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Articles archive for Year 2012

Bionics»

Silkmoth antenna biomimicry for better explosive detectors

By Damir Beciri
4 June 2012
cnrs-silkmoth-biomimicry-1A cooperation between researchers from the ISL:Research for Security and Defence with the University of Strasbourg resulted with development of a molecule detection system inspired by silkmoth antennas. The system is able to detect explosives with one thousand-fold of the detection limit attainable by currently used methods, and it could eventually be used to detect… »

Architecture»

Green architecture – VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre

By Damir Beciri
One Comment3 June 2012
vandusen-botanical-garden-visitor-centre-1Located between Oak Street and Livingstone Lake in an area once occupied by a collection of hollies that have been transferred to other botanical gardens, the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre is a great example of Vancouver green architecture . The building exceeds LEED Platinum certification status, and it is designed to meet much stricter… »

Tech»

Nanotechnology dramatically improves medical diagnosis

By Damir Beciri
1 June 2012
princeton-chou-group-1Princeton University researchers developed a new nanomaterial which dramatically improves the sensitivity of immunoassays – a common medical test which mimics the action of the immune system to detect the presence of chemicals associated with diseases. According to researchers, their method increases the sensitivity over 3 million times more sensitive compared to other similar tests…. »

Bionics»

SSTs – self-assembling synthetic DNA “building blocks”

By Damir Beciri
31 May 2012
sst-dna-structuresIn an emerging field of science known as DNA nanotechnology, DNA is being explored for use as a material that can be used to build small and programmable structures. Researchers at the Wyss Institute have used short synthetic strands of DNA to developed interlocking DNA “building blocks” able to form complex nanostructures. Named single-stranded tiles… »

Robotics»

Mimicking quorum sensing to synchronize dancing Nao robots

By Damir Beciri
30 May 2012
aldebaran-nao-robots-mit-quorum-sensingSo far, there have been research groups and companies who demonstrated how their robots can function in sync. However, influence from various parameters and events in real world applications do affect robots. A group of researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA, developed an approach able to partially handle these problems by… »

Tech»

Where art and technology meet – Kaleidogami and Kinetogami

By Damir Beciri
One Comment29 May 2012
ramani-kaleidogamiThe Japanese art of paper folding Origami (from ori meaning “folding”, and kami meaning “paper”) inspired researchers from Purdue University to develop a method they named Kaleidogami – computational algorithms and tools used to turn a single sheet of paper into precisely folded morphing mechanisms. They also devised a variation of Kaleidogami named Kinetogami –… »

Architecture»

Green architecture – Manitoba Hydro Place

By Damir Beciri
27 May 2012
manitoba-hydro-place-1Located at 360 Portage Avenue, downtown Winnipeg, the Manitoba Hydro Place is the first and only large office tower in Canada to date to receive the LEED Platinum certification from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). The building serves as a great example of climate responsive, energy efficient and sustainable design while enhancing and improving… »

Bionics| Tech»

Cyclen – CO2-removing catalyst which mimics natural enzymes

By Damir Beciri
26 May 2012
cyclen-catalaystCurrent method of removing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) from the flues of coal-fired power plants usually requires complicated systems which require a lot of energy and maintenance. A group of researchers from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory came up with Cyclen – a small-molecule catalyst that mimics the behavior of natural enzymes which… »