Butterfly wings inspire labels for better clothing recycling

A new kind of label that would be woven into fabric could make recycling clothing sorting more effective, researchers report.

Gabe Cherry-Michigan • futurity
Feb. 10, 2023 ~6 min

Polar bear paws could lead to shoes with better traction

The way polar bear paws help them walk safely on ice could lead to better traction for shoes, tires, and other products.

Dan Bernardi-Syracuse • futurity
Dec. 15, 2022 ~4 min


Future vehicles could swim like gelatinous sea creatures

Gelatinous sea creatures called Nanomia bijuga have two modes for getting around. Future underwater vehicles could mimic them.

U. Oregon • futurity
Nov. 29, 2022 ~6 min

‘Butterfly bot’ swims 4X faster than past robots

"Butterfly bot," a soft robot that swims the butterfly stroke, gets its inspiration from the biomechanics of the manta ray.

Matt Shipman-NC State • futurity
Nov. 21, 2022 ~5 min

Cup lids inspire new way for drones to sense danger

Taking inspiration from the shape of a to-go cup lid, researchers may have come up with a quicker way for drones to sense danger.

Kayla Wiles-Purdue • futurity
Nov. 3, 2022 ~6 min

Penguin feathers hold clues to anti-icing tech

A new way to deal with ice buildup on airplanes, drones, and wind turbines comes from researchers investigation into penguin feathers.

Katherine Gombay-McGill • futurity
Oct. 24, 2022 ~5 min

Flatworms and mussels inspire life-saving medical glue

Drawing inspiration from flatworms and mussels, researchers have created a medical adhesive that stops blood loss and could save lives.

Shirley Cardenas-McGill • futurity
Oct. 14, 2022 ~3 min

Turtle robot can travel on land and in water

Researchers have created a robot that can morph its legs into flippers before taking a swim, just like the turtles that inspired it.

William Weir-Yale • futurity
Oct. 13, 2022 ~4 min


How animals with fantastic abilities inspire next-gen robots

In this podcast episode, Robert Full explains the huge growth in robots designed based on amazing creatures in nature.

UC Berkeley • futurity
Aug. 23, 2022 ~2 min

Squid skin inspires material that keeps stuff hot (or cool)

In the future, you may have a squid to thank for your coffee staying hot. Squid skin has inspired a new material for insulating cups, packaging, and more.

Brian Bell-UC Irvine • futurity
March 29, 2022 ~6 min

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