Materials

3D printing drones developed to build and repair structures while flying

New Civil Engineer: A fleet of “bee-inspired” 3D drones that build and repair structures while flying has been created by a team of researchers. Researchers from Imperial College London and Empa,…

Zero-Energy Tech Heats When Cold and Cools When Hot

IEEE Spectrum: A new heat-management device senses temperature and in response changes its shape to heat up or cool down, all without using any external energy. By supplementing commercial heating and cooling technologies, the zero-energy device could cut down the year-round…

High-Temperature Superconductivity Understood at Last

Quanta Magazine: For decades, a family of crystals has stumped physicists with its baffling ability to superconduct — that is, carry an electric current without any resistance — at far warmer temperatures than other materials. Now, an experiment years in the…

Soft Robot Biodegrades Inside Body

Medgadget: Researchers at the City University of Hong Kong have developed a magnetic soft millirobot that can grab and release objects, and move around by rolling. The device can be controlled using magnetic fields, and consists of a biodegradable gelatin and iron oxide microparticles. The technology has significant potential…