Inspired inventions – Alison Pearce Stevens

Mighty microbots

Alison — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 18:38:12 +0000

Robotics researchers have come up with some remarkable things, like this self-steering drone. Now a group from Stanford University has created 1-inch microbots, called μTugs (pronounced “micro-Tugs”) that can move some really big things.

The researchers started by creating a gripping foot that acts like a gecko’s toes. That gives the ‘bot the traction it needs to really tug. A set of wheels lets it move forward between pulls. It may be slow, but it steadily moves objects weighing up to 2,000 times more than itself.

Climbing robots can scale a vertical surface while pulling up to 100 times their own weight. That’s like a person scaling a building with an elephant in tow!

Watch the ‘bots in action:

Did you know? Geckos can climb straight up smooth surfaces without slipping!

Want to know more? Check out my story on the microbots for Science News for Students.

Drones to the rescue

Alison — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 13:55:33 +0000

Researchers in Switzerland have created a “smart” drone (unmanned aircraft) that can follow a forest trail–all by itself. The drones use a camera to “see” what lies ahead. The scientists used a deep neural network to program the flying bot. Neural networks are computer programs that can learn. They trained the network on photos of trails, and the program learned when the trail was straight ahead or veering to the left or right. It also learned to turn the aircraft left or right to get back to the trail.

Scientists hope to use the drones in search and rescue efforts to speed up the time required to find lost hikers. Just stay close to the trail while you wait.

Did you know? Neural networks are computer programs that mimic the way a brain works. They allow the computer to learn–just like us!

Want to know more? Check out my story on these drones for Science News for Students.

Poo-powered bus!

Alison — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 12:00:37 +0000

Turning waste into clean transportation.

GENeco’s waste-powered bus. Photo courtesy of Wessex Water.

Check it out: The world’s first poo-powered bus! Engineers believe the GENeco Bio-Bus offers a sustainable alternative to public transportation. That’s because it runs on biomethane captured from the breakdown of human sewage and food waste. (Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that can also be burned for fuel.) The bus not only burns waste that would otherwise wind up in a landfill, it also releases 97% fewer pollutants than standard diesel buses do. And by using human waste as a fuel source, it eliminates the need for fossil fuels (gas and oil), which contribute to climate change.

That makes it a sustainable alternative for passengers in Bristol, UK.

The annual waste (sewage and food) from one person provides enough biomethane to power the bus for a 55 kilometer (34 mile) trip. The compressed gas is stored in tanks on top of the bus (the part painted to look like a cloudy sky). One side of the side of the bus shows people using the loo. The other shows food waste (think apple cores and banana peels) being tossed into special receptacles. GENeco makes enough biomethane from both sources each year to provide gas to 8,300 homes in addition to powering the bus.

Did you know? Cows are gassy! They produce huge amounts of methane every day. In fact, cows housed in a German barn let out so much methane, a spark blew the roof clean off!

Want to know more? Check out GENeco’s pages on the Bio-Bus and Bio-Bug.