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Categories: Engineering: Robotics Research, Geoscience: Geology
Published A mountainous mystery uncovered in Australia's pink sands
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Deposits of deep-pink sand washing up on South Australian shores shed new light on when the Australian tectonic plate began to subduct beneath the Pacific plate, as well as the presence of previously unknown ancient Antarctic mountains.
Published Towards a new era in flexible piezoelectric sensors for both humans and robots
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Flexible piezoelectric sensors are essential to monitor the motions of both humans and humanoid robots. However, existing designs are either are costly or have limited sensitivity. In a recent study, researchers tackled these issues by developing a novel piezoelectric composite material made from electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride nanofibers combined with dopamine. Sensors made from this material showed significant performance and stability improvements at a low cost, promising advancements in medicine, healthcare, and robotics.
Published AI-powered simulation training improves human performance in robotic exoskeletons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have demonstrated a new method that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and computer simulations to train robotic exoskeletons to autonomously help users save energy while walking, running and climbing stairs.
Published 3D-printed mini-actuators can move small soft robots, lock them into new shapes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have demonstrated miniature soft hydraulic actuators that can be used to control the deformation and motion of soft robots that are less than a millimeter thick. The researchers have also demonstrated that this technique works with shape memory materials, allowing users to repeatedly lock the soft robots into a desired shape and return to the original shape as needed.
Published Researchers create realistic virtual rodent
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To help probe the mystery of how brains control movement, scientists have created a virtual rat with an artificial brain that can move around just like a real rodent. The researchers found that activations in the virtual control network accurately predicted neural activity measured from the brains of real rats producing the same behaviors.
Published Trash-sorting robot mimics complex human sense of touch
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are breaking through the difficulties of robotic recognition of various common, yet complex, items. Their layered sensor is equipped with material detection at the surface and pressure sensitivity at the bottom, with a porous middle layer sensitive to thermal changes. An efficient cascade classification algorithm rules out object types in order, from easy to hard, starting with simple categories like empty cartons before moving on to orange peels or scraps of cloth.
Published Four-legged, dog-like robot 'sniffs' hazardous gases in inaccessible environments
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Nightmare material or truly man's best friend? A team of researchers equipped a dog-like quadruped robot with a mechanized arm that takes air samples from potentially treacherous situations, such as an abandoned building or fire. The robot dog walks samples to a person who screens them for potentially hazardous compounds.
Published Researchers create skin-inspired sensory robots to provide medical treatment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have created innovative soft robots equipped with electronic skins and artificial muscles, allowing them to sense their surroundings and adapt their movements in real-time.
Published The solar system may have passed through dense interstellar clouds 2 million years ago, altering Earth's climate
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astrophysicists calculate the likelihood that Earth was exposed to cold, harsh interstellar clouds, a phenomenon not previously considered in geologic climate models.
Published Cascadia Subduction Zone, one of Earth's top hazards, comes into sharper focus
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has produced the first comprehensive survey of the many complex structures beneath the seafloor in the Cascadia Subduction Zone, off British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California. It is providing scientists with key insights into how future disasters may unfold.
Published Liquid metal-based electronic logic device that mimics intelligent prey-capture mechanism of Venus flytrap
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has developed a liquid metal-based electronic logic device that mimics the intelligent prey-capture mechanism of Venus flytraps. Exhibiting memory and counting properties, the device can intelligently respond to various stimulus sequences without the need for additional electronic components. The intelligent strategies and logic mechanisms in the device provide a fresh perspective on understanding 'intelligence' in nature and offer inspiration for the development of 'embodied intelligence'.
Published Better farming through nanotechnology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Advanced technologies enable the controlled release of medicine to specific cells in the body. Scientists argue these same technologies must be applied to agriculture if growers are to meet increasing global food demands.
Published A cracking discovery -- eggshell waste can recover rare earth elements needed for green energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A collaborative team of researchers has made a cracking discovery with the potential to make a significant impact in the sustainable recovery of rare earth elements (REEs), which are in increasing demand for use in green energy technologies. The team found that humble eggshell waste could recover REES from water, offering a new, environmentally friendly method for their extraction.
Published Breaking ground: Could geometry offer a new explanation for why earthquakes happen?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are adding a new wrinkle to a long-held belief about what causes earthquakes in the first place.
Published A technique for more effective multipurpose robots
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source MIT researchers developed a technique to combine robotics training data across domains, modalities, and tasks using generative AI models. They create a combined strategy from several different datasets that enables a robot to learn to perform new tasks in unseen environments.
Published Shape and depth of ocean floor profoundly influence how carbon is stored there
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The movement of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans and continents -- or carbon cycle -- regulates Earth's climate, with the ocean playing a major role in carbon sequestration. A new study finds that the shape and depth of the ocean floor explain up to 50% of the changes in depth at which carbon has been sequestered there over the past 80 million years. While these changes have been previously attributed to other causes, the new finding could inform ongoing efforts to combat climate change through marine carbon sequestration.
Published Enhancing nanofibrous acoustic energy harvesters with artificial intelligence
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have employed artificial intelligence techniques to improve the design and production of nanofibers used in wearable nanofiber acoustic energy harvesters (NAEH). These acoustic devices capture sound energy from the environment and convert it into electrical energy, which can then be applied in useful devices, such as hearing aids.
Published Fresh findings: Earliest evidence of life-bringing freshwater on Earth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research has found evidence that fresh water on Earth, which is essential for life, appeared about four billion years ago -- five hundred million years earlier than previously thought.
Published Designing environments that are robot-inclusive
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To overcome issues associated with real-life testing, researchers successfully demonstrated the use of digital twin technology within robot simulation software in assessing a robot's suitability for deployment in simulated built environments.
Published AI-controlled stations can charge electric cars at a personal price
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As more and more people drive electric cars, congestion and queues can occur when many people need to charge at the same time. A new study shows how AI-controlled charging stations, through smart algorithms, can offer electric vehicle users personalized prices, and thus minimize both price and waiting time for customers. But the researchers point to the importance of taking the ethical issues seriously, as there is a risk that the artificial intelligence exploits information from motorists.