While studying asteroid Bennu up close, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft witnessed periodic outbursts of material being kicked up from the surface; a dedicated observation campaign revealed details of the activity.
A fresh take on generating body proportions
Understanding the mechanisms that regulate coordinated growth in the body and the remarkable parallels between species allows scientists to create a universal model for morphological scaling.
Millibots act as artificial insects
Millimeter-scale robots were shown to mimic the movement and behavior of living insects for advanced materials science, biological, and biomedical applications.
Pretty like a peacock: Graphene-based smart sensors
A team of researchers from the Universities of Surrey and Sussex develop mechanochromic and thermochromic sensors based on graphene infused polymer opals.
Microrobots show their true colors
Using a micro-3D-printing technique, researchers were able to print detailed robotic parts that are smaller than the diameter of a human hair and display color-expressing features for microrobot tracking and identification.
Ecoacoustics: A new way to survey freshwater ecosystems
Freshwater ecologists are becoming interested in noninvasive surveying techniques, such as ecoacoustics, to gather crucial data and plan conservation efforts.
Team builds first living robots using frog stem cells
Tiny ‘xenobots’ assembled from cells promise advances from drug delivery to toxic waste clean-up.
Advanced Antiwetting Materials with Functional Interfaces: Interview with Yuekun Lai
Titanium dioxide nanostructures and bio-inspired intelligent surfaces with special wettability: meet Prof. Yuekun Lai.
The Substance of Climate: Material Approaches for Nature under Environmental Change
In “The Substance of Climate,” the author seeks to assess literature that helps bridge the conceptual gap, bringing immediate personal experiences of climate into focus.
Let it Twist
Revealing the mechanics of helicoidal composites through beetle developmental stage analysis and additive manufacturing.