UCSD

One of the main proposed uses for legged robots is the exploration of disaster sites. In order to walk across all that rubble, though, they would definitely need to be sure-footed – which is where new coffee-filled robot feet are designed to come in.

Although 3D printers can produce a wide variety of objects, the size of each item is limited by the size of the printer. Scientists have now developed a way of getting around that limitation, using a resin that expands when heated.

Soft-bodied robots have numerous desirable qualities, such as the ability to squeeze through gaps. And so far, they've typically been manually assembled on a one-off basis. That could be about to change, though, thanks to a new manufacturing method.

While we've already seen materials that allow people or objects to hide from heat-detecting cameras, they're typically only effective at one ambient temperature. An experimental new material, however, can be user-adjusted to work over a wide range.

​If you're unsatisfied with the realism of computer-generated animals, then you might be interested in the latest news out of the UC San Diego. Working with colleagues from UC Berkeley, scientists there have developed a new method of rendering fur that's much more accurate than existing techniques.

​When you reach into your pocket and grab your keys, you can tell how they're oriented, without actually seeing them. Well, an engineering team has created a soft robotic gripper that works in much the same way. It can build virtual 3D models of objects simply by touching them.

Joseph Wang and colleagues at the University of California, San Diego have created a ring with a difference. It detects chemical and biological threats in the wearer's environment.​

​Slipped capital femoral epiphysis is the most common hip disorder in children aged 9 to 16. It's treated via surgery, and the quicker that the operation can be completed, the better. That's why scientists have been using 3D-printed models of patients' hips to greatly reduce surgery time.

​Of the concerns that people have regarding electric cars, one of the most often-heard is that their batteries won't work in cold weather. That may not be an issue in the future, however – scientists have created a new type of electrolyte that allows batteries to work at ultra-cold temperatures.

New research has revealed how scammers are gaming Google Maps by setting up fake pins and locations, with Google now taking steps to preserve the integrity of its venerable online mapping service, claiming to have reduced these fake listings by 70 percent. ​

Scientists at UC San Diego's Jacob's School of Engineering recently created the DucTT duct-cleaning robot. It can climb vertically up ducts, and run for up to six hours on one charge of its battery pack.

We test a MiPsaur robot that balances on two wheels like a Segway. It has several different ways to play, including its own interactive moving ball, a battle mode with other robots, and varying moods.