Florida Atlantic University

One of the red oak cubes utilized in the study (bottom, on black square) undergoes analysis

Materials

Iron-fortified lumber could be a greener alternative to steel beams

Although lumber does show promise as a renewable alternative to structural materials such as steel, it still tends to be weaker than those substances. Scientists have now set about addressing that shortcoming, by strengthening wood with added iron.

Astro utilizes a deep neural network to learn new tasks through a process of trial and error

Robotics

Astro robo-dog packs an AI-enabled "brain" in its 3D-printed head

We've already seen several dog-like quadruped robots, which move by walking with their four backward-bending legs. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University are now getting in on the act, with their artificially-intelligent (and dog-headed) Astro robot.

The team says the robotic finger could help to overcome some of the challenges encountered by researchers working in the ocean depths

Robotics

Robotic finger mimics human digits as it is heated and cooled

In a quest to develop more lifelike robotic parts, scientists at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) have employed a novel thermal training technique to give robotic finger a natural look and feel.