Biomimicry

When it comes to robotic hands, there are ones that can grasp tough items firmly, and ones that can grasp delicate items lightly. The experimental new gecko-inspired farmHand, however, is capable of doing both.

It's possible that someday in the future, sunlight-powered robots may be able to swim across marine oil spills, soaking up the oil as they go. A tiny prototype has already been created, and it was inspired by both the steam engine and an insect.

When it comes to detecting biomarker chemicals in a person's body, sweat-analyzing sensors offer a less painful alternative to blood sampling. A new wearable sensor takes a unique approach to collecting that sweat, by mimicking cactus needles.

You may think that water striders move across the water's surface simply by wiggling their legs, but they actually utilize what is known as the Maragoni effect. Scientists have now utilized the phenomenon in a tiny, silent, water-striding robot.

Imagine if there was protective clothing that usually stayed soft and comfortable, but that could instantly harden when needed. Such technology may someday be possible, thanks to a new understanding of a tiny animal's shell.

Scientists pushing the frontiers of soft robotics continue to find inspiration in the animal kingdom, with the latest examples that move move like inchworms and earthworms deploying some novel sensor technology to give them proprioception.

When leaping geckos crash head-first into vertical surfaces such as tree trunks, they're able to hang onto that surface instead of bouncing off and falling to the ground. Scientists have discovered what allows them to do so, and copied the capability in a small robot.

When someone is suffering from a skin disease, diagnostic devices are often used to determine what disease it is, and how it's progressing. A new adhesive patch could make doing so quicker and easier than ever – and it's inspired by a diving beetle.

While brain-implanted electrodes do show promise for applications such as restoring capabilities to the disabled, they tend to lose their functionality over time. A new coating, however, could allow them to work much longer once implanted.

Among other things, the mantis shrimp is known for having the fastest punch of any animal. Harvard scientists have now built a mechanism that simulates that punch, and they believe that it could lead to new capabilities for human technologies.

When lightweight composite materials are used in fields such as aerospace, it's vitally important to know if they're experiencing mechanical stress – before they fail. A new composite is able to do so, simply by fluorescing under UV light.

While we have seen eel-like swimming robots before, they've tended to simply copy the movements of their biological counterparts. AgnathaX is different, in that it utilizes simulated central and peripheral nervous systems for more robust performance.