Intelligent Machines

Ever observed the agility of an insect? Mimicking the locomotion of bees, cockroaches, earthworms, larvae etc, presents immense potential and application in the world of technology and robotics. The ability of these creatures to navigate challenging environments in their biological state has awed and (bio)inspired scientists!

In any classroom, teachers have to strike a fine balance between making sure that learning objectives of their lessons are being met, whilst also taking into account the emotional and social needs of their students. This is particularly important at primary school level, as student’s experiences at this age often shape their views of education throughout school and into the world of further education and work.

Over the last few years, the fields of bionics and robotics have reached such great new heights that artificially intelligent robots are now capable of competing in jobs and working alongside people. Yes, with the very same ones who created them! Many have advised that the future will see more such advanced professional and technological developments in bots.

The delivery of vaccines by means of ground transportation in low and middle income countries currently faces several logistical problems. This includes potentially unapproachable areas, rough terrain and war zones preventing delivery. This naturally results in an increase in preventable diseases like hepatitis B, tetanus, MMR, dengue and measles in those regions. So, this is not a predicament of expense of facilities as much as it is inaccessibility to commodities.

New advances in science are often inspired by the natural world and a new type of hydrogel robot is no exception. It aims to emulate glass-eel larvae which are clear when hatched. This near transparency provides the eels with an effective camouflage mechanism, designed to help them complete their long journey from the ocean to the rivers where they carry out the adult part of their life cycle.

Periplaneta americana, commonly known as the American cockroach, one of the most dreaded pest of them all, has now crept its way into robotic studies, thankfully far from the reaches of our homes!

When robots arrive, they do so in style! We stand witness to some of the greatest technological inventions in history, an area of pioneer research being the use of robotics in medicine and healthcare. The aim is to enhance quality of living by means of artificial intelligence.

Whilst the majority of flying drones have so far been based on a quadcopter design with four rotating blades, there are safety issues with these coming into close contact with humans, as well as a lack of efficiency and agility which limits their use in rescue operations. Researchers are therefore looking for more efficient flying drones and to that end, the National Science Foundation in the US gave researchers $2.2 million to come up with a new design.

Many of us might assume that with the arrival of the digital age, the function of libraries will naturally cease to exist. Although this is partly true and in some ways a worrying trend, there is hope for these institutions. Many book enthusiasts, children, college students and professors still insist on the sanctity of libraries and visit them frequently for educational purposes, leisure reading or otherwise. There’s nothing like a good old book in hand!

Most people have heard of the Great Barrier Reef, even if they haven’t been there themselves. The world’s largest coral reef contains over 3000 individual reef systems and is the only living thing on earth which is visible from space.

One of the most ambitious smart-road projects, the Cooperative ITS Corridor, started about one year ago in Europe, and it is expected to shepherd cars from Rotterdam through Munich, Frankfurt, and on to Vienna without a single interruption, by warning drivers of upcoming roadwork and other road obstacles.

If you had been on the shoreline of Portland, Oregon in April 2016 and had seen a fairly unremarkable gray trimaran cruising the shore, you probably wouldn’t have looked twice. But beneath this relatively plain exterior lies a wealth of innovative and cutting-edge technology.