A New Approach to Locomotion for Soft Robotics
Scientists at North Carolina State University have showcased a soft robot, designed like a caterpillar, capable of moving forward, backward, and squeezing through tight spaces….
Biomechanics News
Knotty by Nature: Blackworms and the Secrets of Rapid Untangling
Researchers have studied California blackworms to understand the rapid untangling of tangled active matter, potentially aiding the design of new active materials. Using ultrasound imaging,…
Mathematicians Solve a Knotty Mystery: How To Untangle a Worm Ball
California blackworms tangle themselves up by the thousands, then separate in a split second. Their trick may inspire the design of self-detangling materials and fibers….
Mathematics Behind Wiggly Worm Knots Could Inspire Shapeshifting Robotics
Georgia Tech and MIT researchers have used ultrasound imaging and meticulous data tracking to understand the rapid tangling and untangling behaviors of California blackworms. Their…
Inspired by Manta Ray Biomechanics: “Butterfly Bot” Is Fastest Swimming Soft Robot Ever
Researchers have developed an energy-efficient soft robot that can swim more than four times faster than previous swimming soft robots by taking inspiration from the…
Smart Textiles Accurately Sense How Their Users Are Moving
MIT researchers develop a comfortable, form-fitting fabric that accurately recognizes its wearer’s activities, like walking, running, and jumping. Using a novel fabrication process, scientists at…
Skydiving Salamanders Parachute and Glide From the Tallest Trees [High Speed Video]
Salamanders that live their entire lives in the crowns of the world’s tallest trees, California’s coast redwoods, have evolved a behavior well-adapted to the dangers…
NeuroMechFly: A Morphologically Realistic Biomechanical Model of a Fly
A Digital Twin of Drosophila “We used two kinds of data to build NeuroMechFly,” says Professor Pavan Ramdya at the School of Life Sciences at…
Animals Evolved the Ability To Gallop 472 Million Years Ago – Before They Emerged Onto Land
Few human adults gallop; the equine gait tends to be the preserve of little kids mimicking horses or exercise classes. But for camels, lions, and…
Autonomously Swimming Biohybrid Fish Made From Human Cardiac Cells Reveals Insights Into Heart Physiology
An autonomously swimming biohybrid fish, designed with a focus on two key regulatory features of the human heart, has revealed the importance of feedback mechanisms…
Autonomous Biohybrid Fish – Made From Human Cardiac Cells – Swims Like the Heart Beats
Device offers insights into artificial muscular pumps, a step toward building an artificial heart. Harvard University researchers, in collaboration with colleagues from Emory University, have…
MIT Student Designs Novel Prosthetics and Seeks To Inspire Others To Pursue Engineering
Making Her Way Through MIT Graduate student Lucy Du designs novel prosthetics and seeks to inspire others to pursue engineering. Lucy Du, a doctoral student…
New Synthetic Biomaterial Can Repair Hearts, Muscles, and Vocal Cords
Scientists from McGill University develop new biomaterial for wound repair. Combining knowledge of chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering, scientists from McGill University develop a biomaterial…
Solid, Liquid, or Gas? Visual “Fingerprints” Quickly Identify Physical State of Tissues and Cancer Tumors
The method could be a route to quicker, less invasive cancer diagnoses. As an organism grows, the feel of it changes too. In the initial…
Benefit of Having a Fifth Leg: Geckos Glide, Crash-Land, but Don’t Fall
Soft perching robot validates the benefit of having a fifth leg. Geckos’ impressive climbing abilities give them agility rarely surpassed in nature. With their highly…
These Incredible Geckos Crash-Land on Rainforest Trees but Don’t Fall, Thanks to Their Tails
Scientists find another use for lizards’ versatile tails: stabilization after headfirst crashes. A gecko’s tail is a wondrous and versatile thing. In more than 15…
How an Elephant’s Trunk Manipulates Air To Eat and Drink – Animal’s “Swiss Army Knife” Could Help Build Better Robots
New research from the Georgia Institute of Technology finds that elephants dilate their nostrils in order to create more space in their trunks, allowing them…
Remarkable Evolutionary Accessory: Sticky Toes Unlock Life in the Trees
Many lizards are phenomenal climbers. Their sharp, curved claws are ideal for clinging to tree trunks, rocks, and other rough surfaces. However, in the precarious…
