New Atlas

Robotics Audio available

Pile-driving autonomous robot builds walls in the ground

Ben Coxworth April 8, 2019

Driven into the ground, interlocking metal plates known as sheet piles can keep soil from eroding after rainfall, they can serve as retaining walls on slopes, or perform other functions. Installing them is a laborious process, though, which is why scientists have created a robot to do the job.

The Romu robot, seen here inserting sheet piles in the sand

Robotics Audio available

Harvard's sticky-footed inspection robot can climb through jet engines

Michael Irving December 19, 2018

A Harvard team has developed small, insect-like robots that can climb inside machines to inspect them, saving the trouble of pulling them apart if there’s nothing that needs fixing.

HAMR-E is based on an earlier Harvard robot that can scurry around like bugs and even ...

Materials Audio available

Nature-inspired membrane filters liquid through liquid

Michael Irving November 12, 2018

Water filters can get dirty and lose their effectiveness quickly. Now researchers have tested a new nature-inspired membrane that filters liquids using other liquids, making for a more efficient and longer-lasting membrane.

The Liquid-gated membrane (LGM), shown at full size in white (left), and under a scanning electron ...

Robotics

Soft robotic arm opens the door to doing science under the sea

James Holloway October 5, 2018

Wyss Institute's forays into soft robots have borne more ripe fruit in the shape of a soft robotic arm fit for use on submarines to handle delicate marine life like coral and jellyfish. This isn't the Harvard institute's first, but its latest iteration moves with "unprecedented dexterity."

The latest soft-robotic arm can move with "unprecedented dexterity"

Robotics

Soft wearable exosuit automatically tunes its assistance levels on the fly

Nick Lavars September 18, 2018

A team of scientists at Harvard’s Wyss Institute has just presented its latest creation in the field of robotic exoskeletons, a fully wearable soft exosuit that automatically tweaks its level of assistance on the fly.

The Wyss Institute team team imagines a raft of uses for its adaptive exosuit

Robotics

Peacock spider inspires small, soft, fluid-powered robots

Michael Irving August 7, 2018

If robots are ever going to work alongside humans in the real world, they're going to need a softer touch. Harvard researchers have developed a new method for producing small-scale squishy robots, and demonstrated it by creating a flexible robotic peacock spider, driven by a microfluidics system.

A Harvard team has developed a new method to make tiny, soft robot spiders, powered by ...

Medical

Harvard's artificial heart parts beat like the real thing

Michael Irving July 23, 2018

It's difficult to study how the heart reacts to diseases and medications. Researchers at Harvard have now grown a model of a human left ventricle that spontaneously beats, marking a substantial step towards engineering entire hearts for more accurate testing of new treatments.

Harvard scientists have grown a beating human heart ventricle to help model disease and drug treatments

Robotics

Origami-inspired device uses a light touch to collect delicate marine life

Ben Coxworth July 19, 2018

When scientists are using submersibles to study deep-sea organisms, it's understandable that they'd want to harmlessly capture fragile-bodied animals in order to get a closer look at them. Well, Harvard University's Rotary Actuated Dodecahedron (RAD) sampler is designed for just such a purpose.

The RAD sampler closes in on a jellyfish

Robotics

Harvard's tiny robot arm picks, packs and performs surgery on the micro scale

Michael Irving January 17, 2018

Harvard engineers have developed the world’s smallest Delta robot, dubbed the MilliDelta. As its name suggests, the new robot measures just a few millimeters, and could lend a hand in precise picking, packing, manufacturing and surgery on the micro scale.

The MilliDelta is a tiny robotic arm that could be used for micro-scale picking, packing, manufacturing ...

Biology

New study suggests antibiotics can weaken the immune system

Michael Irving December 3, 2017

While investigating the side effects of antibiotics and how bacteria can develop resistance to them, researchers from MIT and Harvard have found that the drugs can actually work against the body, weakening the immune system’s ability to fight off the bugs.

Researchers have found that antibiotics can make immune cells less effective at fighting off bacterial infections