Home » Bionics

Bionics news and articles

Bionics| Tech»

Biomimicry of butterfly wing scale structure could cut bank fraud

By Damir Beciri
2 Comments1 June 2010

university-of-cambridge-butterfly-wings-biomimicry-2Cambridge scientists have discovered a way of mimicking the vivid and beautiful colors found on the wings of tropical butterflies in order to lessen the frauds in the future and enhance the security in the printing industry. The findings could find important applications in the security printing industry, helping to make bank notes and credit… »

Bionics| Tech»

Fish schooling inspires new ideas for vertical-axis wind turbines

By Damir Beciri
One Comment17 May 2010

dabiri-vertical-wind-turbinesIn the Los Angeles basin, the challenge of finding suitable space for large wind farms has prevented further progress in the use of wind energy. However, researcher John Dabiri, associate professor of aeronautics and bioengineering at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and head of Caltech’s Biological Propulsion Laboratory, is using the bioinspiration from fish schooling… »

Bionics| Tech»

Bat biosonar biomimicry for improved sonar technology

By Damir Beciri
6 Comments15 May 2010

bat-flyingComparable to some other animals on our planet, bats use other methods instead sight in order to navigate or hunt. They are able to “see” in the dark by sending out sound waves that bounce back to the bats’ ears from objects such as fruit on trees and flying insect prey. The echolocation or biosonar… »

Bionics| Tech»

Moths inspire perfectly non-reflecting surfaces for displays

By Damir Beciri
10 May 2010

fraunhofer-iwm-anti-reflective-materialInspired by moths, the research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM, Freiburg, developed a new nanocoating that ensures a perfectly non-reflecting view on displays and through eyeglasses. The necessary surface structure is applied to the polymeric parts during manufacture, obviating the need for a separate process step. The hybrid coating also… »

Bionics| Robotics| Tech»

Patients show progress years after stroke – robot assisted therapy

By Damir Beciri
19 April 2010

brown-university-robot-assisted-therapyTherapists once thought the therapeutic window closed six months after a stroke, however, a major clinical study has found that patients show modest yet meaningful gains in limb movement and an improved outlook on life years after suffering a stroke.  Researchers from Brown University, lead by Albert Lo who is assistant professor of neurology, used… »

Bionics| Robotics»

Geminoid F – human-like female robot gets better facial expression

By Damir Beciri
2 Comments7 April 2010

geminoid-fHiroshi Ishiguro, a professor at Osaka University, is famous for creating a robot replica of himself, the Geminoid HI-1, a teleoperated android that he controls remotely. The new gynoid robot named Geminoid F (“F” stands for female) is also designed to be remote controlled by an operator. It is a copy of an actual woman… »

Bionics| Robotics| Tech»

Robotic fish consume less power by using magnets instead motors

By Damir Beciri
One Comment20 March 2010

osaka-robot-fishWe already wrote about several projects related to robots inspired by fish as the MIT robot fish from or the fish robots contracted to search for pollutants in the waters. The robotic fish, special because it uses only a fraction of energy needed to swim through the water, is being developed by the Faculty of… »

Bionics| Tech»

Lazer SuperSkin – skin biomimicry applied to helmet design

By Damir Beciri
2 Comments16 March 2010

lazer-helmets-superskinWith over 80% of fatal motorcycle accidents due to head trauma, rotational head injury is currently seen as the greatest cause of brain damage or death for motorcyclists involved in road accidents. Manufactured by Lazer Designs and designed by U.K.-based Industrial Design Consultancy (IDC), a new helmet design promises to protect cyclists by simulating the… »