Posted on August 8th, 2010 by axb
Here’s some good news for all the Transformers fans out there: researchers at Harvard and MIT have been busy creating new smart material that can change its shape on command. Called “programmable matter by folding,” this nifty robotics project involves wiring flexible alloys and programming them to fold themselves into origami-like shapes.
The current prototype can fold itself into a boat or an airplane depending on the signal it receives – watch in this video [after the jump]:
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Filed under: Computer, e-News, Electrical, Materials, Mechanical | 1 Comment »
Tags: Computer, Electrical, Materials, Mechanical, Robotics
Posted on August 5th, 2010 by jxh
Switching to electric cars has a lot of advantages: it would reduce city pollution, decrease our dependence on oil, and save us money from rising gas prices.
And now there is Blink, an electric charging station that will hopefully pave the way of an electric vehicle revolution.
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Filed under: e-News, Electrical, Environmental, Transportation | Comments Off on New Charging Station for Electric Cars
Tags: Electrical, Environmental, Green Technology, Green Transportation, Transportation
Posted on August 4th, 2010 by jxh
When you see a spider, your first inclination may be to step on it, or scream and run away.
But engineers would do the opposite, as they are trying to unlock one of nature’s greatest mysteries: a spider’s ability to produce silk.
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Filed under: Biomedical, Chemical, e-News, Environmental, Materials | 1 Comment »
Tags: Biomedical, Biomimicry, Chemical, Materials
Posted on August 3rd, 2010 by jxh
The oil-eating microorganism Alcanivorax borkumensis
Nearly two weeks after BP capped the biggest oil spill in U.S. history, the millions of gallons that gushed into the Gulf of Mexico are disappearing, and oil is no longer washing up on the beaches and marshes along the Louisiana coast.
This reversal, which may seem surprising, can actually be explained by a number of different factors, including the presence of microbes that break down oil in order to grow and reproduce.
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Filed under: Chemical, e-News, Environmental, Ocean | 2 Comments »
Tags: Chemical, Environmental, Ocean
Posted on August 2nd, 2010 by jxh
Cynthia Warner used to be head of global refining for BP, which made her one of Big Oil’s highest-ranking woman executives.
Now she is president of Sapphire Energy, an energy company that produces oil made from algae.
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Filed under: Chemical, Environmental, Trailblazers | Comments Off on Algae Farmer
Tags: Chemical, Energy, Environmental, Green Technology, Green Transportation
