New Atlas

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, ...

Mobile Technology

The folding phone standoff: Samsung's Galaxy Fold vs. Huawei's Mate X

Nick Lavars February 26, 2019

The folding smartphone may have finally arrived during Mobile World Congress this week with the unveiling of Samsung’s Galaxy Fold and Huawei’s Mate X. So what do these two bendable blowers stand for exactly?

How do the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X stack up?

Outdoors

HoverChair and foot hammock combo lets outdoor folks hang in comfort

Nick Lavars February 18, 2019

The HoverChair might take slightly more work to pack onto your back than other folding chairs, but promises supreme levels of comfort with a hanging design, breathable materials and an optional foot hammock to rest those weary legs.

The HoverChair is the latest item from gearmaker Crua Outdoors

Urban Transport

Powerful eMove Cruiser electric scooter heads to the US

Paul Ridden January 28, 2019

Voro Motors has been selling its eMove scooter series in Singapore, Malaysia and China over the last year or so, and is now making the Cruiser edition available in the US. So what makes this model stand out in an overcrowded e-scooter market? It has a powerful motor that peaks at 1,600 watts.

The eMove Cruiser from Voro Motors in on sale in the US now

Mobile Technology

Folding screen phones from Samsung, Sony, LG and more on the horizon

David Nield January 24, 2019

You might have heard that one of the smartphone trends of 2019 is going to be foldable phones, devices with displays you can actually bend in half. What you might not realize is just how many of these devices are on the way – so we're listing all the phones currently in the pipeline here.

Samsung has shown off its folding phone in prototype form

Urban Transport

Adapt-X cargo trailer folds up when not in use

Ben Coxworth January 18, 2019

Cargo trailers may be handy for hauling stuff around, but the things DO take up a lot of room in a driveway or garage. In response to that problem, Quebec-based Apogee Trailers developed its folding Adapt-X.

The Adapt-X trailer can reportedly be folded in under 90 seconds

Robotics

Hexapod robot folds for transit, walks out for missions, dances for fun

Paul Ridden December 18, 2018

We've seen huge strides in the development of big walking bots, small rollers and shape-changing drones, but Robugtix sees a gap in the market for something that slots inbetween. Its new Z6 robot is small enough to fit in a backpack but capable enough to carry cargo and perform on-site tasks.

The Z6 is the first professional robot from Robugtix

Drones Audio available

Adaptable drone folds while flying to get through gaps

Ben Coxworth December 12, 2018

Although quadcopter drones show promise as a means of exploring hazardous environments, they do have one drawback – they're wide, limiting their ability to squeeze through tight spaces. An experimental new drone addresses that problem, by folding into different shapes while in flight.

The foldable drone takes on an H-shaped propeller arm configuration, allowing it to fit through narrow ...

Outdoors Audio available

Onak rolls out updated folding canoe

Paul Ridden December 3, 2018

With the original Onak "origami" canoe, you could cycle to the canal or coastline with a trolley in tow, unpack and assemble at the water's edge and then throw in your gear and paddle away . The updated Onak 2.0 offers much the same experience, but comes with a few welcome improvements.

The patented Honeycomb Curv composite material used for the Onak 2.0 is reported to have a ...

Drones Audio available

US Navy offers drone-in-a-tube tech to the public

Ben Coxworth November 16, 2018

If you're trying to confuse an incoming missile, one way of doing it would be to place a swarm of radio frequency-emitting drones in its path. That's what the US Navy's tube-launched Nomad was designed to do, although commercial partners are now being invited to adapt the drone for their own needs.

Civilian contractors from the Office of Naval Research conduct a test on the Nomad drone system ...