Category Technology/Electronics

Season after season, residents complain about the same ruts in pavements and potholes on the road, wishing they were repaired quickly. A startup engineer with a vision looks to 3D printing robots to save the day. Robert Flitsch is the inventor of the Addibot.

Season after season, residents complain about the same ruts in pavements and potholes on the road, wishing they were repaired quickly. A startup engineer with a vision looks to 3D printing robots to save the day. Robert Flitsch invented Addibot, a small, wheeled robot capable of taking 3D printing to sites to change the surface from problematic to smooth.

The company posted an “ice resurfacing Addibot” video earlier, using water to 3D-print ice...

Namib Desert beetle. Credit: © Rafael Ben-Ari / Fotolia

In a discovery that may lead to ways to prevent frost on airplane parts, condenser coils, and even windshields, a team of researchers led by Virginia Tech has used chemical micropatterns to control the growth of frost caused by condensation. They used photolithography to pattern chemical arrays that attract water over top of a surface that repels water, thereby controlling or preventing the spread of frost.

The inspiration for the work came from an unlikely source — the Namib Desert Beetle, which makes headlines because it lives in one of the hottest places in the world, yet it still collects airborne water...

The A-Gear robotic arm in use. Credit: Image courtesy of University of Twente

Researchers have developed A-Gear: a robotic arm that can support the daily activities of people suffering the muscular disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. They recently put the final touches to the 1st prototype for a discreet, body-connected support aid that can be worn under the clothing and that can support independent operation of the arm during important daily activities. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy occurs in1 in 5000 live born boys. The muscles become weaker during their life. As a result, boys with Duchenne lose the ability to use their arms until, eventually, they are unable to use them at all.

Over the past 4 years, the researchers have been working on 2 arm supports: a passive arm support – controlled...

These images show UV-induced morphological changes of multinucleated giant cells, unprotected and protected by the group’s UV absorber. Credit: Shifeng Zhou/ South China University of Technology

A special metal oxide glass created by researchers in China can help protect living cells by absorbing and blocking damaging ultraviolet rays. It could be used in several applications, including as a protective shield for electronic instruments in space. The researchers used a metal oxide – cerium (IV) oxide (CeO2) – well-known for its ability to absorb UV photons to craft the composite glass-based UV absorber.

Other key features of the final composite material are optical transparency of the glass and ability to suppress the separation of photo-generated electrons and holes...