There are numerous examples in nature where ‘active touch’ plays a primary role in how an animal finds its way around and how it behaves. Inspired by the Etruscan shrew, one of the world’s tiniest mammals, researchers at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) developed Shrewbot – the newest generation of a robots that use sophisticated… »

All-terrain robots for search-and-rescue missions must be flexible enough to move over uneven surfaces, and be able to squeeze themselves into tight spaces. Many engineers and researchers have been inspired by nature’s way to solve this problem and the develop snake like robots that could be up to the challenge. Georgia Tech researchers have designed… »

The New Monte Rosa Hut represents one of the best uses of green architectural principles in harsh conditions of Monte Rosa in south Switzerland. The project proves that sustainable construction can be achieved in any setting, since it is nearly self-sufficient while being isolated, and it was built to withstand extreme climatic conditions. New Monte… »

Robotics experts at UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) and the University of Washington (UW) came up with an idea to have a network of laboratories working on a common robotic platform they have developed in order to simplify software sharing, experiment replication, as well as to improve collaboration among major medical research laboratories throughout the United… »

Athens, Georgia, has its first LEED Platinum certified home setting a new standard for modern green home designs in the traditional, Southern college town. As the first such residence in Athens, GA, the project represents a strong commitment to sustainability in both the use of traditional passive climate strategies as well as the incorporation of… »

In our article about solar power, we already wrote about concentrated solar power (CSP) power plants. In order to function, these plants need a lot of space and sunlight, and researchers at MIT collaborated with RWTH Aachen University in Germany to come up with a design that increases the amount of sunlight its mirrors collect,… »

MIT engineers have developed a nanoscale biological coating that can halt bleeding nearly instantaneously. Although such materials exist for nearly a decade, their success was in creating an easily portable version where thrombin – a clotting agent found in blood – is coated on sponges. The coating could be easily stored and carried for application… »

A joint research project conducted at University of Lausanne (UNIL) and EPFL performed a research that could lead to better understanding of communication within the animal kingdom. They followed the evolution of communication in 100 groups of 20 robots over the course of 1000 generations. The results show that communication systems can evolve differently within… »