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Articles tagged with: ‘university of michigan‘

Bionics»

Silk moth’s antenna inspires development of better nanospores

moth-biomimicry-nanopore

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 ... »

Tech»

Millimeter scale computing systems could be used to monitor eye pressure

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Nearly invisible millimeter-scale systems could enable computing to be used nearly in everything around us, and the researchers from the University of Michigan (U-M) claim that’s the future of the industry. They point to Bell’s Law, which says there’s a new class of smaller, cheaper computers about every decade. They plan to use their miniature ... »

Bionics»

Mimosa biomimicry inspires new adaptive structures

mimosa-pudica

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 ... »

Tech»

U-M researchers developing displays with smaller pixels

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Conventional LCDs, or liquid crystal displays, are inefficient and manufacturing-intensive to produce. Only about 5 percent of their back-light travels through them and reaches our eyes. In a step toward more efficient, smaller and higher-definition display screens, a University of Michigan professor has developed a new type of color filter made of nano-thin sheets of ... »

Tech»

Parametric Frequency Increased Generators harvest vibrations

miniature-generator

There are many power sources today as wind power, hydro-power, tidal, geothermal, solar power as well as the power used in wristwatches, where oscillations that occur while we move our hand power the watch. Researchers from the University of Michigan are developing a similar, more sensitive, technology. Their small generators could produce enough electricity from ... »

Bionics| Tech»

Biomimicry of leaves ventricular system produces energy

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In this article we’re going to write about biomimicry of leaves. The development of artificial glass leaves that produce energy is done by UC Berkeley researcher Michel Maharbiz (a guy we mentioned earlier in our article about insects spies), Ruba Borno from the University of Michigan and Joseph Steinmeyer from MIT. They developed an alternative energy ... »

Bionics| Robotics»

Robotic spies – bat biomimicry

com-bat-close

We already wrote about potential surveillance micro-aerial vehicles in our previous articles. Small flyers, or micro-aerial vehicles (MAVs), have garnered a great deal of interest due to their potential applications where maneuverability in tight spaces or in stealth requiring conditions. In this article we’re going to write about two researches related to the biomimicry of ... »