Biomimicry News & Research
|Geckos outclass adhesive tapes in one respect: Even after repeated contact with dirt and dust do their feet perfectly adhere to smooth surfaces. Researchers of KIT and the Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, have developed the first adhesive tape that does not only adhere to a surface as reliably as the toes of a gecko, but also possesses similar self-cleaning properties. The results are published in the Interface journal of the British Royal Society. ...> Full Article|
|By exploring how creatures in nature are able to fly by flapping their wings, Virginia Tech researchers hope to apply that knowledge toward designing small flying vehicles known as "micro air vehicles" with flapping wings. ...> Full Article|
|Scientists have discovered that, when upright, stick insects don't stick. Instead, they deploy special hairy pads designed to create huge amounts of friction from the tiniest of pressure increases -- ensuring that the insects grip but don't stick. ...> Full Article|
|A Navy-sponsored project to design a biologically inspired, swimming jellyfish robot has led scientists to the surprising discovery of common bending rules for the tips of wings, fins, flukes, mollusk feet, and other propulsors across a broad range of animal species. ...> Full Article|
|Along with colleagues at Argonne National Laboratory, ASU scientists have reported advances toward perfecting an artificial leaf that uses solar energy to convert water cheaply and efficiently into hydrogen and oxygen. This development has the potential to sustainably harness the energy needed to provide the food, fuel and fiber that human needs are increasingly demanding. ...> Full Article|
|A University of California, Riverside assistant professor of engineering is among a group of researchers that have made important discoveries regarding the behavior of a synthetic molecular oscillator, which could serve as a timekeeping device to control artificial cells. ...> Full Article|
The weakly electric black ghost knifefish of the Amazon basin has inspired Northwestern University's Malcolm MacIver to develop agile fish robots that could lead to a vast improvement in underwater vehicles used to study fragile coral reefs or repair damaged deep sea oil rigs. MacIver, who has studied the knifefish for two decades, will discuss lessons learned about movement and non-visual sensing at the AAAS meeting.
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|A novel battery electrode features silicon nanoparticles clustered like pomegranate seeds in a tough carbon rind. The Stanford/SLAC design could enable smaller, lighter rechargeable batteries for electric cars, cell phones and other devices. ...> Full Article|
|The design of future space robots may take a cue from the neck joint of an unassuming American field ant. ...> Full Article|
|In work that has major implications for improving the performance of building insulation, scientists at the University of Namur in Belgium and the University of Hassan I in Morocco have calculated that hairs that reflect infrared light may contribute significant insulating power to the exceptionally warm winter coats of polar bears and other animals. The research was published today in The Optical Society's open-access journal, Optics Express. ...> Full Article|
Recreating the story of humanity's past by studying ancient bones can hit a snag when they deteriorate, but scientists are now reporting an advance inspired by seashells that can better preserve valuable remains. Their findings, which appear in the ACS journal Langmuir, could have wide-ranging implications for both archeology and paleontology.
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A small, secretive creature with unlikely qualifications for defying gravity may hold the answer to an entirely new way of getting off the ground. Salamanders -- or at least several species of the Plethodontidae family -- can jump in a way humans would like to know a lot more about. The biomechanics, analyzed through high-speed film, are described as a new way to get vertical lift.
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|UC Berkeley bioengineers looked to turkeys for inspiration when developing a new type of biosensor that changes color when exposed to chemical vapors. They mimicked the way turkey skin changes color to create easy-to-read sensors that can detect toxins or airborne pathogens. ...> Full Article|
Researchers using custom-built GPS and accelerometer loggers, developed with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and attached to free-flying birds on migration, have gained ground-breaking insights into the mysteries of bird flight formation. The research, led by the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, proves for the first time that birds precisely time when they flap their wings and position themselves in aerodynamic optimal positions.
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|Researchers simulating how certain bacteria run electrical current through tiny molecular wires have discovered a secret Nature uses for electron travel. This is the first time scientists have seen this evolutionary design principle for electron transport. ...> Full Article||