Engineers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have developed a pioneering prosthetic hand that can grip plush toys, water bottles and other everyday objects like a human, carefully conforming and adjusting its grasp to avoid damaging or mishandling whatever it holds. The system’s hybrid design is a first for robotic hands, which have typically been too rigid or too soft … [Read more...] about Bionic hand ‘knows’ what it’s touching
Medical
3D-printed soft actuators could be used to create artificial heart
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) have developed a method of producing soft and elastic, yet powerful ‘artificial muscles’ using 3D printing. According to the researchers, in addition to potential applications in robotics, the soft actuators could be used to support people at work or when walking, or even replace injured … [Read more...] about 3D-printed soft actuators could be used to create artificial heart
Design team appointed to develop new health tech innovation facility
Scarborough Group International (SGI) has appointed a design team to lead the transformation of the Grade II*-listed Old Medical School on the Leeds General Infirmary site into a cutting-edge health tech innovation hub. The team will be led by Leeds-based architectural practice AHR, known for its expertise in life-sciences and innovation projects such as Nexus at the … [Read more...] about Design team appointed to develop new health tech innovation facility
Engineers turn to parasites for medical device innovation
A team of researchers at the Harvard John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has taken inspiration from tapeworms to design a tissue-anchoring mechanism for medical devices. Ingestible devices are often used to study and treat hard-to-reach tissues in the body. Swallowed in pill form, these capsules can pass through the digestive tract, snapping … [Read more...] about Engineers turn to parasites for medical device innovation
Researchers solve a nearly 200-year-old polymer challenge
Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a new design that appears to rewrite the textbook on polymer engineering. No longer is it dogma that the stiffer a polymeric material is, the less stretchable it has to be. ‘We are addressing a fundamental challenge that has been thought to be impossible to solve since the … [Read more...] about Researchers solve a nearly 200-year-old polymer challenge