Biomimicry News And Research - November 2011 Archives
 | Research conducted at the University of Michigan College of Engineering may lead to the use of insects to monitor hazardous situations before sending in humans. ...> Full Article |
Engineers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University have developed a robot that mimics the graceful motions of jellyfish so precisely that it has been named Robojelly. Developed for the Office of Naval Research in 2009, this vehicle was designed to conduct ocean underwater surveillance, enabling it potentially to detect chemical spills, monitor the presence of ships and submarines, and observe the migration of schools of fish.
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Researchers mimic the many-layered nanostructure of blue mountain swallowtail wings to make a silicon wafer that traps both air and light.
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 | Adi Sklarsh at Tel Aviv University has discovered how bacteria collectively gather information to learn about their environment and find an optimal path to growth. This research will allow scientists to design a new generation of "smart robots" that can form intelligent swarms and aid in the development of medical micro-robots used to treat diseases in the human body. ...> Full Article |
Professor Nathan Intrator of Tel Aviv University is using a unique method to interpret and manipulate the pings and echoes that these animals use for learning about their environments and capturing their prey. With this knowledge, he's created mathematical models that may significantly improve the accuracy of existing medical and navigational technologies.
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For decades, scientists have dreamed of building computer systems that could replicate the human brain's talent for learning new tasks. MIT researchers have now taken a major step toward that goal by designing a computer chip that mimics how the brain's neurons adapt in response to new information. This phenomenon, known as plasticity, is believed to underlie many brain functions, including learning and memory.
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 | Spiders are very agile, and some can even jump. They owe this capability to their hydraulically operated limbs. Researchers have now designed a mobile robot modeled on the same principle that moves spider legs. Created using a 3-D printing process, this lightweight can explore terrain that is beyond human reach. ...> Full Article |
 | Insects can run up walls, hang from ceilings, and perform other amazing feats that have for centuries fascinated human observers. Now scientists from the Zoological Institute at the University of Kiel, in Germany, who have been studying these able acrobats, have borrowed some of the insects' tricks to make a dry tape that can be repeatedly peeled off without losing its adhesive properties. ...> Full Article |
Researchers have developed a tank-like robot that has the ability to scale smooth walls, opening up a series of applications ranging from inspecting pipes, buildings, aircraft and nuclear power plants to deployment in search and rescue operations.
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Using earthquake sensors to track endangered whales
Grammar errors? The brain detects them even when you are unaware
Principles of locomotion in confined spaces could help robot teams work underground
Using clay to grow bone
European winter weather harder to forecast in certain years
World's smallest droplets
Beautiful 'flowers' self-assemble in a beaker
Do potatoes grow on vines? A review of the wild relatives of some favorite food plants
Ultraresponsive magnetic nanoscavengers for next generation water purification
Same musicians: Brand new tune
Researchers perform fastest measurements ever made of ion channel proteins
Astronomers discover surprising clutch of hydrogen clouds lurking among our galactic neighbors
Carnivorous plant throws out 'junk' DNA
Western Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami hazard potential greater than previously thought
New discovery of ancient diet shatters conventional ideas of how agriculture emerged
Untangling the tree of life
World's first handheld sound camera ready for market
More effective, cheaper concrete manufactured with ash from olive residue biomass
New quantitative analysis for open source software projects
High-volume Bitcoin exchanges less likely to fail, but more likely breached, says study
Computer scientists develop video game that teaches how to program in Java
Do palm trees hold the key to immortality?
Researchers show how we can do math problems unconsciously
Keep moving and have fun
New strategy for fingerprint visualization developed at Hebrew University
Children's bicycle helmets shown to be effective in impact and crush tests
How Usain Bolt can run faster -- effortlessly
Enhancing cognition in older adults also changes personality
Moth-inspired nanostructures take the color out of thin films
Robotic insects make first controlled flight
Seahorse's armor gives engineers insight into robotics designs
Insect-inspired camera captures wide field of view with no distortion, according to CU-Boulder study
Bed of needles
Not slippery when wet: Geckos adhere to surfaces submerged underwater
Cry me a river of possibility: Scientists design new adaptive material inspired by tears
Robot ants successfully mimic real colony behavior
Researchers unveil large robotic jellyfish that one day could patrol oceans
Sometimes, the rubber meets the road when you don't want it to