4D-printed robot self-assembles into a tube and rolls up hills
22 September 2021
A 3D-printed material rolls itself up into a tube, becoming a “4D-printed” robot that travels up hills when exposed to heat
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Premium
AI carpenter can design recreations of furniture from a few photos
29 July 2021
An algorithm can turn photos of wooden objects into a 3D model that is detailed enough for a skilled carpenter to replicate
Smart sensor measures how itchy you are by how much you scratch
30 April 2021
Itching is associated with many diseases and in some cases can be debilitating, but diagnosing chronic itching is difficult because there is no objective way to measure the sensation - now a wearable sensor could help
AI analysis shows two scribes wrote one of the Dead Sea Scrolls
21 April 2021
The handwriting style is consistent throughout the Great Isaiah Scroll, a 2200-year-old document found near the Dead Sea – but AI analysis of the text confirms it was actually written by two scribes
Living robots made from frog skin cells can sense their environment
31 March 2021
Xenobots, named after the frog species Xenopus laevis that the cells come from, were first described last year. Now the team behind the robots has improved their design and demonstrated new capabilities
AI helps assess pain levels in people with sickle cell disease
11 March 2021
It can be hard to prescribe effective pain treatment while limiting the risk of addiction to the drugs. Artificial intelligence may help – and one that relies on someone’s vital signs outperforms existing algorithms
People can answer questions about their dreams without waking up
18 February 2021
People can answer questions and solve maths problems while dreaming, and this could be used to help treat anxiety and other conditions
Sunlight could power micro-aircraft flying above the stratosphere
12 February 2021
The mesosphere – the atmospheric layer 50 to 80km above the ground – is out of bounds to normal aircraft, but millimetre-sized devices could fly there powered by sunlight
