Improved neutron-based microscope could lead to new breakthroughs in science

By Damir Beciri
14 October 2013

mit-neutron-microscope-1A group of researchers at MIT cooperated with partners at NASA to develop a new concept for a microscope which relies on particles to create high-resolution images. The fact they decided to use neutrons instead electrons allows the neutron-based microscope to probe inside metal objects — such as fuel cells, batteries, and engines, even when… »

Novel solar-microbial device harnesses sun and sewage to produce hydrogen

By Maja Bosanac
13 October 2013

hanyu-wang-300Collaboration between researchers at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) and researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) resulted in development of a solar-microbial device that produces hydrogen gas and electricity using sunlight and wastewater as the only energy sources. By combining solar and microbial technology, it provides a sustainable energy source while improving… »

JEROS – swimming robot that controls overpopulated jellyfish population

By Maja Bosanac
One Comment12 October 2013

kaist-jeros-robotA group of researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed a jellyfish removal robot named Jellyfish Elimination Robotic Swarm (JEROS). This cooperative robot is designed to patrol the seas in swarms in order to detect and destroy jellyfish swarms. After four years of development, JEROS recently successfully finished its… »

M-Blocks – simple modules for self-assembling robots

By Damir Beciri
11 October 2013

mit-m-blocks-1Despite the fact they are small cubes with no exterior moving parts, M-Blocks robots can propel themselves forward, jump on top of each other, and snap together to form more complex shapes. What makes them different from other examples of modular robotic cubes we previously wrote about is their simplicity because MIT researchers decided to… »

TransWall – transparent glass as interpersonal communication medium

By Maja Bosanac
10 October 2013

transwall-1A group of researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has developed a novel multi-sensory game media named “TransWall”, which utilizes both sides of the transparent glass wall as the touch medium. It enables people to see, hear, or even touch other people through the wall while enjoying gaming and interpersonal… »

Paper Generators – low-tech and inexpensive way to harvest energy from friction

By Damir Beciri
9 October 2013

paper-generator-1Researchers at Disney Research, Pittsburgh and at Carnegie Mellon University recently presented a simple system that could be used to harvest power of different gestures performed onto a paper surface. Named Paper Generator, the system exploits gestures such as tapping, touching, rubbing or sliding friction in order to run simple interactive applications involving books, posters… »

Building Atomic Force Microscope with 3D printing, electronics and LEGO

By Damir Beciri
6 October 2013

lego2nano-working-on-afm-232 young scientists and designers from China and the UK took a challenge to take a week to develop a new type of low-cost scanning probe microscope, powerful enough to study the nano world. The world’s first low cost Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) has been developed in Beijing by an international group of students using… »

More efficient and cell-free production of biomolecules

By Maja Bosanac
6 October 2013

biotechnica-bioproductionScientists and engineers from eight Fraunhofer Institutes have joined forces in an interdisciplinary research project to develop bioreactors that produce proteins without the help of intact cells. It can also function without viable, genetically modified cells or organisms. This cell-free bioproduction could help produce biological ingredients more quickly and with fewer resources than current conventional… »