Technology, Innovation & Outdoor News

Wind-up elastic robot jumps forever when fed infrared light

September 27, 2026 | Malcolm Azania
Using a liquid crystal elastomer cord, these earring-like robots can jump forward three times their body length, and upward 80 times their body height. One day extraplanetary exploration could utilize their descendants as zero-power drones.

Man down: Vale the mighty Joe Salas, a colleague and a brother

September 24, 2026 | Loz Blain
Friends, I write today with tragic news. A treasured member of the New Atlas team has passed away, and it falls to me to pay some small tribute to a wonderful colleague and a close friend, Joe Salas.

Tent-like micro home unfolds into an off-grid A-frame

September 27, 2026 | Bridget Borgobello
Atelier Lune has been awarded a 2026 Red Dot Design Award for a micro-home called the Camping House that blends a folding shell with modular add-ons to create a compact, off-grid living space that can be deployed in just a few hours.

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Though tiny houses are getting more expensive, there are still cheap and cheerful models out there. This recently completed Fairfax 20' is a single-floor model that sleeps up to two people without breaking the bank.
This spacious park model "tiny house" really isn't so tiny. Instead, it provides an experience closer to a small cottage on wheels, with a large porch and an open, light-filled interior arranged entirely on one level.
The new high-roofed Ford Nugget Twin has officially launched to give buyers a new winter-ready camper van option with four solid walls, space for four people and AWD. The very same roof will soon be available for the Volkswagen T7, as well.
There's no denying that cargo trailers are great for transporting your stuff, but they do occupy a lot of garage space. The Faltos trailer offers a solution to that problem, as you can just fold the thing up like an accordion between uses.
Honda seems to believe its next frontier is building high-tech recreational vehicles. It's just shown off a concept for an electric mountain bike that's nearing production – and it looks pretty sick.
Researchers in Germany have developed a system for fabricating wood-based floor slabs that replace traditional reinforced concrete slabs in construction. They're impressively strong, and use only a third of the concrete needed in conventional slabs.

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Researchers have discovered a new way to potentially treat liver disease. By blocking a key inflammatory pathway it could be possible to reduce liver damage and improve blood vessel function in patients suffering cirrhosis.
Bajaj Auto, the world's third largest motorcycle manufacturer, has gone from a partner to KTM to taking over the Austrian brand altogether. That's thanks to a $905-million shot in the arm from the Indian two-wheeler giant at the eleventh hour.
Known best for trailers, Aliner is introducing its first pickup camper in decades: the Switchback. The clever pod rides as a ridiculously lightweight, compact box and in about 30 seconds unfurls into a fully hard-sided A-frame for two.
The new Aviator's Ember from Aerohart applies aerospace-grade materials to an age-old design, providing powerful fire-starting performance that carries lightly in a pocket. Like an engine piston, it compresses air for fast, furious combustion.
The Capucine, by Quadrapol, is a compact tiny house for up to two people. Thanks to its open design, which is arranged on one floor, the home is well-suited to retirees and anyone else who doesn't want to deal with the hassle of stairs.
Having a Swiss Army knife is all fun and games until you find yourself wanting to see in the dark, start a fire, drink water straight from a stream, or heck, even charge your phone. Enter the Lifesaber.
The dream of the ancient alchemists may come true as Marathon Fusion announces that its tokamak fusion reactor technology can turn common mercury into gold as a byproduct of fusion operations in quantities that would make Auric Goldfinger blush.
Roboticists today are wrestling with the question of whether AI needs a body? If so, what kind? And then there’s the “how” of it all; if embodied intelligence is the way forward to true artificial general intelligence, could soft robots be the next step?