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Microtechnics - Life Sciences - 13.01.2023

A precision arm for miniature robots
Until now, microscopic robotic systems have had to make do without arms. Now researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an ultrasonically actuated glass needle that can be attached to a robotic arm. This lets them pump and mix minuscule amounts of liquid and trap particles. We are all familiar with robots equipped with moving arms.

Life Sciences - Microtechnics - 09.01.2023

A robotic microsurgeon reveals how embryos grow
Combining biology and robotics, scientists at EPFL have built a robotic microsurgery platform that can perform high-precision, micrometer-resolution dissections to advance our understanding of how the vertebrate body forms during embryonic development. Understanding the biology behind an embryo's development is crucial not only from a basic science perspective, but also from a medical one.

Microtechnics - Environment - 19.12.2022

Winged robot that can land like a bird
Researchers have developed a method that allows a flapping-wing robot to land autonomously on a horizontal perch using a claw-like mechanism. The innovation could significantly expand the scope of robot-assisted tasks. A bird landing on a branch makes the maneuver look like the easiest thing in the world, but in fact, the act of perching involves an extremely delicate balance of timing, high-impact forces, speed, and precision.

Microtechnics - Materials Science - 14.12.2022

Watch this robot do ’The Worm’ when temperature changes
Creators at Johns Hopkins envision 'gelbots' crawling through human bodies to deliver medicine A new gelatinous robot that crawls, powered by nothing more than temperature change and clever design, brings "a kind of intelligence" to the field of soft robotics. The inchworm-inspired work is detailed today in Science Robotics .

Computer Science - Microtechnics - 16.11.2022

A Low-Cost Robot Ready for Any Obstacle
CMU, Berkeley researchers design robust legged robot system This little robot can go almost anywhere. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science and the University of California, Berkeley, have designed a robotic system that enables a low-cost and relatively small legged robot to climb and descend stairs nearly its height; traverse rocky, slippery, uneven, steep and varied terrain; walk across gaps; scale rocks and curbs; and even operate in the dark.

Microtechnics - 09.11.2022

Researchers help robots navigate crowded spaces with new visual perception method
A team of researchers at the University of Toronto has found a way to enhance the visual perception of robotic systems by coupling two different types of neural networks.

Materials Science - Microtechnics - 08.11.2022

The VR glove from the 3D printer
Together with EPFL and ETH Zurich colleagues, an Empa team is developing next-generation VR gloves that will make virtual worlds tangible. The glove is to be tailored to each user and capable of being produced largely automatically - using a 3D printing process. Research sometimes needs a sacrifice.

Microtechnics - 21.10.2022

Wearable sensor can help unlock the potential of exosuits in real-world environments
Wearing an exosuit could help people rehab from an injury or even give them extra oomph if they're carrying something heavy. But, according to University of Wisconsin-Madison and Harvard researchers, not everyone who dons a wearable robot today can immediately reap benefits from the assistance. For the first time, the research team harnessed a unique wearable sensor to directly measure force on the Achilles tendon of people who toted a heavy backpack while wearing an exosuit.

Life Sciences - Microtechnics - 19.10.2022

How flying insects and drones can discern up from down
Scientists have developed a theory that can explain how flying insects determine the gravity direction without using accelerometers. It also forms a substantial step in the creation of tiny, autonomous drones. Scientists have discovered a novel manner for flying drones and insects to estimate the gravity direction.

Microtechnics - Chemistry - 13.10.2022

Tiny particles work together to do big things
Simple microparticles can beat rhythmically together, generating an oscillating electrical current that could be used to power microrobotic devices. Taking advantage of a phenomenon known as emergent behavior in the microscale, MIT engineers have designed simple microparticles that can collectively generate complex behavior, much the same way that a colony of ants can dig tunnels or collect food.

Innovation - Microtechnics - 07.10.2022

New bee-inspired drone fleet works together to build 3D objects
A new system of flying drones working together to 3D print material, has been developed by a team involving researchers at UCL and Imperial College London. It's the first time flying drones have been coordinated like this to 3D print an object. The system, called Aerial Additive Manufacturing (Aerial-AM), is a new approach to 3D printing using collaborative flying robots to transport and deposit building material.

Innovation - Microtechnics - 04.10.2022

UvA grants license on fast 3D-printing with sub-micrometre detail
Applications in tissue scaffolds for artificial organs, and functional devices The University of Amsterdam has reached a license agreement with the Gouda-based company Atum3D on a method for fast, large-scale 3D-printing with sub-micron resolution.

Microtechnics - 29.09.2022

Dog-human bonds could guide development of social robots
A new study identifies seven dog behaviors seen as important for bonding with your dog. In a step towards development of robots that interact meaningfully with humans, a new study - led by the University of Glasgow and published in PLOS ONE - highlights specific dog behaviors that dog owners perceive as important for bonding with their pets.

Life Sciences - Microtechnics - 26.09.2022

Next level plant science in new NPEC lab
With the completion of NPEC at the end of this month, plant research enters a new era. The era of automation and a lot of data. NPEC stands for Netherlands Plant Eco-phenotyping Centre. The focus here is not the plant's genetic baggage - its genotype - but its outward appearance, or phenotype. The research entails measuring aspects of the plant's appearance and the influence of the environment.

Microtechnics - Materials Science - 23.09.2022

Wearable sensors styled into t-shirts and face masks
Researchers have embedded new low-cost sensors that monitor breathing, heart rate, and ammonia into t-shirts and face masks. Potential applications range from monitoring exercise , sleep , and stress to diagnosing and monitoring disease through breath and vital signs. The flexible medium of clothing means our sensors have a wide range of applications.

Innovation - Microtechnics - 22.09.2022

Additive manufacturing in-flight
3D printing drones work like bees to build and repair structures Additive manufacturing in-flight An international team of researchers have created a fleet of bee-inspired flying 3D printers for building and repairing structures in-flight. The technology could ultimately be used for manufacturing and building in difficult-to-access or dangerous locations such as tall buildings or help with post-disaster relief construction, say the researchers.

Innovation - Microtechnics - 21.09.2022

3D printing drones work like bees to build and repair structures while flying
Imperial College London and researchers have created a fleet of bee-inspired flying 3D printers for building and repairing structures in-flight. The technology could ultimately be used for manufacturing and building in difficult-to-access or dangerous locations such as tall buildings or help with post-disaster relief construction, say the researchers, who publish their work in Nature .

Innovation - Microtechnics - 21.09.2022

A swarm of 3D printing drones for construction and repair
An international research team led by drone expert Mirko Kovac of Empa and Imperial College London has taken bees as a model to develop a swarm of cooperative, 3D-printing drones. Under human control, these flying robots work as a team to print 3D materials for building or repairing structures while flying, as the scientists report in the cover story of the latest issue of Nature.

Computer Science - Microtechnics - 13.09.2022

Unlocking human-like perception in self-driving vehicles
Freiburg computer scientists make an important step towards advancing perception in complex urban environments How can mobile robots perceive and understand the environment correctly, even if parts of the environment are occluded by other objects? This is a key question that must be solved for self-driving vehicles to safely navigate in large crowded cities.

Microtechnics - 06.09.2022

Walking and slithering aren’t as different as you think
Abrahamic texts treat slithering as a special indignity visited on the wicked serpent, but evolution may draw a more continuous line through the motion of swimming microbes, wriggling worms, skittering spiders and walking horses. A new study found that all of these kinds of motion are well represented by a single mathematical model.