biomechanics
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3D plant scans will help build lighter, stronger cars
Don't look now, but the plants in your backyard might just shape the next generation of cars. University of Freiburg researchers have found a way to study the junctions between living plants' branches and stems using MRI scans, giving insight into how they cope under strain. The 3D images should show how you can build a lightweight, fiber-based structure that can still take some punishment -- particularly helpful for cars and bikes, where fiber already helps shed a lot of unnecessary pounds. They could help produce sturdier buildings, too. While there's still plenty of work left before plant scanning is practical, it's possible that a tree or flower could make your future ride a lot nimbler and speedier.
This tiny, bipedal robot can somersault and run faster than a toddler
Those of you with recurring Terminator-esque nightmares of a not-so-distant future ruled by machines won't have to worry much about one robot developed by a research team at the University of Tokyo. The group (which happens to be the same one that created a robot that'll cheat its way to rock-paper-scissors victory every time) crafted a bipedal 'bot called Achires that can run at speeds up to 2.6 miles per hour. What makes Achires so special is that it doesn't actually factor in complex biomechanical factors like the zero moment point. Instead, its creators have a high-speed camera trained on it at all times, and the system uses all that visual data to continually keeps the robot's running posture stable. The end result? A way to get a robot running that doesn't require the sheer computational horsepower that some of its other bipedal cousins do. A few limitations help ensure that the Achires won't race into anyone's night terrors. It's downright tiny, for one -- it's legs are only about 5.5 inches, and they can only keep up that pace for about ten seconds. Oh, and the very camera technology that allows it to run with proper form in the first place means the Achires can't break free of its stage anyway -- you're all safe, don't worry.
MIT's robot fish is nearly as speedy and squishy as the real thing
Robot fish are typically pale imitations at best -- even when they move quickly, they don't move all that gracefully. MIT's new soft robotic fish should be much closer to the real animal, however. Instead of relying on rigid joints and motors to swim, the new fish wiggles its tail fin by inflating a channel with carbon dioxide. The switch to pressure-based power results in not just more natural-looking movement, but the kind of explosive energy that you'd expect from an undersea critter; a strong CO2 blast will turn the robot 100 degrees in an instant. The current design is built more for speed than longevity, but MIT's researchers foresee a longer-lasting model that could follow schools of real fish and study them without drawing attention.
Robotic submersibles take on fish-like sensing abilities
Controlling your fish remotely is one thing, but utilizing fish sense to dictate the actions of an uncrewed submersible is an entirely different animal. Malcolm MacIver and colleagues at Northwestern University have created an "artificial electric-field sensing system that could ultimately give robotic subs the same additional sensory capabilities" as found in weakly electric fish. These particular sea-dwellers have an uncanny ability to sense electric fields, and can also generate their own to "help navigate, identify objects, and even communicate with other fish." The newfangled "electro-location" system could allow underwater bots big and small to more accurately maneuver and collect data, particularly in situations where precise movements and recognition of surroundings is important. Even the creators admit that it'll be quite some time before man made sensors can come close to mimicking those found in nature, but judging by the videos seen in the read link, they're certainly riding the right wave.[Via NewScientistTech]
