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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… »

Bionics| Tech»

Nature inspires a new multifunctional glass surface

By Damir Beciri
28 April 2012

mit-multifunctional-glass-1Inspired by nature, where textured surfaces ranging from lotus leaves to desert-beetle carapaces and moth eyes have developed in ways that often fulfill multiple purposes at once, a group of researchers from MIT developed a glass that is self-cleaning, virtually eliminates reflections, and resists fogging and glare. These features could lower the maintenance expenses for… »

Bionics| Tech»

Secrets of spider web design

By Damir Beciri
One Comment11 February 2012

spider-webWhile many research groups investigate toughness of spider silk by investigating the material itself, researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Politecnico di Torino in Italy combined experimental observations of spider webs with complex computer simulations to discover that web durability relies on the overall web design which compensates for potential stress of… »

Tech»

More efficient Concentrated Solar Power plants inspired by sunflowers

By Damir Beciri
One Comment14 January 2012

ps10_solar_power_tower.jpgIn 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,… »

Tech»

Stopping bleeding with nanoscale biological coating

By Damir Beciri
12 January 2012

thrombinMIT 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… »

Robotics»

Toy-like robotic dragon to be tested as a teaching aid for children

By Damir Beciri
21 October 2011

dragon-robotDavid DeSteno, an associate professor of psychology at Northeastern University, and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, are examining how social robots can aid preschoolers in language learning. In order to make the learning more fun and interesting for the younger children, the robot prototype used in this project resembles… »

Tech»

Artificial leaf uses solar energy to split the oxygen and hydrogen in water

By Damir Beciri
One Comment2 October 2011

mit-artificial-leafResearchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have produced something they’re calling an “artificial leaf” – a silicon solar cell with different catalytic materials bonded onto its two sides which enable it to produce oxygen and hydrogen. Once the material is placed under water and illuminated by sunlight, it needs external sources of power… »

Robotics»

New algorithm leads to more efficient robots with predictable movement

By Damir Beciri
26 September 2011

mit-asypmotically-optimal-path-planning-for-manipulationResearchers from MIT combined two innovative algorithms developed there to build a new robotic motion-planning system that calculates much more efficient trajectories through free space. Although such tasks seem intuitive and simple to us, most of the existing path finding algorithms rely to collision avoiding rather than finding more efficient paths between the robot’s initial… »