Drones are often referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. Well, a team at Johns Hopkins University has created a UAAV – an unmanned aerial-aquatic vehicle. Named after the creature that inspired it, the Flying Fish is capable of both fixed-wing aerial flight and underwater travel.
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A team of scientists from Stanford University has discovered a method of constructing perovskite solar cells with enhanced durability by taking inspiration from the honeycomb structure of insect eyes.
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We have seen fixed-wing drones pull off some impressive maneuvers, with versions that dive like a seabird, land like a perching bird and even using shape-shifting wings to soar through the air like one. But landing on and taking off from vertical surfaces?
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When it comes to naturally repelling things, the humble cicada seems to have a few tricks up its sleeve. Now scientists have zeroed in on the insect's ability to repel water, which could provide inspiration for anti-icing and self-cleaning materials further down the track.
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When the Dusky Arion slug feels threatened, it secretes a mucus that makes it almost impossible to remove from whatever surface it happens to be on. Inspired by that, scientists have created an adhesive gel that could conceivably be used in the human body.
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Michelin is exploring the potential for improvements in tire technology with its Vision concept tire that is airless, 3D printed, equipped with sensors, biodegradable, and not just a tire, but a tire and wheel in one.
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Although sea shells of various types have been studied as sources of inspiration for impact-resistant manmade materials, the conch shell is known for being particularly tough. And while the reason was already understood, it hadn't been replicated using engineered materials – until now, that is.
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One problem with teaching robots to walk over uneven terrain is that what works in one setting may not fly in another. One solution would be to have the robot teach itself as it goes, which is exactly the approach researchers at Arizona State University have taken with their so-called C-Turtle.
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While there are already several underwater drones that allow you peek beneath the surface of your local waterways, they're pretty much all propeller-driven, and are controlled via a physical tether that reaches to the surface. BIKI, however, is a bit different.
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Imagine if things like satellite antennas could fold down small when not in use, but then unfurl into a rigid structure as needed. Well, that's just what ladybug wings do. In order to find out how they do so, scientists recently replaced a ladybug's real wing cover with one that's transparent.
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