Topics: Autonomous Vehicles, Mechanical Engineering, Research, Robotics Abstract Legged locomotion can extend the operational domain of robots to some of the most challenging environments on Earth. However, conventional controllers for legged locomotion are based on elaborate state machines that explicitly trigger the execution of motion primitives and reflexes. These designs have increased in complexity butContinue reading “Quadrupedal Robots…”
Category Archives: Research
Modeling Spread…
Topics: Biology, Computer Modeling, COVID-19, Research TOKYO (Reuters) – A Japanese supercomputer showed that humidity can have a large effect on the dispersion of virus particles, pointing to heightened coronavirus contagion risks in dry, indoor conditions during the winter months. The finding suggests that the use of humidifiers may help limit infections during times whenContinue reading “Modeling Spread…”
B-TENG…
Topics: Applied Physics, Nanotechnology, Polymers, Research A new low-cost nanogenerator that can efficiently harvest electrical energy from ambient wind has been created by Ya Yang at the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and colleagues. The team reports that the device achieves high electrical conversion efficiencies for breezes of 4–8 m/s (14–28 km/h) andContinue reading “B-TENG…”
Infodemic…
Topics: COVID-19, Existentialism, Research I assure you, I have been affected by this pandemic more than most. I am in a demographic that can experience deleterious effects from this virus. I have had friends and family affected directly. I have classmates that are struggling to survive. This is no hoax: it’s real. My precautions areContinue reading “Infodemic…”
Fit…
Topics: Applied Physics, NIST, Research, Robotics A shoddily tailored suit or a shrunken T-shirt may not be the most stylish, but wearing them is unlikely to hurt more than your reputation. An ill-fitting robotic exoskeleton on the battlefield or factory floor, however, could be a much bigger problem than a fashion faux pas. Exoskeletons, manyContinue reading “Fit…”
Cats, Llamas, Coronavirus Therapies…
Topics: Chemistry, COVID-19, Physics, Research As the world anxiously awaits development of one or more vaccines to tame the SARS-CoV-2 virus, other research continues at a feverish pace to find effective treatments for the disease it causes, COVID-19. That work, in which physicists and chemists are deeply involved, has made significant strides in the pastContinue reading “Cats, Llamas, Coronavirus Therapies…”
Plasma Guides and Lasers…
Topics: Lasers, Optics, Plasma, Research, Star Trek, Star Wars In science fiction, firing powerful lasers looks easy — the Death Star can just send destructive power hurtling through space as a tight beam. But in reality, once a powerful laser has been fired, care must be taken to ensure it doesn’t get spread too thin.Continue reading “Plasma Guides and Lasers…”
APS…
Topics: COVID-19, Materials Science, Optics, Photonics, Research From chemistry to materials science to COVID-19 research, the APS is one of the most productive X-ray light sources in the world. An upgrade will make it a global leader among the next generation of light sources, opening new frontiers in science. In the almost 25 years since the Advanced Photon Source (APS), aContinue reading “APS…”
Physics and Nano 