Researchers from the University of Strathclyde’s Faculty of Engineering have discovered that an invasive hardwood shrub found in Cuba known as Marabú, can be used to produce activated carbon. Activated carbon is an excellent filter which can be used in the water purification process. It can also be pulvarized, combined with a polymer, and painted onto aluminum to create lightweight electrodes. The researchers are using the electrodes to create thinner, lighter, rechargable, non-toxic lithium-oxygen batteries and in the future super capacitators. Applications of this discovery range from bringing clean water to the developing world, to creating more efficient batteries for electric vehicles.

In searching for ways to improve the stability of mobile robots, engineers and biologists at the University of California, Berkeley are finding inspiration in nature. The researchers and students are studying how lizards and dinosaurs utilize their tails for stability when leaping over rough terrain. To determine how the biomechanical principles of tails could be applied to robotic design, the team observed geckos in the lab and even examined the movement of velociraptors in the movie Jurassic Park.  The research gave rise to the development of Tailbot, a robotic toy car equipped with a tail, gyroscope, and sensors, able to stabilize its body in mid-air. Continued work in this area will enable researchers to design more agile robots for purposes such as search-and-rescue missions.