New Atlas

Materials Audio available

Bacteria used to produce synthetic mother-of-pearl

Ben Coxworth April 23, 2019

Besides simply looking nice when used in jewellery, mother-of-pearl is also one of nature's hardest, stiffest, most stable materials. Scientists have now utilized bacteria to develop a cheap and eco-friendly method of replicating it, for possible use in a variety of areas.

A sample of the artificial nacre, deposited on a glass slide

Robotics Audio available

Harvard researchers speed up snake-inspired kirigani robot

Darren Quick April 22, 2019

Last year, a Harvard team revealed a snake-inspired soft robot that harnessed the ancient Japanese art of kirigami to create pop-up scales that allowed the robot propel itself along as it stretches and contracts. Now some tweaks have given the robot boosts in both speed and precision.

Researchers at Harvard have enhanced the speed and accuracy of their snake-inspired soft robot by changing ...

Drones Audio available

Insect-inspired drone folds its arms for improved flight

Ben Coxworth April 16, 2019

Whereas quadcopter drones simply have four rigid propeller-bearing arms, flying insects are able to adjust the angle of their wings according to the situation. Inspired by that fact, scientists have created a drone that can fold its arms while in flight, allowing for better performance.

The folding-arm drone is claimed to be better than regular quadcopters at flying in the wind, ...

Materials

Bee-slobber-inspired adhesive may succeed where others fail

Ben Coxworth March 28, 2019

Depending on their formulation, most adhesives fail either when they're exposed to excessive humidity, or when they dry out in arid conditions. Honeybees, however, don't have such problems with their "pollen pellets." A new understanding of why this is so could lead to better manmade adhesives.

A honeybee, with a pollen pellet stuck to one of its hind legs

Aircraft

MetaFly is that flying robotic insect you've been looking for

Ben Coxworth March 6, 2019

Five years ago, French aeronautical engineer Edwin Van Ruymbeke successfully crowdfunded his Bionic Bird – it's a remote-control model that flies by flapping its wings, just like a real bird. Now he's back, with the insect-inspired MetaFly.

The MetaFly can be flown both indoors and outdoors (if the winds aren't too strong)

Science Audio available

Shark's bristling scales make it faster, and may help make planes faster too

Ben Coxworth March 4, 2019

Capable of swimming at speeds of up to 74 km/h (46 mph), the shortfin mako is the world's fastest species of shark. Scientists now have a new understanding of how it's able to reach such speeds, and they believe that their findings could be applied to improving human technology.

A shortfin mako shark in the North Atlantic, near the Azores

Science

Fireflies' "lopsided pyramids" get copied in brighter LEDs

Ben Coxworth February 20, 2019

Although LEDs are more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs, most commercial models are reportedly only about 50 percent efficient at emitting the light that they generate. This is known as their light extraction efficiency, and researchers have drastically increased it by copying fireflies.

By copying microstructures on fireflies' abdomens, scientists have boosted the light extraction efficiency of LEDs

Materials

Lobster-tail membrane could inspire better flexible body armor

Ben Coxworth February 20, 2019

When you think of lobsters and armor, the obvious connection would be their hard shells. An international team of scientists, however, is more interested in the flexible membrane on the underside of the crustaceans' tails. It has a unique structure, which could find uses in human technology.

A pair of lobster tails, with the translucent membrane visible on the underside of the one ...

Robotics Audio available

Ant-inspired roving robot eschews GPS

Ben Coxworth February 14, 2019

Ordinarily, when we hear about robots or other devices that are able to independently navigate outdoors, it's a given that they use GPS. French scientists have developed an alternative, however, in the form of a six-legged robot that navigates like an ant.

AntBot can determine its heading with an accuracy of 0.4 degrees

Materials Audio available

Feather-inspired tech may give Velcro a run for its money

Ben Coxworth January 16, 2019

For decades, when people have wanted to stick two things together but later pull them back apart, Velcro has been the answer. In the future, however, the material may get some competition from bird feather-inspired technology.

A feather's barbs are pulled apart, in a manner that was replicated using large-scale 3D-printed models