Case Western Reserve University

​We've already heard how batteries that are built into the structure of items – such as cars or satellites – could help extend run times without increasing bulk. Now, the flight time of a drone has been almost doubled, thanks to such "structural batteries."

We’ve had the internet of things for years now. You may well already have smart devices controlling your home. But what might the future of smart home technology look like? Two scientists at Case Western Reserve University believe it could well be something they are calling the “internet of ears.”

​Origami has plenty to offer the world of robotics, the latest example of which is a tower-shaped soft robot that can grasp objects and could safely interact with humans, possibly even as a tool for invasive surgeries.

In a similar vein to the recent stingray robot made of rat heart cells and a gold skeleton, researchers have created a robot from sea slug muscles attached to a 3D-printed body, aiming to one day send swarms of biohybrid robots on sea search missions.

A group of students have created a unique material that they say could be sealed in bags with water, then used to temporarily fill potholes.