Tag: biology

AITechnology

Would you wear this ‘shoe-like vessel’ made from genetically engineered bacteria?

 Naomi  0 236 

Transitioning towards sustainable clothing practices is a must for combating climate change, so researchers are turning to bacteria for their fashion inspiration. As detailed in the research journal Nature Biotechnology, a team at Imperial College London has genetically engineered new microbial strains capable of being woven into wearable material, while simultaneously self-dyeing itself in the process. The result is a new vegan, plastic-free leather that’s suitable for items such as wallets and shoes—although perhaps not the most fashionable looking shoes…

AITechnology

A sea creature extinct for half a billion years inspired a new soft robot

 Ingle  0 164 

Plenty of robots are inspired by existing animals, but not as many take their cue from extinct creatures. To design their own new machine, Carnegie Mellon University researchers looked over 500-million years back in time for guidance. Their result, presented during the 68th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, is an underwater soft robot modeled after one of the sea urchin’s oldest ancestors. [Related: Watch robot dogs train on obstacle courses to avoid tripping.] Pleurocystitids swam the oceans around half a billion…

AITechnology

Watch this cool, useless biohybrid robot take a stroll

 Emma  0 61 

As impressive as many biohybrid robotic projects are, they aren’t exactly known for their hairpin turns. In fact, it’s still pretty difficult to design an agile machine merging artificial materials and biological tissue. But if a future generation of biohybrids does manage to one day clear that hurdle, they could owe it to a tiny pair of cute, albeit pretty much useless, robo-legs. Researchers at the University of Tokyo detailed their 3cm tall creation in a new study published today…