Robot ‘shapeshifts’ and reassembles

Plus: Lockheed Martin breaks own record, delivers 300-kW laser weapon to US military. Sep 21, 2022 [Blueprint]( Try not to hum the Transformers theme tune as you read this… These robots may be somewhat squidgier than Optimus Prime et al, but they share one brilliant similarity – namely [the ability to change shape](. The (snappily-named) scale-reconfigurable miniature ferrofluidic robots (SMFRs), which have been developed by researchers from Taiwan, China and Germany, are powered by ferrofluids and can be controlled by magnets. Developers are particularly excited about their potential medical uses. But before you marvel* at them, gaze in wonderment at [this video]( which shows what happened to a man who ate 100 zinc vitamin C gummies every day. Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s dive in. *Intentional Marvel reference Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers had an exclusive insight from Steve Komadina, the DARPA program manager for ANCILLARY, about the development of the new military vertical-takeoff aircraft from the U.S. Defense Agency. This week, they’ll hear from Roxana Bujack on how researchers uncovered a 100-year-old math error, and what they’re going to do with the findings. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+ today]( to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [This is what happened to a man who ate 100 zinc vitamin C gummies every day.]( [Man who ate 100 Zinc Vitamin C gummies every day.]( Plot spoiler: he didn’t turn into a gummy bear. [Must Read]MUST READ [A miraculous soft robot has the power to split into smaller units and reassemble back to its original size.]( [Shapeshifting robot.]( [Scale-reconfigurable miniature ferrofluidic robots]( (SMFRs) have been developed by researchers from Taiwan, China and Germany. An SMFR is essentially a reconfigurable soft robot, which is constructed using oil-based ferrofluid droplets. These mainly comprise iron oxide nanoparticles dipped in hydrocarbon oil. Because ferrofluids are responsive to magnets and magnetic fields, you can control SMFRs with magnets – and they can “shapeshift”. This is because the ferrofluid particles that they’re made of are loosely bound to each other, which allows the SMFR to move easily through narrow passages, adjust its shape, and even split under the influence of a magnetic field. → In 2015, a team of researchers in South Korea created ferrofluid soft robots capable of mimicking an amoeba's movements. Another group of researchers from Arizona State University developed a miniature shape-altering robot in 2021 using ferrofluids. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [Lockheed Martin breaks own record, delivers 300-kW laser weapon to US military.]( Lockheed Martin has [delivered a 300-kilowatt laser]( — its most powerful laser to date — to the U.S. military's Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering OUSD (R&E). [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Innovation - Phantom Space: A new rocket startup says it can launch at [half the cost of SpaceX](. [premium] - SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy is one important step closer to [sending humans to Mars](. - A [superhero cyborg cockroach]( could help in rescue operations- here's how. [premium] [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [For the first time, extra-terrestrial water has been found inside a meteorite.]( The Winchcombe meteorite, which struck a road in the town of Gloucestershire in the U.K. last February, is also believed to contain information about the [origins of the water]( that makes up another planet’s seas. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Science - James Webb Space Telescope [captures first images of Mars]( and the results are phenomenal. - This company [launches the ashes]( of your loved ones into space. [premium] - There are [20 quadrillion ants]( on the planet, and they weigh more than all mammals and birds combined. [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS Scale-reconfigurable miniature ferrofluidic robots (SMFRs) have been developed by researchers. What do you think we could use these SMFRs for primarily? [Medical advances]( [Space exploration]( [Military purposes]( [Something else entirely]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday, we asked you if you think we’ll all be able to drive around on the Moon one day, and 39 percent of you said yes, anything’s possible. 39% Yes, anything’s possible 28% Only if you’re very wealthy 25% Not in our lifetime 8% No, other factors will rule it out [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY “Satisfaction of one's curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life”. Linus Pauling 1901– 94 American theoretical chemist and biologist: in Time 2 January 1961. [THINGS WE LOVE]THINGS WE LOVE [image]( [REHOOPEX Exercise Bike]( [image]( [VHBW Electric Bike Charger]( [image]( [Celestron AstroMaster130 EQ Newtonian Telescope]( [image]( [Tesoorda LED Flame Speaker]( [AND ANOTHER THING]AND ANOTHER THING - Mark Zuckerberg has [lost $70 billion]( in 2022 after metaverse leap. - This [environmentally friendly quantum sensor]( runs on sunlight. (Science News) - A breakthrough fossil shows what a [dinosaur-era pig]( would have looked like. - NASA is ready to [knock an asteroid off course]( with its DART spacecraft. ( New Scientist) - Video: [NASA's black hole audio]( shows how scientists are recording the universe. [premium] - A dramatic image of a [comet being torn apart]( wins Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022. (BBC) - Researchers reveal dinosaurs may have been [extinct before the meteorite]( hit. [Subscribe to IE+ today.]( Prepared by Alice Cooke Enjoy Reading? Forward this email to a friend. Was this email forwarded to you?[Join Free!]( [About Us]( [Advertise]( [Contact Us]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. 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