Wings and fins bend…in the same way

1024px-Southern_right_whale_caudal_fin-2_no_skyWhat do a bat, a jellyfish and a humpback whale have in common? For one thing, these animals use their natural propulsors, such as wings, bells and flukes, to move through their environment, be it air or water. Last week a group of researchers published a study in Nature Communications that indicates that these and many other animals from distantly related groups seem to have attended the same school of propulsion. And one of the subjects they studied there was all about being flexible.

Continue reading

Robots Vs. Jellyfish

Sea_Nettle_Jelly_1Jellies are on a world-wide rise: we’ve made the mess, now it’s time to clean it up!

They may be found in swarms of marvelous colours, or floating solitary like transparent pieces of blown glass. From waters East to West, and North to South the jellyfish knows Continue reading

Robojelly

This robot’s not snacking on shrimp or plankton to get its energy

Many of us consider jellyfish a nuisance when we’re walking along the beach or swimming in salty waves. While some species are highly hazardous, and others are nothing but harmless, for a bunch of (essentially) brainless animals, they sure do have some moves!
Continue reading

What's the Fastest Robot on Earth?

Check out the ¨Cheetah¨

We all know that the fastest land animal is the cheetah, capable of running up to 120 km/hr in short bursts- but has it met its match in robot form? In terms of speed, the great cat faces little competition. Nevertheless, today, no legged robot is speedier than Darpas’s new Cheetah bot which can run 30 km/hr in cheetah-like fashion.
Continue reading