with the agility or grace of a fish. Using subtle, waving movements, they slip silently through water. Yet, look closely and you can see that not all fish swim alike. Great white sharks with forked tails are built for bursts of speed.
The amazing ability of sidewinder snakes to quickly climb sandy slopes was once something biologists only vaguely understood and roboticists only dreamed of replicating. By studying the snakes in a unique bed of inclined sand and using a snake-like robot to test ideas spawned by observing the real animals, both biologists and roboticists have now gained long-sought insights.
EU-funded researchers are demonstrating revolutionary robotic techniques inspired by plants, featuring a 3D-printed ‘trunk’, ‘leaves’ that sense the environment and ‘roots’ that grow and change direction.
What can we learn from nature, and how can these insights be transferred to automation technology? At the 2014 International Press Conference in Esslingen, Festo is presenting the BionicKangaroo – a project from the Bionic Learning Network, which addresses aspects of future production.
Computer scientists have created a low-cost, autonomous micro-robot which in large numbers can replicate the behaviour of swarming honeybees
North Carolina State University researchers have developed methods for electronically manipulating the flight muscles of moths and for monitoring the electrical signals moths use to control those muscles. The work opens the door to the development of remotely-controlled moths, or “biobots,” for use in emergency response.
An engineer at the University of Liverpool has found how worms move around, despite not having a brain to communicate with the body.
A quantitative analysis of hummingbird wings shows that they generate lift more efficiently than the best micro-helicopter blades. The findings could lead to more powerful, bird-inspired robotic vehicles.
Twisting a screwdriver, removing a bottle cap, and peeling a banana are just a few simple tasks that are tricky to pull off single-handedly. Now a new wrist-mounted robot can provide a helping hand — or rather, fingers.
Terms
While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena
answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses.
Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or
authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for
medical information you must always consult a medical
professional before acting on any information provided.
Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with
OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their
privacy principles.
Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential
information.
Read the full Terms & Conditions.